Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-03-29
on. hut with a slight skepticism.


At Of sickness had confined him to the
house.
Now Orde decided to break ont 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
rivermen. with pike poles and peavies
began cautiously to dig their way
through the tangled timbers. The gov
ernment pile driver. which had tinall.
been sent up from below. began pac
ing five extt,i bOonls at intervals dowr
stream 10 capture the drift rs fast a.
II was turned loose The troubles NJ
peared to be quite over when word
came from Redding that the waters
were again rising Ten minutes Inter
Leopold Lincoln Bum. the local re-
porter. came Tapping In Oh Randalls
old white horse like second Paul Re
we're. crying that the iron bridge hat
gone and the logs were racing dowr
river toward the boOms.
1T just went out" he answered the
eager exciamations Of the men who
crowded around him. That's all !
know. II went out. And the other
bridges. Sure. All but the Lake Shore.
Don't know why that didn't 90 out.
No; the logs didn't jam there-just slid
right under!'
THAT settles It." said Welton.
"You won't quit?" cried Orde.
Certainly. You're crazy!' said Wei
ton. with some asperity. "If they can't
stop little jam with iron, what are
your wooden detenses going to amount
to against the whole ACCUMULATION
When those logs hit the tail Of this
jam she'll 60 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 towed her away to
q side bayou Of safety out Of the ex
pected rush to the lake.
But we can hold her. cried Ord"
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 a man in this crowd that viii
tackle this sort of sure death with
meY"
I'm with you" And me-" said
North and the Rough Red In breath
Good" cried Orde. You. too
Johnny Sims and Purdy and Jimmy
Powers? Bully boys!"'
II reckon you'll need the tug" sale
Marsh.
A dozen more of Orde's personal fol
lowing volunteered.
We've got to close that opening 6rsl
thing" said he. Marsh. tow the pile
driver up there"
The opening was to be closed 10y
piles driven in groups of sixteen bound
together by chains. The ciumps were
connected one to the other by system
of boom logs and ropes to interpose n
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 fastr' Orde called to the
men on the pile driver. "lf we car
close the opening before those ReddinG
logs hit us we may be able to turn
them into our new channel"
He did not add that II the opening
were not closed before the jam broke
as break II would In very few mo-
ments, the probabilities were that both
pile driver and tug would lie destroy
ed. Every man knew that already.
Tom North ordered pile placed In
the carriage. The hammer descended
The work went forward AZ rapidly as
possible. Four times the Jam shrugged
and settled. but four times It 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.
zone more pile!~ breathed Orde.
The hammer ran smoothly TO the TOP
and fell. A half dozen times more II
ripped. Then heavy chains were
thrown around the winch. and the
steam power began to draw the clumps
| together.
"Donew cried Tom North.
North unmoored. and the driver
dropped back with the current The
tug churned forward to accomplish the
last duty of binding the defenses to-
gether by means of chains and cables
Two men leaped to the floating booms.
Orde and the Rough Red set about the
task. They worked from either end to-
ward the middle. When they met Orde
ordered Red aboard the tug.
"Pll tie this one. Jimmy" said he.
| Aboard the tug all was tense prepa-
ration. In the engine room Harvey.
his hand on the throttle. stood ready
to throw her wide open at the signal.
Armed with sharp axes. two men pre-
pared to cut the mooring lines on
sign from the Rough Red They watch
ed his upraised hand When II should
descend their axes must fall
Orde folded knot. Upstream the
jam settled deliberately forward. cut
ting a clump Of piles like straw
"She's coming~ cried the Rough Red.
"Give me every second you can"
said Orie. making the last turns.
The mass toppled slowly. fell into
The swift current and leaped Win d
roar.
Jump the Rough Red cried. and
his arm descended.
Orde lcapcd blindly for the raii'
where he WAS seized and dragged
aboard by the Rough Red. The axes
fell: Marsh whirled over the wheel
Harvey threw open ILLS throttle. Ihe
up spranp from ils leash like hound
Aud behind The barrier the logs. toss
In- and tumbliny. the white spray n.y.
Inc before their onslaught, beat IL
vain against the barrier. like raging
wild beasts whose prey has escaped.