the riverman-第58节

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himself；　he　added：　〃I've　got　to！〃







XXXVII





The　duel　had　now　come　to　grapples。　　Orde　was　fighting　for　his　very　

life。　　The　notes　given　by　Newmark　and　Orde　would　come　due　by　the　

beginning　of　the　following　summer。　　Before　that　time　Orde　must　be　

able　to　meet　them　personally；　or；　as　by　the　agreement　with　Newmark；　

his　stock　in　the　Boom　Company　would　be　turned　in　to　the　firm。　　This　

would；　of　course；　spell　nearly　a　total　loss　of　it；　as　far　as　Orde　

was　concerned。



The　chief　anxiety　under　which　the　riverman　laboured；　however；　was　

the　imminent　prospect　of　losing　under　the　mortgage　all　the　Northern　

Peninsula　timber。　　He　had　thought　that　the　firm　would　be　able　to　

step　in　for　its　redemption；　even　if　he　personally　found　himself　

unable　to　meet　the　obligation。　　Three　hundred　million　feet　would　

seem　to　be　too　important　a　matter　to　let　go　under　so　small　a　

mortgage。　　Now　as　the　time　approached；　he　realised　that　if　he　could　

not　pay　the　notes；　the　firm　would　certainly　be　unable　to　do　so。　　

What　with　the　second　mortgage；　due　two　years　later；　and　to　be　met　by　

Newmark；　with　the　outstanding　obligations；　with　the　new　enterprise　

of　the　vessels　ordered　from　Duncan　McLeod；　Newmark　and　Orde　would　be　

unable　to　raise　anything　like　the　necessary　amount。　　To　his　personal　

anxieties　Orde　added　a　deep　and　bitter　self…reproach　at　having　

involved　his　partner　in　what　amounted　to　a　total　loss。



Spurred　doubly　by　these　considerations；　then；　he　fell　upon　the　woods　

work　with　unparalleled　ferocity。　　A　cut　and　sale　of　the　forty　

million　feet　remaining　of　the　firm's　up…river　holdings；　together　

with　the　tolls　to　be　collected　for　driving　the　river　that　spring　

would；　if　everything　went　right　and　no　change　in　the　situation　took　

place；　bring　Orde　through　the　venture　almost　literally　by　〃the　skin　

of　his　teeth。〃　　To　cut　forty　million　feet；　even　in　these　latter　days　

of　improvements　then　unknown；　would　be　a　task　to　strain　to　the　

utmost　every　resource　of　energy；　pluck；　equipment　and　organisation。　　

In　1880…81　the　operators　on　the　river　laughed　good…humouredly　over　

an　evident　madness。



Nevertheless　Orde　accomplished　the　task。　　To　be　sure　he　was　largely　

helped　by　a　favourable　winter。　　The　cold　weather　came　early　and　

continued　late。　　Freezing　preceded　the　snow；　which　was　deep　enough　

for　good　travoying　and　to　assure　abundant　freshet　water　in　the　

spring；　but　not　too　deep　to　interfere　with　the　work。　　Orde　increased　

his　woods　force；　and；　contrary　to　his　custom；　he　drove　them　

mercilessly。　　He　was　that　winter　his　own　walking…boss；　and　lived　

constantly　in　the　woods。　　The　Rough　Red　had　charge　of　the　banking；　

where　his　aggressive；　brutal　personality　kept　the　rollways　free　from　

congestion。　　For　congestion　there　means　delay　in　unloading　the　

sleighs；　and　that　in　turn　means　a　drag　in　the　woods　work　near　the　

skidways　at　the　other　end　of　the　line。　　Tom　North　and　Tim　Nolan　and　

Johnny　Sims　and　Jim　Denning　were　foremen　back　in　the　forest。　　Every　

one　had　an　idea；　more　or　less　vague；　that　the　Old　Fellow　had　his　

back　to　the　wall。　　Late　into　the　night　the　rude　torches；　made　quite　

simply　from　brown　stone　jugs　full　of　oil　and　with　wicks　in　their　

necks；　cast　their　flickering　glare　over　the　ice　of　the　haul…roads。　　

And　though　generally　in　that　part　of　Michigan　the　thaws　begin　by　the　

first　or　second　week　in　March；　this　year　zero　weather　continued　even　

to　the　eighth　of　April。　　When　the　drive　started；　far　up　toward　

headwaters；　the　cut　was　banked　for　miles　along　the　stream；　forty　

million　feet　of　it　to　the　last　timber。



The　strain　over；　Orde　slept　the　clock　around　and　awoke　to　the　

further　but　familiar　task　of　driving　the　river。　　He　was　very　tired；　

but　his　spirit　was　at　peace。　　As　always　after　the　event；　he　looked　

back　on　his　anxieties　with　a　faint　amusement　over　their　futility。



From　Taylor　he　had　several　communications。　　The　lawyer　confessed　

himself　baffled　as　to　the　purpose　and　basis　of　the　Land　Office　

investigation。　　The　whole　affair　appeared　to　be　tangled　in　a　maze　of　

technicalities　and　a　snarl　of　red…tape　which　it　would　take　some　time　

to　unravel。　　In　the　meantime　Taylor　was　enjoying　himself；　and　was　

almost　extravagant　in　his　delight　over　the　climate　and　attractions　

of　Southern　California。



Orde　did　not　much　care　for　this　delay。　　He　saw　his　way　clear　to　

meeting　his　obligations　without　the　necessity　of　hypothecating　the　

California　timber；　and　was　the　better　pleased　for　it。　　With　the　

break…up　of　spring　he　started　confidently　with　the　largest　drive　in　

the　history　of　the　river；　a　matter　of　over　two　hundred　million　feet。



This　tremendous　mass　of　timber　moved　practically　in　three　sections。　　

The　first；　and　smallest；　comprised　probably　thirty　millions。　　It　

started　from　the　lowermost　rollways　on　the　river；　drove　rapidly　

through　the　more　unobstructed　reaches；　and　was　early　pocketed　above　

Monrovia　in　the　Company's　distributing　booms。　　The　second　and　

largest　section　of　a　hundred　million　came　from　the　main　river　and　

its　largest　tributaries。　　It　too　made　a　safe　drive；　and　was　brought　

to　rest　in　the　main　booms　and　in　a　series　of　temporary　or　emergency　

booms　built　along　the　right　bank　and　upstream　from　the　main　works。　　

The　third　section　containing　a　remainder　of　about　seventy　million　

had　by　the　twenty…sixth　of　June　reached　the　slack　water　above　the　

city　of　Redding。







XXXVIII





The　morning　of　June　twenty…sixth　dawned　clear。　　Orde　was　early　on　

the　road　before　the　heat　of　the　day。　　He　drove　his　buckboard　rapidly　

over　the　twelve　miles　that　separated　his　home　from　the　distributing　

booms；　for　he　wanted　at　once　to　avoid　the　heat　of　the　first　sun　and　

to　arrive　at　the　commencement　of　the　day's　work。　　After　a　glance　at　

the　river；　he　entered　the　tiny　office　and　set　about　the　examination　

of　the　tally　sheets　left　by　the　foreman。　　While　he　was　engaged　in　

this　checking；　the　foreman；　Tom　North；　entered。



〃The　river's　rising　a　little〃？　　he　remarked　conversationally　as　he　

reached　for　the　second　set　of　tally　boards。



〃You're　crazy；〃　muttered　Orde；　without　looking　up。　　〃It's　clear　as　a　

bell；　and　there　have　been　no　rains　reported　from　anywhere。〃



〃It's　rising　a　little；　just　the　same；〃　insisted　North；　going　out。



An　hour　later　Orde；　having　finished　his　clerical　work；　walked　out　

over　the　booms。　　The　water　certainly　had　risen；　and　considerably　at　

that。　　A　decided　current　sucked　through　the　interstices　in　the　

piling。　　The　penned　logs　moved　uneasily。



〃I　should　think　it　was　rising！〃　said　Orde　to　himself；　as　he　watched　

the　slowly　moving　water。　　〃I　wonder　what's　up。　　It　can't　be　merely　

those　rains　three　days　ago。〃



He　called　one　of　the　younger　boys　to　him；　Jimmy　Powers　by　name。



〃Here；　Jimmy；〃　said　he；　〃mark　one　of　these　piles　and　keep　track　of　

how　fast　the　water　rises。〃



For　some　time　the　river　remained　stationary；　then　resumed　its　slow　

increase。　　Orde　shook　his　head。



〃I　don't　like　June　floods；〃　he　told　Tom　North。　　〃A　fellow　can　

understand　an　ordinary　spring　freshet；　and　knows　about　how　far　it　

will　go；　but　these　summer　floods　are　so　confounded　mysterious。　　I　

can't　figure　out　what's　struck　the　old　stream；　unless　they're　having　

almighty　heavy　rains　up　near　headwaters。〃



By　three　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　Jimmy　Powers　reported　a　rise　since　

morning　of　six　inches。　　The　current　had　proportionately　increased　in　

power。



〃Tom；〃　said　Orde　to　the　old　riverman；　〃I'm　going　to　send　Marsh　down　

for　the　pile…drivers　and　some　cable。　　The　barge　company　has　some　

fifteen　inch　manilla。〃



North　laughed。



〃What　in　blazes　do　you　expect　to　do　with　that？〃　he　inquired。



〃We　may　need　them；〃　Orde　stated　with　conviction。　　〃Everything's　safe　

enough　now；　and　probably　will　continue　so；　but　I　can't　afford　to　

take　chances。　　If　those　logs　ever　break　through　they'll　go　on　out　to　

Lake　Michigan　and　there　they　wouldn't　be　worth　the　salvage。〃



Tom　North　stared　at　his　principal　in　surprise。



〃That's　a　mighty　long　chance；〃　he　commented。　　〃Never　knew　you　to　

come　so　near　croaking　before；　Jack。〃



〃If　this　drive　goes　out；　it　surely　busts　me；〃　replied　Orde；　〃and　I'm　

not　taking　even　long　chances。〃



Captain　Marsh；　returning　with　the　SPRITE；　brought　an　evening　paper　

and　news　from　the　telegraph　offices。　　A　cloudburst　in　the　China　

Creek　district　followed　by　continued　heavy　rains　was　responsible　for　

the　increased　water。　　The　papers　mentioned　this　only　incidentally；　

and　in　explanation。　　Their　columns　were　filled　with　an　account　of　

the　big　log　jam　that　had　formed　above　the　iron　railroad　bridge。　　The　

planing　mill's　booms　had　given　way　under　pressure　and　the　contents　

had　piled　down　stream　against　the　buttresses。　　Before　steps　could　be　

taken　to　clear　the　way；　the　head　of　the　drive；　hurried　by　the　excess　

water；　had　piled　in　on　top。　　Immediately　a　jam　formed；　increasing　in　

weight　each　moment；　un