the riverman-第26节

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territory。



Orde　set　his　men　to　digging　a　channel　through　this　bank。　　It　was　no　

slight　job；　from　one　point　of　view；　as　the　slope　down　into　the　swamp　

began　only　at　a　point　forty　or　fifty　feet　inland；　but　on　the　other　

hand　the　earth　was　soft　and　free　from　rocks。　　When　completed　the　

channel　gave　passage　to　a　rather　feeble　streamlet　from　the　outer　

fringe　of　the　river。　　The　men　were　puzzled；　but　Orde；　by　the　strange　

freak　of　his　otherwise　frank　and　open　nature；　as　usual　told　nothing　

of　his　plans；　even　to　Tom　North。



〃He　can't　expect　to　turn　that　river；〃　said　Tim　Nolan；　who　was　once　

more　with　the　crew。　　〃He'd　have　to　dig　a　long　ways　below　that　level　

to　catch　the　main　currentand　then　some。〃



〃Let　him　alone；〃　advised　North；　puffing　at　his　short　pipe。　　〃He's　

wiser　than　a　tree　full　of　owls。〃



Next　Orde　assigned　two　men　to　each　of　the　queer…shaped　sawhorses；　

and　instructed　them　to　place　the　horses　in　a　row　across　the　

shallowest　part　of　the　river；　and　broadside　to　the　stream。　　This　was　

done。　　The　men；　half…way　to　their　knees　in　the　swift　water；　bore　

down　heavily　to　keep　their　charges　in　place。　　Other　men　immediately　

began　to　lay　the　heavy　planks　side　by　side；　perpendicular　to　and　on　

the　up…stream　side　of　the　horses。　　The　weight　of　the　water　clamped　

them　in　place；　big　rocks　and　gravel　shovelled　on　in　quantity　

prevented　the　lower　ends　from　rising；　the　wide　slant　of　the　legs　

directed　the　pressure　so　far　downward　that　the　horses　were　prevented　

from　floating　away。　　And　slowly　the　bulk　of　the　water；　thus　raised　a　

good　three　feet　above　its　former　level；　turned　aside　into　the　new　

channel　and　poured　out　to　inundate　the　black…ash　swamp　beyond。



A　good　volume　still　poured　over　the　top　of　the　temporary　dam　and　

down　to　the　fall；　but　it　was　by　this　expedient　so　far　reduced　that　

work　became　possible。



〃Now；　boys！〃　cried　Orde。　　〃Lively；　while　we've　got　the　chance！〃



By　means　of　blocks　and　tackles　and　the　team　horses　the　twenty…six…

foot　logs　were　placed　side　by　side；　slanting　from　a　point　two　feet　

below　the　rim　of　the　fall　to　the　ledge　below。　　They　were　bolted　

together　top　and　bottom　through　the　four　holes　bored　for　that　

purpose。　　This　was　a　confusing　and　wet　business。　　Sufficient　water　

still　flowed　in　the　natural　channel　of　the　river　to　dash　in　spray　

over　the　entire　work。　　Men　toiled；　wet　to　the　skin；　their　garments　

clinging　to　them；　their　eyes　full　of　water；　barely　able　to　breathe；　

yet　groping　doggedly　at　it；　and　arriving　at　last。　　The　weather　was　

warm　with　the　midsummer。　　They　made　a　joke　of　the　difficulty；　and　

found　inexhaustible　humour　in　the　fact　that　one　of　their　number　was　

an　Immersion　Baptist。　　When　the　task　was　finished；　they　pried　the　

flash…boards　from　the　improvised　dam；　piled　them　neatly　beyond　reach　

of　high　water；　rescued　the　sy　they　took　up　their　long；　painstaking　journey　back　

down　the　river。



Travel　down　the　river　was　at　times　very　pleasant；　and　at　times　very　

disagreeable。　　The　ground　had　now　hardened　so　that　a　wanigan　boat　

was　unnecessary。　　Instead；　the　camp　outfit　was　transported　in　

waggons；　which　often　had　to　journey　far　inland；　to　make　

extraordinary　detours；　but　which　always　arrived　somehow　at　the　

various　camping　places。　　Orde　and　his　men；　of　course；　took　the　river　

trail。



The　river　trail　ran　almost　unbroken　for　over　a　hundred　miles　of　

meandering　way。　　It　climbed　up　the　high　banks　at　the　points；　it　

crossed　the　bluffs　along　their　sheer　edges；　it　descended　to　the　

thickets　in　the　flats；　it　crossed　the　swamps　on　pole…trails；　it　

skirted　the　great；　solemn　woods。　　Sometimes；　in　the　lower　reaches；　

its　continuity　was　broken　by　a　town；　but　always　after　it　recovered　

from　its　confusion　it　led　on　with　purpose　unvarying。　　Never　did　it　

desert　for　long　the　river。　　The　cool；　green　still　reaches；　or　the　

tumbling　of　the　white…water；　were　always　within　its　sight；　sometimes　

beneath　its　very　tread。　　When　occasionally　it　cut　in　across　a　very　

long　bend；　it　always　sent　from　itself　a　little　tributary　trail　which　

traced　all　the　curves；　and　returned　at　last　to　its　parent；　

undoubtedly　with　a　full　report　of　its　task。　　And　the　trail　was　

beaten　hard　by　the　feet　of　countless　men；　who；　like　Orde　and　his　

crew；　had　taken　grave；　interested　charge　of　the　river　from　her　birth　

to　her　final　rest　in　the　great　expanses　of　the　Lake。　　It　is　there　

to…day；　although　the　life　that　brought　it　into　being　has　been　gone　

from　it　these　many　years。



In　midsummer　Orde　found　the　river　trail　most　unfamiliar　in　

appearance。　　Hardly　did　he　recognise　it　in　some　places。　　It　

possessed　a　wide；　leisurely　expansiveness；　an　indolent　luxury；　a　

lazy　invitation　born　of　broad　green　leaves；　deep　and　mysterious　

shadows；　the　growth　of　ferns；　docks；　and　the　like　cool　in　the　shade　

of　the　forest；　the　shimmer　of　aspens　and　poplars　through　the　heat；　

the　green　of　tangling　vines；　the　drone　of　insects；　the　low…voiced　

call　of　birds；　the　opulent　splashing　of　sun…gold　through　the　woods；　

quite　lacking　to　the　hard；　tight　season　in　which　his　river　work　was　

usually　performed。　　What；　in　the　early　year；　had　been　merely　a　whip　

of　brush；　now　had　become　a　screen　through　whose　waving；　shifting　

interstices　he　caught　glimpses　of　the　river　flowing　green　and　cool。　　

What　had　been　bare　timber　amongst　whose　twigs　and　branches　the　full　

daylight　had　shone　unobstructed；　now　had　clothed　itself　in　foliage　

and　leaned　over　to　make　black　and　mysterious　the　water　that　flowed　

beneath。　　Countless　insects　hovered　over　the　polished　surface　of　

that　water。　　Dragon…flies　cruised　about。　　Little　birds　swooped　

silently　down　and　fluttered　back；　intent　on　their　tiny　prey。　　Water…

bugs　skated　hither　and　thither　in　apparently　purposeless　diagonals。　　

Once　in　a　great　while　the　black　depths　were　stirred。　　A　bass　rolled　

lazily　over；　carrying　with　him　his　captured　insect；　leaving　on　the　

surface　of　the　water　concentric　rings　which　widened　and　died　away。



The　trail　led　the　crew　through　many　minor　labours；　all　of　which　

consumed　time。　　At　Reed's　Mill　Orde　entered　into　diplomatic　

negotiations　with　Old　Man　Reed；　whom　he　found　singularly　amenable。　　

The　skirmish　in　the　spring　seemed　to　have　taken　all　the　fight　out　of　

him；　or　perhaps；　more　simply；　Orde's　attitude　toward　him　at　that　

time　had　won　him　over　to　the　young　man's　side。　　At　any　rate；　as　soon　

as　he　understood　that　Orde　was　now　in　business　for　himself；　he　

readily　came　to　an　agreement。　　Thereupon　Orde's　crew　built　a　new　

sluiceway　and　gate　far　enough　down　to　assure　a　good　head　in　the　pond　

above。　　Other　dam　owners　farther　down　the　stream　also　signed　

agreements　having　to　do　with　supplying　water　over　and　above　what　the　

law　required　of　them。　　Above　one　particularly　shallow　rapid　Orde　

built　a　dam　of　his　own。



All　this　took　time；　and　the　summer　months　slipped　away。　　Orde　had　

fallen　into　the　wild　life　as　into　a　habit。　　He　lived　on　the　river　or　

the　trail。　　His　face　took　on　a　ruddier　hue　than　ever；　his　clothes　

faded　to　a　nondescript　neutral　colour　of　their　own；　his　hair　below　

his　narrow　felt　hat　bleached　three　shades。　　He　did　his　work；　and　

figured　on　his　schemes；　and　smoked　his　pipe；　and　occasionally　took　

little　trips　to　the　nearest　town；　where　he　spent　the　day　at　the　

hotel　desks　reading　and　answering　his　letters。　　The　weather　was　

generally　very　warm。　　Thunder…storms　were　not　infrequent。　　Until　the　

latter　part　of　August；　mosquitoes　and　black　flies　were　bad。



About　the　middle　of　September　the　crew　had　worked　down　as　far　as　

Redding；　leaving　behind　them　a　river　tamed；　groomed；　and　harnessed　

for　their　uses。　　Remained　still　the　forty　miles　between　Redding　and　

the　Lake　to　be　improved。　　As；　however；　navigation　for　light　draught　

vessels　extended　as　far　as　that　city；　Orde　here　paid　off　his　men。　　A　

few　days'　work　with　a　pile　driver　would　fence　the　principal　shoals　

from　the　channel。



He　stayed　over　night　with　his　parents；　and　at　once　took　the　train　

for　Monrovia。　　There　he　made　his　way　immediately　to　the　little　

office　the　new　firm　had　rented。　　Newmark　had　just　come　down。



〃Hullo；　Joe；〃　greeted　Orde；　his　teeth　flashing　in　contrast　to　the　

tan　of　his　face。　　〃I'm　done。　　Anything　new　since　you　wrote　last？〃



Newmark　had　acquired　his　articles　of　incorporation　and　sold　his　

stock。　　How　many　excursions；　demonstrations；　representations；　and　

arguments　that　implied；　only　one　who　has　undertaken　the　floating　of　

a　new　and　untried　scheme　can　imagine。　　Perhaps　his　task　had　in　it　as　

much　of　difficulty　as　Orde's　taming　of　the　river。　　Certainly　he　

carried　it　to　as　successful　a　conclusion。　　The　bulk　of　the　stock　he　

sold　to　the　log…owners　themselves；　the　rest　he　scattered　here　and　

there　and　everywhere　in　small　lots；　as　he　was　able。　　Some　five　

hundred　and　thousand　dollar　blocks　even　went　to　Chicago。　　His　own　

little　fortune　of　twenty　thousand　he　paid　in　for　the　shares　that　

represented　his　half　of　the　ma