The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1909-07-30
A
THREE MINUTES HORROR
BY w. J. Mowbray.


A crimson sun was hltering through
The thick fangle Of blue-gums ard
stringy bark when came to the inter-
section Of the path with 2 second bush
track, winding away to the westward
1t was too wide for sheep track, and
traced 1t with my eye 10 the s3Ol
where it lost itself among the dense
mass Of scrub that lay beyond. Then
I searched the blue OF the heavens
above. At first The binding blood-red
glare Of the westering sun sent show
er Of black discs dancing before my
eyes. But at last they grew accns-
toned to the glare and rested On
thin white perpendicular line rising
above the treesops.
a bushmanfs eye is familiar with
this phenomenon The Grass track was
q path through the bush to the home
stead of a small "suuatter." locally
and CONTEMPORARY known rs
ground parTot"
The bush track now began 10 trend
perceptibly downward, and this con-
tinued so long that ! soon began 10
realize that ] was entering broad,
deep valley Presently emerged into
q circular clearing in z forest Of ring
bsrked box The upper end Of the
clearing rose a little above the tree
tons al the lower end And over these
| beheld river Of no mean proper
lions. II lay sparkling in the warm
sunlight, and the white roofs Of sta
tion homestead far away TO the LETT
shone Ike diamonds among the emer-
aid green of the verdant slopes Span
ming the river ran a narrow railWa.
bridge
But though I searched the view 10
right and left, could discern no foot
bridge by which /, TOO, might cross The
river. AS looked a train shot sudden
IN on to the bridge and went rumbling
across to the opposite embankment- A
whistle Of dismay escaped me as ]
watched it 60. / had seen such bridges
before. and knew but too vel how real
are the dangers Of crossing them OF
foot was, however, bound 10 90 On
NY destination lay in that direction,
and a bushman allows no obstacle 10
hinder his progress. So | 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, 10
the valley bed. And at last stood ID
on the brink of the river itself and
looked across to the opposite shore L
was about two hundred yards in
breadth. and lay still and shimmering
IN the light of the declining sun. Bnt
I could not swim. That was the one
defect in M qualifications as q bona
fde bushman- So went quickly
along TO the distant bridge Reaching
ii. mounted the slope to the junction
Of it. mounted the slope TO the june
ton of bridge and euabankmenL Then
looked along the glittering rails 10
the opposite bank.
Strong and durable as il undoubtedly
was. the bridge before me seemed but
q skeleton framework, upon which The
remainder of the structure should
presently be reared. Few of these
bridges stIll remain. save those which
Sran the gorgeS of Asia and South An
erica But in the period OF which ]
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. Iron
supports shot up a. intervals from the
water itself. and terminated alike al
one given height Right across these
ran two stout girders bolted IN sec
lions. and reaching from one embank-
ment 10 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 wereAnO parapets. The clean
sawn edges Of the tough and gTimy
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
slespers To cross the bridge on foot
was like walking upon the rungs Of q
suspended horizontal ladder. A false
step might send me slipping through
70 the river below.
And what OF q train2 Wei, that
night end in certain death2 There
was hut one escape. and that lay Meth
er to right nor left, but below ana
could not swim.