The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1909-10-09
| A
|aREE MINUTES HORROR
Bv w. J. MoWbray.

.,;mson sun was filtering through
,h,ek tangle of blue-gums and
' ar bark when | came to the inter-
An Of the path with a second bush
) vinding away to the westward.
n 4, tho wide for a sheep track, and
!, r,eed it with my eye TO the spot
- Il lost itself among the dense
Of scrub that lay beyond. Then
, 3 ..yched the blue of the heavens
!, At first the binding blood-red
! Of the westering sun sent a show
If black discs dancing before my
But at last they grew accus-
y ,ed to the glare and rested on a
Y white perpendicular line rising
) We the treetops.
bushman's eye is familiar with
= ubenomenon. The Grass track was
y M through the bush to the home
Of small 'squatter." locally
J, contemptuously known rs a
!. uund parrot"
M bush track now began to trend
.rutibly downward, and this con-
led 50 long that l soon began to
!, tte that was entering a broad,
valley. Presently l emerged into
drcular clearing in forest of ring
J, lea box. The upper end OF the
ring rose a little above the tree
At the lower end. And over these
lheld river of no mean proper
NJ It lay sparkling in the warm
unsht, and the white roofs OF a sta
, homestead far away to the left
he like diamonds among the emer-
reen Of the verdant slopes. Span
y the river ran a narrow railway
W.
! hat though searched the view to
ht and left, l could discern no foot
Vie BY which l, too, might cross the
u. As I looked a train shot sudden
; 10 to the bridge and went rumbling
~ to the opposite embankment. A
Isle Of dismay escaped me as l
itAed 1t 60. I had seen such bridges
M, and knew but too well how real
the dangers of crossing them on
X | was, however, bound to 90 on.
destination lay in that direction,
4 bushman allows no obstacle to
llH his progress. So l went on
bsiore.
laus the clearing and into the for
q rng-barked box. Down, down.
d the slope OF the falling ground, to
valley bed. And at last stood up
the brink Of the river itself and
led across to the opposite shore. It
y about two hundred yards in
Nth, and lay still and shimmering
u light OF the declining sun. But
asd not swim. That was the one
1t In my qualifications as a bona
bushman. So / went quickly
y to the distant bridge. Reaching
mounted the slope to the junction
q ! mounted the slope to the juno
q bridge and embankment. Then
hsked along the glittering rails to
apostle bank.
Ru0g and durable as it undoubtedly
NE bridge before me seemed but
eaeton framework, upon which the
1inder Of the structure should
ntly be reared. Few Of these
- still remain, save those which
me gorges Of Asia and South AM
= But in the period of which l
tney were also to be met with
Mmitive countries. Two hugh
lards Of Pyrmont stone raised
londerous pillars from the grass
aAer side Of the river bank. Iron
- shot up a. intervals from the
Hsslf. and terminated alike at
uven height. Right across these
NO stout Orders bolted in sec
sad reaching from one embank-
% the other. Across these again
aid stout iron-work sleepers,
NO feet apart, and, lastly, upon
single line of steel rails was
= over all.
were no parapets. The clean
eoges Of the tough and grimy
stuck out like jagged teeth on
noe Of the skeleton bridge. Far
NOV. the swirling river could he
through the spaces between the
TO cross the bridge on foot
ue walking upon the rungs of a
ga horizontal ladder. A false
1sht send me slipping through
fiser below.
what of a train? Well that
I'd in certain death? There
one escape, and that lay neith-
INT nor left, but below. And
not swim.
Sere reasons. however, for