The Meeker herald., 1898-01-15

of les feet. In those early days the
pioneers were not skilled in the art Of
bridge building; and 80 enc night,
when fierce storm thundcrcd through
the mountains. the bridge was swept
away, with the exception OF the main
stringer, beam of about 18 inches
square. The bridge was never rebuilt,
and another road to the little village
of An Sable Forks was utilized. The
old stringer, however, still stretched
across the cliffs above the Au Sable
chasm.
One pitch-black night, about ten
years after the storm that had demol-
ished the bridge, stranger drew up
his horse in front of the tavern at Au
Sable Forks. It was about ten o'clock
and the tap-room was wcii-hl!od With
villagers, drinking, smoking AID play
ing cards. The entrance OF a stranger
!, caused the usual comm otioa, and as lie
sat in one corner eating Il hastily pre-
pared supper he was the cynosure OF all
eyes. After the meal the host, rs was
the custom, engaged the stranger in
conversation.
Dark. nasty night outside, sir"'
Yes, pretty black"
Have any trouble in finding your
way?"
"Oh, no; used to live in this neigh
borhood 20 years ago"
80? Well, you'll find things pretty
well changed since you left"
Eyes, l expect so; the old bridge is
still standing, though; and 1 am glad
nf that hrI n, build IL ~
"The Old briGgc?" questioned the
tavern keeper, and evcryonein the room
looked up in amazement.
"Why, yes rcjoined the stranger
"the bridge across the chasm down the
road o half-mile."
What. are you crazy?" shouted the
host. There is no bridge across the
Au Sable; there has been no bridge
there for the past ten years"
But you are mistaken, my friend; [
rode my horse across it not three-quar-
ters of an hour ago
"lmpcssibic, sir; 1 tell you that the
bridge blew down ten years ago"
Again l tel! you, my friend, that L
rode across it this very night was the
irpcrturablc answer. sit was too dark
for me to see, but heard the ciutter Of
ny horse's feet on the plankinG, and
the noise of the water in the chasn be-
low"
The argument wnxed warmer and
warmer until the stranger said tliat
they would wait until the next morn
ing, when it could easily be settled if
there WAS a bridge or not. He made a
wager with the landlord that it was
still strudsHr across the cl.asrc.
The next morning every man, woman
and child in Au Sable Forks was at the
chasn. Sure enough, in the soft sand
Of the road there were footprints CT Il
horse, and the trail led from The stringer
across the chasm up to the tavern porch,
One young daredevil walked across the
narrow striEger and made. a startling
discovery.
There was q similar trail on the otier
side!
The stranger had told the truth. In
the darkness Of the night his horse had
crossed the ehasm On single lean.
But that is not the stranCust part Of
the story. When that forenoon the
stranger rode down to the An Sable
chasm to settle his wager with the
keeper of the tavern and he saw the.
perilous path over which he had trss-
eled the night before, it is said thar he
was stricken with trembling tlat
never left his limbs until death, and
that within the space of 60 seconds his
hair turned from u jet black Q lie coior
OF the driven snow.-Ehicago Times
Herald.