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to 'tell the truth and shame the devil。' Oh； he must be dying of
mortification this evening！〃 She struck a great crashing chord；
holding the keys while the strings reverberated and echoed down
slowly into silence again。 〃It isn't fair；〃 she went on； 〃for you
big simple men to disarm us。 I don't care！ I have my private
opinion of such brute strength。 JE ME MOQUE！〃
She wrinkled her nose and narrowed her eyes。 Then ruthlessly she
drowned his reply in a torrent of music。 Like mad she played；
rocking her slender body back and forth along the key…board； holding
rigid her fingers； her hands； and the muscles of her arms。 The bass
notes roared like the rumbling of thunder； the treble flashed like
the dart of lightnings。 Abruptly she muted the instrument。 Silence
fell as something that had been pent and suddenly released。 She
arose from the piano stool quite naturally； both hands at her hair。
〃Aren't Mr。 and Mrs。 Hubbard dear old people？〃 said she。
〃What is your address in New York？〃 demanded Orde。 She sank into a
chair nearby with a pretty uplifted gesture of despair。
〃I surrender！〃 she cried； and then she laughed until the tears
started from her eyes and she had to brush them away with what
seemed to Orde an absurd affair to call a handkerchief。 〃Oh； you
are delicious！〃 she said at last。 〃Well； listen。 I live at 12 West
Ninth Street。 Can you remember that？〃 Orde nodded。 〃And now any
other questions the prisoner can reply to without incriminating
herself； she is willing to answer。〃 She folded her hands demurely
in her lap。
Two days later Orde saw the train carry her away。 He watched the
rear car disappear between the downward slopes of two hills； and
then finally the last smoke from the locomotive dissipate in the
clear blue。
Declining Jane's kindly meant offer of a lift； he walked back to
town。
XV
The new firm plunged busily into its more pressing activities。 Orshovels； axes；
and
scrapers were cutting out and levelling a road which would； when
finished； meet the county road to town。 The numerous bayous of
great marsh were crossed by 〃float…bridges；〃 lying flat on the
surface of the water； which spurted up in rhythmical little jets
under the impact of hoofs。 Down stream eight miles； below the
mills； and just beyond where the drawbridge crossed over to
Monrovia； Duncan McLeod's shipyards clipped and sawed； and steamed
and bent and bolted away at two tugboats； the machinery for which
was already being stowed in the hold of a vessel lying at wharf in
Chicago。 In the storerooms of hardware firms porters carried and
clerks checked off chains； strap iron； bolts； spikes； staples； band
iron； bar iron； peavies； cant…hooks； pike…poles； sledge…hammers；
blocks； ropes； and cables。
These things took time and attention to details； also a careful
supervision。 The spring increased； burst into leaf and bloom； and
settled into summer。 Orde was constantly on the move。 As soon as
low water came with midsummer； however； he arranged matters to run
themselves as far as possible； left with Newmark minute instructions
as to personal supervision； and himself departed to Redding。 Here
he joined a crew which Tom North had already collected； and betook
himself to the head of the river。
He knew exactly what he intended to do。 Far back on the head…waters
he built a dam。 The construction of it was crude； consisting merely
of log cribs filled with stone and debris placed at intervals across
the bed of the stream； against which slanted logs made a face。 The
gate operated simply； and could be raised to let loose an entire
flood。 And indeed this was the whole purpose of the dam。 It
created a reservoir from which could be freed new supplies of water
to eke out the dropping spring freshets。
Having accomplished this formidable labourfor the trees had to be
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。