The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-02

ne could WaLcn tue dLldcK upon IH0 pyra1nidal ice breakers beneath him.
 Hes 8 fool,,' said some one at Eliza's 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, BfeIlen and Parker standing in the approach. in front of them extended the long skeleton tun- neI into which Murray had gone.
 sEMr. O'Neil is out there!H she cried to Tom
 Slater turned and, reading the tragic appeal in hen face, said reassuringly:
 'aSureI But he's all right"
 ''They sayAthere's danger
 Happy Toms round visage puckered into a doubtful smile. 'tOh, he'll take care of himself"
 Nellen turned to the girl and said briefly:
 There's no danger whatever
 But Efiza's fear was not to be so easily quieted.
 s"Then why did he go out alone?
 
 ssIt's his orders,'' Tom told her. 2 NfeIIen was staring at the jam be low, over which the Salmon was .hurl- ing a food of ice and .foaming waters The stream was swelling and rising steadily Already it had nearly reach ed the level of the timber fine on the left bank. The blockade was extend ing upstream almost to the bri43e it. self Mellen said something to Par ker, who shook his head silently.
 Dan Appleton shouldered 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 a bedroom slipper, muddy and sodden. Her dark eyes were big with excitement.
 "Why don't you make Murray come in n?'' Dan demanded sharply.
 ''He won't do it,'' muttered Slater.
 From the ranks of the workmen came a below of triumph as an un- usually heavy icef1oe was swept against the breakers and rent asunder The tumuIt of the imprisoned waters below was growing louder every mo ment. Across the lake came sten- torian rumble as huge mass was ioosened from the front of Garfield. The channel of the Salmon where the onlookers stood was heaving, churn- ing caldrun over which the slim bridge flung itself def1antly-
 Eliza plucked at her brothers sleeve timploring1y, and he saw her for the first time
 Hello, s1st'' he cried How did you get here?''
 tFIs he in danger, Danny?s
 tsYes-no! Mellen says it's all right, so it must be, but-that dam
 At that moment Natalie began to sob hystericaIly, and Dan turned his at tention to her.
 But his sister was not of the hys- terical kind. Seizing Tom Slater by the arm, she tried to shake him, de- manding fercely:
 Suppose the jam doesn't give way! What will happen ?" Happy Tom stared at her uncomprehending1y. Her voice was shrill and fnsistent. Sup pose the water rises higher. Won't the ice sweep down on the bridge it. self? Won't it wreck everything if it goes out suddenly? Tell mel
 'It can't hold. Mellen says so.'' Slater, like the others, found it impos- sible to keep his eyes from the river where those in1neaslIrable forces were at play; then in his peculiar irascible manner he complained: "I told lem we was crazy to try this. It ain't white mans country; it ain't a safe place for a bridge. There's just one God awful thing after another''T He broke into a shout, for Eliza had slipped past him and was speeding like a shadow out across the frregularly spaced ties upon which the bridge track was laid>
 CHAPTER xxIV.
 How a Dream Game True. A M ELLEN whirIed at the cry and INN made after her, but he might ~IV as well have tried to catch
 the wind. As she ran she heard her brother shout in sudden alarm and Natalie's voice raised in en-