Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-10-19
DAILY SHORT STORY
ON THE YALU.


On Inc ieIC DaNh o. the 1diU TlNeI' |
which divides Manchuria from Korea, |
japanese family who had wandered !
from their native land worked little
farm. When the japanese armies were
advancing TO force the passage OF the |
Yalu. though the little patch of vege
tables raised by this family was grow
ing finely. starvation stared item il
the face. for 10 army will advance
through any country without the rank
and file either stealthiIy or openly. ap-
propriating everything acceptable Il
the human stomach.
One morning little Saiki. the twelve
year-oId son, hearing that the .Iapa-
nese were advancing. consulted With
his mother as TO what WIS 10 be done.
They knew that their being Japanese
born would not protect them. The
mother did nothing but rock herself
ana moan, and TO escape the distress
ing sight Saiki determined To 20 up
the road along which the troops were
coming and take 4 loot. at them. There
was donkey on the place, the only
animal owned 10y the family, and Sal
ki. knowing that the little brute would
doubtless be forced into the Japanese
service, concluded that he might us
we'll have last ride on his back. SO
lie untethered him and, mounting, pro
ceeded mp the road.
Now. Chunkec. the donkey. took very
little interest in the approaching
troops. constantly turning aside to nib
bic ut Il thistle or some weed ut which
another animal would turn up his
nose. Saiki belaborcd him to 20 on and
by hard work got him 10 place
where the road crossed a branch OF the
Yalu river. Seeing the water. Chunkee,
Instead of going over the bridge. in
sisted on going down 10 the water 10
take Il drink. Little Saiki WAS not
strong enough to control the donkey
and. making virtue of necessity, per
mitted him TO have his way.
While Chunbee WAS drinking Saiki
looked up over his shoulder at the IN
derSfde of the bridge. Then he looked
Mt the muddy soil on which the abut-
ment beside him was built. Then lie
noticed patches Of light colored dust
Wondering wat ii meant, he dis
mounted and, taking some of Ii up III
his fingers. found that il was SaWduSt.
| The JAPANESE are Il very bright people,
and Saiki rcaS no fool. He naturally
looked up to see where the Sawdust
had come from This time he bent his
| little black eyes on the bridge above
with more care than before and noticed
thin lines running across the stringers.
| II waB plain that the strinSers had
| been sawed partly through, and
| heavy weight pressing on the bridge
would break it down. Doubtless some
l. ,IsS
Russian scout had done the work. in
| tending to let the advance of the Jap
anese army into the stream and delay
| lhe passage.
Though Saillf had been born in 10
rea. lie had inherited the Japanese pa
! trtotism. one idea alone occupied his
| mud-to save the Japanese advance
| from falling with the bridge. lie
| ierkcd Chunkee's bride. he dug his
| heels into the beasts sides, lie bella
| bored him, but Chunkee would not
| bulge till he had had his fill. Then
| lie leiSurely retraccd his steps up the
| bank and stood dozen yards from the
| bridge celebrating whether he would
| 20 forward or back home.
| When a Japanese army moves it IS
without the usual beating Of drums,
| sounding of trumpcts, shouting of or
| ders-indeed, all those noises usually
| attending the passage of armies. On
the other side of the bridge. half II
mile down the road. Il column of In
fantry was marching noiselessly, but
| with a quick step, like the shadow OF
cloud passing between the earth and
| the sun.
At the head of the foremost files rode
general and his staff. Nearing the
| bridge, he saw on the opposite side
boy seated on a donkey. belaboring the
! little beast, vainty endeavoring to force
him across. Suddenly the boy looked
up and saw the troops he had not
| heard. He at once made signs that
the advancing host did not heed. He
| was about to throw himself off the
donkey and run over the bridge when
the obstinate beast took it into his
head to plunge across himself. He
| stopped suddenly at the farther end
| just as the japanese general was en-
tering the structure. and Saiki called
/ out that it had been sawed.
! Five minutes was all the delay occa-
! stoned. y horScman rode down into
the stream, found that it was shallow.
and the infantry proceeded by the ford.
! Ia crossing. the general and his staff
used the ford. but Chunkee was too
| little to do this. so Saiki rode back
| across the bridge. which had only bent
/ slightly under the diminutive donkey.
/ When Saiki reached the other side the
| general was sitting on his horse in
| the road. somewhat anxiously waiting
| for the safe passage of his preserver.
| As soon as the boy had crossed and
come up the general turned his horses
/ head and, with little Saiki riding be
/ side him. listened 10 how he came TO
/ make the discovery Of the sawed
/ stringerS. Then he asked OF the boy,
/ What can do for yout'
My mother" said Saiki. Elves near
! the bank of the Yalu river and we