the riverman-第71章

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inviolate　Government　supply　was　commandeered。　　The　Railroad　Company　

had　a　fine　lot　which；　with　remarkable　shortsightedness　and　lack　of　

public　spirit；　they　refused　to　sell　at　any　price。　　The　crew　took　

them　by　force。　　Once　Captain　Marsh　was　found　up　to　his　waist　in　

water；　himself　felling　the　trees　of　a　wood；　and　dragging　them　to　the　

river　by　a　cable　attached　to　the　winch　of　his　tug。　　Night　followed　

day；　and　da



〃Jump！〃　he　cried　at　last；　and　his　right　arm　descended。



With　the　shout　and　the　motion　several　things　happened　

simultaneously。　　Orde　leaped　blindly　for　the　rail；　where　he　was　

seized　and　dragged　aboard　by　the　Rough　Red；　the　axes　fell；　Marsh　

whirled　over　the　wheel；　Harvey　threw　open　his　throttle。　　The　tug　

sprang　from　its　leash　like　a　hound。　　And　behind　the　barrier　the　

logs；　tossing　and　tumbling；　the　white　spray　flying　before　their　

onslaught；　beat　in　vain　against　the　barrier；　like　raging　wild　beasts　

whose　prey　has　escaped。



〃Close　call；〃　said　Orde　briefly。



〃Bet　you；〃　replied　Marsh。



Neither　referred　to　the　tug's　escape；　but　to　the　fortunate　closing　

of　the　opening。







XLI





Orde　now　took　steps　to　deflect　into　the　channel　recently　dredged　to　

Stearn's　Bayou　the　mass　of　the　logs　racing　down　stream　from　Redding。　　

He　estimated　that　he　had　still　two　hours　or　so　in　which　to　do　the　

work。　　In　this　time　he　succeeded　by　the　severest　efforts　in　

establishing　a　rough　shunt　into　the　new　channel。　　The　logs　would　

come　down　running　free。　　Only　the　shock　of　their　impact　against　the　

tail　of　the　jam　already　formed　was　to　be　feared。　　Orde　hoped　to　be　

able　to　turn　the　bulk　of　them　aside。



This　at　first　he　succeeded　in　doing；　and　very　successfully　as　

affecting　the　pressure　on　the　jam　below。　　The　first　logs　came　

scattering。　　Then　in　a　little　while　the　surface　of　the　river　was　

covered　with　them；　they　shouldered　each　other　aside　in　their　

eagerness　to　outstrip　the　rushing　water；　finally　they　crowded　down　

more　slowly；　hardly　able　to　make　their　way　against　the　choking　of　

the　river　banks；　but　putting　forth　in　the　very　effort　to　proceed　a　

tremendous　power。　　To　the　crew　working　in　the　channel　dredged　

through　to　Steam's　Bayou　the　affair　was　that　of　driving　a　rather　

narrow　and　swift　stream；　only　exaggerated。　　By　quick　and　skilful　

work　they　succeeded　in　keeping　the　logs　in　motion。　　A　large　

proportion　of　the　timbers　found　their　way　into　the　bayou。　　Those　

that　continued　on　down　the　river　could　hardly　have　much　effect　on　

the　jam。



The　work　was　breathless　in　its　speed。　　From　one　to　another　sweat…

bathed；　panting　man　the　logs　were　handed　on。　　As　yet　only　the　

advance　of　the　big　jam　had　arrived　at　the　dredged　channel。



Orde　looked　about　him　and　realised　this。



〃We　can't　keep　this　up　when　the　main　body　hits　us；〃　he　panted　to　his　

neighbour；　Jim　Denning。　　〃We'll　have　to　do　some　more　pile…driver　

work。〃



He　made　a　rapid　excursion　to　the　boom　camp；　whence　he　returned　with　

thirty　or　forty　of　the　men　who　had　given　up　work　on　the　jam　below。



〃Here；　boys；〃　said　he；　〃you　can　at　least　keep　these　logs　moving　in　

this　channel　for　a　couple　of　hours。　　This　isn't　dangerous。〃



He　spoke　quite　without　sarcastic　intent；　but　the　rivermen；　already　

over　their　first　panic；　looked　at　each　other　a　trifle　shamefacedly。



〃I'll　tie　into　her　wherever　you　say；〃　said　one　big　fellow。　　If　you　

fellows　are　going　back　to　the　jam；　I'm　with　you。〃



Two　or　three　more　volunteered。　　The　remainder　said　nothing；　but　in　

silence　took　charge　of　the　dredged　channel。



Orde　and　his　men　now　returned　to　the　jam　where；　on　the　pile…driver；　

the　tugs；　and　the　booms；　they　set　methodically　to　strengthening　the　

defences　as　well　as　they　were　able。



〃She's　holding　strong　and　dandy；〃　said　Orde　to　Tom　North；　examining　

critically　the　clumps　of　piles。　　〃That　channel　helps　a　lot　in　more　

ways　than　one。　　It　takes　an　awful　lot　of　water　out　of　the　river。　　As　

long　as　those　fellows　keep　the　logs　moving；　I　really　believe　we're　

all　right。〃



But　shortly　the　water　began　to　rise　again；　this　time　fairly　by　

leaps。　　In　immediate　response　the　jam　increased　its　pressure。　　For　

the　hundredth　time　the　frail　wooden　defences　opposed　to　millions　of　

pounds　were　tested　to　the　very　extreme　of　their　endurance。　　The　

clumps　of　piles　sagged　outward；　the　network　of　chains　and　cables　

tightened　and　tightened　again；　drawing　ever　nearer　the　snapping　

point。　　Suddenly；　almost　without　warning；　the　situation　had　become　

desperate。



And　for　the　first　time　Orde　completely　lost　his　poise　and　became　

fluently　profane。　　He　shook　his　fist　against　the　menacing　logs；　he　

apostrophised　the　river；　the　high　water；　the　jam；　the　deserters；　

Newmark　and　his　illness；　ending　finally　in　a　general　anathema　

against　any　and　all　streams；　logs；　and　floods。　　Then　he　stormed　away　

to　see　if　anything　had　gone　wrong　at　the　dredged　channel。



〃Well；〃　said　Tom　North；　〃they've　got　the　old　man　real　good　and　mad　

this　time。〃



The　crew　went　on　driving　piles；　stringiy　night　again。　　None　of　the　crews　realised

the　fact。　　The　

men　were　caught　in　the　toils　of　a　labour　ceaseless　and　eternal。　　

Never　would　it　end；　just　as　never　had　it　begun。　　Always　were　they　to　

handle　piles；　steam　hammeng　cables；　binding　chains；　

although；　now　that　the　inspiration　of　Orde's　combative　spirit　was　

withdrawn　the　labours　seemed　useless；　futile；　a　mere　filling　in　of　

the　time　before　the　supreme　moment　when　they　would　be　called　upon　to　

pay　the　sacrifice　their　persistence　and　loyalty　had　proffered　for　

the　altar　of　self…respect　and　the　invincibility　of　the　human　Soul。



At　the　dredged　channel　Orde　saw　the　rivermen　standing　idle；　and；　

half…blind　with　anger　he　burst　upon　them　demanding　by　this；　that　and　

the　other　what　they　meant。　　Then　be　stopped　short　and　stared。



Square　across　the　dredged　channel　and　completely　blocking　it　lay　a　

single　span　of　an　iron　bridge。　　Although　twisted　and　misshapen；　it　

was　still　intact；　the　framework　of　its　overhead　truss…work　retaining　

its　cage…like　shape。　　Behind　it　the　logs　had　of　course　piled　up　in　a　

jam；　which；　sinking　rapidly　to　the　bed　of　the　channel；　had　dammed　

back　the　water。



〃Where　in　hell　did　that　drop　from？〃　cried　Orde。



〃Come　down　on　top　the　jam；〃　explained　a　riverman。　　Must　have　come　

way　from　Redding。　　We　just　couldn't　SCARE　her　out　of　here。〃



Orde；　suddenly　fallen　into　a　cold　rage；　stared　at　the　obstruction；　

both　fists　clenched　at　his　side。



〃Too　bad；　boy；〃　said　Welton　at　his　elbow。　　〃But　don't　take　it　too　

hard。　　You've　done　more　than　any　of　the　rest　of　us　could。　　And　we're　

all　losers　together。〃



Orde　looked　at　him　strangely。



〃That　about　settles　it；〃　repeated　Welton。



〃Settle！〃　cried　Orde。　　〃　I　should　think　not。〃



Welton　smiled　quaintly。



〃Don't　you　know　when　you're　licked？〃



〃Licked；　hell！〃　said　Orde。　　〃We've　just　begun　to　fight。〃



〃What　can　you　do？〃



〃Get　that　bridge　span　out　of　there；　of　course。〃



〃How？〃



〃Can't　we　blow　her　up　with　powder？〃



〃Ever　try　to　blow　up　iron？〃



〃There　must　be　some　way。〃



〃Oh；　there　is；〃　replied　Welton。　　〃Of　coursetake　her　apart　bolt　by　

bolt　and　nut　by　nut。〃



〃Send　for　the　wrenches；　then；〃　snapped　Orde。



〃But　it　would　take　two　or　three　days；　even　working　night　and　day。〃



〃What　of　it？〃



〃But　it　would　be　too　lateit　would　do　no　good〃



〃Perhaps　not；〃　interrupted　Orde；　〃but　it　will　be　doing　something；　

anyway。　　Look　here；　Welton；　are　you　game？　　If　you'll　get　that　bridge　

out　in　two　days　I'll　hold　the　jam。〃



〃You　can't　hold　that　jam　two　hours；　let　alone　two　days；〃　said　Welton　

decidedly。



〃That's　my　business。　　You're　wasting　time。　　Will　you　send　for　

lanterns　and　wrenches　and　keep　this　crew　working？〃



〃I　will；〃　said　Welton。



〃Then　do　it。〃



During　the　next　two　days　the　old　scenes　were　all　relived；　with　back　

of　them　the　weight　of　the　struggle