the riverman-第62节

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

danger　could　not　be　considered　completely　over　with。



In　these　few　days　of　comparative　leisure　Orde　had　time　to　look　about　

him　and　to　receive　news。　　The　jam　had　been　successfully　held　at　the　

iron　railroad　bridge　above　Redding；　but　only　by　the　most　strenuous　

efforts。　　Braces　of　oak　beams　had　been　slanted　where　they　would　do　

the　most　good；　chains　strengthened　the　weaker　spots；　and　on　top　of　

all　ton　after　ton　of　railroad　iron　held　the　whole　immovably。　　Nolan　

had　enjoyed　the　advantage　of　a　〃floating〃　jam；　of　convenient　

facilities　incident　to　a　large　city；　and　of　an　aroused　public　

sentiment　that　proffered　him　all　the　help　he　could　use。　　Monrovia；　

little　village　that　it　was；　had　not　grasped　the　situation。　　Redding　

saw　it　clearly。　　The　loss　of　the　timber　alonerepresenting　some　

millions　of　dollars'　worth　of　the　sawed　productwould　mean　failure　

of　mill　companies；　of　banks　holding　their　paper；　and　so　of　firms　in　

other　lines　of　business；　and　besides　would　throw　thousands　of　men　

out　of　employment。　　Furthermore；　what　was　quite　as　serious；　should　

the　iron　bridge　give　way；　the　wooden　bridges　below　could　hardly　fail　

to　go　out。　　Railroad　communication　between　eastern　and　western　

Michigan　would　be　entirely　cut　off。　　For　a　season　industry　of　every　

description　would　be　practically　paralysed。　　Therefore　Nolan　had　all　

the　help　he　required。　　Every　device　known　was　employed　to　strengthen　

the　jam。　　For　only　a　few　hours　was　the　result　in　doubt。　　Then　as　the　

CLARION　jubilantly　expressed　it；　〃It's　a　hundred　dollars　to　an　old　

hat　she　holds！〃



Orde　received　all　this　with　satisfaction；　but　with　a　slight　

scepticism。



〃It's　a　floating　jam；　and　it　gets　a　push　from　underneath；〃　he　

pointed　out。　　〃It's　probably　safe；　but　another　flood　might　send　it　

out。〃



〃The　floods　are　going　down；〃　said　North。



〃Good　Lord；　I　hope　so！〃　said　Orde。



Newmark　sent　word　that　a　sudden　fit　of　sickness　had　confined　him　to　

the　house。



〃Didn't　think　of　a　little　thing　like　piles；〃　said　Orde　to　himself。　　

〃Well；　that's　hardly　fair。　　Joe　couldn't　have　realised　when　he　left　

here　just　how　bad　things　were。〃



For　two　days；　as　has　been　said；　nothing　happened。　　Then　Orde　decided　

to　break　out　a　channel　through　the　jam　itself。　　This　was　a　necessary　

preliminary　to　getting　the　logs　in　shape　for　distribution。　　An　

opening　was　made　in　the　piles；　and　the　rivermen；　with　pike…pole　and　

peavy；　began　cautiously　to　dig　their　way　through　the　tangled　

timbers。　　The　Government　pile…driver；　which　had　finally　been　sent　up　

from　below；　began　placing　five　extra　booms　at　intervals　down　stream　

to　capture　the　drift　as　fast　as　it　was　turned　loose。　　From　the　mills　

and　private　booms　crews　came　to　assist　in　the　labour。　　The　troubles　

appeared　to　be　quite　over；　when　word　came　from　Redding　that　the　

waters　were　again　rising。　　Ten　minutes　later　Leopold　Lincoln　Bunn；　

the　local　reporter；　came　flapping　in　on　Randall's　old　white　horse；　

like　a　second　Paul　Revere；　crying　that　the　iron　bridge　had　gone；　and　

the　logs　were　racing　down　river　toward　the　booms。



〃It　just　went　out！〃　he　answered　the　eager　exclamations　of　the　men　

who　crowded　around　him。　　〃That's　all　I　know。　　It　went　out！　　And　the　

other　bridges！　　Sure！　　All　but　the　Lake　Shore！　　Don't　know　why　that　

didn't　go　out。　　No；　the　logs　didn't　jam　there；　just　slid　right　

under！〃



〃That　settles　it；〃　said　Welton；　turning　away。



〃You　aren't　going　to　quit！〃　cried　Orde。



〃Certainly。　　You're　crazy！〃　said　Welton　with　some　asperity。　　〃If　

they　can't　stop　a　little　jam　with　iron；　what　are　your　wooden　

defences　going　to　amount　to　against　the　whole　accumulation？　　When　

those　logs　hit　the　tail　of　this　jam；　she'll　go　out　before　you　can　

wink。〃



He　refused　to　listen　to　argument。



〃It's　sure　death；〃　said　he；　〃and　I'm　not　going　to　sacrifice　my　men　

for　nothing；　even　if　they'd　stay。〃



Other　owners　among　the　bystanders　said　the　same　thing。　　An　air　of　

profound　discouragement　had　fallen　on　them　all。　　The　strain　of　the　

fight　was　now　telling。　　The　utmost　that　human　flesh　and　blood　was　

capable　of　had　been　accomplished；　a　hard…won　victory　had　been　gained　

by　the　narrowest　of　narrow　margins。　　In　this　new　struggle　the　old　

odds　were　still　against　them；　and　in　addition　the　strength　that　had　

pushed　aside　Redding's　best　effort；　augmented　by　the　momentum　of　a　

powerful　current。　　It　was　small　wonder　they　gave　up。



Already　the　news　was　spreading　among　the　workers　on　the　jams。　　As　

man　shouted　to　man；　each　shouldered　his　peavy　and　came　running　

ashore；　eager　question　on　his　lips。　　Orde　saw　the　Government　driver　

below　casting　loose　from　her　moorings。　　A　moment　later　her　tug　towed　

her　away　to　some　side　bayou　of　safety　out　of　the　expected　rush　to　

the　Lake。



〃But　we　can　hold　her！〃　cried　Orde　in　desperation。　　〃Have　a　little　

nerve　with　you。　　You　aren't　going　to　quit　like　that！〃



He　swept　them　with　his　eye；　then　turned　away　from　them　with　a　

gesture　of　despair。　　They　watched　him　gravely　and　silently。



〃It's　no　use；　boy；〃　said　old　Carlin；　〃it's　sure　death。〃



〃Sure　death！〃　Orde　laughed　bitterly。　　〃All　right；　sure　death；　then。　　

Isn't　there　a　man　in　this　crowd　that　will　tackle　this　sort　of　sure　

death　with　me？〃



〃I'm　with　you。〃



〃And　me；〃　said　North　and　the　Rough　Red　in　a　breath。



〃Good！〃　cried　Orde。　　〃You；　too；　Johnny　Sims？　and　Purdy？　and　Jimmy　

Powers？　　Bully　boys！〃



〃I　reckon　you'll　need　the　tug；〃　said　Marsh。



A　dozen　more　of　Orde's　personal　following　volunteered。　　At　once　his　

good　humour　returned；　and　his　easy　leisurely　confidence　in　himself。



〃We've　got　to　close　that　opening；　first　thing；〃　said　he。　　〃Marsh；　

tow　the　pile…driver　up　there。〃



He　caused　a　heavy　line　to　be　run　from　a　tree；　situated　around　the　

bend　down　stream；　to　the　stern　of　the　driver。



〃Now　if　you　have　to；〃　he　told　North；　who　had　charge；　〃let　go　all　

holds；　and　the　line　will　probably　swing　you　around　out　of　danger。　　

We　on　the　tug　will　get　out　as　best　we　can。〃



The　opening　was　to　be　closed　by　piles　driven　in　groups　of　sixteen　

bound　together　by　chains。　　The　clumps　were　connected　one　to　the　

other　by　a　system　of　boom　logs　and　ropes　to　interpose　a　continuous　

barrier。　　The　pile…driver　placed　the　clumps；　while　the　tug　attended　

to　the　connecting　defences。



〃Now；　boys；〃　said　Orde　as　his　last　word；　〃if　she　starts　to　go；　save　

yourselves　the　best　way　you　can。　　Never　mind　the　driver。　　STAY　ON　

TOP！〃



Slowly　the　tug　and　her　consort　nosed　up　through　the　boiling　water。



〃She's　rising　already；〃　said　Orde　to　Marsh；　watching　the　water　

around　the　piles。



〃Yes；　and　that　jam's　going　out　before　many　minutes；〃　supplemented　

the　tugboat　captain　grimly。



Both　these　statements　were　only　too　true。　　Although　not　fifteen　

minutes　before；　the　jam　had　lain　locked　in　perfect　safety；　now　the　

slight　rise　of　the　waters　had　lifted　and　loosened　the　mass　until　it　

rose　fairly　on　the　quiver。



〃Work　fast！〃　Orde　called　to　the　men　on　the　pile…driver。　　〃If　we　can　

close　the　opening　before　those　Redding　logs　hit　us；　we　may　be　able　

to　turn　them　into　our　new　channel。〃



He　did　not　add　that　if　the　opening　were　not　closed　before　the　jam　

broke；　as　break　it　would　in　a　very　few　moments；　the　probabilities　

were　that　both　pile…driver　and　tug　would　be　destroyed。　　Every　man　

knew　that　already。



Tom　North　ordered　a　pile　placed　in　the　carriage；　the　hammer　

descended。　　At　once；　like　battering　rams　logs　began　to　shoot　up　from　

the　depths　of　the　river　end　foremost　all　about　them。　　These　timbers　

were　projected　with　tremendous　force；　leaping　sometimes　half　their　

length　above　the　surface　of　the　water。　　If　any　of　them　had　hit　

either　the　tug　or　the　pile…driver　squarely；　it　would　have　stove　and　

sunk　the　craft。　　Fortunately　this　did　not　happen；　but　Marsh　hastily　

towed　the　scow　back　to　a　better　position。　　The　pile　had　evidently　

been　driven　into　the　foot　of　the　jam　itself；　thus　loosening　timbers　

lying　at　the　bottom　of　the　river。



The　work　went　forward　as　rapidly　as　possible。　　Four　times　the　jam　

shrugged　and　settled；　but　four　times　it　paused　on　the　brink　of　

discharge。　　Three　of　the　clumps　had　been　placed　and　bound；　and　

fifteen　piles　of　the　last　clump　had　been　driven。



〃One　more　pile！〃　breathed　Orde；　his　breath　quickening　a　trifle　as　he　

glanced　up　stream。



The　hammer　in　the　high　derrick　ran　smoothly　to　the　top；　paused；　and　

fell。　　A　half　dozen　times　more　it　ripped。　　Then　without　delay　the　

heavy　chains　were　thrown　around　the　winch；　and　the　steam　power　began　

to　draw　the　clumps　together。



〃Done！〃　cried　Tom　North；　straightening　his　back。



〃And　a　job　in　time；　too；〃　said　Johnny　Sims；　indicating　the　creaking　

and　tottering　jam。



North　unmoored；　and　the　driver　dropped　back　with　the　current　and　

around　the　bend　where　she　was　snubbed　by　the　safety　line