Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1916-04-15

Siamhok Suddenly tlla staring darby
seemed to feel him coming but. before
| he could turn, the Sjamhok Quirt came
| down with the clinging sting OF hide
o flesh We saw the blood squirt.
Tho negro topped without a cry. He
fell inside. caught on truss, chung,
and finally with a struggle drew HIM
self up on to Stringer 4 shout OF
laughter went up. from his fellows
Bodsky and 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 Off his back rested long
enough to get his breath and then
| climbed back 10 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. little strad-
| ding, on the girder. and switched the
| sjambok to and fro His eyes were
blazing. From his lips dropped a pat
ter Of all the vile words in Landin.
Swahili and half dozen other dia-
| lects-the words that white man
learns first il he listens to natives.
The jarg0n seemed to incite the blacks
| They worked as clnmSily as ever but
harder. They started to sing. as the
| African does when he's getting up
special burst Of speed Then the white
man walked Off the girder on our side
| . a..
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 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 off at six, he
said. and that was all.
Il turned back ia been angry
before but never as angry as that
Bodsky was already getting up the fly
OF a tent L saw it coming lie 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 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
'Whered you meet him?' asked.
"'Never met him. said Bodslzy,
but I've heard of him So had l.
We sat down together under the fly
on a 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 Il drink l
said and ran the sweat off my eye
brows with my finger
"Bodsky looked Mt me pitylngly. SO
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. Cod / haven't seen men
driven like that since ! was boy.
Once more there's something new in
Africa! And We never seen a man
drive himself like that. anywhere. All
the Monaghan and Tatar that is said
to Turk in every Russian seemed to
be leaking out Of Bodsky's narrowed
eyes
I'VE sat there and drank and smoked
and sweated. and l 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 il was. He
knows something about the sun. He
keeps his head i'm the shade-spot from
that lonely palm. And finally: Col
lingefOFd l never despised your ntel-
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
at time with the shade rather than
disturb half a dozen niggcrs at work
to 20 and get a helmet he isn't going
to call those niggers Off to let couple
of loafers like us crawl across his
Orders? What you and are staring
at is just plain common garden work
with a capital W. stark naked and
ugly, but it's great
And right there saw the light To
us two the mystery OF Ten Percent
Wayne was revealed He could drive
men. He could make bricks without
straw While work was on. nothing
else mattercd Right and wrong were
measured by The needs OF that bridge
and death was too good for the shirk-
or. And with the light / forgot the
brute in the man tearing along the
dizzy height Of the gjraer to lash
loafer and only remembered that he
had risked his life 10 avenge just one
moment stolen from the days work
The stem Of C0lllngefords wine
glass snapped between his fingers
I'm sorry, he said, laying the pieces
aside He smiled a little ueryously
on the three tense faces before him
Il don't tell that story often 1t goes
too deep Not everybody understands
Some people call Wayne no better than
a murderer; but In not one of them.
And Bodsky says there nave been
lot Of murdercrs he'd like to take to
his club