the riverman-第66章

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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；　until　practically　the　entire　third　section　had　

piled　up　back　of　the　bridge。



The　papers　occupied　themselves　with　the　picturesque　side　of　the　

affair。　　None　expressed　any　anxiety　as　to　the　bridge。　　It　was　a　new　

structure；　each　of　whose　bents　weighed　over　a　hundred　tons。　　A　fall　

of　a　few　inches　only　would　suffice　to　lock　the　jam　solidly；　thus　

relieving　whatever　pressure　the　mass　exerted　against　the　iron　

bridge。　　That　the　water　would　shortly　go　down　was　of　course　

inevitable　at　this　time　of　year。　　It　would　be　a　big　jam　for　the　

rivermen　to　break；　however。



〃Do　you　think　you'll　go　up　there？〃　asked　North。



Orde　shook　his　head。



〃They're　in　a　nice　pickle；〃　he　acknowledged；　〃but　Nolan's　in　charge　

and　will　do　his　best。　　I　think　we　may　have　troubles　of　our　own　right　

here　at　home。〃



He　slept　that　night　at　the　booms。　　The　water；　contrary　to　all　

expectation；　rose　steadily。　　By　morning　it　had　crept　so　far　up　the　

piles　that　there　began　to　be　danger　that　it　would　overflow　their　

tops。　　In　that　case；　of　course；　the　logs　in　the　booms　would　also　run　

out。



〃Guess　it's　time　we　did　a　little　work；〃　remarked　Orde。



He　set　a　crew　of　men　to　raising　the　height　of　the　piling　by　tying　

logs　firmly　to　the　bolted　timbers　atop。　　This　would　take　care　of　an　

extra　two　feet　of　water；　a　two　feet　beyond　all　previous　records。　　

Another　crew　stretched　the　fifteen　inch　manilla　cables　across　the　

field　of　logs　in　order　to　segregate　them　into　several　units　of　mass；　

and　so　prevent　them　from　piling　up　at　the　down…stream　end　of　the　

enclosure。　　The　pile…driver　began　to　drop　its　hammer　at　spots　of　

weakness。　　In　spite　of　the　accelerated　current　and　the　increased　

volume　of　the　river；　everything　was　soon　shipshape　and　safe。



〃We're　all　right　now；〃　said　Orde。　　〃The　only　thing　I'm　a　little　

uneasy　about　is　those　confounded　temporary　booms　upstream。　　Still　

they're　all　right　unless　they　get　to　piling　up。　　Then　we'll　have　to　

see　what　we　can　do　to　hold　them。　　I　think　as　soon　as　the　driver　is　

through　down　at　the　sorting　end；　she'd　better　drive　a　few　clumps　of　

piles　to　strengthen　the　swing　when　it　is　shut。　　Then　if　the　logs　

pile　down　on　us　from　above；　we　can　hold　them　there。〃



About　two　hours　later　the　pile…driver　moved　up。　　The　swing　was　

opened；　and　the　men　began　to　drive　clumps　of　piles　in　such　a　

position　as　to　strengthen　the　swing　when　the　latter　should　be　shut。　　

It　was　a　slow　job。　　Each　pile　had　to　be　taken　from　the　raft　at　the　

stern　of　the　scow；　erected　in　the　〃carrier；〃　and　pounded　into　place　

by　the　heavy　hammer　raised　and　let　drop　in　the　derrick　at　the　bow。



Long　before　the　task　was　finished；　the　logs　in　the　temporary　booms　

had　begun　to　slide　atop　one　another；　to　cross　and　tangle；　until　at　

last　the　river　bed　inside　the　booms　was　filled　with　a　jam　of　

formidable　dimensions。　　From　beneath　it　the　water　boiled　in　eddies。　　

Orde；　looking　at　it；　roused　himself　to　sudden　activity。



〃Get　a　move　on；〃　he　advised　Captain　Aspinwall　of　the　driver。　　〃If　

that　jam　breaks　on　us；　we　want　to　be　ready；　and　if　it　don't　break　

before　you　get　this　swing　strengthened；　maybe　we　can　hold　her　where　

she　is。　　There's　no　earthly　doubt　that　those　boom　piles　will　never　

stand　up　when　they　get　the　full　pressure　of　the　freshet。〃



He　departed　up　river　on　a　tour　of　inspection　from　which　he　returned　

almost　immediately。



〃Hurry　up！　　Hurry　up！〃　he　cried。　　〃She　can't　last　much　longer！〃



Indeed　even　to　the　men　on　the　pile…driver；　evidences　of　the　pressure　

sustained　by　the　slender　boom　piles　were　not　wanting。　　Above　the　

steady　gurgle　of　the　water　and　the　intermittent　puffing　and　other　

noises　of　the　work；　they　could　hear　a　creaking　and　groaning　of　

timbers　full　of　portent　to　those　who　could　read　the　signs。



The　driver's　crew　laboured　desperately；　hoisting　the　piles　into　the　

carriage；　tripping　the　heavy　hammer；　sending　it　aloft　again；　binding　

feverishly　the　clumps　of　piles　together　by　means　of　cables。　　Each　

man　worked　with　an　eye　over　his　shoulder；　fearful　of　the　power　that　

menaced　him。



Two　of　the　clumps　had　been　placed　and　bound；　a　third　was　nearly　

finished；　when　suddenly；　with　a　crack　and　a　roar　the　upper　booms　

gave　way；　projecting　their　logs　upon　the　opening　and　the　driver。



The　half　dozen　members　of　the　crew；　caught　utterly　unaware　in　spite　

of　the　half　warning　they　had　been　receiving　for　an　hour　past；　were　

scattered　by　the　winds　of　a　panic。　　Two　or　three　flung　themselves　on　

their　faces；　several　ran　from　one　end　of　the　scow　to　the　other；　one　

leaped　into　the　river！　　Imminent　destruction　seemed　upon　them。



Tom　North；　at　the　winch　that　operated　the　arm　of　the　swing；　however；　

retained　his　presence　of　mind。　　At　the　first　sag　outward　of　the　boom　

piles　he　set　in　operation　the　machinery　that　closed　the　gate。　　

Clumsy　and　slow　as　was　his　mechanism；　he　nevertheless　succeeded　in　

getting　the　long　arm　started。　　The　logs；　rushing　in　back　of　it；　

hurried　it　shut。　　Immediately　they　jammed　again；　and　heaped　up　in　a　

formidable　tangle　behind　the　barrier。　　Tom　North；　his　little　black　

pipe　between　his　teeth；　stood　calm；　the　lever　of　his　winch　in　his　

hand。　　A　short　three　feet　from　the　spot　on　which　he　stood；　the　first　

saw　log　of　the　many　that　might　have　overwhelmed　him　thrust　forward　

its　ugly　head。　　The　wash　of　the　water　lifted　the　huge　pile…driver　

bodily　and　deposited　it　with　a　crash　half　on　the　bank　and　half　in　

the　water。



Instantly　after　the　first　break　Orde　had　commenced　running　out　over　

the　booms　from　the　shore。



〃Good　boy；　Tom！〃　he　shot　at　North　as　he　passed。



Across　the　breast　of　the　jam　he　hurried；　and　to　the　other　bank　where　

the　pile…driver　lay。　　The　crew　had　recovered　from　their　panic；　and　

were　ashore　gazing　curiously　underneath　the　scow。　　Captain　Aspinwall　

examined　the　supports　of　the　derrick　on　deck。



〃That　was　lucky