the riverman-第51部分

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She　looked　up　at　him；　catching　quickly　the　wrinkles　of　his　brow　and　

the　harassed　anxiety　in　his　eyes。　　Impulsively　she　pulled　him　down　

to　her　and　kissed　him。



〃Never　mind；　dear；〃　said　she。　　〃I　care　only　if　you　do。〃



She　patted　his　great　shoulders　lightly　and　smiled　up　at　him。



〃Run；　help！〃　she　cried。　　〃And　come　home　as　soon　as　you　can。　　I'll　

have　something　nice　and　hot　all　ready　for　you。〃



She　turned　away；　the　smile　still　on　her　lips；　but　as　soon　as　she　was　

out　of　sight；　her　face　fell　grave。



〃Come；　Mina！〃　she　said　to　the　younger　girl。　　〃Time　to　go。〃



They　toiled　through　the　heavy　sand　to　where；　hours　ago；　they　had　

left　Prince。　　That　faithful　animal　dozed　in　his　tracks　and　awoke　

reluctantly。



Carroll　looked　back。　　The　fires　leaped　red　and　yellow。　　Against　them　

were　the　silhouettes　of　people；　and　in　the　farther　circle　of　their　

illumination　were　more　people　cast　in　bronze　that　flickered　red。　　In　

contrast　to　their　glow　the　night　was　very　dark。　　Only　from　the　lake　

there　disengaged　a　faint　gray　light　where　the　waters　broke。　　The　

strength　of　the　failing　wind　still　lifted　the　finer　particles　of　

sand。　　The　organ　of　the　pounding　surf　filled　the　night　with　the　

grandeur　of　its　music。







XXXV





Orde　mounted　the　office　stairs　next　day　with　a　very　heavy　step。　　The　

loss　of　the　NORTH　STAR　and　of　the　two　schooners　meant　a　great　deal　

to　him　at　that　time。



〃It　kicks　us　into　somewhat　of　a　hole；〃　he　grumbled　to　Newmark。



〃A　loss　is　never　pleasant；〃　replied　the　latter；　〃and　it　puts　us　out　

of　the　carrying　business　for　awhile。　　But　we're　insured。〃



〃I　can't　understand　why　Floyd　started；〃　said　Orde。　　〃He　ought　to　

know　better　than　to　face　sure　prospects　of　a　fall　blow。　　I'll　tan　

his　soul　for　that；　all　right！〃



〃I'm　afraid　I'm　partly　responsible　for　his　going；〃　put　in　Newmark。



〃You！〃　cried　Orde。



〃Yes。　　You　see　that　Smith　and　Mabley　shipment　was　important　enough　

to　strain　a　point　forand　it's　only　twenty…four　hours　or　soand　it　

certainly　didn't　look　to　see　me　as　if　it　were　going　to　blow　very　

soon。　　Poor　Floyd　feels　bad　enough。　　He's　about　sick。〃



Orde　for　the　first　time　began　to　appreciate　the　pressure　of　his　

circumstances。　　The　loss　on　the　cargo　of　〃uppers〃　reached　about　

8；000；000　feet；　which　represented　20；000　in　money。　　As　for　the　

NORTH　STAR　and　her　consorts；　save　for　the　insurance；　they　were　

simply　eliminated。　　They　had　represented　property。　　Now　they　were　

gone。　　The　loss　of　60；000　or　so　on　them；　however；　did　not　mean　a　

diminution　of　the　company's　present　cash　resources　to　that　amount；　

and　so　did　not　immediately　affect　Orde's　calculations　as　to　the　

payment　of　the　notes　which　were　now　soon　to　come　due。



At　this　time　the　woods　work　increasingly　demanded　his　attention。　　He　

disappeared　for　a　week；　his　organising　abilities　claimed　for　the　

distribution　of　the　road　crews。　　When　he　returned　to　the　office；　

Newmark；　with　an　air　of　small　triumph；　showed　him　contracts　for　the　

construction　of　three　new　vessels。



〃I　get　them　for　55；000；〃　said　he；　〃with　30；000　of　it　on　long　

time。〃



〃Without　consulting　me！〃　cried　Orde。



Newmark　explained　carefully　that　the　action；　seemingly　so　abrupt；　

had　really　been　taking　advantage　of　a　lucky　opportunity。



〃Otherwise；〃　he　finished；　〃we　shouldn't　have　been　able　to　get　the　

job　done　for　another　year；　at　least。　　If　that　big　Cronin　contract　

goes　throughwell；　you　know　what　that　would　mean　in　the　shipyards

nobody　would　get　even　a　look…in。　　And　McLeod　is　willing；　in　the　

meantime；　to　give　us　a　price　to　keep　his　men　busy。　　So　you　see　I　had　

to　close　at　once。　　You　can　see　what　a　short　chance　it　was。〃



〃It's　a　good　chance；　all　right；〃　admitted　Orde；　〃butwhythat　is；　

I　thought　perhaps　we'd　job　our　own　freighting　for　awhileit　never　

occurred　to　me　we'd　build　any　more　vessels　until　we'd　recovered　a　

little。〃



〃Recovered；〃　Newmark　repeated　coldly。　　〃I　don't　see　what　'recovered'　

has　to　do　with　it。　　If　the　mill　burned　down；　we'd　rebuild；　wouldn't　

we？　　Even　if　we　were　embarrassedwhich　we're　notwe'd　hardly　care　

to　acknowledge　publicly　that　we　couldn't　keep　up　our　equipment。　　And　

as　we're　making　twelve　or　fifteen　thousand　a　year　out　of　our　

freighting；　it　seems　to　me　too　good　a　business　to　let　slip　into　

other　hands。〃



〃I　suppose　so；〃　agreed　Orde；　a　trifle　helplessly。



〃Therefore　I　had　to　act　without　you；〃　Newmark　finished。　　〃I　knew　

you'd　agree。　　That's　right：　isn't　it？〃　he　insisted。



〃Yes；　that's　right；〃　agreed　Orde　drearily。



〃You'll　find　copies　of　the　contract　on　your　desk；〃　Newmark　closed　

the　matter。　　〃And　there's　the　tax　lists。　　I　wish　you'd　run　them　

over。〃



〃Joe；〃　replied　Orde；　〃II　don't　think　I'll　stay　down　town　this　

morning。　　I〃



Newmark　glanced　up　keenly。



〃You　don't　look　a　bit　well；〃　said　he；　〃kind　of　pale　around　the　

gills。　　Bilious。　　Don't　believe　that　camp　grub　quite　agrees　with　you　

for　a　steady　diet。〃



〃Yes；　that　must　be　it；〃　assented　Orde。



He　closed　his　desk　and　went　out。　　Newmark　turned　back　to　his　papers。　　

His　face　was　expressionless。　　From　an　inner　pocket　he　produced　a　

cigar　which　he　thrust　between　his　teeth。　　The　corners　of　his　mouth　

slowly　curved　in　a　grim　smile。



Orde　did　not　go　home。　　Instead；　he　walked　down　Main　Street　to　the　

docks　where　he　jumped　into　a　rowboat　lying　in　a　slip；　and　with　a　few　

rapid　strokes　shot　out　on　the　stream。　　In　his　younger　days　he　had　

belonged　to　a　boat　club；　and　had　rowed　in　the　〃four。〃　　He　still　

loved　the　oar；　and　though　his　racing　days　were　past；　he　maintained　a　

clean…lined；　rather　unstable　little　craft　which　it　was　his　delight　

to　propel　rapidly　with　long　spoon…oars　whenever　he　needed　exercise。　　

To…day；　however；　he　was　content　to　drift。



The　morning　was　still　and　golden。　　The　crispness　of　late　fall　had　

infused　a　wine　into　the　air。　　The　sky　was　a　soft；　blue…gray；　the　

sand…hills　were　a　dazzling　yellow。　　Orde　did　not　try　to　think；　he　

merely　faced　the　situation；　staring　it　in　the　face　until　it　should　

shrink　to　its　true　significance。



One　thing　he　felt　distinctly；　yet　could　not　without　a　struggle　bring　

himself　to　see。　　The　California　lands　must　be　mortgaged。　　If　he　

could　raise　a　reasonable　sum　of　money　on　them；　he　would　still　be　

perfectly　able　to　meet　his　notes。　　He　hated　fiercely　to　raise　that　

money。



It　was　entirely　a　matter　of　sentiment。　　Orde　realised　the　fact　

clearly；　and　browbeat　his　other　self　with　a　savage　contempt。　　

Nevertheless　his　dream　had　been　to　keep　the　western　timber　free　and　

unencumberedfor　Bobby。　　Dreams　are　harder　to　give　up　than　

realities。



He　fell　into　the　deepest　reflections　which　were　broken　only　when　the　

pounding　of　surf　warned　him　he　had　drifted　almost　to　the　open　lake。　　

After　all；　there　was　no　essential　difference　between　owing　money　to　

a　man　in　Michigan　and　to　a　man　in　California。　　That　was　the　net　

result　of　his　struggle。



〃When　the　time　comes；　we'll　just　borrow　that　money　on　a　long…time　

mortgage；　like　sensible　people；〃　he　said　aloud；　〃and　quit　this　

everlasting　scrabbling。〃



Back　to　town　he　pulled　with　long　vigorous　strokes；　skittering　his　

feathered　spoon…oars　lightly　over　the　tops　of　the　wavelets。　　At　the　

slip　he　made　fast　the　boat；　and　a　few　minutes　later　re…entered　the　

office；　his　step　springy；　his　face　glowing。　　Newmark　glanced　up。



〃Hullo！〃　said　he。　　〃Back　again？　　You　look　better。〃



〃Exercise；〃　said　Orde；　in　his　hearty　manner。　　〃Exercise；　old　boy！　　

You　ought　to　try　it。　　Greatest　thing　in　the　world。　　Just　took　a　row　

to　the　end　of　the　piers　and　back；　and　I'm　as　fit　as　a　fiddle！〃







XXXVI





Orde　immediately　set　into　motion　the　machinery　of　banking　to　borrow　

on　the　California　timber。　　Taylor　took　charge　of　this；　as　the　only　

man　in　Monrovia　who　had　Orde's　confidence。　　At　the　end　of　a　

necessary　delay　Orde　received　notice　that　the　West　had　been　heard　

from。　　He　stepped　across　the　hall　to　the　lawyer's　office。



〃Well；　Frank；〃　said　he；　〃glad　we　managed　to　push　it　through　with　so　

little　trouble。〃



Taylor　arose；　shut　carefully　the　door　into　his　outer　office；　walked　

to　the　window；　looked　contemplatively　out　upon　the　hotel　backyard；　

and　returned　to　his　desk。



〃But　there　is　trouble；〃　said　he　curtly。



〃What's　the　matter？〃　asked　Orde。



〃The　banks　refuse　the　loan。〃



Orde　stared　at　him　in　blank　astonishment。



〃Refuse！〃　he　echoed。



〃Absolutely。〃



〃What　grounds　can　they　possibly　have　for　that？〃



〃I　can't　make　out　exactly　from　these　advices。　　It's　something　about　

the　title。〃



〃But　I　thought　you　went　over　the　title。〃



〃I　did；〃　stated　Taylor　emphatically；　〃and　I'll　stake　my　reputation　

as　a　lawyer　that　everything　is　straight　and　clear　from　the　Land　

Office　itself。　　I've　wired　for　an　explanation；　and　we　ought　surely　

to　know　something　definite　by　tomorrow。〃



With　this　uncertainty　Orde　was　forced　to　be　content。　　For　the　first　

time　in　his　business　career　a　real　anxiety　gnawed　at　his　vitals。　　He　

had　been　in　many　tight　places；　but　somehow　heretofore　success　or　

failure　had　seemed　to　him　about　immaterial；　like　points　gained　or　

conceded　in　the　game；　a　fresh　start　was　always　so　easy；　and　what　had　

been　already　won　as　yet　unreal。　　Now　the　game　itself　was　at　issue。　　

Property；　reputation；　and　the　family's　future　were　at　stake。　　When　

the　three　had　lived　in　the　tiny　house　by　the　church；　it　had　seemed　

that　no　adversity　could　touch　them。　　But　now　that　long　use　had　

accustomed　them　to　larger　quarters；　servants；　luxuries；　Orde　could　

not　conceive　the　possibility　of　Carroll's　ever　returning　to　that　

simplest　existence。　　Carroll　could　have　told　him　otherwise；　but　of　

course　he　did　not　as　yet　bring　the　possibility　before　her。　　She　had　

economised　closely；　these　last　few　years。　　Orde　was　proud　of　her。　　

He　was　also　fiercely　resentful　that　his　own　foolish