The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-07
% Romance Of Jhatmaiyo Bndge

Meantime, why should this stranger sit
down in peace?"
Then the Boh's hand became apparent,
for a timber newer was found with his
throat cut beside the log he feIled Sew
eral of the coolies fell mysteriously sick.
and Kennedy, remembering Cochrane 8
advice, grew cautious about his
food, and sent home his white
assistant, who, having lain help
less with fever most OF tine time, was
glad to go back again 'I cannot do any
good, and this CHASTITY place is crush
ing the life out of me-, the latter said
sometimes there was a climbing in the
darkness beyond the ravine, and when in
the morning Kennedy swung himself
across the awful chasm in a travelling
cage, he found the print of naked feet in
the mold and a few slight dents on the
stout cables. Then, remembering the
percentage of carbon that steel con-
tanned, he smiled, Gryly, and picture
the notched edge of the native blade
Twice, also, as he stood painting beside
the FORCES in the fierce heat of after
noon, the crash of long gun filled the
jungle with reverberations, and the first
time his leading smith, a big-beardeI
man from beyond the Indus, stood up
and cursed the heather in the name Of
the prophet, with two slugs in his arm,
while the second something which
Whirred past Kennedy's head struck in
the straight shaft of a palm. and on ex-
traction proved to be of bright metal
somewhat lighter than lead More
men mysteriously disappeared and his
sleep Wa5 broken by strange noi-e5 IN
the jungle or the rush of a charging
boulder which narrowly missed the
camp.
But, though he grew anxious AMI care
worn, he determined to match Western
stubbornness against the patient cunning
Of the East, ana kept TIE remnant of his
men at work in fear and trembling by
pointing out that they were safer there
tnan wandering unarmei through the
bush. So he slept in the daytime and
sat watching with the rifle across mis-
knees all night, while day by day, as ne
and his Invisible opponents played out
the waiting game, the bridge grew stead
lily 1t, however, struck him as I'M
ne1ghborly that COchrane never inter-
vened and when once he told him so the
latter said: 81 will do my part in due
time but you see my main object is to
take the Bob red-hande1, VIII oh is a
difficult thing to do. We are watching
each other, and the one who makes the
nrst move gives his side away. What S
that-a bullet fired at you?-it was PROB
ABLY made out of a rupee, the result Of
superstition common to West and East
They can't cut your cables, while their
neighbors down country found it easy
ohopping telegraph wires up. Ergo. it.
due to magic. and you are a wizard who
can only be killed by a silver bullet. 1t
also shows the Bob considers they have
let you go far enough, and IS now con-
templating vigorous action"
And what have they been doing mean
timer asked Kennedy in cno!eric aston
ishment, while Cochrane laughed as he
answered: Amusing themselves, and
seeing you did not get too happy. No,
l am not going to undertake any wild
goose chase among the ranges after the
Bob; can't afford to throw away my
men like that you know. My plan is to
lie perdu and wait for him, but I'll leave
this messenger with you; ne will find
me If I'm wanted badly"
lie departed, leaving Kennedy In a
state of righteous Indignation, though
the latter, who was by no means a timid
man, redoubled mis- precautions He had
worked with Death for a neighbor be-
fore when pestilence moved down his
comrades In Brazil, and had been shot
at surveying for light railways in West
ern Africa Still, he was decidedly I'M
willing that the Bon should destroy him
or the results of his labor, and his whole
heart was set upon the completion of his
bridge. Therefore, with destruction
hanging over his head, and sometimes
descending at night to miss him by a
yard or so, he continued doggedly at his
dangerous task, a most unheroic, stumpy
figure, in old alpaca jacket, very dingy
topee, and, when the sun was bright, a
pair of smoked spectacles.
At last one morning his storekeeuer
came running in to say, Last night I
slept outside the store and heard no one,
but when the sun rose the door was open
and many tools had gone. This must
surely be the work of jungle devils"
Kennedy, with practiced eyes, noted
what was missing, and said, half aloud:
1T Is time I sent Cochrane's messenger.
Inc jungle spirits don't use sledge ham
mers and cold chisels, SO it's fairly evil
dent some dusky mechanic has been hid
Ing beside the FORCES to study modern
workshop practice. You don't under
stand, storekeeper, but you may remem-
Der that if by witchcraft any more tools
are missing the count of your wages
Will be the less for it,
A week passed and nothing happened,
save that the messenger returned with
the laconic answer Keep both ewes
open; he Is ready to move" while Ken
nedy, who realized how hard 1t Is to
matcn the Oriental at a waiting game,
NAOHS NiAO WOih lOINaTU. IOr at last he
felt both nerve and patience yielding to
the strain. Then one hot night he sat
somewhat limp and detected outside his
tent, looking several years older than
Wnen he first came there. A full moon
was rising blood red above the Jungle
through tilmy vapor, and though his side
OF the valley lay wrapped in deep
shadow he could see The growing light
travel slowly across the bridge, which
hung fairylike structure above the
black abyss. The sweep of the ,trusty
cables was fair to the eye; the web of
weL-braced metal beneath them seemed
the perfection of Strength with ligntness,
good in design and workmanship; neither
could the builders keen inspection find
any fault in it. Then he remembered
how pleasant it would lie to breathe the
cool Engl sh air again, hear the voices
or his fellows, and feel the pulse of
civilization beating about him after that
dreary sojourn in the primevaI solitude.