This proved an advantage rather than a hindrance2. By his unfailing courtesy, good fellowship, skill, and wit, Norman won his fellow workmen as warm personal friends. He was able thus to secure all the assistance he needed in his work.
Within two months the big dredge was finished.
From the first the regent had regarded Norman's fad3 with contempt. That he could succeed in making money out of dirt containing but twenty cents' worth of gold to a ton was an absurdity4 on its face.
While the young inventor worked day and night with tireless energy the regent quietly perfected his grip on the life of the rapidly growing colony. To render escape from the island or communication with the coast more impossible than ever, he [284]established the strict system of double patrol around each community. No member of the Brotherhood5 was allowed to leave his room at night without permission. Beyond the outer patrol a mounted guard was established and the entire line of beach was guarded by watchmen in relays who reported each hour, day and night, by telephone to the commandant.
At the end of two months of Wolf's merciless rule the efficiency of labour had so decreased, it was necessary to lengthen6 the number of hours from eight to nine. As every inducement to efficiency of labour had been removed there was no incentive7 to any man to do more than he must without a fight with his guard or overseer. No vote was permitted on the question of increasing the hours of labour. The board of governors passed the order which Wolf wrote out for them without a dissenting8 voice.
Norman had no trouble in getting a gang of willing hands to push the monster gold-digger into position on one of the sand-points inside the harbour.
It was mounted on a float twenty-five feet wide and sixty-five feet long. For power it carried two fifty-horse-power distillate engines. Tom was in charge of one and Joe of the other. For raising the sand and gravel9 containing the gold [285]two big Jackson gravel-pumps were located on opposite corners at the front end of the float.
Old Tom blew the whistle, the engines started, and in an hour the pumps had raised a hundred tons of sand and gravel and deposited them in the concentrating flumes. Norman worked the dredge all night without a moment's pause and in twelve hours his pumps had lifted fifteen hundred tons of sand, showing a capacity of 3,000 tons per day. When the gold was extracted and weighed it was found that the dredge had averaged twenty cents from each ton of sand and that it would cost less than three cents a ton to operate the entire machinery10 of its production. The first experimental machine alone would net $500 dollars a day, or $150,000 a year. He could put five of these machines to work in three months and make $3,000 a day.
The invention stirred the colony to its depths. Norman's appearance was the signal for a burst of cheering wherever he went.
Wolf was dumfounded. He called his board of governors together at once and ordered them to enact11 a new law to meet the situation.
Norman announced in the Era that he would give the Brotherhood from the beginning one half the net earnings12 of his machines, and asked [286]the board of governors at once to grant him the men needed to build and operate enough dredges to reduce the hours of labour from nine to seven.
Wolf met the emergency with prompt and vigorous action. He suspended the editor for printing the announcement and set him to work carrying a hod.
He issued a proclamation as regent that the dredge in the hands of its inventor threatened the existence of the State, declared the law of inventions under which it was built suspended, and ordered Norman to at once operate the machine for the sole benefit of the State and begin the construction of twenty dredges of equal capacity.
When Norman received this order he set to work without a moment's delay and made a half-dozen dynamite13 bombs, gave one each to Tom and Joe and their assistants, laid in a supply of provisions, erected14 a tent on the beach beside the dredge, and set the big machine to work for all it was worth.
Wolf promptly15 ordered his arrest. The men who attempted to execute the order fled in terror at the sight of the bombs and reported for instructions.
Wolf came in person at the head of a picked company of fifty guards.
[287]Norman had stretched a rope a hundred feet from the dredge and posted a notice that he would kill any man daring to cross it without his permission.
Wolf paused at the rope. Norman stood alone on one of the big pumps with his arms folded watching his enemy in silence.
The captain of the guard laid his hand on the regent's arm:
"You'd better not try it."
"He won't dare," Wolf growled16.
"Yes, he will," the captain insisted.
"I'll risk it," the regent snapped.
"Are you mad? What's the use? He'll blow it up. You can't rebuild the dredge—no one understands it. Use common sense. Send the girl with a flag of truce17 and ask for a conference."
"A good idea—if it works," Wolf answered hesitating.
"It's worth trying," the captain urged.
Wolf returned to the house with his men, and in a few minutes Barbara came to Norman, her face white with terror, her voice quivering with pleading intensity18.
"Please," she gasped19, "for my sake, I beg of you not to do this insane thing! The regent asks for a conference under a flag of truce. He recognizes that it is impossible that you should [288]remain here after what has happened. He asks for a half-hour's talk with you to offer an adjustment under which you can resign and return to San Francisco."
"It's a trick and a lie. He's deceiving you," Norman replied, sullenly20.
"No, I swear it's true. He is in earnest, Catherine is beside herself with fear lest he be killed. He swore to her as he swore to me to respect your wishes. I'll gladly give my life if he proves false."
Norman turned his face away and looked over the still, blue waters, struggling with himself as he felt the tug21 of her soft hand on his heart.
Suddenly a hundred men with Wolf at their head sprang over the steep embankment and rushed to the dredge. Tom leaped to his feet and lifted his bomb without a word.
Norman covered Barbara and grasped his uplifted arm.
"It's all over boys. I've surrendered!" he shouted.
Barbara faced Wolf with blazing eyes:
"You have betrayed my trust!"
Wolf brushed her aside and confronted Norman, who had thrown the bomb he had taken from Tom's hand into the sea.
Norman paid no attention to Wolf, and seemed [289]to see only the girl's face convulsed with passion. His eyes never left her for a moment.
Wolf turned and secured the other men who had defended the dredge, marching them with their hands tied behind their backs between two rows of guardsmen off to jail.
Norman spoke22 at last to Barbara in low, cold tones:
"I congratulate you."
"What do you mean?" she gasped.
"That you are a superb actress. You have played your part to perfection. Your r?le was very dramatic, too. A clumsy woman would have bungled23 it, and lost even at the last moment."
"You cannot believe that I willingly betrayed you?" she cried, in anguish24.
"I wish I had died before I knew it," he answered, bitterly.
Barbara pressed close to his side and seized his hand fiercely. He turned away with a shudder25.
"Look at me," she pleaded.
He turned and faced her with a look of anger.
"Words are idle. Deeds speak louder than words."
"Norman, you are killing26 me with this cruel doubt!" she sobbed27. "I give up! I love you! I love you!"
She threw her arms around his neck and her head sank on his breast.
He resisted for a moment, then clasped her to his heart, bent28 and kissed her with passionate29 tenderness.
"You believe me now?" she cried, through her tears.
"God forgive me for doubting you for a moment!" he answered, earnestly.
The guard suddenly drew Norman from her arms, tied his hands, and led him away to prison while the little figure followed, sobbing30 in helpless anguish.
Wolf walked behind, his big mouth twitching31 with smiles he could not suppress.
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1
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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hindrance
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| n.妨碍，障碍 | |
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fad
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| n.时尚；一时流行的狂热；一时的爱好 | |
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absurdity
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| n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论 | |
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brotherhood
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| n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊 | |
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6
lengthen
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| vt.使伸长，延长 | |
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7
incentive
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| n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机 | |
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8
dissenting
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| adj.不同意的 | |
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9
gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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10
machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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11
enact
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| vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演 | |
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12
earnings
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| n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得 | |
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13
dynamite
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| n./vt.(用)炸药(爆破) | |
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14
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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15
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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16
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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17
truce
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| n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束 | |
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18
intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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19
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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20
sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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21
tug
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| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
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22
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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23
bungled
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| v.搞糟，完不成( bungle的过去式和过去分词 )；笨手笨脚地做；失败；完不成 | |
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24
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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25
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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26
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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27
sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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28
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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29
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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30
sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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31
twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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