he yelled, as soon as the lumberman was within
distance. "I believe we can relieve the pressure somewhat by a channel
into Steam's bayou. Get that Government dredge up and through the bayou
as soon as you can."

"All right," said Welton briefly. "Can you hold her?"

"I've got to hold her," replied Orde between his clenched teeth. "Have
you seen Newmark? Where in HELL is Newmark? I need him for fifty things,
and he's disappeared off the face of the earth! Purdy! that second
cable! She's snapped a strand! Get a reinforcing line on her!" He ran in
the direction of the new danger without another thought of Welton.

By the late afternoon casual spectators from the countryside had
gathered in some number. The bolder or more curious of these added a
further touch of anxiety to the situation by clambering out over the jam
for a better view. Orde issued instructions that these should keep off
the logs; but in spite of that, with the impertinent perseverance of the
sight-seer, many persisted from time to time, when the rivermen were too
busily engaged to attend to them, in venturing out where they were not
only in danger but also in the way. Tom North would have none of this on
his pile-driver. If a man was not actually working, he had no business
on Number One.

"But," protested a spectator mildly, "I OWN this driver. I haven't
any objections to your grabbing her in this emergency, even if you did
manhandle my captain; but surely you are not going to keep me off my own
property?"

"I don't give a tinker's damn who you are," replied North sturdily. "If
you're not working, you get off."

And get off he did.

The broad deck of the pile-driver scow was a tempting point from which
to survey the work, and the ugly jam, and the water boiling angrily, and
the hollow-eyed, dishevelled maniacs who worked doggedly with set teeth
as though they had not already gone without two nights' sleep. North
had often to order ashore intruders, until his temper shortened to
the vanishing point. One big hulking countryman attempted to argue
the point. North promptly knocked him overboard into the shallow water
between the driver and the bank. He did not rise; so North fished for
him in the most matter-of-fact way with a boat hook, threw him on the
bank unconscious, and went on driving piles! The incident raised a laugh
among the men.

But flesh and blood has its limit of endurance; and that limit was
almost reached. Orde heard the first prem