Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-01-27


 been slanted where they would do the most good Chains strengthened the weaker spots, and on top of all ton After LOn of railroad iron held the whole immovably. Nolan had all the help he required. Every device known was employed to strengthen the jam For only q few hours was the result in doubt. Then, as the Clarion jubi' lantly expressed it, Its a hundred dollars to Qn old hat she holds!'
 Orde received all this with satisfac- tion, but with slight skepticisnl.
 Its a floating jam, and it gets a push from underneath" he pointed out. Its probably safe, but another flood might send il out"
 ''rhe floods are going down." said North.
 Good Lord. I hope so.' said Orde.
 Newmark sent word that sudden fit of sickness had confined him to the house.
 Now Orde decided to break out a channel through the jam itself. This was necessary preliminary to getting the logs in shape for distribution. An opening was made in the piles, and the riyermen, with pike poles and peavies, began cautiously to dig their way through the tangled timbers. The gov ernment pile driver, which had finally been sent up from below. began plac. fV,ry EV.n ,,f Inn lS stream to capture the drift as fast as it was turned loose. The troubles ap- peared to be quite over when word came from Bedding that the waters were again rising. Ten minutes later Leopold Lincoln Bum. the local re- porter, came tapping in on Randalrs old white horse, like q second Paul Re were, crying that the iron bridge had gone and the logs were racing down river toward the boOms.
 Tt just went out" he answered the eager exclamations of the men who crowded around him. That's all know. It went out. And the other bridges. Sure. All but the Lake Shore, Don't know why that didn't go out. No; the logs didn't jam there-just slid right under- a,..
 That settles it." said Welton.
 "You won't quit?" cried Orde.
 Certainly. You're crazy" said Vel ton, with some asperity. If they can't stop a little jam with iron. what are your wooden defenses going to amount to against the whole accumulation? When those logs hit the tail of this jam she'll go out before you can wink. It's sure death. and I'm not going to sacrifice my men,"
 Already the news was spreading among the workers on the jams. Orde saw the government driver below cast ing loose from her mOorings. A mo ment later her tug lowed her away to a side bayou of safety out of the ex- pected rush to the lake.
 But we can hold her" cried Orde in desperation.
 Its no use, boy" said old Carlin; its sure death."
 Sure death" Orde laughed bitterly All right; sure death. then. Isn't there d man in this crowd that will tackle this sort of sure death with me-"
 I'm with you" And me" said North and the Rough Red in a breath.
 "Good"' cried Orde. You. too. Johnny Sims and Purdy and Jimmy Powers: Bully boys"
 T reckon you'll need the tug" said Marsh. ..N
 A dozen more of Orde's personal fol- lowing volunteered
 We've got to close that opening first thing" said he. Marsh, tow the pile driver up there"
 The opening was to be closed by piles driven in groups of sixteen bound together by chains. The clumps were connected one to the other by d systeni of boom logs and ropes to interpose a continuous barrier. The pile driver placed the clumps. while the tug at. tended to the connecting defenses.
 Now, boys" said Orde as his last word. If she starts to go save your. selves the best way you can. Never mind the driver. Stay on top"
 Slowly the tug aud her consort nosed up through the boiling water.
 Work fast"' Ordc called to the men on the pile driver. If we canI close the opening before those Reddng logs hit us we may be able to turn them into Ourfnew channel"
 He did not add that if the opening were not closed before the jam broke, as break it would in very few mo ments. the probabilities were that both pile driver and tug would be destroy cd. Every man knew that already.
 Tom North ordered a pile placed in the carriage. The hammrr descended. The work went forward as rapidly as possible. Four times the jam shrugged and settled. but four times 1t paused on the brink of discharge. Three of the clumps had been placed and bound. and fifteen piles of the last cIump had been driven. \ N.
 "One more pile" breathed Orde.
 The hammer ran smoothly to the top and fell A half dozen times more it ripped. Then heavy chains were