the bridge-builders-第3节

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is　littered　up　with　stuff　still。　　Two　full　months　before　the　time！〃



〃That's　why　it　comes。　　I've　only　known　Indian　rivers　for

five…and…twenty　years；　and　I　don't　pretend　to　understand。　　Here

comes　another　tar。〃　Findlayson　opened　the　telegram。　　〃Cockran；

this　time；　from　the　Ganges　Canal：　'Heavy　rains　here。　　Bad。'　　He

might　have　saved　the　last　word。　　Well；　we　don't　want　to　know　any

more。　　We've　got　to　work　the　gangs　all　night　and　clean　up　the

riverbed。　　You'll　take　the　east　bank　and　work　out　to　meet　me　in

the　middle。　　Get　everything　that　floats　below　the　bridge：　we

shall　have　quite　enough　river…craft　coming　down　adrift　anyhow；

without　letting　the　stone…boats　ram　the　piers。　　What　have　you　got

on　the　east　bank　that　needs　looking　after？



〃Pontoon　…　one　big　pontoon　with　the　overhead　crane　on　it。　T'other

overhead　crane　on　the　mended　pontoon；　with　the　cart…road　rivets

from　Twenty　to　Twenty…three　piers　…　two　construction　lines；　and　a

turning…spur。　　The　pilework　must　take　its　chance；〃　said

Hitchcock。



〃All　right。　　Roll　up　everything　you　can　lay　hands　on。　　We'll　give

the　gang　fifteen　minutes　more　to　eat　their　grub。〃



Close　to　the　verandah　stood　a　big　night…gong；　never　used　except

for　flood；　or　fire　in　the　village。　　Hitchcock　had　called　for　a

fresh　horse；　and　was　off　to　his　side　of　the　bridge　when

Findlayson　took　the　cloth…bound　stick　and　smote　with　the　rubbing

stroke　that　brings　out　the　full　thunder　of　the　metal。



Long　before　the　last　rumble　ceased　every　night…gong　in　the

village　had　taken　up　the　warning。　　To　these　were　added　the　hoarse

screaming　of　conches　in　the　little　temples；　the　throbbing　of

drums　and　tom…toms；　and；　from　the　European　quarters；　where　the

riveters　lived；　McCartney's　bugle；　a　weapon　of　offence　on　Sundays

and　festivals；　brayed　desperately；　calling　to　〃Stables。〃　　Engine

after　engine　toiling　home　along　the　spurs　at　the　end　of　her　day's

work　whistled　in　answer　till　the　whistles　were　answered　from　the

far　bank。　　Then　the　big　gong　thundered　thrice　for　a　sign　that　it

was　flood　and　not　fire；　conch；　drum；　and　whistle　echoed　the

call；　and　the　village　quivered　to　the　sound　of　bare　feet　running

upon　soft　earth。　　The　order　in　all　cases　was　to　stand　by　the

day's　work　and　wait　instructions。　　The　gangs　poured　by　in　the

dusk；　men　stopping　to　knot　a　loin…cloth　or　fasten　a　sandal；

gang…foremen　shouting　to　their　subordinates　as　they　ran　or　paused

by　the　tool…issue　sheds　for　bars　and　mattocks；　locomotives

creeping　down　their　tracks　wheel…deep　in　the　crowd；　till　the

brown　torrent　disappeared　into　the　dusk　of　the　river…bed；　raced

over　the　pilework；　swarmed　along　the　lattices；　clustered　by　the

cranes；　and　stood　still　…　each　man　in　his　place。



Then　the　troubled　beating　of　the　gong　carried　the　order　to　take

up　everything　and　bear　it　beyond　high…water　mark；　and　the

flare…lamps　broke　out　by　the　hundred　between　the　webs　of　dull

iron　as　the　riveters　began　a　night's　work；　racing　against　the

flood　that　was　to　come。　　The　girders　of　the　three　centre　piers　…

those　that　stood　on　the　cribs　…were　all　but　in　position。　　They

needed　just　as　many　rivets　as　could　be　driven　into　them；　for　the

flood　would　assuredly　wash　out　their　supports；　and　the　ironwork

would　settle　down　on　the　caps　of　stone　if　they　were　not　blocked

at　the　ends。　　A　hundred　crowbars　strained　at　the　sleepers　of　the

temporary　line　that　fed　the　unfinished　piers。　　It　was　heaved　up

in　lengths；　loaded　into　trucks；　and　backed　up　the　bank　beyond

flood…level　by　the　groaning　locomotives。　　The　tool…sheds　on　the

sands　melted　away　before　the　attack　of　shouting　armies；　and　with

them　went　the　stacked　ranks　of　Government　stores；　iron…hound

boxes　of　rivets；　pliers；　cutters；　duplicate　parts　of　the

riveting…machines；　spare　pumps　and　chains。　　The　big　crane　would

be　the　last　to　be　shifted；　for　she　was　hoisting　all　the　heavy

stuff　up　to　the　main　structure　of　the　bridge。　　The　concrete

blocks　on　the　fleet　of　stone…boats　were　dropped　overside；　where

there　was　any　depth　of　water；　to　guard　the　piers；　and　the　empty

boats　themselves　were　poled　under　the　bridge　down…stream。　　It

was　here　that　Peroo's　pipe　shrilled　loudest；　for　the　first　stroke

of　the　big　gong　had　brought　the　dinghy　back　at　racing　speed；　and

Peroo　and　his　people　were　stripped　to　the　waist；　working　for　the

honour　and　credit　which　are　better　than　life。



〃I　knew　she　would　speak；〃　he　cried。　　〃I　knew；　but　the　telegraph

gives　us　good　warning。　　O　sons　of　unthinkable　begetting　…

children　of　unspeakable　shame　…　are　we　here　for　the　look　of　the

thing？〃　　It　was　two　feet　of　wire…rope　frayed　at　the　ends；　and　it

did　wonders　as　Peroo　leaped　from　gunnel　to　gunnel；　shouting　the

language　of　the　sea。



Findlayson　was　more　troubled　for　the　stoneboats　than　anything

else。　　McCartney；　with　his　gangs；　was　blocking　up　the　ends　of　the

three　doubtful　spans。　　but　boats　adrift；　if　the　flood　chanced　to

be　a　high　one；　might　endanger　the　girders；　and　there　was　a　very

fleet　in　the　shrunken　channel。



〃Get　them　behind　the　swell　of　the　guardtower；〃　he　shouted　down　to

Peroo。　　〃It　will　be　dead…water　there。　　Get　them　below　the　bridge。〃



〃Accha！　　＇Very　good。＇　　I　know；　we　are　mooring　them　with　wire…rope；〃

was　the　answer。　　〃Heh！　　Listen　to　the　Chota　Sahib。　　He　is　working　hard。〃



From　across　the　river　came　an　almost　continuous　whistling　of

locomotives；　backed　by　the　rumble　of　stone。　　Hitchcock　at　the

last　minute　was　spending　a　few　hundred　more　trucks　of　Tarakee

stone　in　reinforcing　his　spurs　and　embankments。



〃The　bridge　challenges　Mother　Gunga；〃　said　Peroo；　with　a　laugh。

〃But　when　she　talks　I　know　whose　voice　will　be　the　loudest。〃



For　hours　the　naked　men　worked；　screaming　and　shouting　under　the

lights。　　It　was　a　hot；　moonless　night；　the　end　of　it　was　darkened

by　clouds　and　a　sudden　squall　that　made　Findlayson　very　grave。



〃She　moves！〃　said　Peroo；　just　before　the　dawn。　　〃Mother　Gunga　is

awake！　　Hear！〃　He　dipped　his　hand　over　the　side　of　a　boat　and　the

current　mumbled　on　it。　　A　little　wave　hit　the　side　of　a　pier

with　a　crisp　slap。



〃Six　hours　before　her　time；〃　said　Findlayson；　mopping　his

forehead　savagely。



〃Now　we　can't　depend　on　anything。　　We'd　better　clear　all　hands

out　of　the　riverbed。〃



Again　the　big　gong　beat；　and　a　second　time　there　was　the　rushing

of　naked　feet　on　earth　and　ringing　iron；　the　clatter　of　tools

ceased。　　In　the　silence；　men　heard　the　dry　yawn　of　water　crawling

over　thirsty　sand。



Foreman　after　foreman　shouted　to　Findlayson；　who　had　posted

himself　by　the　guard…tower；　that　his　section　of　the　river…bed　had

been　cleaned　out；　and　when　the　last　voice　dropped　Findlayson

hurried　over　the　bridge　till　the　iron　plating　of　the　permanent

way　gave　place　to　the　temporary　plank…walk　over　the　three　centre

piers；　and　there　he　met　Hitchcock。



〃'All　clear　your　side？〃　said　Findlayson。　　The　whisper　rang　in　the

box　of　lattice　work。



〃Yes；　and　the　east　channel's　filling　now。　　We're　utterly　out　of

our　reckoning。　　When　is　this　thing　down　on　us？〃



〃There's　no　saying。　　She's　filling　as　fast　as　she　can。　　Look！〃

Findlayson　pointed　to　the　planks　below　his　feet；　where　the　sand；

burned　and　defiled　by　months　of　work；　was　beginning　to　whisper

and　fizz。



〃What　orders？〃　said　Hitchcock。



〃Call　the　roll　…　count　stores　　sit　on　your　hunkers　…　and　pray　for

the　bridge。　　That's　all　I　can　think　of　Good　night。　　Don't　risk

your　life　trying　to　fish　out　anything　that　may　go　downstream。〃



〃Oh；　I'll　be　as　prudent　as　you　are！　　'Night。　　Heavens；　how　she's

filling！　　Here's　the　rain　in　earnest。〃



Findlayson　picked　his　way　back　to　his　bank；　sweeping　the　last　of

McCartney's　riveters　before　him。　　The　gangs　had　spread　themselves

along　the　embankments；　regardless　of　the　cold　rain　of　the　dawn；

and　there　they　waited　for　the　flood。　　Only　Peroo　kept　his　men

together　behind　the　swell　of　the　guard…tower；　where　the　stone…boats

lay　tied　fore　and　aft　with　hawsers；　wire…rope；　and　chains。



A　shrill　wail　ran　along　the　line；　growing　to　a　yell；　half　fear

and　half　wonder：　the　face　of　the　river　whitened　from　bank　to　hank

between　the　stone　facings；　and　the　far…away　spurs　went　out　in

spouts　of　foam。　　Mother　Gunga　had　come　bank…high　in　haste；　and　a

wall　of　chocolate…coloured　water　was　her　messenger。　　There　was　a

shriek　above　the　roar　of　the　water；　the　complaint　of　the　spans

coming　down　on　their　blocks　as　the　cribs　were　whirled　out　from

under　their　bellies。　　The　stone…boats　groaned　and　ground　each

other　in　the　eddy　that　swung　round　the　abutment；　and　their　clumsy

masts　rose　higher　and　higher　against　the　dim　sky…line。



〃Before　she　was　shut　between　these　walls　we　knew　what　she　would

do。　　Now　she　is　thus　cramped　God　only　knows　what　she　will　do！〃

said　Peroo；　watching　the　furious　turmoil　round　the　guard…tower。

〃Ohe'！　Fight；　then！　Fight　hard；　for　it　is　thus　that　a　woman　wears

herself　out。〃



But　Mother　Gunga　would　not　fight　as　Peroo　desired。　　After　the

first　do