The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-07-08

But of those in some long dead day
> Passed through lifes sunset portals.
THE DEVILS BRIDGE.
(Tranlasedf from the French Of Alexander D,t.
mas, BY ". G. Davtdson.)
The tradition to which this bridge owes
its name is, perhaps, one Of the most Gu
rious and striking in all Switzland. The
following account is confidently believed
not to be wanting in authenticity:
The river Reuse, hemmed in between
two perpendicular walls Of granite and
flowing over q rocky bed sixty feet below
the brink of the precipice, cuts off all
communication between the inhabitants
of the valley of, Cornera and those living
in the vale of Goschenen; that is to say,
between the ;Grisons and the canton of
Uri. This temporary isolation was the
cause Of so much Inconvenience to the
two neighboring cantons that their most
skillful architects were called into re-.
QUESTION, and. at q mutual expense, sew
eral bridges were thrown from bank 10
bank; but in no instance were they ever
found durable enough to resist for more
than year the storms, freshets and the fall
of avalanches. The last attempto of this
kind had been made toward the close of
the fourteenth century !; and, as the win
try season had almost flown by, the hope
gained ground that this bridge would re-
main intact and safely defy the fury of
I. the elements, when one morning news
!. was brought to the bailiff of Goshenen
that the bridge had once more been swept
into the stream.
.sNone other than thedevil himself is
able to build US anotherp exclaimed the
bailiff. Scarcely had these words passed
his lips, when servant announced, "Mon-
sieur Satan 70
"Show him in" said the bailiff. The
domestic retired; and made way for; 3
gentleman of from thirty to thirty.si1
years ofage, dressed after the fashion of
Mephistopheles in the opera of "Faust."
He wore pair oftight.fitting trowsers Of
bright red color, and close jerkin of
black velvet with sleeves slashed at the
elbows, through the interstices of which
! might be seen glimpses of the famed G l.
ored tunic beneath. His head was adorn-
ed with jaunty cap, attached to which.
was large red plume which, as it swayed
to and fro with motion of his head, added
peculiar grace to the attractiveness of
his coifure. AS to his shoes, they were,
indeed, far in advance ofthe prevailing
mode, and were rounded or turned up at
the toes. as they were worn some hundred
years later, toward the reign of Louis
XII; and the large cockspur which orna-
mented the hinder part of his ankle,
seem destined to serve the purpose of the
ordinary rowel, whenever it was his Sa.
tanic pleasure to air himself on horse
back. After. an exchange of mods and
the compliments of the hour, the bailiff
seated himselfin one fauteuil and the dew
il in another; the bailif stretched his
feet on the fre.dog, and the "prince of
the powers of the air." being fre-proof,
thrust his pedal extremities under the
embers.
"Well, my good fellow" said Satan, I
hear you have need of my services"
"I acknowledge, my dear sir" replied
the bailiff, "that your good Offices would
not altogether be thrown away in our
present predicament."
"You allude to that cursed bridge, I
dare say?"
"Well, what then7"
"You can't get along without il? 2"
Indeed, we must have it, cost what it
will"
"Ho! Ho" grinned Satan.
"Come, now, be good devil" rejoin-
cd the bailiff, "do you build US another"
"Why, came here to propose that
very thingp
"Well then, I close with your offer,
and the only point now remsins to come
to an understanding-conce the"
the bailiff .hesitated.
Concerning the price," continued the
devil, filling up the blank, and regarding
his interlocutor with an ill-concealed
scowl.
eyes," said the bailiff, feeling, like
Hamlet, that there was "the rub"
"Oh," continued Satan, balancing him
self on the hind legs of his chair and
sharpening his nails with the bailiff's
penknife. n will be easy with you on
that score."
"Good; sSie nehpaen mir einen Stein vons
Hrtzen,'" said the bailiff, in German
ssthe last bridge cost US sixty golden
marks; we will pay you double that sum
for the new one, but we can not afford a
silver more"
"Pshaw! what do 1 care for your filthy
lucre," replied the devil, "I can manufac-
ture all the gold I want in ajify. Look
here p
He bent over the fireplace and took
live coal from the midst of the flames,
Just as one would take burnt almond
from bonbonniere.
"Hold out your hand," said he to the
bailiff. The bailiff hesitated.
"Don't be afraid" continued Satan,
and he dropped into his outstretched palm
an ingot of glittering gold, as pure and as
cold as if it had just been dug from the
bowels OF mine. The astonished bailiff
twirled it in his fingers, and then offered
to return it to his companion.
"No, no, keep the bauble yourself"
said Satan, crossing one leg over its
neighbor with an air of infinite conde-
scension, otis merely little gift that l
make you."
"Itseems clear to me-" replied the bai-
lift, thrusting the ingot into his purse,
'sthat if you discover gold mines with
such rare facility, you would set IS much
store on any hard cash we might offer
you, as do on the coal in my bin; how.
ever, as this promises to be an unusual
bargain and / am rather at loss how to
proceed, I must beg of you to fix your own
terms"
Satan thought for moment.
81 must have the soul of the first being
who passes over the bridge, as my own"
replied he.
$50 be it," rejoined the bailiff.
"Draw up the bond" continued Sa-
tan.
"Dictate yourself"
The bailiff took pen. ink and paper,