the riverman-第40节

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intervened　in　his　approach　to　the　house。　　His　course　through　them　

could　be　traced　by　the　top　of　his　cap；　which　just　showed　above　them。　　

In　a　moment　he　thrust　through　the　brush　and　stood　before　Orde。



For　a　moment　he　stared　at　the　young　man；　and　then；　with　a　wild　Irish　

yell；　leaped　upon　him。　　Orde；　caught　unawares　and　in　an　awkward　

position；　was　hardly　able　even　to　struggle　against　the　gigantic　

riverman。　　Indeed；　before　he　had　recovered　his　faculties　to　the　

point　of　offering　determined　resistance；　he　was　pinned　back　against　

the　wall　by　his　shoulders；　and　the　Rough　Red's　face　was　within　two　

feet　of　his　own。



〃And　how　are　ye；　ye　ould　darlint？〃　shouted　the　latter；　with　a　roll　

of　oaths。



〃Why；　Jimmy　Bourke！〃　cried　Orde；　and　burst　into　a　laugh。



The　Rough　Red　jerked　him　to　his　feet；　delivered　a　bear　hug　that　

nearly　crushed　his　ribs；　and　pounded　him　mightily　on　the　back。



〃You　ould　snoozer！〃　he　bellowed。　　〃Where　the　blankety　blank　in　blank　

did　you　come　from？　　Byes；〃　he　shouted　to　the　men；　〃it's　me　ould　boss　

on　th'　Au　Sable　six　year　backthat　time；　ye　mind；　whin　we　had　th'　

ice　jam！　　Glory　be！　but　I'm　glad　to　see　ye！〃



Orde　was　still　laughing。



〃I　didn't　know　you'd　turned　into　the　Rough　Red；　Jimmy；〃　said　he。　　〃I　

don't　believe　we　were　either　of　us　old　enough　for　whiskers　then；　

were　we？〃



The　Rough　Red　grinned。



〃Thrue　for　ye！〃　said　he。　　〃And　what　have　ye　been　doing　all　these　

years？〃



〃That's　just　it；　Jimmy；〃　said　Orde；　drawing　the　giant　one　side；　out　

of　ear…shot。　　〃All　my　eggs　are　in　one　basket；　and　it's　a　mean　trick　

of　you　to　hire　out　for　filthy　lucre　to　kick　that　basket。〃



〃What　do　ye　mane？〃　asked　the　Rough　Red；　fixing　his　twinkling　little　

eyes　on　Orde。



〃You　don't　mean　to　tell　me；〃　countered　Orde；　glancing　down　at　the　

other's　rubber…shod　feet；　〃that　this　crew　has　been　sent　up　here　just　

to　break　out　those　measly　little　rollways？〃



〃Thim？〃　said　the　Rough　Red。　　〃Thim？　　Hell；　NO！　　Thim's　my　bodyguard。　　

They　can　lick　their　weight　in　wild　cats；　and　I'd　loike　well　to　see　

the　gang　of　highbankers　that　infists　this　river　thry　to　pry　thim　

out。　　We　weren't　sint　here　to　wurrk；　we　were　sint　here　to　foight。〃



〃Fight？　　Why？〃　asked　Orde。



〃Oh；　I　dunno；〃　replied　the　Rough　Red　easily。　　〃Me　boss　and　the　blank　

of　a　blank　blanked　blank　that's　attimptin'　to　droive　this　river　has　

some　sort　of　a　row。〃



〃Jimmy；〃　said　Orde；　〃didn't　you　know　that　I　am　the　gentleman　last　

mentioned？〃



〃What！〃



〃I'm　driving　this　river；　and　that's　my　dam…keeper　you've　got　hid　

away　somewhere　here；　and　that's　my　water　you're　planning　to　waste！〃



〃What？〃　repeated　the　Rough　Red；　but　in　a　different　tone　of　voice。



〃That's　right；〃　said　Orde。



In　a　tone　of　vast　astonishment；　the　Rough　Red　mentioned　his　probable　

deserts　in　the　future　life。



〃Luk　here；　Jack；〃　said　he　after　a　moment；　〃here's　a　crew　of　white…

water　birlers　that　ye　can't　beat　nowheres。　　What　do　you　want　us　to　

do？　　We're　now　gettin'　four　dollars　a　day　AN'　board　from　that　

murderin'　ould　villain；　Heinzman；　SO　WE　CAN　AFFORD　TO　WURRK　FOR　YOU　

CHEAP。〃



Orde　hesitated。



〃Oh；　please　do　now；　darlint！〃　wheedled　the　Rough　Red；　his　little　

eyes　agleam　with　mischief。　　〃Sind　us　some　oakum　and　pitch　and　we'll　

caulk　yure　wanigan　for　ye。　　Or　maybe　some　more　peavies；　and　we'll　

hilp　ye　on　yure　rollways。　　And　till　us；　afore　ye　go；　how　ye　want　

this　dam；　and　that's　the　way　she'll　be。　　Come；　now；　dear！　and　ain't　

ye　short…handed　now？〃



Orde　slapped　his　knee　and　laughed。



〃This　is　sure　one　hell　of　a　joke！〃　he　cried。



〃And　ain't　it　now？〃　said　the　Rough　Red；　smiling　with　as　much　

ingratiation　as　he　was　able。



〃I'll　take　you　boys　on；〃　said　Orde　at　last；　〃at　the　usual　wages

dollar　and　a　half　for　the　jam；　three　for　the　rear。　　I　doubt　if　

you'll　see　much　of　Heinzman's　money　when　this　leaks　out。〃







XXIV





Thus　Orde；　by　the　sheer　good　luck　that　sometimes　favours　men　engaged　

in　large　enterprises；　not　only　frustrated　a　plan　likely　to　bring　

failure　to　his　interests；　but　filled　up　his　crews。　　It　may　be　

remarked　here；　as　well　as　later；　that　the　〃terrors　of　the　Saginaw〃　

stayed　with　the　drive　to　its　finish；　and　proved　reliable　and　

tractable　in　every　particular。　　Orde　scattered　them　judiciously；　so　

there　was　no　friction　with　the　local　men。　　The　Rough　Red　he　retained　

on　the　rear。



Here　the　breaking　of　the　rollways　had　reached　a　stage　more　exciting　

both　to　onlooker　and　participant　than　the　mere　opening　of　the　river　

channel。　　Huge　stacks　of　logs　piled　sidewise　to　the　bank　lined　the　

stream　for　miles。　　When　the　lowermost　log　on　the　river　side　was　

teased　and　pried　out；　the　upper　tiers　were　apt　to　cascade　down　with　

a　roar；　a　crash；　and　a　splash。　　The　man　who　had　done　the　prying　had　

to　be　very　quick…eyed；　very　cool；　and　very　agile　to　avoid　being　

buried　under　the　tons　of　timber　that　rushed　down　on　him。　　Only　the　

most　reliable　men　were　permitted　at　this　initial　breaking　down。　　

Afterwards　the　crew　rolled　in　what　logs　remained。



The　Rough　Red's　enormous　strength；　dare…devil　spirit；　and　nimbleness　

of　body　made　him　invaluable　at　this　dangerous　work。　　Orde；　too；　

often　took　a　hand　in　some　of　the　more　ticklish　situations。　　In　old　

days；　before　he　had　attained　the　position　of　responsibility　that　

raised　the　value　of　his　time　beyond　manual　work；　he　had　been　one　of　

the　best　men　on　the　river　at　breaking　bank　rollways。　　A　slim；　

graceful；　handsome　boy　of　twenty；　known　as　〃Rollway　Charlie；〃　also　

distinguished　himself　by　the　quickness　and　certainty　of　his　work。　　

Often　the　men　standing　near　lost　sight　of　him　entirely　in　the　spray；　

the　confusion；　the　blur　of　the　breaking　rollways；　until　it　seemed　

certain　he　must　have　perished。　　Nevertheless；　always　he　appeared　at　

right　or　left；　sometimes　even　on　a　log　astream；　nonchalant；　smiling；　

escaped　easily　from　the　destructive　power　he　had　loosed。　　Once　in　

the　stream　the　logs　ran　their　appointed　course；　watched　by　the　men　

who　herded　them　on　their　way。　　And　below；　from　the　tributaries；　from　

the　other　rollways　a　never…ending　procession　of　recruits　joined　this　

great　brown　army　on　its　way　to　the　lake；　until　for　miles　and　miles　

the　river　was　almost　a　solid　mass　of　logs。



The　crews　on　the　various　beats　now　had　their　hands　full　to　keep　the　

logs　running。　　The　slightest　check　at　any　one　point　meant　a　jam；　for　

there　was　no　way　of　stopping　the　unending　procession。　　The　logs　

behind　floated　gently　against　the　obstruction　and　came　to　rest。　　The　

brown　mass　thickened。　　As　far　as　the　eye　could　reach　the　surface　of　

the　water　was　concealed。　　And　then；　as　the　slow　pressure　developed　

from　the　three　or　four　miles　of　logs　forced　against　each　other　by　

the　pushing　of　the　current；　the　breast　of　the　jam　began　to　rise。　　

Timbers　up…ended；　crossed；　interlocked；　slid　one　over　the　other；　

mounted　higher　and　higher　in　the　formidable　game　of　jack…straws　the　

loss　of　which　spelled　death　to　the　players。



Immediately；　and　with　feverish　activity；　the　men　nearest　at　hand　

attacked　the　work。　　Logs　on　top　they　tumbled　and　rolled　into　the　

current　below。　　Men　beneath　the　breast　tugged　and　pried　in　search　of　

the　key　logs　causing　all　the　trouble。　　Others　〃flattened　out　the　

wings；〃　hoping　to　get　a　〃draw〃　around　the　ends。　　As　the　stoppage　of　

the　drive　indicated　to　the　men　up　and　down　stream　that　a　jam　had　

formed；　they　gathered　at　the　scenethose　from　above　over　the　logs；　

those　from　below　up　the　river　trail。



Rarely；　unless　in　case　of　unusual　complications；　did　it　take　more　

than　a　few　hours　at　most　to　break　the　jam。　　The　breast　of　it　went　

out　with　a　rush。　　More　slowly　the　wings　sucked　in。　　Reluctantly　the　

mass　floating　on　the　surface　for　miles　up　stream　stirred；　silently　

moved　forward。　　For　a　few　minutes　it　was　necessary　to　watch　

carefully　until　the　flow　onward　steadied　itself；　until　the　

congestion　had　spaced　and　ordered　as　before。　　Then　the　men　moved　

back　to　their　posts；　the　drive　was　resumed。　　At　night　the　river　was　

necessarily　left　to　its　own　devices。　　Rivermen；　with　the　touch　of　

superstition　inseparably　connected　with　such　affairs；　believe　

implicitly　that　〃logs　run　free　at　night。〃　　Certainly；　though　it　

might　be　expected　that　each　morning　would　reveal　a　big　jam　to　break；　

such　was　rarely　the　case。　　The　logs　had　usually　stopped；　to　be　sure；　

but　generally　in　so　peaceful　a　situation　as　easily　to　be　started　on　

by　a　few　minutes'　work。　　Probably　this　was　because　they　tended　to　

come　to　rest　in　the　slow；　still　reaches　of　the　river；　through　which；　

in　daytime；　they　would　be　urged　by　the　rivermen。



Jams　on　the　river；　contrary　to　general　belief；　are　of　very　common　

occurrence。　　Throughout　the　length　of　the　drive　there　were　probably　

three　or　four　hang…ups　a　day。　　Each　of　these　had　to　be　broken；　and　

in　the　breaking　was　danger。　　The　smallest　misstep；　the　least　

slowness　in　reading