the bridge-builders-第1章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！







The　Bridge…Builders



by　Mark　Twain　＇Samuel　Clemens＇









The　least　that　Findlayson；　of　the　Public　Works　Department；

expected　was　a　C。I。E。；　he　dreamed　of　a　C。S。I。　　Indeed；　his

friends　told　him　that　he　deserved　more。　　For　three　years　he　had

endured　heat　and　cold；　disappointment；　discomfort；　danger；　and

disease；　with　responsibility　almost　to　top…heavy　for　one　pair　of

shoulders；　and　day　by　day；　through　that　time；　the　great　Kashi

Bridge　over　the　Ganges　had　grown　under　his　charge。　　Now；　in　less

than　three　months；　if　all　went　well；　his　Excellency　the　Viceroy

would　open　the　bridge　in　state；　an　archbishop　would　bless　it；　and

the　first　trainload　of　soldiers　would　come　over　it；　and　there

would　be　speeches。



Findlayson；　C。　E。；　sat　in　his　trolley　on　a　construction　line

that　ran　along　one　of　the　main　revetments　…　the　huge　stone…faced

banks　that　flared　away　north　and　south　for　three　miles　on　either

side　of　the　river　and　permitted　himself　to　think　of　the　end。　

With　its　approaches；　his　work　was　one　mile　and　three…quarters　in

length；　a　lattice…girder　bridge；　trussed　with　the　Findlayson

truss　standing　on　seven…and…twenty　brick　piers。　　Each　one　of

those　piers　was　twenty…four　feet　in　diameter；　capped　with　red

Agra　stone　and　sunk　eighty　feet　below　the　shifting　sand　of　the

Ganges'　bed。　Above　them　was　a　railway…line　fifteen　feet　broad；

above　that；　again；　a　cart…road　of　eighteen　feet；　flanked　with

footpaths。　　At　either　end　rose　towers；　of　red　brick；　loopholed

for　musketry　and　pierced　for　big　guns；　and　the　ramp　of　the　road

was　being　pushed　forward　to　their　haunches。　　The　raw　earth…ends

were　crawling　and　alive　with　hundreds　upon　hundreds　of　tiny　asses

climbing　out　of　the　yawning　borrow…pit　below　with　sackfuls　of

stuff；　and　the　hot　afternoon　air　was　filled　with　the　noise　of

hooves；　the　rattle　of　the　drivers'　sticks；　and　the　swish　and

roll…down　of　the　dirt。　The　river　was　very　low；　and　on　the

dazzling　white　sand　between　the　three　centre　piers　stood　squat

cribs　of　railway…sleepers；　filled　within　and　daubed　without　with

mud；　to　support　the　last　of　the　girders　as　those　were　riveted　up。　

In　the　little　deep　water　left　by　the　drought；　an　overhead　crane

travelled　to　and　fro　along　its　spile…pier；　jerking　sections　of

iron　into　place；　snorting　and　backing　and　grunting　as　an　elephant

grunts　in　the　timberyard。　Riveters　by　the　hundred　swarmed　about

the　lattice　side…work　and　the　iron　roof　of　the　railway　line　hung

from　invisible　staging　under　the　bellies　of　the　girders；

clustered　round　the　throats　of　the　piers；　and　rode　on　the

overhang　of　the　footpath…stanchions；　their　fire…pots　and　the

spurts　of　flame　that　answered　each　hammer…stroke　showing　no　more

than　pale　yellow　in　the　sun's　glare。　　East　and　west　and　north　and

south　the　construction…trains　rattled　and　shrieked　up　and　down

the　embankments；　the　piled　trucks　of　brown　and　white　stone

banging　behind　them　till　the　side…boards　were　unpinned；　and　with

a　roar　and　a　grumble　a　few　thousand　tons'　more　material　were

flung　out　to　hold　the　river　in　place。



Findlayson；　C。　E。；　turned　on　his　trolley　and　looked　over　the

face　of　the　country　that　he　had　changed　for　seven　miles　around。

Looked　back　on　the　humming　village　of　five　thousand　work…men；　up

stream　and　down；　along　the　vista　of　spurs　and　sand；　across　the

river　to　the　far　piers；　lessening　in　the　haze；　overhead　to　the

guard…towers　…and　only　he　knew　how　strong　those　were　…　and　with　a

sigh　of　contentment　saw　that　his　work　was　good。　　There　stood　his

bridge　before　him　in　the　sunlight；　lacking　only　a　few　weeks'　work

on　the　girders　of　the　three　middle　piers　…　his　bridge；　raw　and

ugly　as　original　sin；　but　pukka　…　permanent　…　to　endure　when　all

memory　of　the　builder；　yea；　even　of　the　splendid　Findlayson

truss；　has　perished。　　Practically；　the　thing　was　done。



Hitchcock；　his　assistant；　cantered　along　the　line　on　a　little

switch…tailed　Kabuli　pony　who　through　long　practice　could　have

trotted　securely　over　trestle；　and　nodded　to　his　chief。



〃All　but；〃　said　he；　with　a　smile。



〃I've　been　thinking　about　it；〃　the　senior　answered。　　〃Not　half　a

bad　job　for　two　men；　is　it？〃



〃One　…　and　a　half。　　'Gad；　what　a　Cooper's　Hill　cub　I　was　when　I

came　on　the　works！〃　　Hitchcock　felt　very　old　in　the　crowded

experiences　of　the　past　three　years；　that　had　taught　him　power

and　responsibility。



〃You　were　rather　a　colt；〃　said　Findlayson。　　〃I　wonder　how　you'll

like　going　back　to　office…work　when　this　job's　over。〃



〃I　shall　hate　it！〃　said　the　young　man；　and　as　he　went　on　his　eye

followed　Findlayson's；　and　he　muttered；　〃Isn't　it　damned　good？〃



〃I　think　we'll　go　up　the　service　together；〃　Findlayson　said　to

himself。　　〃You're　too　good　a　youngster　to　waste　on　another　man。

Cub　thou　wast；　assistant　thou　art。　　Personal　assistant；　and　at　Simla；

thou　shalt　be；　if　any　credit　comes　to　me　out　of　the　business！〃



Indeed；　the　burden　of　the　work　had　fallen　altogether　on

Findlayson　and　his　assistant；　the　young　man　whom　he　had　chosen

because　of　his　rawness　to　break　to　his　own　needs。　　There　were

labour　contractors　by　the　half…hundred　…　fitters　and　riveters；

European；　borrowed　from　the　railway　workshops；　with；　perhaps；

twenty　white　and　half…caste　subordinates　to　direct；　under

direction；　the　bevies　of　workmen　…　but　none　knew　better　than

these　two；　who　trusted　each　other；　how　the　underlings　were　not　to

be　trusted。　　They　had　been　tried　many　times　in　sudden　crises　…

by　slipping　of　booms；　by　breaking　of　tackle；　failure　of　cranes；

and　the　wrath　of　the　river　…　but　no　stress　had　brought　to　light

any　man　among　men　whom　Findlayson　and　Hitchcock　would　have

honoured　by　working　as　remorselessly　as　they　worked　them…selves。

Findlayson　thought　it　over　from　the　beginning：　the　months　of

offce…work　destroyed　at　a　blow　when　the　Government　of　India；　at

the　last　moment；　added　two　feet　to　the　width　of　the　bridge；　under

the　impression　that　bridges　were　cut　out　of　paper；　and　so　brought

to　ruin　at　least　half　an　acre　of　calculations…　and　Hitchcock；　new

to　disappointment；　buried　his　head　in　his　arms　and　wept；　the

heart…breaking　delays　over　the　filling　of　the　contracts　in

England；　the　futile　correspondences　hinting　at　great　wealth　of

commissions　if　one；　only　one；　rather　doubtful　consignment　were

passed；　the　war　that　followed　the　refusal；　the　careful；　polite

obstruction　at　the　other　end　that　followed　the　war；　till　young

Hitchcock；　putting　one　month's　leave　to　another　month；　and

borrowing　ten　days　from　Findlayson；　spent　his　poor　little　savings

of　a　year　in　a　wild　dash　to　London；　and　there；　as　his　own　tongue

asserted　and　the　later　consignments　proved；　put　the　fear　of　God

into　a　man　so　great　that　he　feared　only　Parliament　and　said　so

till　Hitchcock　wrought　with　him　across　his　own　dinner　table；　and

…　he　feared　the　Kashi　Bridge　and　all　who　spoke　in　its　name。　　Then

there　was　the　cholera　that　came　in　the　night　to　the　village　by

the　bridge　works；　and　after　the　cholera　smote　the　small…pox。　　The

fever　they　had　always　with　them。　　Hitchcock　had　been　appointed　a

magistrate　of　the　third　class　with　whipping　powers；　for　the

better　government　of　the　community；　and　Findlayson　watched　him

wield　his　powers　temperately；　learning　what　to　overlook　and　what

to　look　after。　　It　was　a　long；　long　reverie；　and　it　covered

storm；　sudden　freshets；　death　in　every　manner　and　shape；　violent

and　awful　rage　against　red　tape　half　frenzying　a　mind　that　knows

it　should　be　busy　on　other　things；　drought；　sanitation；　finance；

birth；　wedding；　burial；　and　riot　in　the　village　of　twenty　warring

castes；　argument；　expostulation；　persuasion；　and　the　blank

despair　that　a　man　goes　to　bed　upon；　thankful　that　his　rifle　is

all　in　pieces　in　the　gun…case。　　Behind　everything　rose　the　black

frame　of　the　Kashi　Bridge　…　plate　by　plate；　girder　by　girder；

span　by　span　…　and　each　pier　of　it　recalled　Hitchcock；　the

all…round　man；　who　had　stood　by　his　chief　without　failing　from

the　very　first　to　this　last。



So　the　bridge　was　two　men's　work　…　unless　one　counted　Peroo；　as

Peroo　certainly　counted　himself。　　He　was　a　Lascar；　a　Kharva　from

Bulsar；　familiar　with　every　port　between　Rockhampton　and　London；

who　had　risen　to　the　rank　of　serang　on　the　British　India　boats；

but　wearying　of　routine　musters　and　clean　clothes；　had　thrown　up

the　service　and　gone　inland；　where　men　of　his　calibre　were　sure

of　employment。　　For　his　knowledge　of　tackle　and　the　handling　of

heavy　weights；　Peroo　was　worth　almost　any　price　he　might　have

chosen　to　put　upon　his　services；　but　custom　decreed　the　wage　of

the　overhead…men；　and　Peroo　was　not　within　many　silver　pieces　of

his　proper　value。　　Neither　running　water　nor　extreme　heights　made

him　afraid；　and；　as　an　ex…serang；　he　knew　how　to　hold　authority。

No　piece　of　iron　was　so　big　or　so　badly　placed　that　Peroo　could

not　devise　a　tackle　to　lift　it　…　a　loose…ended；　sagging

arrangement；　rigged　with　a　scandalous　amount　of　talking；　but

perfectly　equal　to　the　work　in　hand。　　It　was　Peroo　who　had　saved

the　girder　of　Number　Seven　pier　from　destruction　when　the　new

wire…rope　jammed　in　the　eye　of　the　crane；　and　the　huge　plate

tilted　in　its　slings；　threatening　to　slide　out　sideways。　　Then

the　native　workmen　lost　their　heads　with　great　shoutings；　and

Hitchcock's　right　arm　was　broken　by　a　falling　T…plate；　and　he

buttoned　it　up　in　his　coat　and　swooned；　and　came　to　and　directed

for　four　hours　till　Peroo；　from　the　top　of　the　crane；　reported

〃All's　well；〃　and　the　plate　swung　home。　　There　was　no　one　like

Peroo；　serang；　to　lash；　and　guy；　and　hold；　to　control　the

donkey…engines；　to　hoist　a　fallen　locomotive　craftily　out　of　the

borrow…pit　into　which　it　had　tumbled；　to　strip；　and　dive；　if　need

be；　to　see　how　the　concrete　blocks　round　the　piers　stood　the

scouring　of　Mother　Gunga；　or　to　adventure　upstream　on　a　monsoon

night　and　report　on　the　state　of　the　embankment…facings。　　He

would　interrupt　the　field…councils　of　Findlayson　and　Hitchcock

without　fear；　till　his　wonderful　English；　or　his　still　more

wonderful　linguafranca；　half　Portuguese　and　half　Malay；　ran　out

and　he　was　forced　to　take　string　and　show　the　knots　that　he　would

recommend。　　He　controlled　his　own　gang　of　tackle　men　…　mysterious

relatives　from　Kutch　Mandvi　gathered　month　by　month　and　tried　to

the　uttermost。　　No　consideration　of　family　or　kin　allowed

Peroo　to　keep　weak　hands　or　a　giddy　head　on　the　pay…roll。

〃My　honour　is　the　honour　of　this　bridge；〃　he　would　say　to　the

about…to…be…dismissed。　　〃What　do　I　care　for　your　honour？

Go　and　work　on　a　steamer。　　That　is　all　you　are　fit　for。〃



The　little　cluster　of　huts　where　he　and　his　gang　lived　centred

round　the　tattered　dwelling　of　a　sea…priest　…　one　who　had　never

set　foot　on　black　water；　but　had　been　chosen　as　ghostly

counsellor　by　two　generations　of　sea…rovers　all　unaffected　by

port　missions　or　those　creeds　which　are　thrust　upon　sailors　by

agencies　along　Thames　bank。　　The　priest　of　the　Las