Middletown transcript., 1916-04-01

1
lie fingered his wine glass. III was
one of those men," he began. looking
at nobody. "whO dislike Ten Percent
Wayne wouldn't tell you about him
ButeI'm not 1t took me only two
hours to get over hating him and those
two hours were spent In a broiIing sun
at the wrong end Of a half-hnished
bridge.
Prince Bodsky and were on
shikari. We were headed home after
long and unsuccessful shoot in new
country and we were as sore and tired
and bored with the life Of the wild rs
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 go 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
hammerlng on steel but we refused to
believe our ears until a sudden curve
brought us bang up against the tndis-
| putable fact of a girder-bridge in the
| throeS OF construction. Before the
thought of the SacrileSe 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.
II 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 that! in English.
THE babbIing and hammerlng
around him ceased. but while he still
stared at us. we saw a veritable ap-
partition. A white man. hung between
heaven and the depths of the gorge.
was racing along the top Of tne slip
perry girder His helmet blew off. hung
poised. and then plunged In long tack
ing sweeps. The man was dressed
in a cotton shirt. white trousers and
thick wooden socks. No boots. OF
course. didn't notice all that till af-
forwards. In his hand he carried a
siambOk. Suddenly the staring darky
seemed to feel him coming but. before
he could turn. the sjambok quirt came
down with the clinglng sting of hide
on flesh. We saw the blood squirt.
The negro toppled without cry. He
fell inside. caught on a truss chung.
and finally with struggle drew him
self up on to a stringer. shout OF
laughter went up from his fellows
BOdsky and | 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 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.
THE white man had stopped and
half turned. He stood. a little strad-
ding. on the girder. and switched the
siambOk to and fro His eyes were
blazlng. From his lips droppe1 a pat
ter Of all the vile words In I.andin. |
Swahtli and a half dozen other dia- |
lects--the words that a white man |
learns first If he listens to natives. |
The jargon seemed to incite the blacks. |
They worked as clumsiIy 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 |
man walked off the girder on our side,
out Of the way. 'NOw's our time |
whispered to Bodsky. He shook his
head slowly from side to side but |
was already under way. walked up
to the white man and asked him If 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 be
said. and that was all.
Il turned back. I'd been angry
before but never as angry as that.
Bodsky was already getting up the fly
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 shot at elephant That
man is Ten Percent Wayne
'Where'd you meet himT asked.
"'Never met him. said Bodsky.
but I've heard of him. SO had I.
We sat down together under the dy
IN couple Of loads and propped two
warm-water on another
Oad in front of us and watched Wayne
while Wayne watched his men.
suppose we offer him drink
aid aud ran the sweat of my eye
IrOwS with my finger.
"BOdsky looked at me pltyingIy. so
'ou want to get burned again. Does
hat man look to you as though he
was thinking about drink2 Well let
ne tell you he isn't. Every bit of him
\ thinking about that bridge every
minute God! haven't seen men
lrlven Hike that since was boy.
Duce more there's something new In
friCa! And I've never seen man