The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1916-02-25

42oryof
Today and
ofAnDaps


J. Y.'s rugged figure, suddenly grown
tense. and he knew that Alan Wayne
was near to the hearts of these three.
He fingered his wine glass. If was
one Of those men," he began, looking
at nobody, "who dislike Ten Percent
Wayne ! wouldn't tell you about him.
But I'm not. 1t took me only two
hours to get over hating him and those
two hours were spent in q broiling sun
at the wrong end Of 4 half-dnished
bridge.
Prince Bodsky and l were on
shikari. We were headed home after
a long and unsuccessful shoot in new
country and we were as sore and tired
and bored with the life OF the wild as
two old-timers ever get. On the day
I'm telling you about we were trek
king up a river gorge to crossing.
After lunch and the long rest we still
had ten miles to 60 to cross and II
didn't help things to know that once
over we had to come straight back
on the other side. During the FIRST
hours march in the afternoon we
heard the strangest sound that ever
those wilds gave forth. 1t was like
hammering on steel but we refused to
believe our ears until sudden curve
brought us bang up against the indis'
putable fact of girder-bridge in the
thrOes Of construction. Before the
thought of the sacrilege to the game
country-before we could see in this
noisy monstrosity the root of our re.
cent bad luck-came the glad thought
that we didn't have to do ten miles up
that gorge and ten back. We would
have whooped except that men don't
whoop in Africa-it scares the game.
Il 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 oul
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 Jus,
look at that!' in English.
THE babbling and hammering
around him ceased. but while he still
stared at us. we saw a veritable ap.
partition. A white man, hung between
ond tho 1nnfhc nf fhn
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 q cotton shirt, white trousers and
thick woolen socks. No boots. OF
course, didn't notice all that till az
forwards. In his hand he carried q
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 spurt
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 l had heard it 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 of his back rested long
enough to get his breath and then
climbed back to his place on the CIR.
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
sIambok to and fro. His eyes were
blazing. From his lips dropped a pat
ter Of all the vile words in Tandiu.
Swahtli and half dozen other dia-
learns first if he listens to natives
The jargon seemed to iucite the blacks
They worked as clumsily as ever but
harder. They started to sing, as the
African does when he's getting up a
special burst of speed. Then the white
mau walked of the girder on our side.
out of the way. 'Sow's our time
whispered to Bodsky He SHOOT, his
head slowly from side to side but
was already under way. walked up
to the white man and asked him IL he
could let us across. He glanced around
as II be hadn't seen our outfit till tha.
moment and then he looked me square
in the eyes. We knock of at six be
said. and that was all
81 turned back. Id been angry
before but never as angry as that
Bodsky was already getting up the fly
Of tent I saw it coming he said
with his quiet little laugh that you
never hear when there's anything to
laugh at. Look here. BodSky.'
said. lets walk TO the Old crossing
And be answered. My dear chap. I'm
going to sit right here. | wouldn't
miss this for shot at elephant. That
man is Ten Percent Wayne
'Where'd you meet him. asked
Never met him. said Bodsky
but I've heard OF him SO had /
We sat down together under the fly
on a couple Of loads and propped two
whiskies- nd warm wa ter on another
load In front of us and watched WAYNE
while Wayne watched his men.
Suppose we offer him drink |
said and ran the sweat off my eye
brOws with nay finger.
"Bodsky looked at me pityingiy. SO
you want to get burned again. Does
that man look to you as though he
was thinking about a 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 I was a boy.
Once more there's something new In
Africa, And I've never seen a man
drive himself like that, anywhere All
the Mongolian and Tatar that is said
to lurk in every Russian seemed to
be leaking out OF Bodsky's narrowed
eyes.
I'VE sat there and drank and smoked
and sweated, and sulked. Every once
In while Bodsks would say some