The Glenwood post., 1916-04-22
GNEW CHAMBERLAIN
copYRlaAW 8YZE' cx11ZzeY CO.


that gorge and ten back We would
have whooped except that men don't
whoop in Africa-it scares the game.
81 said the bridge was In the throes
of construction. 1t was just that Its
two long girders, reaching from brink
to brink, with their spidery trusses
hanging underneath, fairly swarmed
with sweating figures, and the figures
were black. 1t was that that brought
us to full stop and just when our
eyes were fixed with the intensity Of
discovery, one of the workers looked
up, saw us, relaxed and gave the loud
grunt which stands in Landin for Just
look at thatr in English.
"The babbling and hammering
around him ceased, but while he still
stared at us, we saw veritable ap-
partition. A white man, hung between
heaven and the depths of the gorge,
was racing along the top of the slip
perry girder. His helmet blew of, hung
poised, and then plunged in long tack
ing sweeps. The man was dressed
in cotton shirt, white trousers and
IAASA WVOlch SOShS. nv vi
course, didn't notice all that till af-
forwards. In his hand he carried
sjambok. Suddenly the staring darky
seemed to feel him coming but, before
he could turn, the sjambok quirt came
down with the clinging sting of hide
on flesh. We saw the blood squirt.
The negro toppled without cry. He
fell inside, caught on truss, clung,
and finally with struggle drew him
self up on to stringer A shout of
laughter went up from his fellows.
Bodsky and I had heard 1t often
the laugh Of the African for his broth.
er in pain. And then they fell to
work again. The black with the blood
trickling off his back rested long
enough to get his breath and then
climbed back to his place on the gir-
der. He was grinning. Don't ask
me to explain it. Men have died try.
ing to explain Africa.
1.-THE white man had stopped and
half turned. He stood, little strad-
ding, on the girder. and switched the
sjambok to and fro. His eyes were
blazing. From his lips dropped pat
ter of all the vile words in Landin,
Swabili and half dozen other dIa-
lects-the words that white man
learns first IL he listens to natives.
The jargon seemed to incite the blacks.
They worked as clumsily as ever but
harder. They started to sing, as the
African does wIieH hes eott.-- ur Z
special burst of speed Tten the white
man walked Off the girder on our side,
out Of the way. 'Now's our time,' 1
whispered to Bodsky. He shook his
head slowly from side to side but
was already under way. l walked up
to the white man and asked him II he
could let us across. He glanced around
as if he hadn't seen our outfit till that
moment and then he looked me square
in the eyes. we knock of at SIX he
said, and that was all.
81 turned back. I'd been angry
before but never as angry as that.
Bodsky was already getting up the dy
Of tent. I saw 1t coming he said
with his quiet little laugh that you
never hear when there's anything to
laugh at Look here, Bodsky,' ]
said, let's walk to the old crossing
And he answered, My dear chap, I'm
going to sit right here. wouldn't
miss this for a shot at elephant. That
man Is Ten Percent Wayne
'Where'd you meet himY I asked.
"'Never met him. said Bodsky,
but I've heard of him. So had 1.
We sat down together under the dy
on couple Of loads and propped two
whiskies-and-warm-water on another
load in front of us and watched Wayne
while Wayne watched his men.
"'suppose we offer him a drink !
said and ran the sweat OF my eye.
brows with my finger.
"Bodsky looked at me pityingly. 80
you want to get burned again. Does
that man look to you as though he
was thinking about drink Well, let
me tell you he isn't. Every bit Of him
is thinking about that bridge every
minute. God! haven't seen men
driven like that since l was 4 boy.
Once more there's something new In
Africa! And I've never seen a man
drive himself like that, anywhere All
the Mongollan and Tatar that Is said
to lurk in every Russian seemed to
be leaking out of Bodsky's narrowed
eyes.
1--WE sat there and drank and smoked
and sweated, and sulked. Every once
in while Bodsky would say some
thing. First it was: Those boys are
from the South. Must have brought
them with him. Then 1t was: He
knows something about the sun. He
keeps his head in the shade-spot from
that lonely palm And finally: Col
lingeford, never despised your intel
lect before. What are you sulking
for? Can't you see what's up? Can't
you understand that II man will
stand for two hours shifting an inch
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