"One more pile!" breathed Orde, his breath quickening a trifle as he
glanced up stream.
The hammer in the high derrick ran smoothly to the top, paused, and
fell. A half dozen times more it ripped. Then without delay the
heavy chains were thrown around the winch, and the steam power began
to draw the clumps together.
"Done!" cried Tom North, straightening his back.
"And a job in time, too," said Johnny Sims, indicating the creaking
and tottering jam.
North unmoored, and the driver dropped back with the current and
around the bend where she was snubbed by the safety line already
mentioned.
Immediately the tug churned forward to accomplish the last duty,
that of binding the defences together by means of chains and cables.
Two men leaped to the floating booms and moved her fore and aft.
Orde and the Rough Red set about the task. Methodically they worked
from either end toward the middle. When they met finally, Orde
directed his assistant to get aboard the tug.
"I'll tie this one, Jimmy," said he.
Aboard the tug all was tense preparation. Marsh grasped alertly the
spokes of the wheel. In the engine-room Harvey, his hand on the
throttle, stood ready to throw her wide open at the signal.
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