Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-05

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 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 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 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
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 pat
| ter of all the vile words in Landin,
Wv anil anu d hull uOLtn QUIET uld-
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. 'Now's our time l
whispered to Bodsky. He shook his
head slowly from side to side but l
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
81 turned back. I'd been angry
before but never as angry as that
Bodsky was already getting up the fly
of tent 4 saw it coming he said
with his quiet little laugh that you
never hear when there's anything to
laugh at. Look here, Bodsky,' l
said, let's walk to the old crossing
And he answered, My dear chap, Pm
going to sit right here. l wouldn't
miss this for a shot at elephant. That
man is Ten Percent Wayne
'Where'd you meet him.? I asked.
"'Never met him., said Bodsky,
but I've heard of him. So had l.
We sat down together under the fly
on 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 a drink l
said and ran the sweat off my eye
brows with my finger.
"Bodsky looked at me pityingly. 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! l haven't seen men
driven like that since l was a boy
Once more there's something new in
Africa! And I've never seen a man
drive himself like that, anywhere AL
the Monaghan and Tatar that is said
to Turk in every Russian seemed tC
be leaking out of BodSky's narrowed
eyes.
1--WE sat there and drank and smoked
and sweated, and | sulked. Every once
in a while BCdsky would say some
thing. First it was: Those boys are
from the South. Must have brought
them with him. Then it was: He
knows something about the sun. He
keeps his head in the shade-spot from
that lonely palm And finally: Col
lect before. What are you sulkinG
for? Can't yea see what's up? Can
you understand that if a man will
stand for two hours shifting an incl
at time with the shade rather thai
disturb half dozen niggers at worl
to so and get helmet he isn't goins
to call those niggers off to let a coupl,
of lOaferS like US crawl across hi
Orders? What you and | are staring
at is just plain common garden worl
with a capital W. stark naked ant
ugly, but it's great
'And right there l saw the light. z,
us two the mystery of Ten Percen
: Wayne was revealed. He could driv
men. He could make bricks withou
. straw. While work was on, nothing
|, else mattered. Right and wrong wer
measured by tie needs of that bridg
!. and death was too good for the shirk
er. And with the light | forgot tn
, brute in the man tearing along tn
, dizzy height Of the girder to lash
loafer and only remembered that h
had risked his life to avenge just on
, moment stolen from the days work"
, The stem Of Collingefords win
l glass snapped between his fingers
: I'm sorry" he said, laying the piece
+ aside. He smiled a little nervousl
, on the three tense faces before hin
| II don't tell that story often. 1t goe
{ too deep. Not everybody understands
Some people call Wayne no better tina
! a murderer; but I'm not one of then
o And Bodsky says there have been