the riverman-第34章

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the　haste　of　a　pressing　labour；　to　distinguish　or　discriminate　

against　any　single　brand；　Heinzman　was　in　a　fair　way　to　get　his　logs　

sent　down　stream　with　practically　no　expense。



〃Vell；　my　boy；〃　remarked　the　German　quite　frankly　to　Orde　as　they　

met　on　the　road　one　day；　〃looks　like　I　got　you　dis　time；　eh？〃



Orde　laughed；　also　with　entire　good…humour。



〃If　you　mean　your　logs　are　going　down　with　ours；　why　I　guess　you　

have。　　But　you　paste　this　in　your　hat：　you're　going　to　keep　awful　

busy；　and　it's　going　to　cost　you　something　yet　to　get　'em　down。〃



To　Newmark；　on　one　of　his　occasional　visits　to　the　camps；　Orde　

detailed　the　situation。



〃It　doesn't　amount　to　much；〃　said　he；　〃except　that　it　complicates　

matters。　　We'll　make　him　scratch　gravel；　if　we　have　to　sit　up　nights　

and　work　overtime　to　do　it。　　We　can't　injure　him　or　leave　his　logs；　

but　we　can　annoy　him　a　lot。〃



The　state　of　affairs　was　perfectly　well　known　to　the　men；　and　the　

entire　river　entered　into　the　spirit　of　the　contest。　　The　drivers　

kept　a　sharp　lookout　for　〃H〃　logs；　and　whenever　possible　thrust　them　

aside　into　eddies　and　backwaters。　　This；　of　course；　merely　made　work　

for　the　sackers　Heinzman　had　left　above　the　rear。　　Soon　they　were　in　

charge　of　a　very　fair　little　drive　of　their　own。　　Their　lot　was　not　

enviable。　　Indeed；　only　the　pressure　of　work　prevented　some　of　the　

more　aggressive　of　Orde's　rearamong　whom　could　be　numbered　the　

Rough　Redfrom　going　back　and　〃cleaning　out〃　this　impertinent　band　

of　hangers…on。　　One　day　two　of　the　latter；　conducting　the　jam　of　the　

miniature　drive　astern；　came　within　reach　of　the　Rough　Red。　　The　

latter　had　lingered　in　hopes　of　rescuing　his　peavy；　which　had　gone　

overboard。　　To　lose　one's　peavy　is；　among　rivermen；　the　most　

mortifying　disgrace。　　Consequently；　the　Rough　Red　was　in　a　fit　mood　

for　trouble。　　He　attacked　the　two　single…handed。　　A　desperate　battle　

ensued；　which　lasted　upward　of　an　hour。　　The　two　rivermen　punched；　

kicked；　and　battered　the　Rough　Red　in　a　manner　to　tear　his　clothes；　

deprive　him　to　some　extent　of　red　whiskers；　bloody　his　face；　cut　his　

shoulder；　and　knock　loose　two　teeth。　　The　Rough　Red；　more　than　the　

equal　of　either　man　singly；　had　reciprocated　in　kind。　　Orde；　driving　

in　toward　the　rear　from　a　detour　to　avoid　a　swamp；　heard；　and　

descended　from　his　buckboard。　　Tying　his　horses　to　trees；　he　made　

his　way　through　the　brush　to　the　scene　of　conflict。　　So　winded　and　

wearied　were　the　belligerents　by　now　that　he　had　no　difficulty　in　

separating　them。　　He　surveyed　their　wrecks　with　a　sardonic　half　

smile。



〃I　call　this　a　draw；〃　said　he　finally。　　His　attitude　became　

threatening　as　the　two　up…river　men；　recovering　somewhat；　showed　

ugly　symptoms。　　〃Git！〃　he　commanded。　　〃Scat！　　I　guess　you　don't　know　

me。　　I'm　Jack　Orde。　　Jimmy　and　I　together　could　do　a　dozen　of　you。〃　　

He　menaced　them　until；　muttering；　they　had　turned　away。



〃Well；　Jimmy；〃　said　he　humorously；　〃you　look　as　if　you'd　been　run　

through　a　thrashing　machine。〃



〃Those　fellers　make　me　sick！〃　growled　the　Rough　Red。



Orde　looked　him　over　again。



〃You　look　sick；〃　said　he。



When　the　buckboard　drew　into　camp；　Orde　sent　Bourke　away　to　repair　

damages　while　he　called　the　cookee　to　help　unpack　several　heavy　

boxes　of　hardware。　　They　proved　to　contain　about　thirty　small　

hatchets；　well　sharpened；　and　each　with　a　leather　guard。　　When　the　

rear　crew　had　come　in　that　night；　Orde　distributed　the　hatchets。



〃Boys；〃　said　he；　〃while　you're　on　the　work；　I　want　you　all　to　keep　a　

watch…out　for　these　〃H〃　logs；　and　whenever　you　strike　one　I　want　you　

to　blaze　it　plainly；　so　there　won't　be　any　mistake　about　it。〃



〃What　for？〃　asked　one　of　the　Saginaw　men　as　he　received　his　hatchet。



But　the　riverman　who　squatted　next　nudged　him　with　his　elbow。



〃The　less　questions　you　ask　Jack；　the　more　answers　you'll　get。　　Just　

do　what　you're　told　to　on　this　river　and　you'll　see　fun　sure。〃



Three　days　later　the　rear　crew　ran　into　the　head　of　the　pond　above　

Reed's　dam。　　To　every　one's　surprise；　Orde　called　a　halt　on　the　work　

and　announced　a　holiday。



Now；　holidays　are　unknown　on　drive。　　Barely　is　time　allowed　for　

eating　and　sleeping。　　Nevertheless；　all　that　day　the　men　lay　about　

in　complete　idleness；　smoking；　talking；　sleeping　in　the　warm　sun。　　

The　river；　silenced　by　the　closed　sluice…gates；　slept　also。　　The　

pond　filled　with　logs。　　From　above；　the　current；　aided　by　a　fair　

wind；　was　driving　down　still　other　logsthe　forerunners　of　the　

little　drive　astern。　　At　sight　of　these；　some　of　the　men　grumbled。　　

〃We're　losin'　what　we　made；〃　said　they。　　〃We　left　them　logs；　and　

sorted　'em　out　once　already。〃



Orde　sent　a　couple　of　axe…men　to　blaze　the　newcomers。　　A　little　

before　sundown　he　ordered　the　sluice…gates　of　the　dam　opened。



〃Night　work；〃　said　the　men　to　one　another。　　They　knew；　of　course；　

that　in　sluicing　logs；　the　gate　must　be　open　a　couple　of　hours　

before　the　sluicing　begins　in　order　to　fill　the　river…bed　below。　　

Logs　run　ahead　faster　than　the　water　spreads。



Sure　enough；　after　supper　Orde　suddenly　appeared　among　them；　the　

well…known　devil　of　mischief　dancing　in　his　eyes　and　broadening　his　

good…natured　face。



〃Get　organised；　boys；〃　said　he　briskly。　　〃We've　got　to　get　this　pond　

all　sluiced　before　morning；　and　there's　enough　of　us　here　to　hustle　

it　right　along。〃



The　men　took　their　places。　　Orde　moved　here　and　there；　giving　his　

directions。



〃Sluice　through　everything　but　the　〃H〃　logs；〃　he　commanded。　　〃Work　

them　off　to　the　left　and　leave　them。〃



Twilight；　then　dark；　fell。　　After　a　few　moments　the　moon；　then　just　

past　its　full；　rose　behind　the　new…budding　trees。　　The　sluicing；　

under　the　impetus　of　a　big　crew；　went　rapidly。



〃I　bet　there's　mighty　near　a　million　an　hour　going　through　there；〃　

speculated　Orde；　watching　the　smooth；　swift；　but　burdened　waters　of　

the　chute。



And　in　this　work　the　men　distinguished　easily　the　new　white　blaze…

marks　on　Heinzman's　logs；　so　they　were　able　without　hesitation　to　

shunt　them　one　side　into　the　smoother　water；　as　Orde　had　commanded。



About　two　o'clock　the　last　log　shot　through。



〃Now；　boys；〃　said　Orde；　〃tear　out　the　booms。〃



The　chute　to　the　dam　was　approached；　as　has　been　earlier　explained；　

by　two　rows　of　booms　arranged　in　a　V；　or　funnel；　the　apex　of　which　

emptied　into　the　sluice…way；　and　the　wide；　projecting　arms　of　which　

embraced　the　width　of　the　stream。　　The　logs；　floating　down　the　pond；　

were　thus　concentrated　toward　the　sluice。　　Also；　the　rivermen；　

walking　back　and　forth　the　length　of　the　booms；　were　able　easily　to　

keep　the　drive　moving。



Now；　however；　Orde　unchained　these　boom　logs。　　The　men　pushed　them　

ashore。　　There　as　many　as　could　find　room　on　either　side　the　boom…

poles　clamped　in　their　peavies；　and；　using　these　implements　as　

handles；　carried　the　booms　some　distance　back　into　the　woods。　　Then　

everybody　tramped　back　and　forth；　round　and　about；　to　confuse　the　

trail。　　Orde　was　like　a　mischievous　boy　at　a　school　prank。　　When　the　

last　timber　had　been　concealed；　he　lifted　up　his　deep　voice　in　a　

roar　of　joy；　in　which　the　crew　joined。



Now　let's　turn　in　for　a　little　sleep；〃　said　be。



This　situation；　perhaps　a　little　cloudy　in　the　reader's　mind；　would　

have　cleared　could　he　have　looked　out　over　the　dam　pond　the　

following　morning。　　The　blazed　logs　belonging　to　Heinzman；　drifting　

slowly；　had　sucked　down　into　the　corner　toward　the　power　canal　

where；　caught　against　the　grating；　they　had　jammed。　　These　logs　

would　have　to　be　floated　singly；　and　pushed　one　by　one　against　the　

current　across　the　pond　and　into　the　influence　of　the　sluice…gate。　　

Some　of　them　would　be　hard　to　come　at。



〃I　guess　that　will　keep　them　busy　for　a　day　or　two；〃　commented　Orde；　

as　he　followed　the　rear　down　to　where　it　was　sacking　below　the　dam。



This；　as　Orde　had　said；　would　be　sufficiently　annoying　to　Heinzman；　

but　would　have　little　real　effect　on　the　main　issue；　which　was　that　

the　German　was　getting　down　his　logs　with　a　crew　of　less　than　a　

dozen　men。　　Nevertheless；　Orde；　in　a　vast　spirit　of　fun；　took　

delight　in　inventing　and　executing　practical　jokes　of　the　general　

sort　just　described。　　For　instance；　at　one　spot　where　he　had　boomed　

the　deeper　channel　from　the　rocks　on　either　side；　he　shunted　as　many　

of　Heinzman's　logs　as　came　by　handily　through　an　opening　he　had　made　

in　the　booms。　　There　they　grounded　on　the　shallowsmore　work　for　

the　men　following。　　Many　of　the　logs　in　charge　of　the　latter；　

however；　catching　the　free　current；　overtook　the　rear；　so　that　the　

number　of　the　〃H〃　logs　in　the　drive　was　not　materially　diminished。



At　first；　as　has　been　hinted；　these　various　tactics　had　little　

effect。　　One　day；　however；　the　chore　boy；　who　had　been　over　to　

Spruce　Rapids　after　mail；　reported　that　an　additional　crew　of　twenty　

had　been　sent　in　to　Heinzman's　drive。　　This　was　gratifying。



〃We're　making　him　scratch　gravel；　boys；　anyway；〃　said　Orde。



The　men　entered　into　the　spirit　of　the　thing。　　In　fact；　their　

enthusiasm　was　almost　too　exuberant。　　Orde　had　constantly　to　

negative　new　and　ingenious　schemes。



〃No；　boys；〃　said　he；　〃I　want　to　keep　on　the　right　side　of　the　law。　　

We　may　need　it　later。〃



Meanwhile　the　entire　length　of　the　river　was　busy　and　excited。　　

Heinzman's　logs　were　all　blazed　inside　a　week。　　The　men　passed　the　

hatchets　along　the　line；　and　slim　chance　did　a　marked　log　have　of　

rescue　once　the　poor　thing　fell　into　difficulties。　　With　the　strange　

and　interesting　tendency　rivermen　and　woodsmen　have　of　personifying　

the　elements　of　their　daily　work；　the　men　addressed　the　helpless　

timbers　in　tones　of　contempt。



〃Thought　you'd　ride　that　rock；　you　　　；〃　said　they；　〃and　

got　left；　did　you？　　Well；　lie　there　and　be　　to　you！〃



And　if　chance　offered；　and　time　was　not　pressing；　the　riverman　would　

give　his　helpless　victim　a　jerk　or　so　into　a　more　difficult　

position。　　Times　of　rising　waterwhen　the　sluice…gates　above　had　

been　openedwere　the　most　prolific　of　opportunities。　　Logs　rarely　

jam　on　rising　water；　for　the　simple　reason　that　constantly　the　

surface　area　of　the　river　is　increasing；　thus　tending　to　separate　

the　logs。　　On　the　other　hand；　falling　water；　tending　to　crowd　the　

drive　closer　together；　is　especially　prolific　of　trouble。　　

Therefore；　on　flood　water　the　watchers　scattered　along　the　stretches　

of　the　river　had　little　to　dosave　strand　Heinzman's　logs　for　him。　　

And　when　flood　water　had　passed；　some　of　those　logs　were　certainly　

high　and　dry。



Up　to　a　certain　point　this　was　all　very　well。　　Orde　took　pains　not　

to　countenance　it　officially；　and　caused　word　to　be　passed　about；　

that　while　he　did　not　expect　his　men　to　help　drive　Heinzman's　logs；　

they　must　not　go　out　of　their　way　to　strand　them。



〃If　th