the riverman-第69章

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

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

comical　futilities。　　However；　Welton　answered　the　summons。　　Orde　

hailed　his　coming　with　a　shout。



〃I　want　a　dredge；〃　he　yelled；　as　soon　as　the　lumberman　was　within　

distance。　　〃I　believe　we　can　relieve　the　pressure　somewhat　by　a　

channel　into　Steam's　bayou。　　Get　that　Government　dredge　up　and　

through　the　bayou　as　soon　as　you　can。〃



〃All　right；〃　said　Welton　briefly。　　〃Can　you　hold　her？〃



〃I've　got　to　hold　her；〃　replied　Orde　between　his　clenched　teeth。　　

〃Have　you　seen　Newmark？　　Where　in　HELL　is　Newmark？　　I　need　him　for　

fifty　things；　and　he's　disappeared　off　the　face　of　the　earth！　　

Purdy！　that　second　cable！　　She's　snapped　a　strand！　　Get　a　

reinforcing　line　on　her！〃　　He　ran　in　the　direction　of　the　new　danger　

without　another　thought　of　Welton。



By　the　late　afternoon　casual　spectators　from　the　countryside　had　

gathered　in　some　number。　　The　bolder　or　more　curious　of　these　added　

a　further　touch　of　anxiety　to　the　situation　by　clambering　out　over　

the　jam　for　a　better　view。　　Orde　issued　instructions　that　these　

should　keep　off　the　logs；　but　in　spite　of　that；　with　the　impertinent　

perseverance　of　the　sight…seer；　many　persisted　from　time　to　time；　

when　the　rivermen　were　too　busily　engaged　to　attend　to　them；　in　

venturing　out　where　they　were　not　only　in　danger　but　also　in　the　

way。　　Tom　North　would　have　none　of　this　on　his　pile…driver。　　If　a　

man　was　not　actually　working；　he　had　no　business　on　Number　One。



〃But；〃　protested　a　spectator　mildly；　〃I　OWN　this　driver。　　I　haven't　

any　objections　to　your　grabbing　her　in　this　emergency；　even　if　you　

did　manhandle　my　captain；　but　surely　you　are　not　going　to　keep　me　

off　my　own　property？〃



〃I　don't　give　a　tinker's　damn　who　you　are；〃　replied　North　sturdily。　　

〃If　you're　not　working；　you　get　off。〃



And　get　off　he　did。



The　broad　deck　of　the　pile…driver　scow　was　a　tempting　point　from　

which　to　survey　the　work；　and　the　ugly　jam；　and　the　water　boiling　

angrily；　and　the　hollow…eyed；　dishevelled　maniacs　who　worked　

doggedly　with　set　teeth　as　though　they　had　not　already　gone　without　

two　nights'　sleep。　　North　had　often　to　order　ashore　intruders；　until　

his　temper　shortened　to　the　vanishing　point。　　One　big　hulking　

countryman　attempted　to　argue　the　point。　　North　promptly　knocked　him　

overboard　into　the　shallow　water　between　the　driver　and　the　bank。　　

He　did　not　rise；　so　North　fished　for　him　in　the　most　matter…of…fact　

way　with　a　boat　hook；　threw　him　on　the　bank　unconscious；　and　went　on　

driving　piles！　　The　incident　raised　a　laugh　among　the　men。



But　flesh　and　blood　has　its　limit　of　endurance；　and　that　limit　was　

almost　reached。　　Orde　heard　the　first　premonitions　of　reaction　in　

the　mild　grumblings　that　arose。　　He　knew　these　men　well　from　his　

long　experience　with　them。　　Although　the　need　for　struggle　against　

the　tireless　dynamics　of　the　river　was　as　insistent　as　ever；　

although　it　seemed　certain　that　a　moment's　cessation　of　effort　would　

permit　the　enemy　an　irretrievable　gain；　he　called　a　halt　on　the　

whole　work。



〃Boys；〃　said　he；　irrelevantly；　〃let's　have　a　smoke？〃



He　set　the　example　by　throwing　himself　full　length　against　a　

slanting　pile　and　most　leisurely　filling　his　pipe。　　The　men　stared　a　

moment；　then　followed　his　example。　　A　great　peace　of　evening　filled　

the　sky。　　The　horizon　lay　low　and　black　against　the　afterglow。　　

Beneath　it　the　river　shone　like　silver。　　Only　the　groaning；　the　

heave　and　shrugging　of　the　jam；　and　the　low　threatening　gurgle　of　

hurrying　waters　reminded　the　toil…weary　men　of　the　enemy's　continued　

activity。　　Over　beyond　the　rise　of　land　that　lay　between　the　river　

and　Stearn's　Bayou　could　be　seen　the　cloud　of　mingled　smoke　and　

steam　that　marked　the　activities　of　the　dredge。　　For　ten　minutes　

they　rested　in　the　solace　of　tobacco。　　Orde　was　apparently　more　at　

ease　than　any　of　the　rest；　but　each　instant　he　expected　to　hear　the　

premonitory　CRACK　that　would　sound　the　end　of　everything。　　Finally　

he　yawned；　knocked　the　ashes　from　his　pipe；　and　got　to　his　feet。



〃Now；〃　said　he；　a　new　ring　in　his　voice；　〃come　on　and　let's　get　

something　DONE！〃



They　responded　to　a　man。







XL





By　midnight　the　water　seemed　to　have　gone　down　slightly。　　Half　the　

crew　snatched　a　little　sleep。　　For　several　hours　more　the　issue　hung　

aggravatingly　in　equilibrium。　　Then；　with　the　opening　of　the　channel　

into　Stearn's　Bayou　the　heaviest　pressure　was　relieved。　　For　the　

moment　the　acute　danger　point　was　passed。



Orde　spent　the　next　two　days　in　strengthening　the　defences。　　The　men　

were　able　to　take　their　quota　of　meals　and　of　sleep。　　Merely　the　

working　hours　were　longer　than　usual。　　Orde　himself　slept　little；　

and　was　still　possessed　by　a　feverish　activity。　　The　flood　continued　

at　about　the　same　volume。　　Until　the　water　should　subside；　the　

danger　could　not　be　considered　completely　over　with。



In　these　few　days　of　comparative　leisure　Orde　had　time　to　look　about　

him　and　to　receive　news。　　The　jam　had　been　successfully　held　at　the　

iron　railroad　bridge　above　Redding；　but　only　by　the　most　strenuous　

efforts。　　Braces　of　oak　beams　had　been　slanted　where　they　would　do　

the　most　good；　chains　strengthened　the　weaker　spots；　and　on　top　of　

all　ton　after　ton　of　railroad　iron　held　the　whole　immovably。　　Nolan　

had　enjoyed　the　advantage　of　a　〃floating〃　jam；　of　convenient　

facilities　incident　to　a　large　city；　and　of　an　aroused　public　

sentiment　that　proffered　him　all　the　help　he　could　use。　　Monrovia；　

little　village　that　it　was；　had　not　grasped　the　situation。　　Redding　

saw　it　clearly。　　The　loss　of　the　timber　alonerepresenting　some　

millions　of　dollars'　worth　of　the　sawed　productwould　mean　failure　

of　mill　companies；　of　banks　holding　their　paper；　and　so　of　firms　in　

other　lines　of　business；　and　besides　would　throw　thousands　of　men　

out　of　employment。　　Furthermore；　what　was　quite　as　serious；　should　

the　iron　bridge　give　way；　the　wooden　bridges　below　could　hardly　fail　

to　go　out。　　Railroad　communication　between　eastern　and　western　

Michigan　would　be　entirely　cut　off。　　For　a　season　industry　of　every　

description　would　be　practically　paralysed。　　Therefore　Nolan　had　all　

the　help　he　required。　　Every　device　known　was　employed　to　strengthen　

the　jam。　　For　only　a　few　hours　was　the　result　in　doubt。　　Then　as　the　

CLARION　jubilantly　expressed　it；　〃It's　a　hundred　dollars　to　an　old　

hat　she　holds！〃



Orde　received　all　this　with　satisfaction；　but　with　a　slight　

scepticism。



〃It's　a　floating　jam；　and　it　gets　a　push　from　underneath；〃　he　

pointed　out。　　〃It's　probably　safe；　but　another　flood　might　send　it　

out。〃



〃The　floods　are　going　down；〃　said　North。



〃Good　Lord；　I　hope　so！〃　said　Orde。



Newmark　sent　word　that　a　sudden　fit　of　sickness　had　confined　him　to　

the　house。



〃Didn't　think　of　a　little　thing　like　piles；〃　said　Orde　to　himself。　　

〃Well；　that's　hardly　fair。　　Joe　couldn't　have　realised　when　he　left　

here　just　how　bad　things　were。〃



For　two　days；　as　has　been　said；　nothing　happened。　　Then　Orde　decided　

to　break　out　a　channel　through　the　jam　itself。　　This　was　a　necessary　

preliminary　to　getting　the　logs　in　shape　for　distribution。　　An　

opening　was　made　in　the　piles；　and　the　rivermen；　with　pike…pole　and　

peavy；　began　cautiously　to　dig　their　way　through　the　tangled　

timbers。　　The　Government　pile…driver；　which　had　finally　been　sent　up　

from　below；　began　placing　five　extra　booms　at　intervals　down　stream　

to　capture　the　drift　as　fast　as　it　was　turned　loose。　　From　the　mills　

and　private　booms　crews　came　to　assist　in　the　labour。　　The　troubles　

appeared　to　be　quite　over；　when　word　came　from　Redding　that　the　

waters　were　again　rising。　　Ten　minutes　later　Leopold　Lincoln　Bunn；　

the　local　reporter；　came　flapping　in　on　Randall's　old　white　horse；　

like　a　second　Paul　R