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called a 〃boomerang。〃
〃Invention of my own；〃 he explained to Newmark。 Secret invention
just yet。 I'm going to hold up the drive in the main river until we
have things bunched； then I'm going to throw a big crew down here by
the swing。 Heinzman anticipates； of course； that I'll run the
entire drive into the booms and do all my sorting there。 Naturally；
if I turn his logs loose into the river as fast as I run across
them； he will be able to pick them up one at a time； for he'll only
get them occasionally。 If I keep them until everything else is
sorted； only Heinzman's logs will remain； and as we have no right to
hold logs； we'll have to turn them loose through the lower sorting
booms； where he can be ready to raft them。 In that way he gets them
all right without paying us a cent。 See？〃
〃Yes； I see；〃 said Newmark。
〃Well；〃 said Orde； with a laugh； 〃here is where I fool him。 I'm
going to rush the drive into the booms all at once； but I'm going to
sort out Heinzman's logs at these openings near the entrance and
turn them into the main channel。〃
〃What good will that do？〃 asked Newmark sceptically。 〃He gets them
sorted just the same； doesn't he？〃
〃The current's fairly strong；〃 Orde pointed out； 〃and the river's
almighty wide。 When you spring seven or eight million feet on a
man； all at once and unexpected； and he with no crew to handle them；
he's going to keep almighty busy。 And if he don't stop them this
side his mill； he'll have to raft and tow them back； and if he don't
stop 'em this side the lake； he may as well kiss them all good bye
except those that drift into the bayous and inlets and marshes； and
other ungodly places。〃
〃I see；〃 said Newmark drily。
〃But don't say a word anywhere；〃 warned Orde。 〃Secrecy is the
watchword of success with this merry little joke。〃
The boomerang worked like a charm。 The men had been grumbling at an
apparently peaceful yielding of the point at issue； and would have
sacked out many of the blazed logs if Orde had not held them rigidly
to it。 Now their spirits flamed into joy again。 The sorting went
like clockwork。 Orde； in personal charge； watched that through the
different openings in his 〃boomerang〃 the 〃H〃 logs were shunted into
the river。 Shortly the channel was full of logs floating merrily
away down the little blue wavelets。 After a while Orde handed over
his job to Tom North。
〃Can't stand it any longer； boys；〃 said he。 〃I've got to go down
and see how the Dutchman is making it。〃
〃Come back and tell us！〃 yelled one of the crew。
〃You bet I will！〃 Orde shouted back。
He drove the team and buckboard down the marsh road to Heinzman's
mill。 There he found evidences of the wildest excitement。 The mill
had been closed down； and all the men turned in to rescue logs。
Boats plied in all directions。 A tug darted back and forth。
Constantly the number of floating logs augmented； however。 Many had
already gone by。
〃If you think you're busy now；〃 said Orde to himself with a chuckle；
〃just wait until you begin to get LOGS。〃
He watched for a few moments in silence。
〃What's he doing with that tug？〃 thought he。 〃O…ho！ He's stringing
booms across the river to hold the whole outfit。〃
He laughed aloud； turned his team about； and drove frantically back
to the booms。 Every few moments he chuckled。 His eyes danced。
Hardly could he wait to get there。 Once at the camp； he leaped from
the buckboard； with a shout to the stableman； and ran rapidly out
over the booms to where the sorting of 〃H〃 logs was going merrily
forward。
〃He's shut down his mill；〃 shouted Orde； 〃and he's got all that gang
of highbankers out； and every old rum…blossom in Monrovia； and I bet
if you say 'logs' to him； he'd chase his tail in circles。〃
〃Want this job？〃 North asked him。
〃No；〃 said Orde； suddenly fallen solemn； 〃haven't time。 I'm going
to take Marsh and the SPRITE and go to town。 Old Heinzman；〃 he
added as an afterthought； 〃is stringing booms across the river
obstructing navigation。〃
He ran down the length of the whole boom to where lay the two tugs。
〃Marsh；〃 he called when still some distance away； 〃got up steam？〃
There appeared a short； square； blue…clad man； with hard brown
cheeks； a heavy bleached flaxen moustache； and eyes steady；
unwavering； and as blue as the sky。
〃Up in two minutes；〃 he answered； and descended from the pilot house
to shout down a low door leading from the deck into the engine room。
〃Harvey；〃 he commanded； 〃fire her up！〃
A tall； good…natured negro reached the upper half of his body from
the low door to seize an armful of the slabs piled along the narrow
deck。 Ten minutes later the SPRITE； a cloud of white smoke pouring
from her funnel； was careening down the stretch of the river。
Captain Marsh guided his energetic charge among the logs floating in
the stream with the marvellous second instinct of the expert tugboat
man。 A whirl of the wheel to the right； a turn to the leftthe
craft heeled strongly under the forcing of her powerful rudder to
avoid by an arm's…length some timbers fairly flung aside by the
wash。 The displacement of the rapid running seemed almost to press
the water above the level of the deck on either side and about ten
feet from the gunwale。 As the low marshes and cat…tails flew past；
Orde noted with satisfaction that many of the logs； urged one side
by the breeze； had found lodgment among the reeds and in the bayous
and inlets。 One at a time； and painfully； these would have to be
salvaged。
In a short time the mills' tall smokestacks loomed in sight。 The
logs thickened until it was with difficulty that Captain Marsh could
thread his way among them at all。 Shortly Orde； standing by the
wheel in the pilot…house； could see down the stretches of the river
a crowd of men working antlike。
〃They've got 'em stopped；〃 commented Orde。 〃Look at that gang
working from boats！ They haven't a dozen 'cork boots' among 'em。〃
〃What do you want me to do？〃 asked Captain Marsh。
〃This is a navigable river； isn't it？〃 replied Orde。 〃Run through！〃
Marsh rang for half…speed and began to nose his way gently through
the loosely floating logs。 Soon the tug had reached the scene of
activity； and headed straight for the slender line of booms hitched
end to end and stretching quite across the river。
〃I'm afraid we'll just ride over them if we hit them too slow；〃
suggested Marsh。
Orde looked at his watch。
〃We'll be late for the mail unless we hurry；〃 said he。 Marsh
whirled the spokes of his wheel over and rang the engine…room bell。
The water churned white behind； the tug careened。
〃Vat you do！ Stop！〃 cried Heinzman from one of the boatse； his head still out
the door； looked back。 〃Slow down； Marsh；〃
said he。 〃Let's see the show。〃 Already the logs caught by the
booms had taken their motion and had swept past the opening。
Although the lonesome tug Heinzman had on the work immediately
picked up one end of the broken boom； and with it started out into
the river； she found difficulty in making headway against the sweep
of the logs。 After a long struggle she reached the middle of the
river； where she was able to hold her own。
〃Wonder what next？〃 speculated Orde。 〃How are they going to get the
other end of the booms out from the other bank？〃
Captain Marsh had reversed the SPRITE。 The tug lay nearly
motionless amidstream； her propeller slowly revolving。
Up river all the small boats gathered in a line； connected one to
the other by a rope。 The tug passed over to them the cable attached
to the boom。 Evidently the combined efforts of the rowboats were
cou。
Orde stuck his head from the pilot…house door。
〃You're obstructing navigation！〃 he yelled。 〃I've got to go to town
to buy a postage…stamp。〃
The prow of the tug； accurately aimed by Marsh； hit square in the
junction of two of the booms。 Immediately the water was agitated on
both sides and for a hundred feet or so by the pressure of the long
poles sidewise。 There ensued a moment of strain； then the links
snapped； and the SPRITE plunged joyously through the opening。 The
booms； swept aside by the current； floated to either shore。 The
river was open。
Ordnted on to hold the half…boom across the current while the tug
brought out the other half。 When the tug dropped the cable； Orde
laughed。
〃Nobody but a Dutchman would have thought of that！〃 he cried。 〃 Now
for the fun！〃
Immediately the weight fell on the small boats； they were dragged
irresistibly backward。 Even from a distance the three men on the
SPRITE could make out the white…water as the oars splashed and
churned and frantically caught crabs in a vain effort to hold their
own。 Marsh lower