the riverman-第12节

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demonstration；　they　said　they　would。







VII





After　the　men　had　been　paid　off；　perhaps　a　dozen　of　them　hung　around　

the　yards　awaiting　evening　and　the　rendezvous　named　by　Orde。　　The　

rest　drifted　away　full　of　good　intentions；　but　did　not　show　up　

again。　　Orde　himself　was　busy　up　to　the　last　moment；　but　finally　

stamped　out　of　the　office　just　as　the　boarding…house　bell　rang　for　

supper。　　He　surveyed　what　remained　of　his　old　crew　and　grinned。



〃Well；　boys；　ready　for　trouble？〃　he　greeted　them。　　〃Come　on。〃



They　set　out　up　the　long　reach　of　Water　Street；　their　steel　caulks　

biting　deep　into　the　pitted　board…walks。



For　nearly　a　mile　the　street　was　flanked　solely　by　lumber…yards；　

small　mills；　and　factories。　　Then　came　a　strip　of　unimproved　land；　

followed　immediately　by　the　wooden；　ramshackle　structures　of　Hell's　

Half…Mile。



In　the　old　days　every　town　of　any　size　had　its　Hell's　Half…Mile；　or　

the　equivalent。　　Saginaw　boasted　of　its　Catacombs；　Muskegon；　Alpena；　

Port　Huron；　Ludington；　had　their　〃Pens；〃　〃White　Rows；〃　〃River　

Streets；〃　〃Kilyubbin；〃　and　so　forth。　　They　supported　row　upon　row　of　

saloons；　alike　stuffy　and　squalid；　gambling　hells　of　all　sorts；　

refreshment　〃parlours；〃　where　drinks　were　served　by　dozens　of　

〃pretty　waiter…girls；〃　and　huge　dance…halls。



The　proprietors　of　these　places　were　a　bold　and　unscrupulous　lot。　　

In　their　everyday　business　they　had　to　deal　with　the　most　dangerous　

rough…and…tumble　fighters　this　country　has　ever　known；　with　men　

bubbling　over　with　the　joy　of　life；　ready　for　quarrel　if　quarrel　

also　spelled　fun；　drinking　deep；　and　heavy…handed　and　fearless　in　

their　cups。　　But　each　of　these　rivermen　had　two　or　three　hundred　

dollars　to　〃blow〃　as　soon　as　possible。　　The　pickings　were　good。　　Men　

got　rich　very　quickly　at　this　business。　　And　there　existed　this　

great　advantage　in　favour　of　the　dive…keeper：　nobody　cared　what　

happened　to　a　riverman。　　You　could　pound　him　over　the　head　with　a　

lead　pipe；　or　drug　his　drink；　or　choke　him　to　insensibility；　or　rob　

him　and　throw　him　out　into　the　street；　or　even　drop　him　tidily　

through　a　trap…door　into　the　river　flowing　conveniently　beneath。　　

Nobody　botheredunless；　of　course；　the　affair　was　so　bungled　as　to　

become　public。　　The　police　knew　enough　to　stay　away　when　the　drive　

hit　town。　　They　would　have　been　annihilated　if　they　had　not。　　The　

only　fly　in　the　divekeeper's　ointment　was　that　the　riverman　would　

fight　back。



And　fight　back　he　did；　until　from　one　end　of　his　street　to　the　other　

he　had　left　the　battered　evidences　of　his　skill　as　a　warrior。　　His　

constant　heavy　lifting　made　him　as　hard　as　nails　and　as　strong　as　a　

horse；　the　continual　demand　on　his　agility　in　riding　the　logs　kept　

him　active　and　prevented　him　from　becoming　muscle…bound；　in　his　wild　

heart　was　not　the　least　trace　of　fear　of　anything　that　walked；　

crawled；　or　flew。　　And　he　was　as　tireless　as　machinery；　and　

apparently　as　indifferent　to　punishment　as　a　man　cast　in　iron。



Add　to　this　a　happy　and　complete　disregard　of　consequencesto　

himself　or　othersof　anything　he　did；　and；　in　his　own　words；　he　was　

a　〃hard　man　to　nick。〃



As　yet　the　season　was　too　early　for　much　joy　along　Hell's　Half…Mile。　　

Orde's　little　crew；　and　the　forty　or　fifty　men　of　the　drive　that　had　

preceded　him；　constituted　the　rank　and　file　at　that　moment　in　town。　　

A　little　later；　when　all　the　drives　on　the　river　should　be　in；　and　

those　of　its　tributaries；　and　the　men　still　lingering　at　the　woods　

camps；　at　least　five　hundred　woods…weary　men　would　be　turned　loose。　　

Then　Hell's　Half…Mile　would　awaken　in　earnest　from　its　hibernation。　　

The　lights　would　blaze　from　day　to　day。　　From　its　opened　windows　

would　blare　the　music；　the　cries　of　men　and　women；　the　shuffle　of　

feet；　the　noise　of　fighting；　the　shrieks　of　wild　laughter；　curses　

deep　and　frank　and　unashamed；　songs　broken　and　interrupted。　　Crews　

of　men；　arms　locked；　would　surge　up　and　down　the　narrow　sidewalks；　

their　little　felt　hats　cocked　one　side；　their　heads　back；　their　

fearless　eyes　challenging　the　devil　and　all　his　worksand　getting　

the　challenge　accepted。　　Girls　would　flit　across　the　lit　windows　

like　shadows　before　flames；　or　stand　in　the　doorways　hailing　the　men　

jovially　by　name。　　And　every　few　moments；　above　the　roar　of　this　

wild　inferno；　would　sound　the　sudden　crash　and　the　dull　blows　of　

combat。　　Only；　never　was　heard　the　bark　of　the　pistol。　　The　fighting　

was　fierce；　and　it　included　kicking　with　the　sharp　steel　boot…

caulks；　biting　and　gouging；　but　it　barred　knives　and　firearms。　　And　

when　Hell's　Half…Mile　was　thus　in　full　eruption；　the　citizens　of　

Redding　stayed　away　from　Water　Street　after　dark。　　〃Drive's　in；〃　

said　they；　and　had　business　elsewhere。　　And　the　next　group　of　

rivermen；　hurrying　toward　the　fun；　broke　into　an　eager　dog…trot。　　

〃Taking　the　old　town　apart　to…night；〃　they　told　each　other。　　〃Let's　

get　in　the　game。〃



To…night；　however；　the　street　was　comparatively　quiet。　　The　saloons　

were　of　modified　illumination。　　In　many　of　them　men　stood　drinking；　

but　in　a　sociable　rather　than　a　hilarious　mood。　　Old　friends　of　the　

two　drives　were　getting　together　for　a　friendly　glass。　　The　

barkeepers　were　listlessly　wiping　the　bars。　　The　〃pretty　waiter…

girls〃　gossiped　with　each　other　and　yawned　behind　their　hands。　　From　

several　doorways　Orde's　little　compact　group　was　accosted　by　the　

burly　saloonkeepers。



〃Hullo；　boys！〃　said　they　invariably；　〃glad　to　see　you　back。　　Come　in　

and　have　a　drink　on　me。〃



Well　these　men　knew　that　one　free　drink　would　mean　a　dozen　paid　for。　　

But　the　rivermen　merely　shook　their　heads。



〃Huh！〃　sneered　one　of　the　girls。　　〃Them's　no　river…jacks！　　Them's　

just　off　the　hay　trail；　I　bet！〃



But　even　this　time…honoured　and　generally　effective　taunt　was　

ignored。



In　the　middle　of　the　third　block　Orde　wheeled　sharp　to　the　left　down　

a　dark　and　dangerous…looking　alley。　　Another　turn　to　the　right　

brought　him　into　a　very　narrow　street。　　Facing　this　street　stood　a　

three…story　wooden　structure；　into　which　led　a　high…arched　entrance　

up　a　broad　half…flight　of　wooden　steps。　　This　was　McNeill's。



As　Orde　and　his　men　turned　into　the　narrow　street；　a　figure　detached　

itself　from　the　shadow　and　approached。　　Orde　uttered　an　exclamation。



〃You　here；　Newmark？〃　he　cried。



〃Yes；〃　replied　that　young　man。　　〃I　want　to　see　this　through。〃



〃With　those　clothes？〃　marvelled　Orde。　　〃It's　a　wonder　some　of　these　

thugs　haven't　held　you　up　long　ago！　I'll　get　Johnny　here　to　go　back　

with　you　to　the　main　street。〃



〃No；〃　argued　Newmark；　〃I　want　to　go　in　with　you。〃



〃It's　dangerous；〃　explained　Orde。　　〃You're　likely　to　get　slugged。〃



〃I　can　stand　it　if　you　can；〃　returned　Newmark。



〃I　doubt　it；〃　said　Orde　grimly。　　〃However；　it's　your　funeral。　　Come　

on；　if　you　want　to。〃



McNeill's　lower　story　was　given　over　entirely　to　drinking。　　A　bar　

ran　down　all　one　side　of　the　room。　　Dozens　of　little　tables　occupied　

the　floor。　　〃Pretty　waiter…girls〃　were　prepared　to　serve　drinks　at　

these　latterand　to　share　in　them；　at　a　commission。　　The　second　

floor　was　a　theatre；　and　the　third　a　dance…hall。　　Beneath　the　

building　were　still　viler　depths。　　From　this　basement　the　riverman　

and　the　shanty　boy　generally　graduated　penniless；　and　perhaps　

unconscious；　to　the　street。　　Now；　your　lumber…jack　did　not　

customarily　arrive　at　this　stage　without　more　or　less　lively　doings　

en　route；　therefore　McNeill's　maintained　a　force　of　fighters。　　They　

were　burly；　sodden　men；　in　striking　contrast　to　the　clean…cut；　

clear…eyed　rivermen；　but　strong　in　their　experience　and　their　

discipline。　　To　be　sure；　they　might　not　last　quite　as　long　as　their　

antagonists　coulda　whisky　training　is　not　conducive　to　long　wind

but　they　always　lasted　plenty　long　enough。　　Sand…bags　and　brass　

knuckles　helped　some；　ruthless　singleness　of　purpose　counted；　and　

team　work　finished　the　job。　　At　times　the　storm　rose　high；　but　up　to　

now　McNeill　had　always　ridden　it。



Orde　and　his　men　entered　the　lower　hall；　as　though　sauntering　in　

without　definite　aim。　　Perhaps　a　score　of　men　were　in　the　room。　　Two　

tables　of　cards　were　under　waywith　a　great　deal　of　noisy　card…

slapping　that　proclaimed　the　game　merely　friendly。　　Eight　or　ten　

other　men　wandered　about　idly；　chaffing　loudly　with　the　girls；　

pausing　to　overlook　the　card　games；　glancing　with　purposeless　

curiosity　at　the　professional　gamblers　sitting　quietly　behind　their　

various　lay…outs。　　It　was　a　dull　evening。



Orde　wandered　about　with　the　rest；　a　wide；　good…natured　smile　on　his　

face。



〃Start　your　little　ball　to　rolling　for　that；〃　he　instructed　the　

roulette　man；　tossing　down　a　bill。　　〃Dropped　again！〃　he　lamented　

humorously。　　〃Can't　seem　to　have　any　luck。〃



He　drifted　on　to　the　crap　game。



〃Throw　us　the　little　bones；　pardner；〃　he　said。　　〃I'll　go　you　a　five　

on　i