the riverman-第64节

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〃What　can　you　do？〃



〃Get　that　bridge　span　out　of　there；　of　course。〃



〃How？〃



〃Can't　we　blow　her　up　with　powder？〃



〃Ever　try　to　blow　up　iron？〃



〃There　must　be　some　way。〃



〃Oh；　there　is；〃　replied　Welton。　　〃Of　coursetake　her　apart　bolt　by　

bolt　and　nut　by　nut。〃



〃Send　for　the　wrenches；　then；〃　snapped　Orde。



〃But　it　would　take　two　or　three　days；　even　working　night　and　day。〃



〃What　of　it？〃



〃But　it　would　be　too　lateit　would　do　no　good〃



〃Perhaps　not；〃　interrupted　Orde；　〃but　it　will　be　doing　something；　

anyway。　　Look　here；　Welton；　are　you　game？　　If　you'll　get　that　bridge　

out　in　two　days　I'll　hold　the　jam。〃



〃You　can't　hold　that　jam　two　hours；　let　alone　two　days；〃　said　Welton　

decidedly。



〃That's　my　business。　　You're　wasting　time。　　Will　you　send　for　

lanterns　and　wrenches　and　keep　this　crew　working？〃



〃I　will；〃　said　Welton。



〃Then　do　it。〃



During　the　next　two　days　the　old　scenes　were　all　relived；　with　back　

of　them　the　weight　of　the　struggle　that　had　gone　before。　　The　little　

crs　and　the　implements　of　their　trade；　

menaced　by　a　jam　on　the　point　of　breaking；　wet　by　a　swollen　and　

angry　flood；　over…arched　by　a　clear　calm　sky　or　by　the　twinkling　

peaceful　stars。　　Long　since　had　they　ceased　to　reckon　with　the　

results　of　what　they　did；　the　consequences　either　to　themselves　or　

to　the　jam。　　Mechanically　they　performed　their　labour。　　Perhaps　the　

logs　would　kill　them。　　Perhaps　these　long；　black；　dripping　piles　

they　drove　were　having　some　effect　on　the　situation。　　Neither　

possibility　mattered。



Then　all　at　once；　as　though　a　faucet　had　been　turned　off；　the　floods　

slackened。



〃They've　opened　the　channel；〃　said　Orde　dully。　　His　voice　sounded　to　

himself　very　far　away。　　Suddenly　the　external　world；　too；　seemed　

removed　to　a　distance；　far　from　his　centre　of　consciousness。　　He　

felt　himself　moving　in　strange　and　distorted　surroundings；　he　heard　

himself　repeating　to　each　of　a　number　of　wavering；　gigantic　figures　

the　talismanic　words　that　had　accomplished　the　dissolution　of　the　

earth　for　himself：　〃They've　opened　the　channel。〃　　At　last　he　felt　

hard　planks　beneath　his　feet；　and；　shaking　his　head　with　an　effort；　

he　made　out　the　pilot…house　of　the　SPRITE　and　a　hollow…eyed　man　

leaning　against　it。　　〃They've　opened　the　channel；　Marsh；〃　he　

repeated。　　〃I　guess　that'll　be　all。〃　　Then　quite　slowly　he　sank　to　

the　deck；　sound　asleep。



Welton；　returning　from　his　labours　with　the　iron　bridge　and　the　jam；　

found　them　thus。　　Men　slept　on　the　deck　of　the　tug；　aboard　the　pile…

driver。　　Two　or　three　had　even　curled　up　in　the　crevices　of　the　jam；　

resting　in　the　arms　of　the　monster　they　had　subdued。







XLII





When　Newmark　left；　in　the　eathe　booms；　unless　curiosity　should　take　

her。



As　the　team　left　the　marsh　road　for　the　county　turnpike　past　the　

mills　you　are。rly　stages　of　the　jam；　he　gave　scant　

thought　to　the　errand　on　which　he　had　ostensibly　departed。　　Whether　

or　nor　Orde　got　a　supply　of　piles　was　to　him　a　matter　of　

indifference。　　His　hope；　or　rather　preference　was　that　the　jam　

should　go　out；　but　he　saw　clearly　what　Orde；　blinded　by　the　swift　

action　of　the　struggle；　was　as　yet　unable　to　perceive。　　Even　should　

the　riverman　succeed　in　stopping　the　jam；　the　extraordinary　expenses　

incidental　to　the　defence　and　to　the　subsequent　salvaging；　

untangling　and　sorting　would　more　than　eat　up　the　profits　of　the　

drive。　　Orde　would　then　be　forced　to　ask　for　an　extension　of　time　on　

his　notes。



On　arriving　in　Monrovia；　he　drove　to　his　own　house。　　To　Mallock　he　

issued　orders。



〃Go　to　the　office　and　tell　them　I　am　ill；〃　said　he；　〃and　then　hunt　

up　Mr。　Heinzman；　wherever　he　is；　and　tell　him　I　want　to　see　him　

immediately。〃



He　did　not　trouble　to　send　word　directly　to　Orde；　up　river；　but　left　

him　to　be　informed　by　the　slow　process　of　filtration　through　the　

bookkeepers。　　The　interim　of　several　hours　before　Heinzman　appeared　

he　spent　very　comfortably　in　his　easy　chair；　dipping　into　a　small　

volume　of　Montaigne。



At　length　the　German　was　announced。　　He　entered　rather　red　and　

breathless；　obviously　surprised　to　find　Newmark　at　home。



〃Dot　was　a　terrible　jam；〃　said　he；　mopping　his　brow　and　sinking　into　

a　chair。　　〃I　got　lots　of　logs　in　it。〃



Newmark　dismissed　the　subject　with　an　abrupt　flip　of　his　unlighted　

cigar。



〃Heinzman；〃　said　he；　〃in　three　weeks　at　the　latest　Orde　will　come　to　

you　asking　for　a　renewal　of　the　notes　you　hold　against　our　firm。　　

You　must　refuse　to　make　such　a　renewal。〃



〃All　righdt；〃　agreed　Heinzman。



〃He'll　probably　offer　you　higher　interest。　　You　must　refuse　that。　　

Then　when　the　notes　are　overdue　you　must　begin　suit　in　foreclosure。〃



〃All　righdt；〃　repeated　Heinzman　a　little　restlessly。　　〃Do　you　think　

he　vill　hold　that　jam？〃



Newmark　shrugged　his　shoulders　swiftly。



〃I　got　lots　of　logs　in　that　jam。　　If　that　jam　goes　out　I　vill　lose　a　

heap　of　money。〃



〃Well；　you'll　make　quite　a　heap　on　this　deal；〃　said　Newmark　

carelessly。



〃Suppose　he　holds　it；〃　said　Heinzman；　pausing。　　〃I　hate　like　the　

mischief　to　joomp　on　him。〃



〃Rot！〃　said　Newmark　decisively。　　〃That's　what　he's　there　for。〃　　He　

looked　at　the　German　sharply。　　〃I　suppose　you　know　just　how　deep　

you're　in　this？〃



〃Oh；　I　ain't　backing　oudt；〃　negatived　Heinzman。　　〃Not　a　bit。〃



〃Well；　then；　you　know　what　to　do；〃　said　Newmark；　terminating　the　

interview。







XLIII





Little　by　little　the　water　went　down。　　The　pressure；　already　

considerably　relieved　by　the　channel　into　Stearn's　Bayou；　slackened　

every　hour。　　Orde；　still　half　dazed　with　his　long…delayed　sleep；　

drove　back　along　the　marsh　road　to　town。



His　faculties　were　still　in　the　torpor　that　follows　rest　after　

exhaustion。　　The　warm　July　sun；　the　breeze　from　the　Lake；　the　flash　

of　light　from　the　roadside　water；　these　were　all　he　had　room　for　

among　his　perceptions。　　He　was　content　to　enjoy　them；　and　to　

anticipate　drowsily　the　keen　pleasure　of　seeing　Carroll　again。　　In　

the　rush　of　the　jam　he　had　heard　nothing　from　her。　　For　all　he　knew　

she　and　Bobby　might　have　been　among　the　spectators　on　the　bank；　he　

had　hardly　once　left　the　river。　　It　did　not　seem　to　him　strange　that　

Carroll　should　not　have　been　there　to　welcome　him　after　the　struggle　

was　over。　　Rarely　did　she　get　to　the　booms　in　ordinary　

circumstances。　　This　episode　of　the　big　jam　was；　after　all；　nothing　

but　part　of　the　day's　work　to　Orde　；　a　crisis；　exaggerated　it　is　

true；　but　like　many　other　crises　a　man　must　meet　and　cope　with　on　

the　river。　　There　was　no　reason　why　Carroll　should　drive　the　twelve　

miles　between　Monrovia　and　s　and　lumberyards；　Orde　shook　himself　fully　awake。　

He　began　to　

review　the　situation。　　As　Newmark　had　accurately　foreseen；　he　came　

almost　immediately　to　a　realisation　that　the　firm　would　not　be　able　

to　meet　the　notes　given　to　Heinzman。　　Orde　had　depended　on　the　

profits　from　the　season's　drive　to　enable　him　to　make　up　the　

necessary　amount。　　Those　profits　would　be　greatly　diminished；　if　not　

wiped　out　entirely；　by　the　expenses；　both　regular　and　irregular；　

incurred　in　holding　the　jam；　by　the　damage　suits　surely　to　be　

brought　by　the　owners　of　the　piles；　trees；　pile…drivers　and　other　

supplies　and　materials　requisitioned　in　the　heat　of　the　campaign；　

and　by　the　extra　labour　necessary　to　break　out　the　jam　and　to　sort　

the　logs　according　to　their　various　destinations。



〃I'll　have　to　get　an　extension　of　time；〃　said　Orde　to　himself。　　〃Of　

course　Joe　will　let　me　have　more　time　on　my　own　personal　note　to　the　

firm。　　And　Heinzman　surely　ought　toI　saved　a　lot　of　his　logs　in　

that　jam。　　And　if　he　doesn't　want　to；　I　guess　an　offer　of　a　little　

higher　interest　will　fetch　him。〃



Ordinarily　the　state　of　affairs　would　have　worried　him；　for　it　was　

exactl〃



〃Where　was　she　exposed？〃



〃Down　at　Heinzman's。　　You　knowor　perhaps　you　don'tthat　old　

Heinzman　is　the　worst　sort　of　anti…vaccination　crank。　　Well；　he's　

reaped　the　reward。〃



〃Has　he　smallpox？〃　asked　Ordethat　you　would　take　them　up　

personally。　　Our　resources　are　all　tied　up。〃



〃Can't　we　raise　anything　more　on　the　Northern　Peninsula　timber？〃　

asked　Orde。



〃You　ought　to　know　we　can't；〃　cried　Newmark；　with　an　appearance　of　

growing　excitement。　　〃The　last　seventy…five　thousand　we　borrowed　for　

me　finishes　that。〃



〃Can't　you　take　up　part　of　your　note？〃



〃My　note　comes　due　in　1885；〃　rejoined　Newmark　with　cold　disgust。　　〃I　

expect　to　take　it　up　then。　　But　I　can't　until　then。　　I　hadn't　

expected　anything　like　this。〃



〃Well；　don't　get　hot；〃　said　Orde　vaguely。　　〃I　only　thought　that　

Northern　Peninsuy　the　situation　he　had　fought　against　so　hard。　　But　now　he　was　

too　wearied　in　soul　and　body。　　He　dismissed　the　subject　from　his　

mind。　　The　horses；　left　almost　to　themselves；　lapsed　into　a　sleepy