The enterprise-recorder. (Madison, Fla.) 1908-1933, 1909-08-12
A
THREE MINUTES HORROR
BY w. J. Mowbray.

A crimson sun was filtering through
the thick tangle of blue-gums and
stringy bark when came to the inter-
section Of the path with a second bush
track, winding away to the westward.
1t was too wide for a sheep track, aud
| traced It with my eye TO the spot
where it lost itself among the dense
mass of scEub that lay beyond. Then
SEARCHED the blue OF the heavens
above. AT first the binding blood-red
glare of the westering sun sent show
err Of black discs dancing before my
eyes. But at last they grew accus-
toned to the glare and rested on q
thin white perpendicular line rising
above the treetops.
A bushmans eye is familiar with
this phenomenon. The Grass track was
a path through the bush to the home
stead OF a small 'squatter," locally
and contemptuously known as a
ground parrot"
The bush track now began to trend
percepubly downward, and this con-
unued so long that l soon began to
realize that / was entering a broad,
deep valley. Presently | emerged into
a circular clearing in a forest OF ring
barked box The upper end OF the
clearing rose little above the tree
tops at the lower end. And over these
| beheld a river of no mean proper
lions. It lay sparkling in the warm
sunlight, and the white roofs Of sta
ton homestead far away to the lett
shone like diamonds among the emer-
aid green of the verdant slopes. span
ming the river ran a narrow railway
bridge.
But though searched the view TO
right and left, could discern no foot
bridge by which l, too, might cross the
river AS looked train shot sudden
ly on to the bridge and went rumbling
across to the opposite embankment A
whistle of dismay escaped me as ]
watched It go. I had seen such bridges
before, and knew but too well how real
are the dangers of crossing them on
foot. was, however, bound 10 go on.
My destination lay in that direction,
and bushman allows no obstacle 10
hinder his progress. So l went on
as before.
Across the clearing and into the for
est of ring-barked box. Down, down,
with the slope of the falling ground, TO
the valley bed. And at last | stood up
on the brink of the river itself and
looked across to the opposite shore. Il
was about two hundred yards in
breadth, and lay still and shimmering
in the light Of the declining sun. But
I could not swim That was the one
defect in my qualifications as bona
fide bushman. So l went quickly
along to the distant bridge. Reaching
It. 1 mounted the slope to the junction
of 1t, mounted the slope to the juno
ton OF bridge and embankment Then
l looked along the glittering rails TO
the opposite bank.
Strong and durable as 1t undoubtedly
was, the bridge before me seemed but
a skeleton framework, upon which the
remainder of the structure should
presently be reared. Few OF these
bridges still remain, save those which
span the gorges of Asia and South AM
erica But in the period OF which I
write they were also TO be met with
in primitive countries Two hugh
standards Of Pyrmont stone raised
their ponderous pillars from the grass
on either side Of the river bank. Iroh
supports shot up al intervals from the
water itself, and terminated alike at
one given height. Right across these
ran two stout Orders bolted in sec
tons, and reaching from one embank-
ment TO the other. Across these again
were laid stout iron-work sleepers,
some two feet apart, and, lastly, upon
these a single line of steel rails was
bolted over all.
There were no parapets. The clean
sawn edges Of the tough and grimy
sleepers stuck out like jagged teeth on
either side Of the skeleton bridge Far
down below, the swirling river could be
seen through the spaces between the
sleepers. To cross the bridge on foot
was like walking upon the rungs Of
suspended horizontal ladder. A false
step might send me slipping through
TO the river below,
And what Of train? Well, that
might end in certain death? There
was but one escape. and that lay Meth
er to right nor left, but below. And
I coHlc not swim
There were reasons. however. for