Winter set in early and continued late; which in the end was a good thing for the year's cut. The season was capricious, hanging for days at a time at the brink1 of a thaw2, only to stiffen3 again into severe weather. This was trying on the nerves. For at each of these false alarms the six camps fell into a feverish4 haste to get the job finished before the break-up. It was really quite extraordinary how much was accomplished5 under the nagging6 spur of weather conditions and the cruel rowelling of Thorpe.
The latter had now no thought beyond his work, and that was the thought of a madman. He had been stern and unyielding enough before, goodness knows, but now he was terrible. His restless energy permeated7 every molecule8 in the economic structure over which he presided, roused it to intense vibration9. Not for an instant was there a resting spell. The veriest chore-boy talked, thought, dreamed of nothing but saw logs. Men whispered vaguely10 of a record cut. Teamsters looked upon their success or failure to keep near the top on the day's haul as a signal victory or a disgraceful defeat. The difficulties of snow, accident, topography which an ever-watchful nature threw down before the rolling car of this industry, were swept aside like straws. Little time was wasted and no opportunities. It did not matter how smoothly11 affairs happened to be running for the moment, every advantage, even the smallest, was eagerly seized to advance the work. A drop of five degrees during the frequent warm spells brought out the sprinklers, even in dead of night; an accident was white-hot in the forge almost before the crack of the iron had ceased to echo. At night the men fell into their bunks13 like sandbags, and their last conscious thought, if indeed they had any at all, was of eagerness for the morrow in order that they might push the grand total up another notch14. It was madness; but it was the madness these men loved.
For now to his old religion Thorpe had added a fanaticism15, and over the fanaticism was gradually creeping a film of doubt. To the conscientious16 energy which a sense of duty supplied, was added the tremendous kinetic17 force of a love turned into other channels. And in the wild nights while the other men slept, Thorpe's half-crazed brain was revolving18 over and over again the words of the sentence he had heard from Hilda's lips: "There can be nothing better than love."
His actions, his mind, his very soul vehemently19 denied the proposition. He clung as ever to his high Puritanic idea of man's purpose. But down deep in a very tiny, sacred corner of his heart a very small voice sometimes made itself heard when other, more militant20 voices were still: "It may be; it may be!"
The influence of this voice was practically nothing. It made itself heard occasionally. Perhaps even, for the time being, its weight counted on the other side of the scale; for Thorpe took pains to deny it fiercely, both directly and indirectly21 by increased exertions22. But it persisted; and once in a moon or so, when the conditions were quite favorable, it attained23 for an instant a shred24 of belief.
Probably never since the Puritan days of New England has a community lived as sternly as did that winter of 1888 the six camps under Thorpe's management. There was something a little inspiring about it. The men fronted their daily work with the same grim-faced, clear-eyed steadiness of veterans going into battle;--with the same confidence, the same sure patience that disposes effectively of one thing before going on to the next. There was little merely excitable bustle25; there was no rest. Nothing could stand against such a spirit. Nothing did. The skirmishers which the wilderness26 threw out, were brushed away. Even the inevitable27 delays seemed not so much stoppages as the instant's pause of a heavy vehicle in a snow drift, succeeded by the momentary28 acceleration29 as the plunge30 carried it through. In the main, and by large, the machine moved steadily31 and inexorably.
And yet one possessed32 of the finer spiritual intuitions could not have shaken off the belief in an impending33 struggle. The feel of it was in the air. Nature's forces were too mighty34 to be so slightly overcome; the splendid energy developed in these camps too vast to be wasted on facile success. Over against each other were two great powers, alike in their calm confidence, animated35 with the loftiest and most dignified36 spirit of enmity. Slowly they were moving toward each other. The air was surcharged with the electricity of their opposition37. Just how the struggle would begin was uncertain; but its inevitability38 was as assured as its magnitude. Thorpe knew it, and shut his teeth, looking keenly about him. The Fighting Forty knew it, and longed for the grapple to come. The other camps knew it, and followed their leader with perfect trust. The affair was an epitome39 of the historic combats begun with David and Goliath. It was an affair of Titans. The little courageous40 men watched their enemy with cat's eyes.
The last month of hauling was also one of snow. In this condition were few severe storms, but each day a little fell. By and by the accumulation amounted to much. In the woods where the wind could not get at it, it lay deep and soft above the tops of bushes. The grouse41 ate browse42 from the slender hardwood tips like a lot of goldfinches, or precipitated43 themselves headlong down through five feet of snow to reach the ground. Often Thorpe would come across the irregular holes of their entrance. Then if he took the trouble to stamp about a little in the vicinity with his snowshoes, the bird would spring unexpectedly from the clear snow, scattering44 a cloud with its strong wings. The deer, herded45 together, tramped "yards" where the feed was good. Between the yards ran narrow trails. When the animals went from one yard to another in these trails, their ears and antlers alone were visible. On either side of the logging roads the snow piled so high as to form a kind of rampart. When all this water in suspense46 should begin to flow, and to seek its level in the water-courses of the district, the logs would have plenty to float them, at least.
So late did the cold weather last that, even with the added plowing47 to do, the six camps beat all records. On the banks at Camp One were nine million feet; the totals of all five amounted to thirty-three million. About ten million of this was on French Creek48; the remainder on the main banks of the Ossawinamakee. Besides this the firm up-river, Sadler & Smith, had put up some twelve million more. The drive promised to be quite an affair.
About the fifteenth of April attention became strained. Every day the mounting sun made heavy attacks on the snow: every night the temperature dropped below the freezing point. The river began to show more air holes, occasional open places. About the center the ice looked worn and soggy. Someone saw a flock of geese high in the air. Then came rain.
One morning early, Long Pine Jim came into the men's camp bearing a huge chunk49 of tallow. This he held against the hot stove until its surface had softened50, when he began to swab liberal quantities of grease on his spiked51 river shoes, which he fished out from under his bunk12.
"She's comin', boys," said he.
He donned a pair of woolen52 trousers that had been chopped off at the knee, thick woolen stockings, and the river shoes. Then he tightened53 his broad leather belt about his heavy shirt, cocked his little hat over his ear, and walked over in the corner to select a peavey from the lot the blacksmith had just put in shape. A peavey is like a cant-hook except that it is pointed54 at the end. Thus it can be used either as a hook or a pike. At the same moment Shearer55, similarly attired56 and equipped, appeared in the doorway57. The opening of the portal admitted a roar of sound. The river was rising.
"Come on, boys, she's on!" said he sharply.
Outside, the cook and cookee were stowing articles in the already loaded wanigan. The scow contained tents, blankets, provisions, and a portable stove. It followed the drive, and made a camp wherever expediency58 demanded.
"Lively, boys, lively!" shouted Thorpe. "She'll be down on us before we know it!"
Above the soft creaking of dead branches in the wind sounded a steady roar, like the bellowing59 of a wild beast lashing60 itself to fury. The freshet was abroad, forceful with the strength of a whole winter's accumulated energy.
The men heard it and their eyes brightened with the lust61 of battle. They cheered.
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1
brink
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| n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿 | |
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thaw
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| v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和 | |
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stiffen
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| v.(使)硬，(使)变挺，(使)变僵硬 | |
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feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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nagging
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| adj.唠叨的，挑剔的；使人不得安宁的v.不断地挑剔或批评（某人）( nag的现在分词 )；不断地烦扰或伤害（某人）；无休止地抱怨；不断指责 | |
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permeated
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| 弥漫( permeate的过去式和过去分词 )； 遍布； 渗入； 渗透 | |
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molecule
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| n.分子，克分子 | |
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vibration
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| n.颤动，振动；摆动 | |
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vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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bunk
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| n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话 | |
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bunks
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| n.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的名词复数 )；空话，废话v.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的第三人称单数 )；空话，废话 | |
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notch
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| n.(V字形)槽口，缺口，等级 | |
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fanaticism
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| n.狂热，盲信 | |
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conscientious
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| adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的 | |
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kinetic
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| adj.运动的；动力学的 | |
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revolving
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| adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想 | |
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vehemently
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| adv. 热烈地 | |
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militant
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| adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士 | |
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indirectly
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| adv.间接地，不直接了当地 | |
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exertions
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| n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使 | |
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attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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shred
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| v.撕成碎片，变成碎片；n.碎布条，细片，些少 | |
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bustle
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| v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹 | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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acceleration
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| n.加速，加速度 | |
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plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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impending
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| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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inevitability
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| n.必然性 | |
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epitome
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| n.典型，梗概 | |
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courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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grouse
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| n.松鸡；v.牢骚，诉苦 | |
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browse
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| vi.随意翻阅，浏览；(牛、羊等)吃草 | |
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precipitated
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| v.（突如其来地）使发生( precipitate的过去式和过去分词 )；促成；猛然摔下；使沉淀 | |
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44
scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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45
herded
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| 群集，纠结( herd的过去式和过去分词 )； 放牧； （使）向…移动 | |
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suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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47
plowing
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| v.耕( plow的现在分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过 | |
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creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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chunk
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| n.厚片，大块，相当大的部分（数量） | |
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50
softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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51
spiked
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| adj.有穗的；成锥形的；有尖顶的 | |
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52
woolen
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| adj.羊毛(制)的；毛纺的 | |
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53
tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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shearer
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| n.剪羊毛的人；剪切机 | |
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attired
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| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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expediency
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| n.适宜；方便；合算；利己 | |
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59
bellowing
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的现在分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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lashing
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| n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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lust
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| n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望 | |
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