the riverman-第9章

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sputtering；　roaring　fires　as　they　could　get。　　Always　the　work　went　

forward。



But　there　were　other　times　when　a　golden　sun　rose　each　morning　a　

little　earlier　on　a　green　and　joyous　world。　　The　river　ran　blue。　　

Migratory　birds　fled　busily　northwardrobins；　flute…voiced　blue…

birds；　warblers　of　many　species；　sparrows　of　different　kinds；　shore　

birds　and　ducks；　the　sweet…songed　thrushes。　　Little　tepid　breezes　

wandered　up　and　down；　warm　in　contrast　to　the　faint　snow…chill　that　

even　yet　lingered　in　the　shadows。　　Sounds　carried　clearly；　so　that　

the　shouts　and　banter　of　the　rivermen　were　plainly　audible　up　the　

reaches　of　the　river。　　Ashore　moist　and　aggressive　green　things　were　

pushing　up　through　the　watery　earth　from　which；　in　shade；　the　last　

frost　had　not　yet　departed。　　At　camp　the　fires　roaed　invitingly。　　

Charlie's　grub　was　hot　and　grateful。　　The　fir　beds　gave　dreamless　

sleep。



Newmark　followed　the　work　of　the　log…drive　with　great　interest。　　All　

day　long　he　tramped　back　and　forthon　jam　one　day；　on　rear　the　

next。　　He　never　said　much；　but　watched　keenly；　and　listened　to　the　

men's　banter　both　on　the　work　and　about　the　evening's　fire　as　though　

he　enjoyed　it。　　Gradually　the　men　got　used　to　him；　and　ceased　to　

treat　him　as　an　outsider。　　His　thin；　eager　face；　his　steel…blue；　

inquiring　eyes　behind　the　glasses；　his　gray　felt　hat；　his　lank；　

tense　figure　in　its　gray；　became　a　familiar　feature。　　They　threw　

remarks　to　him；　to　which　he　replied　briefly　and　drily。　　When　

anything　interesting　was　going　on；　somebody　told　him　about　it。　　Then　

he　hurried　to　the　spot；　no　matter　how　distant　it　might　be。　　He　used　

always　the　river　trail；　he　never　attempted　to　ride　the　logs。



He　seemed　to　depend　most　on　observation；　for　he　rarely　asked　any　

questions。　　What　few　queries　he　had　to　proffer；　he　made　to　Orde　

himself；　waiting　sometimes　until　evening　to　interview　that　busy　and　

good…natured　individual。　　Then　his　questions　were　direct　and　to　the　

point。　　They　related　generally　to　the　advisability　of　something　he　

had　seen　done；　only　rarely　did　they　ask　for　explanation　of　the　work　

itself。　　That　Newmark　seemed　capable　of　puzzling　out　for　himself。



The　drive；　as　has　been　said；　went　down　as　far　as　Redding　in　thirty…

three　days。　　It　had　its　share　of　tribulation。　　The　men　worked　

fourteen　and　sixteen　hours　at　times。　　Several　bad　jams　relieved　the　

monotony。　　Three　dams　had　to　be　sluiced　through。　　Problems　of　

mechanics　arose　to　be　solved　on　the　spot；　problems　that　an　older　

civilisation　would　have　attacked　deliberately　and　with　due　respect　

for　the　seriousness　of　the　situation　and　the　dignity　of　engineering。　　

Orde　solved　them　by　a　rough…and…ready　but　very　effective　rule　of　

thumb。　　He　built　and　abandoned　structures　which　would　have　furnished　

opportunity　for　a　winter's　discussion　to　some　committees；　just　as；　

earlier　in　the　work；　the　loggers　had　built　through　a　rough　country　

some　hundreds　of　miles　of　road　better　than　railroad　grade；　solid　in　

foundation；　and　smooth　as　a　turnpike；　the　quarter　of　which　would　

have　occupied　the　average　county　board　of　supervisors　for　five　

years。　　And　while　he　was　at　it；　Orde　kept　his　men　busy　and　

satisfied。　　Your　white…water　birler　is　not　an　easy　citizen　to　

handle。　　Yet　never　once　did　the　boss　appear　hurried　or　flustered。　　

Always　he　wandered　about；　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　chewing　a　twig；　

his　round；　wind…reddened　face　puckered　humorously；　his　blue　eyes　

twinkling；　his　square；　burly　form　lazily　relaxed。　　He　seemed　to　meet　

his　men　almost　solely　on　the　plane　of　good…natured　chaffing。　　Yet　

the　work　was　done；　and　done　efficiently；　and　Orde　was　the　man　

responsible。



The　drive　of　which　Orde　had　charge　was　to　be　delivered　at　the　booms　

of　Morrison　and　Daly；　a　mile　or　so　above　the　city　of　Redding。　　

Redding　was　a　thriving　place　of　about　thirty　thousand　inhabitants；　

situated　on　a　long　rapids　some　forty　miles　from　Lake　Michigan。　　The　

water…power　developed　from　the　rapids　explained　Redding's　existence。　　

Most　of　the　logs　floated　down　the　river　were　carried　through　to　the　

village　at　the　lake　coast；　where；　strung　up　the　river　for　eight　or　

ten　miles；　stood　a　dozen　or　so　big　saw…mills；　with　concomitant　

booms；　yards；　and　wharves。　　Morrison　and　Daly；　however；　had　built　a　

saw　and　planing　mill　at　Redding；　where　they　supplied　most　of　the　

local　trade　and　that　of　the　surrounding　country…side。



The　drive；　then；　was　due　to　break　up　as　soon　as　the　logs　should　be　

safely　impounded。



The　last　camp　was　made　some　six　or　eight　miles　above　the　mill。　　From　

that　point　a　good　proportion　of　the　rivermen；　eager　for　a　taste　of　

the　town；　tramped　away　down　the　road；　to　return　early　in　the　

morning；　more　or　less　drunk；　but　faithful　to　their　job。　　One　or　two　

did　not　return。



Among　the　revellers　was　the　cook；　Charlie；　commonly　called　The　

Doctor。　　The　rivermen　early　worked　off　the　effects　of　their　rather　

wild　spree；　and　turned　up　at　noon　chipper　as　larks。　　Not　so　the　

cook。　　He　moped　about　disconsolately　all　day；　and　in　the　evening；　

after　his　work　had　been　finished；　he　looked　so　much　like　a　chicken　

with　the　pip　that　Orde's　attention　was　attracted。



〃Got　that　dark…brown　taste；　Charlie？〃　he　inquired　with　mock　

solicitude。



The　cook　mournfully　shook　his　head。



〃Large　head？　　Let's　feel　your　pulse。　　Stick　out　your　tongue；　sonny。〃



〃I　ain't　been　drinking；　I　tell　you！〃　growled　Charlie。



〃Drinking！〃　expostulated　Orde；　horrified。　　〃Of　course　not！　　I　hope　

none　of　MY　boys　ever　take　a　drink！　　But　that　lemon…pop　didn't　agree　

with　your　stomachnow　did　it；　Charlie？〃



〃I　tell　you　I　only　had　two　glasses　of　beer！〃　cried　Charlie；　goaded；　

〃and　I　can　prove　it　by　Johnny　Challan。〃



Orde　turned　to　survey　the　pink…cheeked；　embarrassed　young　boy　thus　

designated。



〃How　many　glasses　did　Johnny　Challan　have？〃　he　inquired。



〃He　didn't　drink　none　to　speak　of；〃　spoke　up　the　boy。



〃Then　why　this　joyless　demeanour？〃　begged　Orde。



Charlie　grumbled；　fiercely　inarticulate；　but　Johnny　Challan　

interposed　with　a　chuckle　of　enjoyment。



〃He　got　'bunked。'〃



〃Tell　us！〃　cried　Orde　delightedly。



〃It　was　down　at　McNeill's　place；〃　explained　Johnny　Challan；　

encouraged　by　the　interest　of　his　audience。　　〃They　was　a　couple　of　

sports　there　who　throwed　out　three　cards　on　the　table　and　bet　you　

couldn't　pick　the　jack。　　They　showed　you　where　the　jack　was　before　

they　throwed；　and　it　surely　looked　like　a　picnic；　but　it　wasn't。〃



〃Three…card　monte；〃　said　Newmark。



〃How　much？〃　asked　Simms。



〃About　fifty　dollars；〃　replied　the　boy。




Orde　turned　on　the　disgruntlenly　want　three；〃　assured　Newmark；　reaching　his　hand

for　the　

pack。



The　men　crowded　around　close；　those　in　front　squatting；　those　behind　

looking　over　their　shoulders。



Newmark　cleared　a　cracker…box　of　drying　socks　and　drew　it　to　him。



〃These　three　are　the　cards；〃　he　said；　speaking　rapidly。　　〃There　is　

the　jack　of　hearts。　　I　pass　my　handsso。　　Pick　the　jack；　one　of　

you；〃　he　challenged；　leaning　back　from　the　cracker…box　on　which　lay　

the　three　cards；　back　up。　　〃Any　of　you；〃　he　urged。　　〃You；　North。〃



Thus　directly　singled　out；　the　foreman　leaned　forward　and　rather　

hesitatingly　laid　a　blunt　forefinger　on　one　of　the　bits　of　

pasteboard。



Without　a　word；　Newmark　turned　it　over。　　It　was　the　ten　of　spades。



〃Let　me　try；〃　interposed　Tim　Nolan；　pressing　his　big　shoulders　

forward。　　〃I　bet　I　know　which　it　was　that　time；　and　I　bet　I　can　pick　

her　next　time。〃



〃Oh；　yes；　you　BET！〃　shrugged　Newmark。　　〃And　that's　where　the　card…

sharps　get　you　fellows　every　time。　　Well；　pick　it；〃　said　he；　again　

deftly　flipping　the　cards。



Nolan；　who　had　watched　keenly；　indicated　one　without　hesitation。　　

Again　it　proved　to　be　the　ten　of　spades。



〃Anybody　else　ambitious？〃　inquired　Newmark。　　Everybody　was　

ambitious；　and　the　young　man；　with　inexhaustible　patience；　threw　out　

the　cards；　the　corners　of　his　mouth　twitching　sardonically　at　each　

wrong　guess。



At　length　he　called　a　halt。



〃By　this　time　I'd　have　had　all　your　money；〃　he　pointed　out。　　〃Now；　

I'll　pick　the　jack。〃



For　the　last　time　he　made　his　swift　passes　and　distributed　the　

cards。　　Then　quite　calmly；　without　disturbing　the　three　on　the　

cracker…box；　he　held　before　their　eyes　the　jack　of　hearts。



An　exclamation　broke　from　the　interested　group。　　Tim　Nolan；　who　was　

the　nearest；　leaned　forward　and　turned　over　the　three　on　the　board。　　

They　were　the　eight　of　diamonds　and　two　tens　of　spades。



〃That's　how　the　thing　is　worked　nine　times　out　of　ten；〃　announced　

Newmark。　　〃Once　in　a　while　you'll　run　against　a　straight　game；　but　

not　often。〃



〃But　you　showed　us　the　jack　every　time　before　you　throwed　them！〃　

puzzled　Johnny　Simms。



〃Sleight　of　hand；〃　explained　Newmark。　　〃The　simplest　kind　of　

palming。〃



〃Well；　Charlie；〃　said　big　Tim；　〃looks　to　me　as　if　you　had　just　about　

as　much　chance　as　a　snowball　in　hell。〃



〃Where'd　you　get　onto　doing　all　that；　Newmark？〃　inquired　North。　　

〃You　ain't　a　tin　horn　yourself？〃



Newmark　laughed　briefly。　　〃Not　I；〃　said　he。　　〃I　learned　a　lot　of　

those　tricks　from　a　travelling　magician　in　college。〃



During　this　demonstration　Orde　had　sat　well　in　the　background；　his　

chin　propped　on　his　hand；　watching　intently　all　that　was　going　on。　　

After　the　comment　and　exclamations　following　the　exposure　of　the　

method　had　subsided；　he　spoke。



〃Boys；〃　said　he；　〃how　game　are　you　to　get　Charlie's　money　backand　

then　some？〃



〃Try　us；〃　returned　big　Tim。



〃This　game's　at　McNeill's；　and　McNeill's　is　a　tough　hole；〃　warned　

Orde。　　〃Maybe　everything　will　go　peaceful；　and　maybe　not。　　And　you　

boys　that　go　with　me　have　got　to　keep　sober。　　There　isn't　going　to　

be　any　row　unless　I　say　so；　and　I'm　not　taking　any　contract　to　

handle　a　lot　of　drunken　river…hogs　as　well　as　go　against　a　game。〃



〃All　right；〃　agreed　Nolan；　〃I'm　with　you。〃



The　thirty　or　so　men　of　the　rear　crew　then　in　camp　signified　their　

intention　to　stay　by　the　procession。



〃You　can't　make　those　sharps　disgorge；〃　counselled　Newmark。　　〃At　the　

first　look　of　trouble　they　will　light　out。　　They　have　it　all　fixed。　　

Force　won't　do　you　much　goodand　may　get　some　of　you　shot。〃



〃I'm　not　going　to　use　force；〃　denied　Orde。　　〃I'm　just　going　to　play　

their　game。　　But　I　bet　I　can　make　it　go。　　Only　I　sort　of　want　the　

moral　support　of　the　boys。〃



〃I　tell　you；　you　CAN'T　win！〃　cried　Newmark　disgustedly。　　〃It's　a　

brace　game　pure　and　simple。〃



〃I　don't　know　about　it's　being　pure；〃　replied　Orde　drolly；　〃but　it's　

simple　enough；　if　you　know　how　to　make　the　wheels　go　'round。　　How　is　

it；　boyswill　you　back　my　play？〃



And　such　was　their　confidence　that；　in　face　of　Newmark's　

demonstration；　they　said　they　would。







VII





After　the　men　had　been　paid　off；　perhaps　a　dozen