The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-03-08

through the vast, gravelly hollow Of
the river bed, seemed to crawl more
languidly than usual, as il it were
tired, like everyone else.
Suddenly there came through the
still air, from the great mountains that
stood up against the northern sky,
overhung by q thin, ghostly haze, a
strange, dull sound. suggestive of far
on thunder, but hargher and sharper,
and altogether more liHe-the rolling of
@ cart over q pebbly road.
The veteran engineer bent his gray
head forward to listen, and q very
grave look came over his iron face.
whats up. Mr.. HarrisonI" asked
Burt, feeling vaguely uneasy through
he hardly knew why.
But, before the old man could reply,
q deep, booming noise, whoich came
rapidly nearer and nearer, followed
the mysterious sound. &
All at once, the upper part of the
river channel, the bare gravel beds of
which had stood out glaring white all
day in the burning sunshine, turned
black as ink; the hollow boom sWelled
into q deafening uproar, and in q mo
ment the whole country below them
was n foaming, leaping, roaring sea.
Burt and Hopkins instinctively
turned to fly, but a firm grasp pinned
Ehem to the spot.
Are you madF' asked the old man,
sternly. within five minutes all
shat ground will be fathom deep in
eater, with a current that would
sweep away an elephant. Our only
chance is to stick to the bridge. Per
haps the water won't overflow it,"
Gold comfort, certainly but, rs Har
rison said, it was their only chance.
There had evidently been very heavy
rainfall in the mountains, and the rains
and melting SHOWS had brought down
the summer floods q fortnight before
their usual time.
Toe new bridge was now to be sub
mitted 20 an inspection for more seach
ing than that of the jolly, easy going
district commissioner, aud if it failed
20 stand the test, they were lost, one
and all.
Higher and higher rose the water
more and more f1ercsly ran the furious
current. The two young dandies, who
had no idea OF @ real East India fl Dod,
looked aghsst at seeing the whole face
of the country below them changing as
If by magic
High banks fell away like melting
snow; huge trees Were torn up by the
roots, and rocky heights hacked into
notches like the teeth of q % ". Great
Ooulders fell laundering into the
swirling foam; mountains of gravel
we're piled up where holIOWs had been,
and hollows gaped in the surface Of
solid ridges.
Suddenly the fall of an enormous
rock made an eddy in the current,
which sent half a doEsn vast tree trunks
rushing straight at the every arch
upon which they we're standing.
Even brave oloH Srrison drew q quick
breath as the mighty mass came
charging on, and plunged, with a deaf
ening crash, against the pier below.
But although they felt she solid mason,
ry shake under their feet with the
shock, the bridge stood firm.
"Hurrahl' cried the old engineer, @
few minutes later. THE water hasn't
risen a bit this last two minutes. l
think we've had the worst of it now."
His prscticed eye had not deceived
him. The food, a. it spread itself over
@ wider and wider extent of country,
itS force more, and by midnight all
danger to the brio &c was ut an end.
"Well, young gentlemen" said Har
rison, with . piercing look at his two
pale and woe begone companion, do
you think my bridge too big RoWf"
But the young gentlemen" made
no ans Wer.-Golden Days.
THE MoTHRRS OF TEE PRRSI-