the bridge-builders-第4节

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herself　out。〃



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

first　down…stream　plunge　there　came　no　more　walls　of　water；　but

the　river　lifted　herself　bodily；　as　a　snake　when　she　drinks　in

midsummer；　plucking　and　fingering　along　the　revetments；　and

banking　up　behind　the　piers　till　even　Findlayson　began　to

recalculate　the　strength　of　his　work。



When　day　came　the　village　gasped。　　〃Only　last　night；〃　men　said；

turning　to　each　other；　〃it　was　as　a　town　in　the　river…bed！　　Look　now！〃



And　they　looked　and　wondered　afresh　at　the　deep　water；　the

racing　water　that　licked　the　throat　of　the　piers。　　The　farther

bank　was　veiled　by　rain；　into　which　the　bridge　ran　out　and

vanished；　the　spurs　up…stream　were　marked　by　no　more　than　eddies

and　spoutings；　and　down…stream　the　pent　river；　once　freed　of　her

guide…lines；　had　spread　like　a　sea　to　the　horizon。　　Then　hurried

by；　rolling　in　the　water；　dead　men　and　oxen　together；　with　here

and　there　a　patch　of　thatched　roof　that　melted　when　it　touched　a

pier。



〃Big　flood；〃　said　Peroo；　and　Findlayson　nodded。　　It　was　as　big　a

flood　as　he　had　any　wish　to　watch。　　His　bridge　would　stand

what　was　upon　her　now；　but　not　very　much　more；　and　if　by　any　of　a

thousand　chances　there　happened　to　be　a　weakness　in　the

embankments；　Mother　Gunga　would　carry　his　honour　to　the　sea　with

the　other　raffle。　　Worst　of　all；　there　was　nothing　to　do　except

to　sit　still；　and　Findlayson　sat　still　under　his　macintosh　till

his　helmet　became　pulp　on　his　head；　and　his　boots　were　over…ankle

in　mire。　　He　took　no　count　of　time；　for　the　river　was　marking　the

hours；　inch　by　inch　and　foot　by　foot；　along　the　embankment；　and

he　listened；　numb　and　hungry；　to　the　straining　of　the

stone…boats；　the　hollow　thunder　under　the　piers；　and　the　hundred

noises　that　make　the　full　note　of　a　flood。　　Once　a　dripping

servant　brought　him　food；　but　he　could　not　eat；　and　once　he

thought　that　he　heard　a　faint　toot　from　a　locomotive　across　the

river；　and　then　he　smiled。　　The　bridge's　failure　would　hurt　his

assistant　not　a　little；　hut　Hitchcock　was　a　young　man　with　his

big　work　yet　to　do。　　For　himself　the　crash　meant　everything　…

everything　that　made　a　hard　life　worth　the　living。　　They　would

say；　the　men　of　his　own　profession　。　。　。he　remembered　the

half…pitying　things　that　he　himself　had　said　when　Lockhart's　new

waterworks　burst　and　broke　down　in　brick…heaps　and　sludge；　and

Lockhart's　spirit　broke　in　him　and　he　died。　　He　remembered　what

he　himself　had　said　when　the　Sumao　Bridge　went　out　in　the　big

cyclone　by　the　sea；　and　most　he　remembered　poor　Hartopp's　face

three　weeks　later；　when　the　shame　had　marked　it。　　His　bridge　was

twice　the　size　of　Hartopp's；　and　it　carried　the　Findlayson　truss

as　well　as　the　new　pier…shoe　…　the　Findlayson　bolted　shoe。　　There

were　no　excuses　in　his　service。　　Government　might　listen；

perhaps；　but　his　own　kind　would　judge　him　by　his　bridge；　as　that

stood　or　fell。　　He　went　over　it　in　his　head；　plate　by　plate；　span

by　span；　brick　by　brick；　pier　by　pier；　remembering；　comparing；

estimating；　and　recalculating；　lest　there　should　be　any　mistake；

and　through　the　long　hours　and　through　the　flights　of　formulae

that　danced　and　wheeled　before　him　a　cold　fear　would　come　to

pinch　his　heart。　　His　side　of　the　sum　was　beyond　question；　but

what　man　knew　Mother　Gunga's　arithmetic？　　Even　as　he　was　making

all　sure　by　the　multiplication　table；　the　river　might　be　scooping

a　pot…hole　to　the　very　bottom　of　any　one　of　those　eighty…foot

piers　that　carried　his　reputation。　　Again　a　servant　came　to　him

with　food；　but　his　mouth　was　dry；　and　he　could　only　drink　and

return　to　the　decimals　in　his　brain。　　And　the　river　was　still

rising。　　Peroo；　in　a　mat　shelter　coat；　crouched　at　his　feet；

watching　now　his　face　and　now　the　face　of　the　river；　but　saying

nothing。



At　last　the　Lascar　rose　and　floundered　through　the　mud　towards

the　village；　but　he　was　careful　to　leave　an　ally　to　watch　the

boats。



Presently　he　returned；　most　irreverently　driving　before　him　the

priest　of　his　creed　…　a　fat　old　man；　with　a　grey　beard　that

whipped　the　wind　with　the　wet　cloth　that　blew　over　his　shoulder。

Never　was　seen　so　lamentable　a　guru。



〃What　good　are　offerings　and　little　kerosene　lamps　and　dry

grain；〃　shouted　Peroo；　〃if　squatting　in　the　mud　is　all　that　thou

canst　do？　　Thou　hast　dealt　long　with　the　Gods　when　they　were

contented　and　well…wishing。　　Now　they　are　angry。　　Speak　to　them！〃



〃What　is　a　man　against　the　wrath　of　Gods？〃　whined　the　priest；

cowering　as　the　wind　took　him。　　〃Let　me　go　to　the　temple；　and　I

will　pray　there。〃



〃Son　of　a　pig；　pray　here！　　Is　there　no　return　for　salt　fish　and

curry　powder　and　dried　onions？　　Call　aloud！　　Tell　Mother　Gunga　we

have　had　enough。　　Bid　her　be　still　for　the　night。　　I　cannot　pray；

but　I　have　been　serving　in　the　Kumpani's　boats；　and　when　men　did

not　obey　my　orders　I　…〃　　A　flourish　of　the　wire…rope　colt　rounded

the　sentence；　and　the　priest；　breaking　free　from　his　disciple；

fled　to　the　village。



〃Fat　pig！〃　said　Peroo。　　〃After　all　that　we　have　done　for　him！

When　the　flood　is　down　I　will　see　to　it　that　we　get　a　new　guru。

Finlinson　Sahib；　it　darkens　for　night　now；　and　since　yesterday

nothing　has　been　eaten。　　Be　wise；　Sahib。　　No　man　can　endure

watching　and　great　thinking　on　an　empty　belly。　　Lie　down；　Sahib。

The　river　will　do　what　the　river　will　do。〃　〃The　bridge　is　mine；　I

cannot　leave　it。〃



〃Wilt　thou　hold　it　up　with　thy　hands；　then？〃　said　Peroo；

laughing。　　〃I　was　troubled　for　my　boats　and　sheers　before　the

flood　came。　　Now　we　are　in　the　hands　of　the　Gods。　　The　Sahib　will

not　eat　and　lie　down？　　Take　these；　then。　　They　are　meat　and　good

toddy　together；　and　they　kill　all　weariness；　besides　the　fever

that　follows　the　rain。　　I　have　eaten　nothing　else　to…day　at　all。〃



He　took　a　small　tin　tobacco…box　from　his　sodden　waist…belt　and

thrust　it　into　Findlayson's　hand；　saying：　〃Nay；　do　not　be　afraid。　

It　is　no　more　than　opium　…　clean　Malwa　opium。〃



Findlayson　shook　two　or　three　of　the　dark…brown　pellets　into　his

hand；　and　hardly　knowing　what　he　did；　swallowed　them。　　The　stuff

was　at　least　a　good　guard　against　fever　…the　fever　that　was

creeping　upon　him　out　of　the　wet　mud　…and　he　had　seen　what　Peroo

could　do　in　the　stewing　mists　of　autumn　on　the　strength　of　a　dose

from　the　tin　box。



Peroo　nodded　with　bright　eyes。　　〃In　a　little　…　in　a　little　the

Sahib　will　find　that　he　thinks　well　again。　　I　too　will　…〃

He　dived　into　his　treasure…box；　resettled　the　rain…coat　over

his　head；　and　squatted　down　to　watch　the　boats。　　It　was　too　dark

now　to　see　beyond　the　first　pier；　and　the　night　seemed　to　have

given　the　river　new　strength。　　Findlayson　stood　with　his　chin　on

his　chest；　thinking。　　There　was　one　point　about　one　of　the　piers

…　the　seventh　…　that　he　had　not　fully　settled　in　his　mind。　　The

figures　would　not　shape　themselves　to　the　eye　except　one　by　one

and　at　enormous　intervals　of　time。　　There　was　a　sound　rich　and

mellow　in　his　ears　like　the　deepest　note　of　a　double…bass　…　an

entrancing　sound　upon　which　he　pondered　for　several　hours；　as　it

seemed。　Then　Peroo　was　at　his　elbow；　shouting　that　a　wire　hawser

had　snapped　and　the　stone…boats　were　loose。　　Findlayson　saw　the

fleet　open　and　swing　out　fanwise　to　a　long…drawn　shriek　of　wire

straining　across　gunnels。



〃A　tree　hit　them。　　They　will　all　go；〃　cried　Peroo。　　〃The　main

hawser　has　parted。　　What　does　the　Sahib　do？〃



An　immensely　complex　plan　had　suddenly　flashed　into　Findlayson's

mind。　　He　saw　the　ropes　running　from　boat　to　boat　in　straight

lines　and　angles　…　each　rope　a　line　of　white　fire。　　But　there　was

one　rope　which　was　the　master　rope。　　He　could　see　that　rope。　　If

he　could　pull　it　once；　it　was　absolutely　and　mathematically

certain　that　the　disordered　fleet　would　reassemble　itself　in　the

backwater　behind　the　guard…tower。　　But　why；　he　wondered；　was

Peroo　clinging　so　desperately　to　his　waist　as　he　hastened　down

the　bank？　　It　was　necessary　to　put　the　Lascar　aside；　gently　and

slowly；　because　it　was　necessary　to　save　the　boats；　and；　further；

to　demonstrate　the　extreme　ease　of　the　problem　that　looked　so

difficult。　　And　then　…　but　it　was　of　no　conceivable　importance　…

a　wire…rope　raced　through　his　hand；　burning　it；　the　high　bank

disappeared；　　and　with　it　all　the　slowly　dispersing　factors　of

the　problem。　　He　was　sitting　in　the　rainy　darkness　…　sitting　in　a

boat　that　spun　like　a　top；　and　Peroo　was　standing　over　him。



〃I　had　forgotten；〃　said　the　Lascar；　slowly；　〃that　to　those

fasting　and　unused；　the　opium　is　worse　than　any　wine。　　Those　who

die　in　Gunga　go　to　the　Gods。　　Still；　I　have　no　desire　to　present

myself　before　such　great　ones。　　Can　the　Sahib　swim？〃



〃What　need？　　He　can　fly　…　fly　as　swiftly　as　the　wind；〃　was　the

thick　answer。



〃He　is　mad！〃　muttered　Peroo；　under　his　breath。　　〃And　he　threw　me

aside　like　a　bundle　of　dung…cakes。　　Well；　he　will　not　know　his

death。