The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1894-01-26

Jack stopped. 1t was growing dark.
Through a rift in the clouds the sun
had set red, and the reflection made
the creek more horrible. Here and
| there tall sycamore trembled in the
water, white in the rapidly deepening
| dusk.
! OF course to attempt to cross was
folly. Suppose the Philos did lose
what then? What did it really mat
ter? Then he seemed to hear the
| shouts of the victorious Linos-Guth-
ridges triumphant cheer-and to see
| his own society sitting crushed and
silent.
He would try it.
He looked back for moment at the
station and the light dying in the
west behind it. Then he frightened
his grasp on his cane, the pride of his
juniors heart, and stepping upon the
stringers at the side of the track he
began.
The water was an inch. then ankle
deep and icy cold. He could scarcely
see the ties, but he felt with his cane
along the edge of the beam.
Farther out the track sloped and the
water deepened. Jack could not see
the stringer, but he felt for each step
carefully. 1t was growing so dark he
could not see the further shore. He
did not dare look up or down the creek,
and the whirl of the water made him
dizzy
Suddenly the water became knee
deep with the sagging of the old
bridge, and he entered the channel
The current nearly swept him off his
feet. He stood still, heartily repent
ing the foolhardy undertaking. To
return was impossible.
Two steps more. The roar of the
black water grew deafening took DOS
session of him. Jack looked up the
stream. A huge dim mass was floating
down the creek. 1t was a section of
covered bridge. 1t swayed toward
one shore, then toward the other, with
a horrible drunken reel. The boy
reeled, too, stumbled, and the cane
was swept beyond his reach instantly.
He fell on his hands and knees, and
there chung to the beam, the water
surging to his neck.
He got his head again presently.
He caught a glimpse of Il few lights
here and there in the town. The roar
of the river dashing on into the night
drowned his voice. He closed his
eyes and waited. The floating section
of the bridge seemed hours coming.
He thought OF the warm dining room
at home and his mothers face above
the teacup. He could see the debat-
ing hall through luminous mist. He
wondered if Halstead would speak in
his place.
He was growing numb with the chill
of the water. The river seemed to
whirl and rock about him. Then
there was a noise like thunder. The
bridge had struck the trestle. A wave
swept over him. The trestle trem-
bled, swayed, the bridge fioated broad
side. then struck again. The trestle
tottered, wavered, then the bridge
settled against it and was stationary,
and as Jack mechanically crawled on
again he knew that the trestle would
hold.
Meantime in the debating hall the
debate on Resolved, That strikes
are justihable,n had begun. Guth-
ridge had mounted the rostrum amid
the cheers of his society, while the
Philos We're giving Gardiner advice
enough to drive ten men mad.
Guthridge had demolished one by |
one the hopes of the opposition.
Every Philo was silent. Gardiner
"Oh' iiot, lliCil COiIi, ny luIIlS. 1T WIS |
in vain for him to answer Guthridge. |
The brilliant speech drew to d close. |
"'Strike till the last armed foe ex-
pires," shouted Guthridge, waving his
arms madly. "'Strike for your affairs
and your fires. Strike for the green
graves of your sires' There are
He broke off silently. Every Philo |
was on his feet cheering like mad. |
Four times the college yell rang out |
like a battle-cry. Four times and then
the crowd parted. There in their
midst, painting with the quick run from
the bridge, his eyes ablaze with
excitement and his figure disguised in
a suit of Halstead's old clothes, stood
Jack.
OF course the Philos won, and every
body remembers how all the class
cheered when the class historian on
class day, a fortnight later, told what |
Jack dared and did for the glory of |
the Philos Ruth Prescott, Washing
ton Nelcs