THE PRICE THEY PAID
"Look at him, would you?" ventured Bandy-legs, a minute later. "He
acts like he was trying to see if the bridge was steady, the way he's
trying to shake it. Bet you he feels that quivering, and it's giving
him a bad case of cold feet already. They went and dared him to come
out here, and Shack never would stand for a dare, you know. But he's
sorry he came."
The other boy approached them. He was looking more serious than most
people had ever seen him appear. Just as Bandy-legs said, no doubt he
had been forced into testing the bridge by some dare on the part of his
cronies, who had told him he didn't have the nerve to go Max and his
crowd one better by walking all the way across the bridge, so as to be
the last who could say he had done it.
While still keeping a sharp lookout up the river the four chums awaited
the coming of Shack Beggs; and that the caution given by Bandy-legs had
fallen on good ground where it took root, was proven by the way they
moved back from the railing.
If the young desperado had any bold intention of trying to upset one of
the three chums into the river, he would not find it so easy to carry
out his reckless plan, for they were evidently on the alert, and ready
to match cunning with cunning.
Shack shuffled forward slowly. He may have originally thought it would
be the easiest thing in the world to walk across the bridge and back;
but that was before he had set foot on the quivering planks, and
experienced the full effect of that sickening vibration. Now he walked
as though he might be stepping on eggs. Several times he even stopped,
and looked around. Perhaps he simply wanted to know how far out from
the shore he might be; or else he felt an almost irresistible yearning
to hurry back to safety and tell his cronies they could try the trick
for themselves, if they wanted.
Some sort of pride caused him to come on. Max and his friends were
there, and Shack Beggs would sooner die than let them see he lacked the
stamina they were so freely showing.
All the same he looked anything but happy as he drew closer. It was
one thing to stand on a firm foundation ashore, and look out at the
heaving flood, and another to find himself there surrounded by the
waters, with but a slender thread connecting him with either bank, and
all that furious flood trying its best to break this asunder.
"Better come back, Shack!" could be heard in a rasping voice from the
shore, and Ossie Kemp was seen making a megaphone out of his two hands.
Shack would no doubt have liked to do this same thing; but he felt that
it must look too much like cowardice in the eyes of Max, whom he hated
so bitterly. Besides he had started out to show the people of Carson
that these four chums did not monopolize all the courage in town; and
it was really too late to turn back now.
So Shack came slowly on until he had reached the others.
Under ordinary conditions he would never have ventured to say a single
word to any one of the four chums; or if he did, it would have probably
been in the nature of an ugly growl, and some sarcastic comment on
their personal appearance, with the sinister hope of provoking a
dispute that might lead to a scuffle.
Things somehow seemed different now. Shack must have left most of his
pugnacious disposition ashore; when his nerves were quivering with each
sickening shake of the bridge he could not find it in him to assume his
customary boastful look.
And seeing Max close Shack even ventured to speak decently to him,
something he would never have dreamed of doing had the conditions been
other than they were.
"The fellers they sez I dassent cross over tuh t'other end uh the
bridge; an' I allowed it could be done easy like," he went on to say;
"what d'ye think 'bout me adoin' the same? Is she safe enough?"
"We wouldn't be here if we didn't think so," Max told him; "and I guess
there isn't any more danger on the other side than in the middle."
"T'anks!" Shack jerked out; and then as the bridge gave a little harder
quiver than usual he looked frightened, and even clutched frenziedly at
the railing.
Bandy-legs must have fancied that the other was reaching out to lay
hands on him, for he immediately shouted:
"Keep back there! Don't you dare touch a finger to me, or I'll see
that you go over the railing head-first! We're on to your sly tricks,
Shack Beggs! You didn't come out here for nothing, I take it!"
Shack however had managed to overcome his sudden fear. He shot a black
scowl in the direction of Bandy-legs, and then once more started to
move along; but by now his timidity had over-mastered his valor, as was
made manifest in the way he kept moving his hand along the railing, as
though unwilling to try to stand alone.
Although they no longer had any reason to feel that the other meant
them any ill turn, the four chums watched him curiously.
"I'd just like to be able to give the bridge a good shake," Bandy-legs
declared, "to see him crumple up, and yell. Chances are it'd scare him
out of a year's growth."
"Huh! better not try any fool play like that," suggested Steve;
"because there's too much tremble to the old thing right now to suit
me. If Max only said the word I'd be willing to skip out of this,
that's right."
"S-s-s'pose we all did run for it," remarked Toby, who had been silent
a long time; "wouldn't Shack come c-c-chasing after us like h-h-hot
cakes, though?"
"We'll limit our stay to another five minutes, no more," Max told them.
"I put it at that because I believe before then we'll be able to say
whether that thing coming down the river is a raft with somebody
aboard, or just a jumble of logs, and stuff set afloat by the high
water."
Apparently none of the others had up to then noticed what Max referred
to, and consequently there was a craning, of necks, and a straining of
eyes, until Steve was fain to call out "rubber!" in his jocular way.
There was something in sight, far up the river. If they only had their
field glass along with them it would be easy to tell the nature of the
object; but lacking so useful an article they could only possess their
souls in patience, and wait.
The seconds passed, and all the while the current of the river was
bringing that object closer to them. Max found himself wishing it
would hasten, for truth to tell he did not much like the way the bridge
was trembling now. Instead of occasional vibrations it seemed to be a
steady pull, as though the force of the flood had reached a point where
it could not be much longer held back.
Some of those ashore were shouting to them again, as though their fears
had broken out once more, and they wished the boys would not persist in
taking such great chances, even though in a good cause.
A minute had gone.
"Looks like a raft to me," announced Bandy-legs, presently, and the
others were inclined to agree with him that far.
"But is there any one aboard?" asked Max.
"I c'n see something there, but just what it might be I wouldn't like
to say," the boy with the eagle eye announced.
Still they lingered, although those heavings were gradually growing a
trifle more pronounced all the while. They must have shattered what
little nerve Shack Beggs had remaining, for although he had not gone
more than half way between the four chums and the further shore, he had
turned around, and was now approaching them again. His face looked
strangely ghastly, owing to his deadly fear; and the way in which Shack
tried to force a grin upon it only made matters worse.
He had the appearance of one who was solemnly promising himself that if
only he might be allowed to reach a haven of safety again he would
never more be guilty of attempting such a silly act on account of a
dare.
In fact, Shack was watching the chums eagerly every second of the time
now. He depended on them to serve as his barometer. Should they make
a sudden move toward the Carson side of the river he was in readiness
to fairly fly along, in the hope of catching up with them.
Max turned his attention once more up the stream, and toward that
approaching floating object. He wondered whether he was going to be
called upon to once more make use of that friendly rope in rescuing
some flood sufferer from peril.
After all Bandy-legs was not so sure about its being a raft. He began
to hedge, and change his mind.
"Might be only a bunch of fence rails, and such stuff, that's got
driven together in the flood, and is coming down on us in a heap," he
announced. Max had about come to the same conclusion himself, though
hesitating to announce his opinion while the others seemed to have an
entirely different idea about the thing.
"But do you see that dark object on it move any?" he asked Bandy-legs.
"Well, now, seemed to me it did move just then," came the answer, that
caused the boys to once more rivet their gaze on the approaching float,
while their nerves began, to tingle with suspense.
A few seconds later and Toby declared that he too had seen the thing
raise its head; though he hastily added:
"But it didn't act like a h-h-human b-b-being any that I could notice."
"What in the dickens can it be?" Steve was asking, and then he gave a
sort of gasp, for the bridge had actually swayed in a way that caused.
his heart to seemingly stand still.
"She's agoing to move out right away, I do believe, boys!" cried
Bandy-legs, as he looked longingly toward the shore.
There was Shack Beggs almost half-way to the end of the bridge, and
walking as fast as he could. From his manner it looked as though Shack
would only too gladly have sprinted for the land, only that he hated to
hear the jeering remarks which his cronies were sure to send at him for
showing the white feather; so he compromised by walking ever so fast.
"Hadn't we better be going, Max?" asked Steve.
"That's the stuff!" muttered Bandy-legs.
"M-m-me too!" added Toby.
Max took one last look up the river. As he did so he saw that there
was now a decided movement aboard the floating mass of stuff that was
coming down toward the bridge.
Whatever it was that had been lying there now struggled to its feet.
"Oh! would you look at that?" exclaimed Steve.
"Must be a calf!" echoed Bandy-legs.
"I'd s-s-say a yeller dog!" Toby declared.
"Anyhow it's an animal and not a human being," said Max; "and things
are getting too shaky for us to stay any longer out here, and take
chances, just to try and save a dog or a calf or a goat. Let's put for
the shore, boys!"
"And every fellow run for it too!" added Steve, as again they felt that
terrible shudder pass through the wooden structure that had spanned the
Evergreen Elver as far back as they could remember; and which somehow
forcibly reminded Max of the spasm apt to run through the muscles of a
stricken animal before giving up the ghost.
That was enough to start them with a rush. Once they gave way to the
feeling that it was close on the breaking point for the bridge and what
might be likened to a small-sized panic took possession of them all.
Shack Beggs somehow seemed to scent their coming. Perhaps he felt the
vibrations increase, or else the shouts that both Steve and Bandy-legs
gave utterance to reached his strained hearing.
At any rate Shack twisted his head, and looked back over his shoulder.
If he had been anxious to reach the shore before, he was fairly wild
now to accomplish that same object. They could see him take a spurt.
He no longer deigned to walk, but ran as though in a race; as indeed
all of them were, even though as yet they hardly comprehended the fact.
It might be possible that this was the worst thing the boys could have
done, and that had they been contented to walk quietly toward land they
might have spared the already badly racked bridge a new strain.
Max, looking back later on, came to this same conclusion; but, then he
always declared that if one only knew how things were about to come
out, he could alter his plans accordingly; in other words he quoted the
old and familiar saying to the effect that "what wonders we could
accomplish if our foresight were only as good as our hindsight."
The shaking of the structure by the scampering along of five boys must
have been pretty much like the last straw added to the camel's pack.
"Faster, everybody!" Max shouted, as he heard a strange grinding noise
that struck a cold chill to his very heart.
Bandy-legs was in front, and really setting the pace, and as everybody
in Carson knew full well, he was the poorest pacemaker possible, on
account of his exceedingly short and rather bent legs. This caused
them to be held back more or less, though when it came down to actual
figuring nothing they could have done would have altered the complexion
of conditions.
The grinding noise turned into a frightful rending that sounded in
their ears as though all sorts of superstructures might be separating.
All the while there was a swaying of the timbers of the stricken
bridge, a sickening sensation such as might be experienced when out at
sea and caught in a cross current.
Max realized that it was useless for them to think of reaching the
safety of the shore which was too far away; even Shack Beggs had been
unable to accomplish the end he had in view, though he was still
staggering on.
"Grab something, and keep holding on for all you're worth!"
That was about all Max could say, for hardly had the last word left his
lips when there came a final jerk that threw them all down; and only
for having caught hold of the railing one or more of the boys might
have been tumbled into the river.
At the same time one end of the bridge broke away, the entire structure
swung around so that it started to point down stream; then the strain
caused the other end to also free itself from its moorings; after which
the whole fabric fell over with a mighty splash, while the crowds
ashore stared in horror at the spectacle, knowing as they did that the
boys had been engulfed with the falling timbers.