The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1905-08-11

Inc IUIrr5.
At shutdown all labor ceased, and 1t
was reported that Nassik and his beast
had gone to the jungles. That was
serious ofrense. The elephant was gov
eminent property and was hired to
the railroad company at so much per
day. Nassik had been his mahout for
ten years. but he was no more. He
had incurred Il serious penalty by fee
ing, and a party was made to bring
him back, but they hunted in vain. In
four weeks the incident was almost
forgotten.
In time the great iron beams were
stretched from pier to pier, and cross
beams and girders were put in place,
and from sunup to shutdown the hot
air Quivered under the strokes CT the
scores Of hammers. The approaches
were filed in and spans laid to the
piers, and the chief engineer looked
over his work with smile Of satisfac-
ton.
'All is going we'll" he said to him
self. In another sixty days the iron
horse will be snorting across this struc:
ture. The GoomtrCe is on the rise, and
food Will come, but we need not fear
1t. We cleared its banks OF driftwood
for fifty miles.laGt year. Nothing hece
can dam It's waters bat.i and imperil
the bridge
An hour after Nassik had been pun
islled he had clasped his arms around
the trunk of his elephant and said:
"Bundara, l have been disGraced be-
fore thousand men because you told
me what the wild elephant said. do
not believe you lied, but let us go to
the iungles and be by ourselves. If the
Goomtrre is fretted and harassed, then
she will take revenge. We should not
be punished for what the sahibs are
doing"
The pair fed afar. Sometimes they
were alone and sometimes in the COM
pany of wild elephants. The untamed
beasts had no fear Of Nassik. For
weeks they hid in the jungle or roamed
through the forests.
Light of my SOUL" began Nassik
enc day, the time for the flood in the
Goomtree draws near. Whisper 1t to
all your friends, that we may seek its
banks and be ready for work. Whis-
per it to twenty-thirty-f We
cannot have too much help. l will
rest here for three days, and do you
go among your kind and spread the
news"
AT the end of the third day Bundara
returned, and with him were seventy
elephants. He had told his story we'll.
Three days later all were at work on
the banks of the river, fifty miles
above the bridge. The waters were
rising but Nassik knew to an inch
how high they would come before
standing still for a day and then be-
ginning to recede. Under his direc-
tons the elephants began work. Such
trees as they could uproot and such
logs as they could roll, together with
thousands of carloads of smaller stuff,
were deposited just below high water
mark They piled banks high for five
miles. For half a mile back the forest
was stripped of limbs and vines and
logs, and the labor was finished two
days in advance.
1T is WELL my children" said Nassik.
"The waters will take everything at
their flood, and then down at the
bridge they will see what they will see.
Let us now rest from our labors."
Down at the bridge there was no
fear as the flood crept up. The Coon
tree was not bringing down enough
driftwood to tear a raft from its moor
ings. So it was for n week.
One morning when high water mark
was reached the chief engineer sneered
at the turgid food. Two hours later
there was a wild alarm. The face of
the waters was hidden by drift Never
had man seen So much Of it. 1t came
rushing down like wall. Some passed
between the piers at first and went
crashing along, but presently there
was Il Swtrling about and n wedging
of mighty trees. and five minutes later
there WAS block. In half an hour it
extended back Il mile, and the force OF
a million horses w;s pressing against
1t. For Il quarter of an hour the handi-
work of man withstood the strain OF
the elements. Then there was crash
and roar. and the current OF the
Goomtree flowed on as IL man had
never been.
Kim NasSil, had been whipped, and
he had reveTgcd himself.