the riverman-第42部分

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seemed　to　understand　them；　to　play　with　them；　to　manipulate　them　as　

elements　of　the　game。　　Above　them　was　the　hollow　shock　of　the　

ostensible　battlethe　speeches；　the　loud　talk　in　lobbies；　the　

newspaper　virtue；　indignation；　accusations；　but　the　real　struggle　

was　here　in　the　furtive　ways；　in　whispered　words　delivered　hastily　

aside；　in　hotel　halls　on　the　way　to　and　from　the　stairs；　behind　

closed　doors　of　rooms　without　open　transoms。



Orde　in　comic　despair　acknowledged　that　it　was　all　〃too　deep　for　

him。〃　　Nevertheless；　it　was　soon　borne　in　on　him　that　the　new　

company　was　struggling　for　its　very　right　to　existence。　　It　had　been　

doing　that　from　the　first；　but　now；　to　Orde　the　fight；　the　

existence；　had　a　new　importance。　　The　company　up　to　this　point　had　

been　a　scheme　merely；　an　experiment　that　might　win　or　lose。　　Now；　

with　the　history　of　a　drive　behind　it；　it　had　become　a　living　

entity。　　Orde　would　have　fought　against　its　dissolution　as　he　would　

have　fought　against　a　murder。　　Yet　he　had　practically　to　stand　one　

side；　watching　Newmark's　slender；　gray…clad；　tense　figure　gliding　

here　and　there；　more　silent；　more　reserved；　more　watchful　every　day。



The　fight　endured　through　most　of　the　first　half　of　the　session。　　

When　finally　it　became　evident　to　Heinzman　that　Newmark　would　win；　

he　made　the　issue　of　toll　rates　the　ditch　of　his　last　resistance；　

trying　to　force　legal　charges　so　low　as　to　eat　up　the　profits。　　At　

the　last；　however；　the　bill　passed　the　board。　　The　company　had　its　

charter。



At　what　price　only　Newmark　could　have　told。　　He　had　fought　with　the　

tense　earnestness　of　the　nervous　temperament　that　fights　to　win　

without　count　of　the　cost。　　The　firm　was　established；　but　it　was　as　

heavily　in　debt　as　its　credit　would　stand。　　Newmark　himself；　though　

as　calm　and　reserved　and　precise　as　ever；　seemed　to　have　turned　

gray；　and　one　of　his　eyelids　had　acquired　a　slight　nervous　twitch　

which　persisted　for　some　months。　　He　took　his　seat　at　the　desk；　

however；　as　calmly　as　ever。　　In　three　days　the　scandalised　howls　of　

bribery　and　corruption　had　given　place　in　the　newspapers　to　some　

other　sensation。



〃Joe；〃　said　Orde　to　his　partner；　〃how　about　all　this　talk？　　Is　there　

really　anything　in　it？　　You　haven't　gone　in　for　that　business；　have　

you？〃



Newmark　stretched　his　arms　wearily。



〃Press　bought　up；〃　he　replied。　　〃I　know　for　a　fact　that　old　Stanford　

got　five　hundred　dollars　from　some　of　the　Heinzman　interests。　　I　

could　have　swung　him　back　for　an　extra　hundred；　but　it　wasn't　worth　

while。　　They　howl　bribery　at　us　to　distract　attention　from　their　own　

performances。〃



With　this　evasive　reply　Orde　contented　himself。　　Whether　it　

satisfied　him　or　whether　he　was　loath　to　pursue　the　subject　further　

it　would　be　impossible　to　say。



〃It's　cost　us　plenty；　anyway；〃　he　said；　after　a　moment。　　〃The　

proposition's　got　a　load　on　it。　　It　will　take　us　a　long　time　to　get　

out　of　debt。　　The　river　driving　won't　pay　quite　so　big　as　we　thought　

it　would；〃　he　concluded；　with　a　rueful　little　laugh。



〃It　will　pay　plenty　well　enough；〃　replied　Newmark　decidedly；　〃and　it　

gives　us　a　vantage　point　to　work　from。　　You　don't　suppose　we　are　

going　to　quit　at　river　driving；　do　you？　　We　want　to　look　around　for　

some　timber　of　our　own；　there's　where　the　big　money　is。　　And　perhaps　

we　can　buy　a　schooner　or　two　and　go　into　the　carrying　tradethe　

country's　alive　with　opportunity。　　Newmark　and　Orde　means　something　

to　these　fellows　now。　　We　can　have　anything　we　want；　if　we　just　

reach　out　for　it。〃



His　thin　figure；　ordinarily　slightly　askew；　had　straightened；　his　

steel…gray；　impersonal　eyes　had　lit　up　behind　the　bowed　glasses　and　

were　seeing　things　beyond　the　wall　at　which　they　gazed。　　Orde　looked　

up　at　him　with　a　sudden　admiration。



〃You're　the　brains　of　this　concern；〃　said　he。



〃We'll　get　on；〃　replied　Newmark；　the　fire　dying　from　his　eyes。







XXIX





In　the　course　of　the　next　eight　years　Newmark　and　Orde　floated　high　

on　that　flood　of　apparent　prosperity　that　attends　a　business　well　

conceived　and　passably　well　managed。　　The　Boom　and　Driving　Company　

made　money；　of　course；　for　with　the　margin　of　fifty　per　cent　or　

thereabouts　necessitated　by　the　temporary　value　of　the　improvements；　

good　years　could　hardly　fail　to　bring　good　returns。　　This；　it　will　

be　remembered；　was　a　stock　company。　　With　the　profits　from　that　

business　the　two　men　embarked　on　a　separate　copartnership。　　They　

made　money　at　this；　too；　but　the　burden　of　debt　necessitated　by　new　

ventures；　constantly　weighted　by　the　heavy　interest　demanded　at　that　

time；　kept　affairs　on　the　ragged　edge。



In　addition；　both　Orde　and　Newmark　were　more　inclined　to　extension　

of　interests　than　to　〃playing　safe。〃　　The　assets　gained　in　one　

venture　were　promptly　pledged　to　another。　　The　ramifications　of　

debt；　property；　mortgages；　and　expectations　overlapped　each　other　in　

a　cobweb　of　interests。



Orde　lived　at　ease　in　a　new　house　of　some　size　surrounded　by　

grounds。　　He　kept　two　servants：　a　blooded　team　of　horses　drew　the　

successor　to　the　original　buckboard。　　Newmark　owned　a　sail　yacht　of　

five　or　six　tons；　in　which；　quite　solitary；　he　took　his　only　

pleasure。　　Both　were　considered　men　of　substance　and　property；　as　

indeed　they　were。　　Only；　they　risked　dollars　to　gain　thousands。　　A　

succession　of　bad　years；　a　panic…contraction　of　money　markets；　any　

one　of　a　dozen　possible；　though　not　probable；　contingencies　would　

render　it　difficult　to　meet　the　obligations　which　constantly　came　

due；　and　which　Newmark　kept　busy　devising　ways　and　means　of　meeting。　　

If　things　went　welland　it　may　be　remarked　that　legitimately　they　

shouldNewmark　and　Orde　would　some　day　be　rated　among　the　

millionaire　firms。　　If　things　went　ill；　bankruptcy　could　not　be　

avoided。　　There　was　no　middle　ground。　　Nor　were　Orde　and　his　partner　

unique　in　this；　practically　every　firm　then　developing　or　exploiting　

the　natural　resources　of　the　country　found　itself　in　the　same　case。



Immediately　after　the　granting　of　the　charter　to　drive　the　river　the　

partners　had　offered　them　an　opportunity　of　acquiring　about　thirty　

million　feet　of　timber　remaining　from　Morrison　and　Daly's　original　

holdings。　　That　firm　was　very　anxious　to　begin　development　on　a　

large　scale　of　its　Beeson　Lake　properties　in　the　Saginaw　waters。　　

Daly　proposed　to　Orde　that　he　take　over　the　remnant；　and　having　

confidence　in　the　young　man's　abilities；　agreed　to　let　him　have　it　

on　long…time　notes。　　After　several　consultations　with　Newmark；　Orde　

finally　completed　the　purchase。　　Below　the　booms　they　erected　a　

mill；　the　machinery　for　which　they　had　also　bought　of　Daly；　at　

Redding。　　The　following　winter　Orde　spent　in　the　woods。　　By　spring　

he　had　banked；　ready　to　drive；　about　six　million　feet。



For　some　years　these　two　sorts　of　activity　gave　the　partners　about　

all　they　could　attend　to。　　As　soon　as　the　drive　had　passed　Redding；　

Orde　left　it　in　charge　of　one　of　his　foremen　while　he　divided　his　

time　between　the　booms　and　the　mill。　　Late　in　the　year　his　woods　

trips　began；　the　tours　of　inspection；　of　surveying　for　new　roads；　

the　inevitable　preparation　for　the　long　winter　campaigns　in　the　

forest。　　As　soon　as　the　spring　thaws　began；　once　more　the　drive　

demanded　his　attention。　　And　in　marketing　the　lumber；　manipulating　

the　firm's　financial　affairs；　collecting　its　dues；　paying　its　bills；　

making　its　purchases；　and　keeping　oiled　the　intricate　bearing　points　

of　its　office　machinery；　Newmark　was　busyand　invaluable。



At　the　end　of　the　fifth　year　the　opportunity　came；　through　a　

combination　of　a　bad　debt　and　a　man's　death；　to　get　possession　of　

two　lake　schooners。　　Orde　at　once　suggested　the　contract　for　a　steam　

barge。　　Towing　was　then　in　its　infancy。　　The　bulk　of　lake　traffic　

was　by　means　of　individual　sailing　shipsa　method　uncertain　as　to　

time。　　Orde　thought　that　a　steam　barge　could　be　built　powerful　

enough　not　only　to　carry　its　own　hold　and　deck　loads；　but　to　tow　

after　it　the　two　schooners。　　In　this　manner　the　crews　could　be　

reduced；　and　an　approximate　date　of　delivery　could　be　guaranteed。　　

Newmark　agreed　with　him。　　Thus　the　firm；　in　accordance　with　his　

prophecy；　went　into　the　carrying　trade；　for　the　vessels　more　than　

sufficed　for　its　own　needs。　　The　freighting　of　lumber　added　much　to　

the　income；　and　the　carrying　of　machinery　and　other　heavy　freight　on　

the　return　trip　grew　every　year。



But　by　far　the　most　important　acquisition　was　that　of　the　northern　

peninsula　timber。　　Most　operators　called　the　white　pine　along　and　

back　from　the　river　inexhaustible。　　Orde　did　not　believe　this。　　He　

saw　the　time；　not　far　distant；　when　the　world　would　be　compelled　to　

look　elsewhere　for　its　lumber　supply；　and　he　turned　his　eyes　to　the　

almost　unknown　North。　　After　a　long　investigation　through　agents；　

and　a　month's　land…looking　on　his　own　account；　he　located　and　

purchased　three　hundred　million　feet。　　This　was　to　be　paid　for；　as　

usual；　mostly　by　the　firm's　notes　secured　by　its　other　property。　　It　

would　become　available　only　in　the　future；　but　Orde　believed；　as　

indeed　the　event　justified；　this　future　would　prove　to　be　not　so　

distant　as　most　people　supposed。



As　these　interests　widened；　Orde　became　more　and　more　immersed　in　

them。　　He　was　forced　to　be　away　all　of　every　day；　and　more　than　the　

bulk　of　every　year。　　Nevertheless；　his　home　life　did　not　suffer　for　

it。



To　Carroll　he　was　always　the　same　big；　hearty；　whole…souled　boy　she　

had　first　learned　to　love。　　She　had　all　his　confidence。　　If　this　did　

not　extend　into　business　affairs；　it　was　because　Orde　had　always　

tried　to　get　away　from　them　when　at　home。　　At　first　Carroll　had　

attempted　to　keep　in　the　current　of　her　husband's　activities；　but　as　

the　latter　broadened　in　scope　and　became　more　complex；　she　perceived　

that　their　e