the riverman-第61节

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BELLE；　and　in　spite　of　Simpson's　scandalised　protests　and　an　

incipient　panic　among　the　passengers；　thrust　aside　the　regular　crew　

of　the　steamship　and　took　charge。　　Quite　calmly　he　surveyed　the　

scene。　　From　the　height　of　the　steamer's　bridge　he　could　see　abroad　

over　the　country。　　A　warm　June　sun　flooded　the　landscape　which　was　

filled　with　the　peace　of　early　summer。　　The　river　seemed　to　flow　

smoothly　and　quietly　enough；　in　spite　of　the　swiftness　of　its　

current　and　the　swollen　volume　of　its　waters。　　Only　up　stream　where　

the　big　jam　shrugged　and　groaned　did　any　element　jar　on　the　peace　of　

the　scene；　and　even　that；　in　contrast　to　the　rest　of　the　landscape；　

afforded　small　hint　to　the　inexperienced　eye　of　the　imminence　of　a　

mighty　destruction。



Captain　Marsh　paid　little　attention　to　all　this。　　His　eye　swept　

rapidly　up　and　down　where　the　banks　used　to　be　until　he　saw　a　cross　

current　deeper　than　the　rest　sweeping　in　athwart　the　inundated　

fields。　　He　swung　over　the　wheel　and　rang　to　the　engine…room　for　

half　speed　ahead。　　Slowly　the　LUCY　BELLE　answered。　　Quite　calmly　

Captain　Marsh　rammed　her　through　the　opening　and　out　over　the　

cornfields。　　The　LUCY　BELLE　was　a　typical　river　steamboat；　built　

light　in　the　draught　in　order　to　slide　over　the　numerous　shifting　

bars　to　be　encountered　in　her　customary　business。　　When　Captain　

Marsh　saw　that　he　had　hit　the　opening；　he　rang　for　full　speed；　and　

rammed　the　poor　old　LUCY　BELLE　hard　aground　in　about　a　foot　of　water　

through　which　a　few　mournful　dried　cornstalks　were　showing　their　

heads。　　Then；　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　he　sauntered　out　of　the　

pilot…house　to　the　deck。



〃Now　if　you　want　to　picnic；〃　he　told　the　astonished　and　frightened　

excursionists；　〃go　to　it！〃



With　entire　indifference　to　the　water；　he　vaulted　over　the　low　rail　

and　splashed　away。　　The　rivermen　and　the　engineer　who　had　

accompanied　him　lingered　only　long　enough　to　start　up　the　band。



〃Now　you're　safe　as　a　cow　tied　to　a　brick　wall；〃　said　the　Rough　Red；　

whose　appearance　alone　had　gone　far　toward　overawing　the　passengers。　　

〃Be　joyful。　　Start　up　the　music。　　Start　her　up；　I　tell　you！〃



The　band　hastily　began　to　squawk；　very　much　out　of　time；　and　

somewhat　out　of　tune。



〃That's　right；〃　grinned　the　Rough　Red　savagely；　〃keep　her　up。　　If　

you　quit　before　I　get　back　to　work；　I'll　come　back　and　take　you　

apart。〃



They　waded　through　the　shallow　water　in　the　cornfield。　　After　them　

wafted　the　rather　disorganised　strains　of　WHOA；　EMMA。　　Captain　

Simpson　was　indulging　in　what　resembled　heat　apoplexy。　　After　a　time　

the　LUCY　BELLE'S　crew　recovered　their　scattered　wits　sufficiently　to　

transport　the　passengers　in　small　boats　to　a　point　near　the　county　

road；　whence　all　trudged　to　town。　　The　LUCY　BELLE　grew　in　the　

cornfield　until　several　weeks　later；　when　time　was　found　to　pull　her　

off　on　rollers。



Arrived　at　the　booms　Captain　Marsh　shook　the　loose　water　from　his　

legs。



〃All　right；　sir；〃　he　reported　to　Orde。　　〃I　ran　'em　ashore　yonder。〃



Orde　looked　up；　brushing　the　hair　from　his　eyes。　　He　glanced　in　the　

direction　of　the　cornfield；　and　a　quick　grin　flickered　across　the　

absorbed　expression　of　his　face。



〃I　should　think　you　did；〃　said　he　briefly。　　〃I　guess　that'll　end　the　

excursion　business。　　Now　take　Number　Two　up　below　the　swing；　and　

then　run　down　and　see　if　you　can　discover　Tom。　　He　went　somewhere　

after　piles　about　an　hour　ago。〃



Down　river　the　various　mill　owners　were　busy　with　what　men　they　had　

left　in　stringing　defences　across　the　river　in　case　Orde's　works　

should　go　out。　　When　Orde　heard　this　he　swore　vigourously。



〃Crazy　fools；〃　he　spat　out。　　〃They'd　be　a　lot　better　off　helping　

here。　　If　this　goes　out；　their　little　booms　won't　amount　to　a　whiff　

of　wind。〃



He　sent　word　to　that　effect；　but；　lacking　the　enforcement　of　his　

personal　presence　his　messages　did　not　carry　conviction；　and　the　

panic…stricken　owners　continued　to　labour；　each　according　to　his　

ideas；　on　what　Orde's　clearer　vision　saw　to　be　a　series　of　almost　

comical　futilities。　　However；　Welton　answered　the　summons。　　Orde　

hailed　his　coming　with　a　shout。



〃I　want　a　dredge；〃　he　yelled；　as　soon　as　the　lumberman　was　within　

distance。　　〃I　believe　we　can　relieve　the　pressure　somewhat　by　a　

channel　into　Steam's　bayou。　　Get　that　Government　dredge　up　and　

through　the　bayou　as　soon　as　you　can。〃



〃All　right；〃　said　Welton　briefly。　　〃Can　you　hold　her？〃



〃I've　got　to　hold　her；〃　replied　Orde　between　his　clenched　teeth。　　

〃Have　you　seen　Newmark？　　Where　in　HELL　is　Newmark？　　I　need　him　for　

fifty　things；　and　he's　disappeared　off　the　face　of　the　earth！　　

Purdy！　that　second　cable！　　She's　snapped　a　strand！　　Get　a　

reinforcing　line　on　her！〃　　He　ran　in　the　direction　of　the　new　danger　

without　another　thought　of　Welton。



By　the　late　afternoon　casual　spectators　from　the　countryside　had　

gathered　in　some　number。　　The　bolder　or　more　curious　of　these　added　

a　further　touch　of　anxiety　to　the　situation　by　clambering　out　over　

the　jam　for　a　better　view。　　Orde　issued　instructions　that　these　

should　keep　off　the　logs；　but　in　spite　of　that；　with　the　impertinent　

perseverance　of　the　sight…seer；　many　persisted　from　time　to　time；　

when　the　rivermen　were　too　busily　engaged　to　attend　to　them；　in　

venturing　out　where　they　were　not　only　in　danger　but　also　in　the　

way。　　Tom　North　would　have　none　of　this　on　his　pile…driver。　　If　a　

man　was　not　actually　working；　he　had　no　business　on　Number　One。



〃But；〃　protested　a　spectator　mildly；　〃I　OWN　this　driver。　　I　haven't　

any　objections　to　your　grabbing　her　in　this　emergency；　even　if　you　

did　manhandle　my　captain；　but　surely　you　are　not　going　to　keep　me　

off　my　own　property？〃



〃I　don't　give　a　tinker's　damn　who　you　are；〃　replied　North　sturdily。　　

〃If　you're　not　working；　you　get　off。〃



And　get　off　he　did。



The　broad　deck　of　the　pile…driver　scow　was　a　tempting　point　from　

which　to　survey　the　work；　and　the　ugly　jam；　and　the　water　boiling　

angrily；　and　the　hollow…eyed；　dishevelled　maniacs　who　worked　

doggedly　with　set　teeth　as　though　they　had　not　already　gone　without　

two　nights'　sleep。　　North　had　often　to　order　ashore　intruders；　until　

his　temper　shortened　to　the　vanishing　point。　　One　big　hulking　

countryman　attempted　to　argue　the　point。　　North　promptly　knocked　him　

overboard　into　the　shallow　water　between　the　driver　and　the　bank。　　

He　did　not　rise；　so　North　fished　for　him　in　the　most　matter…of…fact　

way　with　a　boat　hook；　threw　him　on　the　bank　unconscious；　and　went　on　

driving　piles！　　The　incident　raised　a　laugh　among　the　men。



But　flesh　and　blood　has　its　limit　of　endurance；　and　that　limit　was　

almost　reached。　　Orde　heard　the　first　premonitions　of　reaction　in　

the　mild　grumblings　that　arose。　　He　knew　these　men　well　from　his　

long　experience　with　them。　　Although　the　need　for　struggle　against　

the　tireless　dynamics　of　the　river　was　as　insistent　as　ever；　

although　it　seemed　certain　that　a　moment's　cessation　of　effort　would　

permit　the　enemy　an　irretrievable　gain；　he　called　a　halt　on　the　

whole　work。



〃Boys；〃　said　he；　irrelevantly；　〃let's　have　a　smoke？〃



He　set　the　example　by　throwing　himself　full　length　against　a　

slanting　pile　and　most　leisurely　filling　his　pipe。　　The　men　stared　a　

moment；　then　followed　his　example。　　A　great　peace　of　evening　filled　

the　sky。　　The　horizon　lay　low　and　black　against　the　afterglow。　　

Beneath　it　the　river　shone　like　silver。　　Only　the　groaning；　the　

heave　and　shrugging　of　the　jam；　and　the　low　threatening　gurgle　of　

hurrying　waters　reminded　the　toil…weary　men　of　the　enemy's　continued　

activity。　　Over　beyond　the　rise　of　land　that　lay　between　the　river　

and　Stearn's　Bayou　could　be　seen　the　cloud　of　mingled　smoke　and　

steam　that　marked　the　activities　of　the　dredge。　　For　ten　minutes　

they　rested　in　the　solace　of　tobacco。　　Orde　was　apparently　more　at　

ease　than　any　of　the　rest；　but　each　instant　he　expected　to　hear　the　

premonitory　CRACK　that　would　sound　the　end　of　everything。　　Finally　

he　yawned；　knocked　the　ashes　from　his　pipe；　and　got　to　his　feet。



〃Now；〃　said　he；　a　new　ring　in　his　voice；　〃come　on　and　let's　get　

something　DONE！〃



They　responded　to　a　man。







XL





By　midnight　the　water　seemed　to　have　gone　down　slightly。　　Half　the　

crew　snatched　a　little　sleep。　　For　several　hours　more　the　issue　hung　

aggravatingly　in　equilibrium。　　Then；　with　the　opening　of　the　channel　

into　Stearn's　Bayou　the　heaviest　pressure　was　relieved。　　For　the　

moment　the　acute　danger　point　was　passed。



Orde　spent　the　next　two　days　in　strengthening　the　defences。　　The　men　

were　able　to　take　their　quota　of　meals　and　of　sleep。　　Merely　the　

working　hours　were　longer　than　usual。　　Orde　himself　slept　little；　

and　was　still　possessed　by　a　feverish　activity。　　The　flood　continued　

at　about　the　same　volume。　　Until　the　water　should　subside；　the　

danger　could　not　b