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首页 » 英文短篇小说 » Frank Merriwell in Maine » CHAPTER XXV. CRACKING A JAM.
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CHAPTER XXV. CRACKING A JAM.
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“There is a jam forming in the rapids below.”

It was near noon the following day when this information was brought up the river. As the rapids were not considered very dangerous, save near the east shore, it had been arranged to cut the raft in two sections and run it through. Now, however, on learning of the threatened jam, Forest immediately gave orders to get the raft up to the bank and make it fast.

During the night a lot of logs had gathered in the rapids near the eastern shore, where the rocks rose close to the surface. Had the collection been seen at the start a jam might have been prevented, but the messenger from down the river said it looked now as if there would be a jam, despite the efforts of the men.

“This will cause delay and expense, Merriwell,” said Fred Forest, “but it will give you and your friends an opportunity to witness the breaking of a real jam.”

“It’s an opportunity we will not miss,” declared Frank.

“Oh, I don’t know,” grunted2 Browning. “How far down the river is it?”

“Five miles.”

“How do we get there?”

“Walk.”

“Then I don’t believe I’ll go.”

And it proved useless to urge him.

[205]

The others, however, were ready enough to go, and soon they were on their way.

“I don’t miss dot!” declared the fat Dutch boy, as he puffed3 along with the others. “Dot jam peen goin’ to take a look at me. I pet dot jam can broke me uf id tried.”

“I think you have had quite enough experience as river driver,” laughed Frank. “You had better let some other person break the jam.”

“Possibly you do not know the danger of breaking a jam?” put in the young lumberman.

“How vos id done?”

“With dynamite4, sometimes.”

“And der odder dimes5?”

“With an ax.”

“Vale, I could use an ax.”

“The man who breaks a jam of logs with an ax stands about one chance in three of reaching the shore alive.”

“Py Chorch! I don’d toldt you dot!”

“And whole crews have been wiped out by the use of dynamite.”

“Vale, I don’d belief dot jam vill broke me!”

Forest spoke6 no more than the simple truth. Before dynamite was used, one man would go out on the front of a jam and cut the key log with an ax. The moment the log began to bend, the chopper made a dash for the shore. About once in three times he reached the shore unharmed, but the chances were against him. Many a good man has gone down under the logs, ground to a shapeless mass by the crashing timbers as they came[206] piling over each other, some of them whirling end over end.

In later years, as a rule, five or six men go out on the jam and cut a big hole into the heart of the tumbled timbers. Then a cartridge7 is inserted, the fuse lighted, and a scramble8 for safety follows. Men who have heard the old “rebel yell” in war timers declare the foreman’s cry of “Shore! Shore!” when uttered under a jam of logs, is the most terrifying sound their ears have ever heard.

Diamond was as eager as anybody to see a jam. He felt that the sight of a breaking jam would fully9 repay him for the trip down the river on the raft.

Hodge said nothing, but strode along with the others.

It was a hard tramp down the river, but they reached the jam before the men had been able to break it. In fact, it was afterward10 reported that Sullivan had acted exactly as if he had no desire to break it, but was anxious to have the logs pile up in as nasty a manner as possible.

There was a big mountain of logs on the eastern shore, and when Forest saw it he was angry, for more logs were coming down and blocking upon the others.

Between the end of the jam and the western bank the water poured with express speed.

“Why don’t you have the men keep those other logs from jamming in there, Sullivan?” demanded Forest. “They might be sent through the opening over yonder.”

“Where be ther men ter send them through?” growled11 the boss.

[207]

“You have plenty of men here, if you will place them right.”

“Mebby you know more about this than I do.”

“I don’t like your tone of voice, sir! Put the men out on the jam and have them fend12 the logs off as fast as they come down, running them round the end.”

“All right,” muttered Sullivan, and then he did as ordered.

For two hours the men worked like beavers13, and, with the exception of a few logs, there was no great addition to the jam. At last, only an occasional stray log came down, and then Forest told Sullivan to prepare to break the jam.

“How be ye goin’ to do it?” asked the ugly foreman.

“With dynamite, of course.”

“We ain’t got no dynamite.”

“No dynamite? How is that?”

“Well, I didn’t expect another jam after gettin’ down this way, and so I ain’t prepared.”

Forest was thoroughly14 angry, and he gave Sullivan the “dressing down” that the man deserved, ending by ordering him to go out and break the jam with an ax.

Without a word, Sullivan went. He picked out a log and cut it in two. When it cracked, he dropped the ax and hustled15 ashore16. But the jam did not give way.

The foreman swore.

“You cut the wrong log,” said Forest, grimly. “Try it again, and don’t lose an ax unless the jam breaks.”

So Sullivan went out again, but with no better success.

[208]

“I believe I could pick out the key log,” declared Frank Merriwell, who had been watching proceedings17.

The foreman’s face grew purple, and he suppressed a torrent18 of angry words with an effort.

“We’ll have ter send to the nearest place fer dynamite,” he said. “That’s the only way ter do now.”

Then Forest gave orders for a man to be dispatched for the dynamite without delay.

The afternoon was slipping away, and it did not look as if the jam would be broken before dark. Forest was impatient at the delay.

“I’d like to try a crack at it,” said Frank, gazing out upon the mountain of logs. “I believe I could do it.”

“It would be suicide if you did,” said the young lumberman. “You could not get ashore.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I’ll chance it.”

Sullivan heard the words, and laughed scornfully.

“Better let him try it, Mr. Forest,” he sneered19. “There’s no danger that he’ll disturb anything, and he’ll never git hurt unless the jam starts of its own accord. He kin1 show what he knows in short order by goin’ out there.”

Frank did not permit himself to be ruffled20 in the least, but cheerfully retorted:

“I might show what you didn’t know. So, for your sake, it is possible I hadn’t better try it.”

“Rot!” growled the big foreman. “That’s a good way ter squeal21. You’d make a holy show of yerself!”

“I’ll wager22 something that I can break that jam,” said Frank.

[209]

“I’ll go you my pay fer ther drive ag’in a dollar that ye can’t,” exclaimed Sullivan.

“Done!” snapped Frank. “Forest, I want a pair of boots and an ax. I’ll have a crack at those logs.”

“Not on your life!” exclaimed the young lumberman, turning pale. “I wouldn’t think of letting you try such a thing when expert drivers can’t crack the jam.”

Frank smiled in a quiet manner.

“I don’t see how I can back out now, old man,” came calmly from his lips. “If I did, it would be the first time in my life, and that would spoil my record.”

“Record be hanged!” cried Forest. “Those are my logs, and I say you can’t try such a foolish trick!”

“Oh, he wouldn’t durst to try it, anyway,” sneered the foreman. “If ye let him alone, he’ll back out.”

The young lumberman turned angrily on Sullivan, threatening to discharge him if he opened his mouth again. The foreman became quiet, but he gave Merriwell a look that stirred all the blood in the latter’s body.

“Forest,” said Frank, with the same apparent calmness, although he was seething23 internally, “I never took water in my life, and you are no friend to me if you put me in such a bad light now.”

The drivers had gathered around, all of them hearing what had passed. Forest saw some of them grinning in a manner that plainly said they doubted the earnestness of this quiet youth who appeared to desire attempting such a feat24.

That was enough to anger Forest more than ever. He opened his mouth to say something to the men, and then[210] he suddenly remembered the stories he had heard of the remarkable25 deeds of Frank Merriwell. He turned and surveyed Frank steadily26 for some seconds, and when he next spoke it was to order some boots.

“Here,” he said to one of the men, “your boots will fit him. Take them off.”

The man did so at once. A few moments later Merriwell was pulling the boots on.

Both Diamond and Hodge knew it would be useless to attempt to change Frank’s determination to go out on the jam, and they did not try.

Diamond shook his head, but Bart looked confident.

“He’ll do it,” declared Hodge, speaking in Jack27’s ear.

“He may,” confessed the Virginian, “but he is sure to be killed.”

“I don’t believe it.”

“He can’t escape. It takes a skillful river driver to do that.”

“He has been through too many dangers to be killed by a pile of logs.”

“The time comes for every man.”

“You are a fatalist.”

“Yes.”

“Then, if what you believe is true, he will not be killed unless it is his time to die. If it is his time, nothing can save him.”

“That is just the size of it.”

“Then he may as well make the attempt.”

Jack was not cold-blooded, but he seemed to have imbibed28 some of Merriwell’s coolness now.

[211]

Having drawn29 on the boots, Frank took off his coat and vest and cast them aside, throwing his cap upon them.

“Bring me an ax.”

One was quickly furnished him.

Diamond longed to shake Frank’s hand, but he knew Merry would not like a scene, and so he refrained.

Hans Dunnerwust had not said a word, but his appearance seemed to indicate that he fully realized the danger Frank was going into.

With the utmost deliberation, Merriwell started out upon the jam, springing lightly from log to log, despite the heavy boots.

The crowd on shore watched him in silence.

Twice Frank, stopped to examine the formation of the jam, and Sullivan, unable to keep still longer, sneered:

“He’s tryin’ ter make somebody believe he knows somethin’ about it. It’s more’n even chances he’ll cut one of his own feet open with that ax ther fust clip.”

“He’ll break that jam, whether he ever reaches shore or not,” said Jack Diamond, savagely30.

“Rot!” grunted Sullivan.

At last Frank stopped. He did not begin chopping at once, but again he seemed to be examining the formation of the jam. Then he surveyed the distance to the shore.

“Bah!” muttered the foreman. “He’s goin’ ter back out!”

Then Frank was seen to brace31 himself and swing the[212] ax in the air. In a moment the chips were flying before the lusty blows.

“Vale,” grunted Hans, “dot don’d look so much like he vos goin’ to back oudt, did id? You don’d knew so much as I thought I did, Mister Man.”

“Well, he’s a fool ter chop on that log,” declared Sullivan. “That ain’t ther key.”

“Wait and see.”

The men on shore were surprised at the skill with which the lad swung the ax. He did not appear much like a novice32, and, after that look toward the shore, he did not survey the distance again.

Breathlessly the spectators watched the work go on.

“He must be pretty well through the log,” said some one.

Then there was a thunderous crash, and the jam broke.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 kin 22Zxv     
n.家族,亲属,血缘关系;adj.亲属关系的,同类的
参考例句:
  • He comes of good kin.他出身好。
  • She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。
2 grunted f18a3a8ced1d857427f2252db2abbeaf     
(猪等)作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 ); (指人)发出类似的哼声; 咕哝着说
参考例句:
  • She just grunted, not deigning to look up from the page. 她只咕哝了一声,继续看书,不屑抬起头来看一眼。
  • She grunted some incomprehensible reply. 她咕噜着回答了些令人费解的话。
3 puffed 72b91de7f5a5b3f6bdcac0d30e24f8ca     
adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 );喷着汽(或烟)移动;吹嘘;吹捧
参考例句:
  • He lit a cigarette and puffed at it furiously. 他点燃了一支香烟,狂吸了几口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He felt grown-up, puffed up with self-importance. 他觉得长大了,便自以为了不起。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 dynamite rrPxB     
n./vt.(用)炸药(爆破)
参考例句:
  • The workmen detonated the dynamite.工人们把炸药引爆了。
  • The philosopher was still political dynamite.那位哲学家仍旧是政治上的爆炸性人物。
5 dimes 37551f2af09566bec564431ef9bd3d6d     
n.(美国、加拿大的)10分铸币( dime的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Pennies, nickles, dimes and quarters are United States coins. 1分铜币、5分镍币、1角银币和2角5分银币是美国硬币。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • In 1965 the mint stopped putting silver in dimes. 1965年,铸币厂停止向10分硬币中加入银的成分。 来自辞典例句
6 spoke XryyC     
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
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
7 cartridge fXizt     
n.弹壳,弹药筒;(装磁带等的)盒子
参考例句:
  • Unfortunately the 2G cartridge design is very difficult to set accurately.不幸地2G弹药筒设计非常难正确地设定。
  • This rifle only holds one cartridge.这支来复枪只能装一发子弹。
8 scramble JDwzg     
v.爬行,攀爬,杂乱蔓延,碎片,片段,废料
参考例句:
  • He broke his leg in his scramble down the wall.他爬墙摔断了腿。
  • It was a long scramble to the top of the hill.到山顶须要爬登一段长路。
9 fully Gfuzd     
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地
参考例句:
  • The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气,然后全部呼出。
  • They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
10 afterward fK6y3     
adv.后来;以后
参考例句:
  • Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏,然后吃饭。
  • Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来,这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。
11 growled 65a0c9cac661e85023a63631d6dab8a3     
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
参考例句:
  • \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道:“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 fend N78yA     
v.照料(自己),(自己)谋生,挡开,避开
参考例句:
  • I've had to fend for myself since I was 14.我从十四岁时起就不得不照料自己。
  • He raised his arm up to fend branches from his eyes.他举手将树枝从他眼前挡开。
13 beavers 87070e8082105b943967bbe495b7d9f7     
海狸( beaver的名词复数 ); 海狸皮毛; 棕灰色; 拼命工作的人
参考例句:
  • In 1928 some porpoises were photographed working like beavers to push ashore a waterlogged mattress. 1928年有人把这些海豚象海狸那样把一床浸泡了水的褥垫推上岸时的情景拍摄了下来。
  • Thus do the beavers, thus do the bees, thus do men. 海狸是这样做的,蜜蜂是这样做的,人也是这样做的。
14 thoroughly sgmz0J     
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地
参考例句:
  • The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
  • The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。
15 hustled 463e6eb3bbb1480ba4bfbe23c0484460     
催促(hustle的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • He grabbed her arm and hustled her out of the room. 他抓住她的胳膊把她推出房间。
  • The secret service agents hustled the speaker out of the amphitheater. 特务机关的代理人把演讲者驱逐出竞技场。
16 ashore tNQyT     
adv.在(向)岸上,上岸
参考例句:
  • The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前,孩子们就上岸了。
  • He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。
17 proceedings Wk2zvX     
n.进程,过程,议程;诉讼(程序);公报
参考例句:
  • He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
  • to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼
18 torrent 7GCyH     
n.激流,洪流;爆发,(话语等的)连发
参考例句:
  • The torrent scoured a channel down the hillside. 急流沿着山坡冲出了一条沟。
  • Her pent-up anger was released in a torrent of words.她压抑的愤怒以滔滔不绝的话爆发了出来。
19 sneered 0e3b5b35e54fb2ad006040792a867d9f     
讥笑,冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He sneered at people who liked pop music. 他嘲笑喜欢流行音乐的人。
  • It's very discouraging to be sneered at all the time. 成天受嘲讽是很令人泄气的。
20 ruffled e4a3deb720feef0786be7d86b0004e86     
adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • She ruffled his hair affectionately. 她情意绵绵地拨弄着他的头发。
  • All this talk of a strike has clearly ruffled the management's feathers. 所有这些关于罢工的闲言碎语显然让管理层很不高兴。
21 squeal 3Foyg     
v.发出长而尖的声音;n.长而尖的声音
参考例句:
  • The children gave a squeal of fright.孩子们发出惊吓的尖叫声。
  • There was a squeal of brakes as the car suddenly stopped.小汽车突然停下来时,车闸发出尖叫声。
22 wager IH2yT     
n.赌注;vt.押注,打赌
参考例句:
  • They laid a wager on the result of the race.他们以竞赛的结果打赌。
  • I made a wager that our team would win.我打赌我们的队会赢。
23 seething e6f773e71251620fed3d8d4245606fcf     
沸腾的,火热的
参考例句:
  • The stadium was a seething cauldron of emotion. 体育场内群情沸腾。
  • The meeting hall was seething at once. 会场上顿时沸腾起来了。
24 feat 5kzxp     
n.功绩;武艺,技艺;adj.灵巧的,漂亮的,合适的
参考例句:
  • Man's first landing on the moon was a feat of great daring.人类首次登月是一个勇敢的壮举。
  • He received a medal for his heroic feat.他因其英雄业绩而获得一枚勋章。
25 remarkable 8Vbx6     
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
参考例句:
  • She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
  • These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
26 steadily Qukw6     
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地
参考例句:
  • The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
  • Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。
27 jack 53Hxp     
n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克
参考例句:
  • I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
  • He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。
28 imbibed fc2ca43ab5401c1fa27faa9c098ccc0d     
v.吸收( imbibe的过去式和过去分词 );喝;吸取;吸气
参考例句:
  • They imbibed the local cider before walking home to dinner. 他们在走回家吃饭之前喝了本地的苹果酒。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Hester Prynne imbibed this spirit. 海丝特 - 白兰汲取了这一精神。 来自英汉文学 - 红字
29 drawn MuXzIi     
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的
参考例句:
  • All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
  • Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
30 savagely 902f52b3c682f478ddd5202b40afefb9     
adv. 野蛮地,残酷地
参考例句:
  • The roses had been pruned back savagely. 玫瑰被狠狠地修剪了一番。
  • He snarled savagely at her. 他向她狂吼起来。
31 brace 0WzzE     
n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备
参考例句:
  • My daughter has to wear a brace on her teeth. 我的女儿得戴牙套以矫正牙齿。
  • You had better brace yourself for some bad news. 有些坏消息,你最好做好准备。
32 novice 1H4x1     
adj.新手的,生手的
参考例句:
  • As a novice writer,this is something I'm interested in.作为初涉写作的人,我对此很感兴趣。
  • She realized that she was a novice.她知道自己初出茅庐。


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