the riverman-第47章

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that　in　sluicing　logs；　the　gate　must　be　open　a　couple　of　hours　

before　the　sluicing　begins　in　order　to　fill　the　river…bed　below。　　

Logs　run　ahead　faster　than　the　water　spreads。



Sure　enough；　after　supper　Orde　suddenly　appeared　among　them；　the　

well…known　devil　of　mischief　dancing　in　his　eyes　and　broadening　his　

good…natured　face。



〃Get　organised；　boys；〃　said　he　briskly。　　〃We've　got　to　get　this　pond　

all　sluiced　before　morning；　and　there's　enough　of　us　here　to　hustle　

it　right　along。〃



The　men　took　their　places。　　Orde　moved　here　and　there；　giving　his　

directions。



〃Sluice　through　everything　but　the　〃H〃　logs；〃　he　commanded。　　〃Work　

them　off　to　the　left　and　leave　them。〃



Twilight；　then　dark；　fell。　　After　a　few　moments　the　moon；　then　just　

past　its　full；　rose　behind　the　new…budding　trees。　　The　sluicing；　

under　the　impetus　of　a　big　crew；　went　rapidly。



〃I　bet　there's　mighty　near　a　million　an　hour　going　through　there；〃　

speculated　Orde；　watching　the　smooth；　swift；　but　burdened　waters　of　

the　chute。



And　in　this　work　the　men　distinguished　easily　the　new　white　blaze…

marks　on　Heinzman's　logs；　so　they　were　able　without　hesitation　to　

shunt　them　one　side　into　the　smoother　water；　as　Orde　had　commanded。



About　two　o'clock　the　last　log　shot　through。



〃Now；　boys；〃　said　Orde；　〃tear　out　the　booms。〃



The　chute　to　the　dam　was　approached；　as　has　been　earlier　explained；　

by　two　rows　of　booms　arranged　in　a　V；　or　funnel；　the　apex　of　which　

emptied　into　the　sluice…way；　and　the　wide；　projecting　arms　of　which　

embraced　the　width　of　the　stream。　　The　logs；　floating　down　the　pond；　

were　thus　concentrated　toward　the　sluice。　　Also；　the　rivermen；　

walking　back　and　forth　the　length　of　the　booms；　were　able　easily　to　

keep　the　drive　moving。



Now；　however；　Orde　unchained　these　boom　logs。　　The　men　pushed　them　

ashore。　　There　as　many　as　could　find　room　on　either　side　the　boom…

poles　clamped　in　their　peavies；　and；　using　these　implements　as　

handles；　carried　the　booms　some　distance　back　into　the　woods。　　Then　

everybody　tramped　back　and　forth；　round　and　about；　to　confuse　the　

trail。　　Orde　was　like　a　mischievous　boy　at　a　school　prank。　　When　the　

last　timber　had　been　concealed；　he　lifted　up　his　deep　voice　in　a　

roar　of　joy；　in　which　the　crew　joined。



Now　let's　turn　in　for　a　little　sleep；〃　said　be。



This　situation；　perhaps　a　little　cloudy　in　the　reader's　mind；　would　

have　cleared　could　he　have　looked　out　over　the　dam　pond　the　

following　morning。　　The　blazed　logs　belonging　to　Heinzman；　drifting　

slowly；　had　sucked　down　into　the　corner　toward　the　power　canal　

where；　caught　against　the　grating；　they　had　jammed。　　These　logs　

would　have　to　be　floated　singly；　and　pushed　one　by　one　against　the　

current　across　the　pond　and　into　the　influence　of　the　sluice…gate。　　

Some　of　them　would　be　hard　to　come　at。



〃I　guess　that　will　keep　them　busy　for　a　day　or　two；〃　commented　Orde；　

as　he　followed　the　rear　down　to　where　it　was　sacking　below　the　dam。



This；　as　Orde　had　said；　would　be　sufficiently　annoying　to　Heinzman；　

but　would　have　little　real　effect　on　the　main　issue；　which　was　that　

the　German　was　getting　down　his　logs　with　a　crew　of　less　than　a　

dozen　men。　　Nevertheless；　Orde；　in　a　vast　spirit　of　fun；　took　

delight　in　inventing　and　executing　practical　jokes　of　the　general　

sort　just　described。　　For　instance；　at　one　spot　where　he　had　boomed　

the　deeper　channel　from　the　rocks　on　either　side；　he　shunted　as　many　

of　Heinzman's　logs　as　came　by　handily　through　an　opening　he　had　made　

in　the　booms。　　There　they　grounded　on　the　shallowsmore　work　for　

the　men　following。　　Many　of　the　logs　in　charge　of　the　latter；　

however；　catching　the　free　current；　overtook　the　rear；　so　that　the　

number　of　the　〃H〃　logs　in　the　drive　was　not　materially　diminished。



At　first；　as　has　been　hinted；　these　various　tactics　had　little　

effect。　　One　day；　however；　the　chore　boy；　who　had　been　over　to　

Spruce　Rapids　after　mail；　reported　that　an　additional　crew　of　twenty　

had　been　sent　in　to　Heinzman's　drive。　　This　was　gratifying。



〃We're　making　him　scratch　gravel；　boys；　anyway；〃　said　Orde。



The　men　entered　into　the　spirit　of　the　thing。　　In　fact；　their　

enthusiasm　was　almost　too　exuberant。　　Orde　had　constantly　to　

negative　new　and　ingenious　schemes。



〃No；　boys；〃　said　he；　〃I　want　to　keep　on　the　right　side　of　the　law。　　

We　may　need　it　later。〃



Meanwhile　the　entire　length　of　the　river　was　busy　and　excited。　　

Heinzman's　logs　were　all　blazed　inside　a　week。　　The　men　passed　the　

hatchets　along　the　line；　and　slim　chance　did　a　marked　log　have　of　

rescue　once　the　poor　thing　fell　into　difficulties。　　With　the　strange　

and　interesting　tendency　rivermen　and　woodsmen　have　of　personifying　

the　elements　of　their　daily　work；　the　men　addressed　the　helpless　

timbers　in　tones　of　contempt。



〃Thought　you'd　ride　that　rock；　you　　　；〃　said　they；　〃and　

got　left；　did　you？　　Well；　lie　there　and　be　　to　you！〃



And　if　chance　offered；　and　time　was　not　pressing；　the　riverman　would　

give　his　helpless　victim　a　jerk　or　so　into　a　more　difficult　

position。　　Times　of　rising　waterwhen　the　sluice…gates　above　had　

been　openedwere　the　most　prolific　of　opportunities。　　Logs　rarely　

jam　on　rising　water；　for　the　simple　reason　that　constantly　the　

surface　area　of　the　river　is　increasing；　thus　tending　to　separate　

the　logs。　　On　the　other　hand；　falling　water；　tending　to　crowd　the　

drive　closer　together；　is　especially　prolific　of　trouble。　　

Therefore；　on　flood　water　the　watchers　scattered　along　the　stretches　

of　the　river　had　little　to　dosave　strand　Heinzman's　logs　for　him。　　

And　when　flood　water　had　passed；　some　of　those　logs　were　certainly　

high　and　dry。



Up　to　a　certain　point　this　was　all　very　well。　　Orde　took　pains　not　

to　countenance　it　officially；　and　caused　word　to　be　passed　about；　

that　while　he　did　not　expect　his　men　to　help　drive　Heinzman's　logs；　

they　must　not　go　out　of　their　way　to　strand　them。



〃If　things　get　too　bad；　he'll　have　spies　down　here　to　collect　

evidence　on　us；〃　said　Orde；　〃and　he'll　jug　some　of　us　for　

interference　with　his　property。　　We　don't　own　the　river。〃



〃How　about　them　booms？〃　asked　the　Rough　Red。



〃I　did　own　them；〃　explained　Orde；　〃and　I　had　a　right　to　take　them　up　

when　I　had　finished　with　them。〃



This　hint　was　enough。　　The　men　did　not　cease　from　a　labour　that　

tickled　them　mightily；　but　they　adopted　a　code　of　signals。　　

Strangers　were　not　uncommon。　　Spectators　came　out　often　from　the　

little　towns　and　from　the　farms　round…about。　　When　one　of　these　

appeared　the　riverman　nearest　raised　a　long　falsetto　cry。　　This　was　

taken　up　by　his　next　neighbour　and　passed　on。　　In　a　few　minutes　all　

that　section　of　the　drive　knew　that　it　would　be　wise　to　〃lie　low。〃　　

And　inside　of　two　weeks　Orde　had　the　great　satisfaction　of　learning　

that　Heinzman　was　workingand　working　harda　crew　of　fifty　men。



〃A　pretty　fair　crew；　even　if　he　was　taking　out　his　whole　drive；〃　

commented　Orde。



The　gods　of　luck　seemed　to　be　with　the　new　enterprise。　　Although　

Orde　had；　of　course；　taken　the　utmost　pains　to　foresee　every　

contingency　possible　to　guard　against；　nevertheless；　as　always　when　

dealing　with　Nature's　larger　forces；　he　anticipated　some　of　those　

gigantic　obstacles　which　continually　render　uncertain　wilderness　

work。　　Nothing　of　the　kind　happened。　　There　formed　none　of　the　

tremendous　white…water　jams　that　pile　up　several　million　feet　of　

logs；　tax　every　resource　of　men；　horses；　and　explosives；　and　require　

a　week　or　so　to　break。　　No　men　were　killed；　and　only　two　injured。　　

No　unexpected　floods　swept　away　works　on　which　the　drive　depended。　　

The　water　held　out　to　carry　the　last　stick　of　timber　over　the　

shallowest　rapids。　　Weather　conditions　were　phenomenaland　perfect。　　

All　up　and　down　the　river　the　work　went　with　that　vim　and　dash　that　

is　in　itself　an　assurance　of　success。　　The　Heinzman　affair；　which　

under　aus