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第64节

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 

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