Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-06-16

briefly, I'VE could never hW'hH 'hh'
pole shoreward or keep tho lad lrou
being Knocked on II she Int the
bridge"
"fha,'s so." said tho section man,
staring at Johnny Dnsau's rel stock
ings. "She'd break this rotten rope
snip snap go,
iie stared down at tho yellow tide
Of tho river, aud Just then Mrs. pu
gan's walls aud the children'a chorus
came family down the track, -,
"i'm going ~ climb the pole sa'd
Ell Couliu, thinking Of how Dngah
would bo coming across The bfids,
that evening looking for johnny nhd
tho oihcra. "i'm going TO climb II
II tho whole concern goes into the
river. You como down the bank anu
catch him II II falls near shore
Over the hank wen. I'd Cunlin and
tho neotionman alongside OF Burns,
tho policeman. who had run across
lots 10 SEQ what the matter was, They
scrambled down the soft hillside close
to the abutment and ont through the
water at tho base OF tho pole, There
En- Conlin' tightcnea tho cunbron'
straps around his legs aud glanced NJ
at johnny Dugan, silent ~ a squirrel
on his lofty perch, with his Jacket
blowing out like woful signal OF
distress.
och, lad" sad tho sectionman,
"ye'll never got ashore again in that
current with them iron togs on yc,
II it falls, and / think 1t will"
"With tho ropoa help, Dngan's
hoy may" said tho linoman. Then
Eli sunk his spurs into the white, soft
wood aud went up, carrying tho we'll
rope with him, while Burns and the
sectionman waited nervously and
watched the debris drift by under the
stone arches. Up went the lincman
with exasperating deliberation, stop
ping occasionally to adjust the rope
AMI glance downward.
"Hes cool one" said the section
man to the policeman.
"Let's hold the pole up for all We
arc WORTH" replied Burns.
Then they biaccl Themselves
against tho trembling stick, thinkna
how futile would be their efforts whcr
its eighty odd feet crashed over anu
threw Johnny Dngan and the lincmau
halfway out to the first stone pier o'
the bridge.
After while johnny felt the steady
movement OF the spurs, and tho men
below heard his quavcr of fear and lId
Conlin's deep voice telling him not to
mind. The pole was pressing against
their bruised shoulders, aud they
struggled nightly against it, and at
last its base seemed to be pushing
from them through tho oozing mud,
Then the sectionman shouted to E1
Conlin to slide.
''He'll never slide without Dngan's
boy" said Burns. "I know Conlin."
The two heard cry, and Mrs.
Dugan came scrambling down the
bank. Johnny, johnny, my dnrlin"."
she was gasping, and the sectionman,
CHANGING up, saw johnny sliding swift
ly down the pole, with rope under his
arms, while the lineman, seated on
tho cross.arms, was paying ont the
rope. As Johnny neared the waiting
arms, Ed Conlin dropped the rope
and clasped the slender pole, for the
toll shaft had now swung with his
weight toward the water and was COM
ing slowly down.
The sectionman grasped Johnny
Dugan and threw him far up among
the muddy bushes. Then he darted
back from the base of the pole, which
was tearing up great hole in the soft
bank. 1t camc heavily down with a
mighty splash on tho sallen water,
with tho lineman clingiug like cat
halfway up its white sides; and then,
while all except the butt was buried
in tho yellow flood, the sectionman
dived out along the SIDE with the rope
in his hands.
"Cracky!" said the policeman. els
he ever coming up?"
But ont OF tho troubled water Ed
Conlin's steel-clad boots roso to view,
and the sectionman was after them in
frantic haste. He had tho rope
around the lineman in minute, and
Ivy the time the pole was moving
toward its rush under the arch, Ed
Conln himself, covered with mud,
and his face bleeding from number.
less scratches, was sitting weakly
among the alder-bushes, with the sec
tionman cutting the straps from his
ankles. .
"Well, wouldn't that beat ye!" said
the policeman, with. enthusiasm.
eyes" said Ell Conlin, "but keep
the Dugan boys of the bridge after
this!"