The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-10-20
ON THE YALU


which divides Manchuria from Korea
a Japanese family who had wandered
from their native land worked d little
farm. When the Japanese armies We're
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 them in
the face. for no army viii advance
through any country without the rank
and file either stealthily or openly, APP
propriating everything acceptable to
the human stomach
One morning little Saikl, the twelve
year-old son, hearing that the Japa-
nese were advancing, consulted with
his mother as to what was to be done.
They knew that their being Japanese
born would not protect them The
mother did nothing but rock herself
and moan, and to escape the distress
ing sight Saiki determined to 80 UP
the road along which the troops We're
coming and take a look at them. There
was donkey on the place. the only
animal owned by the family, and Sal
XII, knowing that the little brute would
doubtless be forced into the Japanese
service, concluded that he might as
wen have last ride on his back. 50
he untethered him and, mounting, pro
ceeded up the road
Now, Chunkee, the donkey, took very
little interest in the approaching
troops. constantly turning aside to nib
Bile at a thistle or some weed at which
another animal would turn up his
nose. saiki beIabored him to 20 on and
by hard work got him to a 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 to the water to
take drink. Little Saiki was not
strong enough to control the donkey
and, making a virtue OF necessity, per-
mitted him to have his way
While Chunkee was drinking SaiN
looked up over his shoulder at the I'M
derside Of the bridge Then be looked
at the muddy soil on which the abut-
ment beside him was built. Then he
noticed patches Of light colored dust
Wondering what it meant, be dis
mounted and, taking some Of II up IN
his fingers. found that 1t was sawdust
The japanese are a very bright people
and Saikl was no fool He naturally
looked up to see where the sawdust
had come from. This time he bent bis
little black eyes on the bridge above
with more care than before and noticed
thin lines running across the strlngers
ri was plain that the stringers hac
been sawed partly through and a
heavy weight pressing on the bridge
would break it down Doubtless some
Korean fayoring the Russians or some
Russian scout had done the work, in
tending to LET the advance Of the Jap
anese army into the stream and delay
the passage.
Though Saiki had been born in Ko
rea, he had inherited the japanese pa
! trlotism one idea alone occupied his
mind-to save the japanese advance
from falling with the bridge he
1erked Chunkees bride, he dug his
heels into the beasts sides, he bella
bored him, but Chunkee would not
bulge till he had had his fill Their
lie leisurely retraced his steps up the
bank and stood a dozen yards from the
bridge celebrating whether be would
20 forward or back home.
When Japanese army moves II Il
without the usual beating of drums,
sounding Of trumpets shouting OF or
ders indeed, all those noises usually
attending the passage Of armies On
the other side of the bridge, half q
mile down the road, column Of in
fantry was marching noiselessly, but
with quick step, like the shadow Of q
cloud passing between the earth and
the sun
AT the head Of the foremost files rode
a general and his stan Nearing the
bridge, he saw on the opposite side a
boy seated on a donkey, belaboring the
little beast, yainly endeaYoring 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 1t into his
head to plunge across himself He
stopped suddenly at the farther end
just as the Japanese general was en-
tering the structure, aud Saiki called
out that 1t had been sawed.
Five minutes was all the delay occa-
stoned A horseman rode down into
the stream, found that Il was shallow
and the infantry proceeded by the ford
In crossing, the general and his statf
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 dlminutiye donkey
When Saili reached the other side the
general was sitting OH bis horse iii
the road. somewhat anxiously waiting
for the safe passage OF his preseryer
As soon as the boy had crossed and
come up the general turned his horses
head and, with little saild riding be.
side him, listened 10 how he came 70
make the discovery Of the sawed
stringers. Then Ne asked Of the boy,
What can do for your
MY mother, said saixi. lives near
ithn kapf af tho Vain riVpr and we