Putnam patriot., 1916-11-10
THE PUTNAM PATRIOT November 10 rolo

N4AiS sAiliAt out over the airy shore like tremendous sheets of cardboard manipulated by unseen hands. and not
 until their nine foot edges were expos cd to View did the mind grasp the ap- paliins significance of their movement. They swept down in phalanxes upon the wedgelike ice breakers which stood
 guard above the bridge piers. then they
 halted, separated. and the armored cut ting edges sheared through them like blades
 A half mile below. where the Salmon flung itself headlong against the upper wing of Jackson glacier. the floating ice was checked by the narrowed pas sageway. There a jam was forming. and as the river heaved and tore at its growing burden q spectacular struggle went on. The sound of 1t came faintly but impressiyely to the watchers-a grinding and crushing of bergs. roar of escaping waters. Fragments were
 upended. masses were rearing them selves edgewise into the air. were over turning and collapsing. They were wedging themselves into every conceiv- able angle. and the erowding process sion from above was adding to the bar rier momentarily. As the passageway became blocked the waters rose: the river piled itself up so swiftly that the eye could note its rise along the banks.
 But the attention of the crowd was divided between the jam and some thing far our on the bridge itself. At first glance Eliza did not comprehend. then she heard q man explaining: He was going out when we got here and npw he won't come back" The girl gasped. for she recognized the distant figure of man, dwarfed to puny proportions by the bulk of the structure in the mazes of which he stood. The man was 0'Neil; he was perched upon one of the girders near the center of the longest span, where he could watch the attack upon the pyramidal ice breakers beneath him. Hes a fool" said some one at Elizas back. That jam is getting bigger"
 He'd better let the bridge take care of itself"
 She turned and began to force her way through the press of people be- tween her and the south abutment She arrived there. disheveled and pant ing, to find Slater. Mellen and Parker standing in the approach In front of them extended the long skeleton tun- aaf ,,,to fak hal
 MT. 0Neii is out therel" she cried to Tom.
 Slater turned and, reading the tragic appeal in her face. said reassuringly: Sure. But he's all right" "They say-there's danger.n Happy Toms round visage puekered into a doubtful smile. "Oh. he'll take care of himself"
 Mellen turned te the girl and said briefly:
 There's no danger whatever" But EliZa's fear was not to be so easily quieted.
 'Then why did he go out alone? :? What are you men doing hereT' Its his orders" Tom told her. Mellen was staring at the jam be ing a flood of ice and foamng waters The stream was swelling and rising steadily. Already 1t had nearly reach cd tbe level of the timber line on the left bank The blockade was extend ing upstream almost to the bridge it. self. Melen said something to Par ker. who shook his head silently. Dan Appleton shoudered his way out of the crowd. with Natalie at his heels She had dressed herself in haste. Her hair was loose; her jacket was buttoned awry. On one foot
 was shoe, on the other bedroom slipper. muddy and sodden. Her dark eyes were big with excitement. Why don't you make Murray come in?@ Dan demanded sharply. He won't dc it." muttered Slater. From the ranks of the workmen came a below Of triumph as an un- usually heavy ieehoe was swept against the breakers and rent asunder The tumult of ihe imprisoned waters below was growing louder every mo
 meM Across the lake came steR- torian rumble as huge mass was loOsened from the front of Garfield. The channel of the Salmon where the onlookers stood was heaving. churn-
 ing caldron over which the slim bridge
 flung itself defiantly.
 Eliza plucised at her brothers sleeve .I lao. C., ,{..
 first time.
 Hello. sis.~ ne cried. --How did you
 get herey"
 "Is he iR danger. Danny?-
 "Yes-no, Mel1eB says ifs all right.
 so if must ie. but--that dam
 At that moment Natalie began to soh
 hysterically. and Dan turned his at
 tention to her.
 But his sister was not of tbe hys-
 terical kind Seizing Tom Slater by
 the arm. she tried fo shake him. de
 manding fierceiy:
 Suppose the jam doesn't give way.
 What will happenT Happy Tom
 stared at her uncomprehendingly- Her
 voice was shrill and insistent Sup
 pose tlle water rises hlSBef. W on
 the ice sweep down on the bridge ir
 self? Won't il wreck everything if f
 goes out suddenly? Tell me-
 .It can't hold NIellen says so.
 Slater, like the others. found it impos
 sib,e to keep his eyes from the river
 where those immeasurah hle forces were
 at play: then in his peculiar irascibic
 manner he complained. ''I told 'em we
 was crazy fG try this. il ain't whit,
 mans eouauy: it ain't q safe place fo
 hridee. There's just one God awfti