Bridle City Port

by Magi Tail Welkin

Chapter 5: Upriver

After Cloudsdale came over and brought perhaps the worst winter in the history of Bridle City Port, one which fog brought out the odd thoughts of Windigo and sea monster, becoming dubbed "The fog that nearly sent us crazy" the temperature began to rise, the worst finally ended, the harbour's frozen waterways and ice-packed quaysides started to thaw making it a busy time for everyone.

Upriver operations started up again, goods held up by the terrible weather quickly travelled to their destinations by any means be they boat, cart or train.

Further Upriver an equally important, if not more important job started once more. Logging. The lumber ponies in the logging camps started again and began sending logs downriver to the sawmills, while they could send the small one down using the river itself they couldn't send them all down, or disaster for the settlements along the banks, especially Trot Town, the further Upriver settlement. Thanks to the thawing ice and snow the already fast current of the river accelerated to an almost unbeatable speed.

So, to bring up the slack and keep the logs and timber moving and keep the life blood of the river flowing Captain Star sent Big Jock, Sunshine and Ten Bits to cart logs down. Cold work, and very dangerous as previously stated, so the Captain put Big Jock in charge.

Ten Bits already made his way downriver with a cart of logs leaving the others two to handle a huge logjam, it held up their work and trapped log ready to be loaded and transported.

The small white Unicorn and large brown Earth Pony sailed up on individual boats. Sunshine sped up to it and rammed the bow of his boat into couple of logs. Big Jock looked on anxiously "Take it easy Sunshine." He called, he always worked the winter logging contract so stored a wealth of experience about working ex-trees as well as a health respect for them.

Sunshine using his magic pushed him and his boat backwards from the jam and sighed "This is a nasty jam, isn't it?"

"Aye, could sink you. Logs don't care about no-pony.", Sunshine tried another charge and almost crashed into it, an annoyed scowled surfaced along his muzzle "Never thought there'd be this much to logging. Never did this while here Upriver, never went passed the sawmills."

"It's a tricky job," Big Jock replied "logs have got to be roped just right." He turned to some of the lumber ponies trying a trio of the trunks together, another cart waiting beside a crane. The older Star Pony continued his short lecture "Not slack but not too tight."

Sunshine turned to look at his crewmate and innocently confused asked "Isn't tighter the better?"

Big Jock chuckled "You'd think so, but too tight cause friction as they move and that creates heat and they can catch fire." His face turned serious and he returned his gaze to the logjam "And that'll happen here, if we can't get can this jam shifted."

The small Unicorn nodded "Aye, wet logs catching fire I can never get used to that.", Big Jock nodded "Aye, always surprises me. Well must keep at it."

Sunshine nodded and sailed into the inside of the jam, this jam coincidently in a world dominated by equines formed into a horseshoe shape. "Hey Big Jock I have an idea. If I can swing right round using my magic I might be able to push some out instead of bashing them in.
"Maybe." The Earth Pony said with caution "But mind you don't get jammed in yourself."

"Don't worry," the newest of the Star Ponies said as he charged his horn "I'll watch it." No sooner did the words leave his lips did the sound of wood bashing against each other start and get loader.

"Sunshine! Get out!" Big Jock called "It's a chain reaction. Move out!", the Unicorn changed his spell and began speeding out, but the logs moved too fast and ganged up around the Unicorn and the boat, before anyone could utter the words "Oh Luna" or such like it the logjam ended if transformation and became a donut shape, with Sunshine trapped in the middle, "Help!" he yelled.

"Come on," Big Jock called "try harder. Use your magic."

The sound of a horn charging echoed in the air, but after a few moments nothing happed and Sunshine called out again "I cannot budge an inch, I'm trapped."

Big Jock gulped and began sailing down the dock "I'll have to get help, must be someone Upriver besides us."

Sunshine looked around the jam 'You'll need a lot of it to get me out of this.'

As Big Jock clambered out of his boat he saw some of the lumber ponies getting into other boats to help get Sunshine out, he nodded his thanks, but he knew he needed more help to get his crewmate out before thing got worst, and he knew how worse.

At that moment, he heard leathery wing flapping down, he turned to see a dark grey dragon landing, a local odd job dragon of all trade characters, his tendency to eject smoke as he talked earned him the name Puffer, he happened to be a good friend to the Star Ponies. Big Jock knew his speed, almost as fast as Rainbow Dash, though he could never hope to achieve a Sonic Rain-boom. The Earth Pony galloped over and desperately called the Dragon's attention, the scaled flyer grinned and waved his clawed hand "Hi Big Jock, how's it going?"

"Sunshine's trapped in the logjam, go get help.", Puffer looked up and saw the Unicorn stuck and going nowhere fast, his eyes widened and his wings spread "Right. Will do. Yes, I on my way." And he flapped away and headed downriver.

"Thanks Puffer." Big Jock called "I owe you one." The Earth Pony proceeded to jump in his boat and sailed it quickly to the jam "Puffer will get downriver quicker than I could. With luck, he'll see Ten Bits or some-pony. You alright?"

Sunshine nodded he held his front hooves close to his glowing horn using it to keep the cold away, being stuck and unable to move meant he would get cold, "Oh I'm okay, I just have to sit it out no choice."

Big Jock nodded "That right." He then glanced to the part of the jam behind the Unicorn 'Uh oh, I was afraid of that, heat's beginning to build up.'
Sunshine eyed where Big Jock stared "I didn't like to say," he muttered "but I thought…"

Big Jock held his hoof out "Don't worry Sunshine we'll get you out in no time."

Sunshine shifted his tail around and away from what he hoped was not a danger zone 'I hope Puffer gets help. Soon.'

---

Downriver at the first sawmill away from the camps Ten Bits waited for the supplies he would bring back to be loaded. He heard a familiar roar and turned around as Puffer landed, the blue Earth Pony looked confused "Oi Puffer you in trouble?"

"No, you are Ten Bits, Sunshine's trapped in a logjam.", the teenage colt's eyes almost popped out of his head "Where?"

"Well it up at the lake." Puffer said almost laughing at the young Star Pony's question. Ten Bits unhooked his yoke and began running back to the camps "Right I'm on my way thanks."

"Good luck our colt," Puffer said taking off again to head further down the river "you'll need it."

---

Big Jock put on full speed to push his bow into the logjam, he backed up annoyed "No I can't shift them Sunshine, no matter what I do." He looked to the group of lumber ponies trying as well, but they shook their head having done no better.

The Unicorn coughed slightly "Don't worry I'm okay." He coughed again "I didn't know this heat spell could give off smoke."

Big Jock sighed and regretfully said "I'm afraid that smoke isn't coming from your horn."

"No," Sunshine said turning very worried and scared "I didn't think it actually was."

"I've got to get you out of there fast."

"How long do you think it'll be before it bursts into flames?", Big Jock tried another bash at the jam before yelling back "Never timed it."

Another voice filled the air "How'd this happen?" Ten Bits called sailing his own boat up to the jam.

"Never mind how." Big Jock ordered "Swing around and try to push the log away. We've got to get Sunshine out.", Ten Bits nodded and push into the front part of the jam "Right. Look we'll get you out Sunshine.", the larger Earth Pony nodded and added "Just hang on."

Sunshine meanwhile focused on something else, he coughed again 'It's beginning to get warm around here.'

Just them they heard another voice from the jetty, Ten Bits turned almost as white as the snow "Oh no! It Billy Shoepack with his fireworks!"
Sunshine focusing on the moment and almost forgetting his friendship with Billy called out "Tell him to cleat off Ten Bits. Flames and fireworks don't mix."

The teenage Earth Pony quickly sail to the dock and spoke with the carrot-top Pony "Look get out of here Billy. One spark from this landed on your fireworks and we could all go up.", Billy looked up and blinked at Sunshine in the smoking logjam "Hang on, hang on. How did you get in that mess?"

Big Jock didn't have time for this "On purpose Shoepack, just for the fun of it. On your way."

"No." Ten Bits called holding his hoof up, he returned to the river Pony "Wait Billy, could you give us a little blast, just enough to get him out?"

"No!" Big Jock called "He'd blow Sunshine up as well."

Billy became offended "Oh no I won't you'll see."

From inside the jam Sunshine whimpered "You've got to do something."

Big Jock thought carefully about the situation, Sunshine started coughing again, much harder "Haven't had a bad cough, since that nasty, chest, cold, two years, ago."

"It's getting worse." Ten Bit called "Big Jock we've got to risk it. Let Billy have a go.", the larger Earth Pony nodded with a sigh "Aye. Alright Shoepack, but only enough to get Sunshine out. Do you understand?"

"Course." Shoepack laughed getting a few sticks of fireworks out from his wagon and getting onto another boat on the dock "You'll be okay Sunshine."

"Not enough to blow me out of the water eh?", Billy nodded as he started sailing towards the jam "No problem a controlled explosion is all we need isn't it."

Big Jock nodded remembering the landslide incident, Shoepack knew how to handle fireworks "Aye. Very controlled.", Shoepack passed him "Out of my way." Some of the lumber ponies quickly moved away as well as Shoepack announced "I'm in charge now."

'That's what I'm afraid of.' Big Jock thought to himself. He watched the white Earth Pony fix fuses to the sticks of fireworks and place the ends near to a burning log "All set." He called and quickly sailed back as a flame trailed up the fuse "Get well back everybody."

'Oh, I wish I could." Sunshine thought watching the fuses shrink.

Ten Bits back away himself "It's not going to be a big bang, is it Billy? Are you sure?"

"I said well back to be on the safe side.", he heard Sunshine comment "I wish I could be on the safe side as well.", stifling his laugh Billy looked back "You'll be okay Sunshine. Right. Three. Two. One."

Small but powerful and coloured burst of sparkling fire filled the air and threw logs away and the front of the jam broke apart.

Sunshine wafted smoke out the way before coughing, his fur blacked "Any-pony left out there?"

Big Jock surveyed the scene, somehow both impressed and unimpressed at the same time "That was a big bang.", Sunshine nodded as he started his boat up and slowly made his way out "It was, uh very controlled, and I out!", as he joined the others Big Jock grinned "Well that's one thing to be thankful for."

"And look," Shoepack said pointing at the empty jam "it's blown the fire out.", the younger Star Ponies start congratulating the fireworks specialist until Big Jock called with worry, anger and dreed "Aye. And look what else it's done." One log started moving, then another and another, Big Jock called out a warning "The whole jam's breaking up. Move back, move back fast!" Every-pony did as the logs splashed down into the water and began pushing the others already floating.

The logs at the mouth of the lake began to be pushed and began to push themselves into the pair of anchored barges used as a barrier to keep the logs in the lake. The power of Shoepack's explosion turned the logs into a massive battering ram, under the combined strength of hundreds and thousands of former tall pillars of wood the barges groaned and could no longer hold, the logs easily pushed them aside and hurried made their way downriver on the accelerated winter current.

Ten Bits turned to the other "They could wreck Trot Town; we have to warn them."

Shoepack scrunched into himself and feebly held a hoof up "I think I'd better go then."

Big Jock gritted his teeth and glared at the carrot-top pony "Yes you'd better. You done enough for one day. Nothing will stop them now. Call that a controlled explosion, do you?"

A roar filled the air and Sunshine grinned "That sounds like Puffer. Great send him to Trot Town. He faster than the current that'll carry the logs."
"You're right Sunshine, he'll get there first." Ten Bits sailed as fast as he could to the dock and yelled at the dragon "Oi Puffer. Warn Trot Town that the logjam is broken. The logs are heading their way, it's an emergency.", the dragon nodded "Will do," but then he held up his arms "but what can they do about it?"

"OJ's in Trot Town tell him." Puffer nodded frantically and spread his wings wide "Right on my way Ten Bits. A race against time." As he sped into the wild cloudy yonder he shouted "I'll beat them!"

Ten Bits called back to him "Look don't stop for anything!" he jumped onto the dock followed by Big Jock and Sunshine, the three set off down the salted and slushy road to be on hoof when disaster struck.

---

Down in Trot Town OJ, Top Hat and Warrior, with the assistance of Little Ditcher worked, the oldest of them turned to the large Earth Pony "Which factory did you say Warrior?"

"Captain Star said "Take Little Ditcher's dredger to the Demolition Factory"." OJ grinned and patted Warrior on the back with a sigh "He meant the factory that's due for demolish.", as Little Ditcher gave a sigh of relief the heard a roar. The four look up as a familiar dragon landed near them, OJ called to him "Puffer? What's up?"

Panting his face almost completely covered by smoke the dragon called back "A mass of log on their way from the lakes. Get downriver fast! I've got to get to Trot Town Hall to warn them."

Top Hat's monocle fell out of eye and he shook with fear "Sweet Celestia! In this current it'll wreck the whole quayside and us as well."
"Well then," Warrior said putting his hoof to the ground "let's stop them right here.", OJ nodded as Puffer flew off "Very sensible Warrior, how?", Warrior yoked himself to the dredger and began pulling it toward the mouth of the dock "Well I'll stick Little Ditcher's dredger across the river and he can put the spokes down on the riverbed and it won't move.", Little Ditcher follow with an annoyed look on his face "No, it'll get smashed to bits instead."

Bemused Top Hat replaced his monocle against his eye "Yes, well it'll get smashed up there or here. Makes no difference."
OJ yoked himself to a barge "Warrior's got it right for once. We make a barrier across from the quayside to the island. Help me with this barge Top Hat. Might work, worth a try."

The Trot Town quayside extend out to the river and stopped level with an island with the river flowed passed. OJ and Top Hat dragged the barge, and Warrior already in a boat help Little Ditcher put his dredger into place. The old Earth Pony observed the arrangement "Better idea still. Line up on a slant and glance the log around the other side of the island."

Little Ditcher scratched his head as he cracked the first of the stabilising punts down "You reckon that'll work?", Warrior rather passively snapped at the dredger Pony "Get the spoke on the riverbed and don't argue.", OJ answered the question away, with a sombre thought "Either it'll work, or we'll never work again."

---

Upriver Big Jock, Sunshine and Ten Bit watch with horror as the log flow reach the quayside for the sawmill. They looked on helplessly as the log crashed into the wooden structure and demolished it almost instantly.

The slowly walked up and examined the damage. Some logs were stopped, but the clear majority continued their relentless journey destined for destruction. Looking at the debris they knew it would be even worse for Trot Town.

Big Jock sighed "I wouldn't like to be in Trot Town when that lot hits the quaysides."

Sunshine, still charred from Shoepack's blast shook his head "Nor me. No thank you."

---

In Trot Town, the Town Hall bell rang out to warn every-pony.

OJ still organised the dam.

Warrior gulped and look over the barge to the other "Hurry up OJ. I think I can hear the log coming."

Little Ditcher increased his cracking speed.

Only then did OJ notice a huge mistake from the clumsily Earth Pony "On no! Warrior! You're on the wrong side!"

Warrior's eyes widened and he glanced around "Oh yeah, so I am. Well how do I get…" he looked toward the river and he turn white and stiffened "Nightmare Moon!", the logs came hurtling towards them, the magnitude of this drove the fear deep into him "Look at the size of that!"

"Now don't panic Warrior." OJ called "Start you boats engine, jump out toward us, then Top Hat will quickly put a barrier around it so I can divert them around the other side of the island."

"Easier said than done!" Both Star Ponies said. Warrior pressed his boat's start button, jammed the throttle down and jumped on to the barge. Top Hat reacted quickly and charged his horn creating a dome around the boat just before the logs hit.

After a few moments, the boat started moving and taking the logs with it. They quickly caught the river's current again and speed into an old factory warehouse. The four Pony caught a glance of an oil barge inside just before the warehouse went up in a massive fireball, it made a great sceptical.

When the other three Star Ponies arrived, they explained what happened. They were very relieved to see the quaysides and the town buildings undamaged.

Big Jock however looked on concerned at the factory "The owner of that old factory is in for a nasty surprise."

OJ laughed "No a pleasant one, saves him having to pay for the demolition.", Warrior turned to Little Ditcher "You've been done out of work."

"I don't mind, at least my dear old dredger wasn't damaged too much, but you and Top Hat. In Trot Town, you two will be heroes.", Warrior blushed while Top Hat straightened his waistcoat.

OJ meanwhile called orders to the others "Well let's get this cleared up. Come on every-pony." And with that the Star Ponies started to move off for the importune clean-up operation. They learned a lot that day, Ten Bits and Sunshine now knew why Big Jock carried such respect for logs. Big Jock learnt something too, as did all the others, they gained new respect for Top Hat and Warrior, both their swift actions save Trot Town from certain destruction.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Who are David Mitton and Robert D. Cardona, and how is this story a tribute to them?

[Magi Tail Welkin]

7946179 The late David Mitton and Robert D. Cardona were the men behind the models of Thomas the Tank Engine, my childhood classic.

The story is a tribute to them as it's based on their own, failed but cult classic series TUGS. Cardona would later direct episodes of Thedore Tugboat