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第68章

the riverman-第68章

小说: the riverman 字数: 每页4000字

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Once a wing of the jam broke suddenly just as his crew had placed a 

pile in the carrier。  The scow was picked up; whirled around; 

carried bodily a hundred feet; and deposited finally with a crash。  

The instant the craft steadied and even before any one could tell 

whether or no the danger was past; Tom cut loose the hammer and 

drove that pile!



〃I put you in that carrier to be DROVE!〃 he shouted viciously; 〃and 

drove you'll be; if we ARE goin' to hell!〃



When the SPRAY shouldered the scow back to position that one pile 

was left standing upright in the channel; a monument to the blind 

determination of the man。



Fortunately the wing break carried with it but a few logs; but it 

sufficed to show; if demonstration were needed; what would happen if 

any more serious break should occur。



Orde was everywhere。  Long since he had lost his hat; and over his 

forehead and into his eyes the strands of his hair whipped tousled 

and unkempt。  Miles and miles he travelled; running along the tops 

of the booms; over the surface of the jam; spying the weakening 

places; and hurrying to them a rescue。  He seemed tireless; 

omnipresent; alive to every need。  It was as though his personality 

alone held in correlation these struggling forces; as though were he 

to relax for an instant his effort they would burst forth with the 

explosion of long…pent energies。



Toward noon the piles gave out again。



〃Where in HELL is Newmark!〃 exploded Orde; and immediately was 

himself again; controlled and resourceful。  He sent North and a crew 

of men to cut piles from standing timber in farm wood lots near the 

river。



〃Haul them out with your winch;〃 said he。  〃If the owners object; 

stand them off with your peavies。  Get them anyway。〃



About three of the afternoon the LUCY BELLE splattered up stream 

from the village; carrying an excursion to see the jam。  Captain 

Simpson brought her as close in as possible。  The waves raised by 

her awkward paddle…wheel and her clumsy lines surged among the logs 

and piles。  Orde looked on this with distrust。



〃Go tell him to pull out of that;〃 he instructed Jimmy Powers 〃The 

confounded old fool ought to know better than that。  Tell him it's 

dangerous。  If the jam goes out; it'll carry him to Kingdom Come。〃



Jimmy Powers returned red…faced from his interview。



〃He told me to go to hell;〃 he said shortly。



〃Oh; he did;〃 snapped Orde。  〃I should think we had enough without 

that old idiot!〃



With the short nervous leaps of a suppressed anger he ran down to 

where the SPRITE had just towed the Number One driver into a new 

position。



〃Lay me alongside the LUCY BELLE;〃 he told Marsh。



But Simpson; in a position of importance at last; was disinclined to 

listen。  He had worn his blue clothes and brass buttons for a good 

many years in charge only of boxes and barrels。  Now at a stroke he 

found himself commander over tenscore people。  Likewise; at fifty 

cents a head; he foresaw a good thing as long as high water should 

last。  He had risen nobly to the occasion; for he had even hoisted 

his bunting and brought with him the local brass band。  Orde; 

brusque in his desire to hurry through an affair of minor 

importance; rubbed the man the wrong way。



〃I reckon I've some rights on this river;〃 Captain Simpson concluded 

the argument; 〃and I ain't agoin' to be bulldozed out of them。〃



The excursionists; typical 〃trippers〃 from Redding; Holland; 

Monrovia and Muskegon; cheered this sentiment and jeered at Orde。



Orde nodded briefly。



〃Marsh;〃 said he to his captain in a low voice; 〃get a crew and take 

them in charge。  Run 'em off。〃



As soon as the tug touched the piling; he was off and away; paying 

no further attention to a matter already settled。  Captain Marsh 

called a dozen rivermen to him; laid the SPRITE alongside the LUCY 

BELLE; and in spite of Simpson's scandalised protests and an 

incipient panic among the passengers; thrust aside the regular crew 

of the steamship and took charge。  Quite calmly he surveyed the 

scene。  From the height of the steamer's bridge he could see abroad 

over the country。  A warm June sun flooded the landscape which was 

filled with the peace of early summer。  The river seemed to flow 

smoothly and quietly enough; in spite of the swiftness of its 

current and the swollen volume of its waters。  Only up stream where 

the big jam shrugged and groaned did any element jar on the peace of 

the scene; and even that; in contrast to the rest of the landscape; 

afforded small hint to the inexperienced eye of the imminence of a 

mighty destruction。



Captain Marsh paid little attention to all this。  His eye swept 

rapidly up and down where the banks used to be until he saw a cross 

current deeper than the rest sweeping in athwart the inundated 

fields。  He swung over the wheel and rang to the engine…room for 

half speed ahead。  Slowly the LUCY BELLE answered。  Quite calmly 

Captain Marsh rammed her through the opening and out over the 

cornfields。  The LUCY BELLE was a typical river steamboat; built 

light in the draught in order to slide over the numerous shifting 

bars to be encountered in her customary business。  When Captain 

Marsh saw that he had hit the opening; he rang for full speed; and 

rammed the poor old LUCY BELLE hard aground in about a foot of water 

through which a few mournful dried cornstalks were showing their 

heads。  Then; his hands in his pockets; he sauntered out of the 

pilot…house to the deck。



〃Now if you want to picnic;〃 he told the astonished and frightened 

excursionists; 〃go to it!〃



With entire indifference to the water; he vaulted over the low rail 

and splashed away。  The rivermen and the engineer who had 

accompanied him lingered only long enough to start up the band。



〃Now you're safe as a cow tied to a brick wall;〃 said the Rough Red; 

whose appearance alone had gone far toward overawing the passengers。  

〃Be joyful。  Start up the music。  Start her up; I tell you!〃



The band hastily began to squawk; very much out of time; and 

somewhat out of tune。



〃That's right;〃 grinned the Rough Red savagely; 〃keep her up。  If 

you quit before I get back to work; I'll come back and take you 

apart。〃



They waded through the shallow water in the cornfield。  After them 

wafted the rather disorganised strains of WHOA; EMMA。  Captain 

Simpson was indulging in what resembled heat apoplexy。  After a time 

the LUCY BELLE'S crew recovered their scattered wits sufficiently to 

transport the passengers in small boats to a point near the county 

road; whence all trudged to town。  The LUCY BELLE grew in the 

cornfield until several weeks later; when time was found to pull her 

off on rollers。



Arrived at the booms Captain Marsh shook the loose water from his 

legs。



〃All right; sir;〃 he reported to Orde。  〃I ran 'em ashore yonder。〃



Orde looked up; brushing the hair from his eyes。  He glanced in the 

direction of the cornfield; and a quick grin flickered across the 

absorbed expression of his face。



〃I should think you did;〃 said he briefly。  〃I guess that'll end the 

excursion business。  Now take Number Two up below the swing; and 

then run down and see if you can discover Tom。  He went somewhere 

after piles about an hour ago。〃



Down river the various mill owners were busy with what men they had 

left in stringing defences across the river in case Orde's works 

should go out。  When Orde heard this he swore vigourously。



〃Crazy fools;〃 he spat out。  〃They'd be a lot better off helping 

here。  If this goes out; their little booms won't amount to a whiff 

of wind。〃



He sent word to that effect; but; lacking the enforcement of his 

personal presence his messages did not carry conviction; and the 

panic…stricken owners continued to labour; each according to his 

ideas; on what Orde's clearer vision saw to be a

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