Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-07-06

about meeting Alan in Africa" said
Charley Indignantly. And then Nance
said s'Ohr' and wanted TO send him
back but he wouldn't go.
Yes" grunted the captain in reply
to Collingeford's question and J. Y.
nodded as he caught the young mans
eye. wish you would" he said and
leaned forward, his elbows on the
table.
Collingeford was one of those men
who are sensitive to men. His vocab-
ulary did not run to piffle but he loved
an understanding ear He looked at
the judges keen but restful face, at
the captains glaring eyes, which some
how had assumed a kindly CLINT at
j. US 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 I was
one Of those men," he began, looking
at nobody, who dislike Ten Percent
Wayne l wouldn't tell you about him.
But I'm not. It took me only two
hours to get over hating him and those
two hours were spent in broiling sun
at the wrong end of a halffnished
bridge
Prince BOdsky and I were on
shikari. We were headed home after
q 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 river gorge to a crossing.
After lunch and the long rest we still
had ten miles to go to cross and 1t
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 It was like
hammering on steel but we refused to
believe our ears until a sudden curve
brought us bang up against the indis-
putable fact Of a 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 I'D
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. It's
two long Orders, 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 THAR 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
heaven and the depths Of the gorge,
was racing along the top Of the slip
perry girder His helmet blew off, hung
poised, and then plunged in long tack
ing sweeps. The man was dressed
Id a cotton shirt, white trousers and
thick wooden socks. No boots. OF
course, l didn't notice all that till af-
forwards. In his hand he carried q
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 a cry. He
fell inside, caught on a truss, chung,
and finally with struggle drew him
self up on to a stringer. A shout of
laughter went up from his fellows.
Bodsky and I 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 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
Ae'AA toA AACu' Lie SbOOOJ lALllc
ding, on the girder, and switched the
sjambOk to and fro. His eyes We're
blazing. From his lips dropped a pat
ter Of all the vile words in Landin,
Swahilt and half a dozen ether 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 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
man walked off the girder on our side,
out Of the way 'Nowfs our time I
whispered to Bodsky. He shook his
head slowly from side to side but I
was already under way. I 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. 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.' I
said, lets walk to the old crossing
And he answered. NV dear chan. I'm