the riverman-第23部分

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cut　and　hauled；　the　stone　carted；　and　the　earth　shovelledthe　crew　

next　moved　down　a　good　ten　miles　to　where　the　river　dropped　over　a　

rapids　rough　and　full　of　boulders。　　Here　were　built　and　placed　a　row　

of　stone…filled　log　cribs　in　a　double　row　down　stream　to　define　the　

channel　and　to　hold　the　drive　in　it　and　away　from　the　shallows　near　

either　bank。　　The　profile　of　these　cribs　was　that　of　a　right…angled　

triangle；　the　slanting　side　up　stream。　　Booms　chained　between　them　

helped　deflect　the　drive　from　the　shoals。　　Their　more　important　

office；　however；　was　to　give　footing　to　the　drivers。



For　twenty…five　miles　then　nothing　of　importance　was　undertaken。　　

Two　or　three　particularly　bad　boulders　were　split　out　by　the　

explosion　of　powder　charges；　a　number　of　snags　and　old　trees　were　

cut　away　and　disposed　of；　the　channel　was　carefully　examined　for　

obstructions　of　any　kind　whatever。　　Then　the　party　came　to　the　

falls。



Here　Orde　purposed　his　most　elaborate　bit　of　rough　engineering。　　The　

falls　were　only　about　fifteen　feet　high；　but　they　fell　straight　down　

to　a　bed　of　sheer　rock。　　This　had　been　eaten　by　the　eddies　into　pot…

holes　and　crannies　until　a　jagged　irregular　scoop…hollow　had　formed　

immediately　underneath　the　fall。　　Naturally　this　implied　a　ledge　

below。



In　flood　time　the　water　boiled　and　roared　through　this　obstruction　

in　a　torrent。　　The　saw　logs；　caught　in　the　rush；　plunged　end　on　into　

the　scoop…hollow；　hit　with　a　crash；　and　were　spewed　out　below　more　

or　less　battered；　barked；　and　stripped。　　Sometimes；　however；　when　

the　chance　of　the　drive　brought　down　a　hundred　logs　together；　they　

failed　to　shoot　over　the　barrier　of　the　ledge。　　Then　followed　a　jam；　

a　bad　jam；　difficult　and　dangerous　to　break。　　The　falls　had　taken　

her　usurious　share　of　the　lives　the　river　annually　demands　as　her　

toll。



This　condition　of　affairs　Orde　had　determined；　if　possible；　to　

obviate。　　From　the　thirty…five　or　forty　miles　of　river　that　lay　

above；　and　from　its　tributaries　would　come　the　bulk　of　the　white　and　

Norway　pine　for　years　to　follow。　　At　least　two　thirds　of　each　drive　

Orde　figured　would　come　from　above　the　fall。



〃If；〃　said　he　to　North；　〃we　could　carry　an　apron　on　a　slant　from　

just　under　the　crest　and　over　the　pot…holes；　it　would　shoot　both　the　

water　and　the　logs　off　a　better　angle。〃



〃Sure；〃　agreed　North；　〃but　you'll　have　fun　placing　your　apron　with　

all　that　water　running　through。　　Why；　it　would　drown　us！〃



〃I've　got　a　notion　on　that；〃　said　Orde。　　〃First　thing　is　to　get　the　

material　together。〃



A　hardwood　forest　topped　the　slope。　　Into　this　went　the　axe…men。　　

The　straightest　trees　they　felled；　trimmed；　and　dragged；　down　travoy　

trails　they　constructed；　on　sleds　they　built　for　the　purpose；　to　the　

banks　of　the　river。　　Here　they　bored　the　two　holes　through　either　

end　to　receive　the　bolts　when　later　they　should　be　locked　together　

side　by　side　in　their　pawhorses　and　piled　them　also　for　a　

possible　future　use；　blocked　the　temporary　channel　with　a　tree　or　

soand　earth。　　The　river；　restored　to　its　immemorial　channel　by　

these　men　who　had　so　nonchalantly　turned　it　aside；　roared　on；　

singing　again　the　song　it　had　until　now　sung　uninterruptedly　for　

centuries。　　Orde　and　his　crew　tramped　back　to　the　falls；　and　gazed　

on　their　handiwork　with　satisfaction。　　Instead　of　plunging　over　an　

edge　into　a　turmoil　of　foam　and　eddies；　now　the　water　flowed　

smoothly；　almost　without　a　break；　over　an　incline　of　thirty　degrees。



〃Logs'll　slip　over　that　slick　as　a　gun　barrel；〃　said　Tom　North。　　

〃How　long　do　you　think　she'll　last？〃



〃Haven't　an　idea；〃　replied　Orde。　　〃We　may　have　to　do　it　again　next　

summer；　but　I　don't　think　it。　　There's　nothing　but　the　smooth　of　the　

water　to　wear　those　logs　until　they　begin　to　rot。〃



Quite　cheerfulllaces。　　As　fast　as　they　were　prepared；　men　

with　cant…hooks　rolled　them　down　the　slope　to　a　flat　below　the　

falls。　　They　did　these　things　swiftly　and　well；　because　they　were　

part　of　the　practised　day's　work；　but　they　shook　their　heads　at　the　

falls。



After　the　trees　had　been　cut　in　sufficient　numberthere　were　

seventy…five　of　them；　each　twenty…six　feet　longOrde　led　the　way　

back　up　stream　a　half　mile　to　a　shallows；　where　he　commanded　the　

construction　of　a　number　of　exaggerated　sawhorses　with　very　

widespread　slanting　legs。　　In　the　meantime　the　cook…wagon　and　the　

bed…wagon　had　evidently　been　making　many　trips　to　Sand　Creek；　

fifteen　miles　away；　as　was　attested　by　a　large　pile　of　heavy　planks。　　

When　the　sawhorses　were　completed；　Orde　directed　the　picks　and　

shovels　to　be　brought　up。



At　this　point　the　river；　as　has　been　hinted；　widened　over　shoals。　　

The　banks　at　either　hand；　too；　were　flat　and　comparatively　low。　　As　

is　often　the　case　in　bends　of　rivers　subject　to　annual　floods；　the　

banks　sloped　back　for　some　distance　into　a　lower　black…ash　swamp　

territory。



Orde　set　his　men　to　digging　a　channel　through　this　bank。　　It　was　no　

slight　job；　from　one　point　of　view；　as　the　slope　down　into　the　swamp　

began　only　at　a　point　forty　or　fifty　feet　inland；　but　on　the　other　

hand　the　earth　was　soft　and　free　from　rocks。　　When　completed　the　

channel　gave　passage　to　a　rather　feeble　streamlet　from　the　outer　

fringe　of　the　river。　　The　men　were　puzzled；　but　Orde；　by　the　strange　

freak　of　his　otherwise　frank　and　open　nature；　as　usual　told　nothing　

of　his　plans；　even　to　Tom　North。



〃He　can't　expect　to　turn　that　river；〃　said　Tim　Nolan；　who　was　once　

more　with　the　crew。　　〃He'd　have　to　dig　a　long　ways　below　that　level　

to　catch　the　main　currentand　then　some。〃



〃Let　him　alone；〃　advised　North；　puffing　at　his　short　pipe。　　〃He's　

wiser　than　a　tree　full　of　owls。〃



Next　Orde　assigned　two　men　to　each　of　the　queer…shaped　sawhorses；　

and　instructed　them　to　place　the　horses　in　a　row　across　the　

shallowest　part　of　the　river；　and　broadside　to　the　stream。　　This　was　

done。　　The　men；　half…way　to　their　knees　in　the　swift　water；　bore　

down　heavily　to　keep　their　charges　in　place。　　Other　men　immediately　

began　to　lay　the　heavy　planks　side　by　side；　perpendicular　to　and　on　

the　up…stream　side　of　the　horses。　　The　weight　of　the　water　clamped　

them　in　place；　big　rocks　and　gravel　shovelled　on　in　quantity　

prevented　the　lower　ends　from　rising；　the　wide　slant　of　the　legs　

directed　the　pressure　so　far　downward　that　the　horses　were　prevented　

from　floating　away。　　And　slowly　the　bulk　of　the　water；　thus　raised　a　

good　three　feet　above　its　former　level；　turned　aside　into　the　new　

channel　and　poured　out　to　inundate　the　black…ash　swamp　beyond。



A　good　volume　still　poured　over　the　top　of　the　temporary　dam　and　

down　to　the　fall；　but　it　was　by　this　expedient　so　far　reduced　that　

work　became　possible。



〃Now；　boys！〃　cried　Orde。　　〃Lively；　while　we've　got　the　chance！〃



By　means　of　blocks　and　tackles　and　the　team　horses　the　twenty…six…

foot　logs　were　placed　side　by　side；　slanting　from　a　point　two　feet　

below　the　rim　of　the　fall　to　the　ledge　below。　　They　were　bolted　

together　top　and　bottom　through　the　four　holes　bored　for　that　

purpose。　　This　was　a　confusing　and　wet　business。　　Sufficient　water　

still　flowed　in　the　natural　channel　of　the　river　to　dash　in　spray　

over　the　entire　work。　　Men　toiled；　wet　to　the　skin；　their　garments　

clinging　to　them；　their　eyes　full　of　water；　barely　able　to　breathe；　

yet　groping　doggedly　at　it；　and　arriving　at　last。　　The　weather　was　

warm　with　the　midsummer。　　They　made　a　joke　of　the　difficulty；　and　

found　inexhaustible　humour　in　the　fact　that　one　of　their　number　was　

an　Immersion　Baptist。　　When　the　task　was　finished；　they　pried　the　

flash…boards　from　the　improvised　dam；　piled　them　neatly　beyond　reach　

of　high　water；　rescued　the　sy　they　took　up　their　long；　painstaking　journey　back　

down　the　river。



Travel　down　the　river　was　at　times　very　pleasant；　and　at　times　very　

disagreeable。　　The　ground　had　now　hardened　so　that　a　wanigan　boat　

was　unnecessary。　　Instead；　the　camp　outfit　was　transported　in　

waggons；　which　often　had　to　journey　far　inland；　to　make　

extraordinary　detours；　but　which　always　arrived　somehow　at　the　

various　camping　places。　　Orde　and　his　men；　of　course；　took　the　river　

trail。



The　river　trail　ran　almost　unbroken　for　over　a　hundred　miles　of　

meandering　way。　　It　climbed　up　the　high　banks　at　the　points；　it　

crossed　the　bluffs　along　their　sheer　edges；　it　descended　to　the　

thickets　in　the　flats；　it　crossed　the　swamps　on　pole…trails；　it　

skirted　the　great；　solemn　woods。　　Sometimes；　in　the　lower　reaches；　

its　continuity　was　broken　by　a　town；　but　always　after　it　recovered　

from　its　confusion　it　led　on　with　purpose　unvarying。　　Never　did　it　

desert　for　long　the　river。　　The　cool；　green　still　reaches；　or　the　

tumbling　of　the　white…water；　were　always　within　its　sight；　sometimes　

beneath　its　very　tread。　　When　occasionally　it　cut　in　across　a　very　

long　bend；　it　always　sent　from　itself　a　little　tributary　trail　which　

traced　all　the　curves；　and　returned　at　last　to　its　parent；　

undoubtedly　with　a　full　report　of　its　task。　　And　the　trail　was　

beaten　hard　by　the　feet　of　countless　men；　who；　like　Orde　and　his　

crew；　had　taken　grave；　interested　charge　of　the　river　from　her　birth　

to　her　final　rest　in　the　great　expanses　of　the　Lake。　　It　is　there　

to…day；　although　the　life　that　brought　it　into　being　has　been　gone　

from　it　these　many　years。



In　midsummer　Orde　found　the　river　trail　most　unfamiliar　in　

appearance。　　Hardly　did　he　recognise　it　in　some　places。　　It　

possessed　a　wide；　leisurely　expansiveness；　an　indolent　luxury；　a　

lazy　invitation　born　of　broad　green　leaves；　deep　and　mysterious　

shadows；　the　growth　of　ferns；　docks；　and　the　like　cool　in　the　shade　

of　the　forest；　the　shimmer　of　aspens　and　poplars　through　the　heat；　

the　green　of　tangling　vines；　the　drone　of　insects；　the　low…voiced　

call　of　birds；　the　opulent　splashing　of　sun…gold　through　the　wo