Adventures in Many Lands

to announce that they had appointed an assistant engineer, and had added an expression of opinion that "Mr. Garstin would prove of exceptional aid in the th

ngineer, who lived at the other end of the town, only came round once a fortnight, so trustworthy did he consider his subordinate. He had laboured at the detailed plans, wrestled with mea

employers' liability, but did not harrow their feelings; to be at the works by nine o'clock every morning and not to leave till five; to be either in the iron shanty called the engineer's office, or supervising the making of concrete, or clambering about the ma

n him. Assistant! The very name was a slight upon his capabili

r as a river port, had not proceeded very rapidly during the past few weeks. There had been difficulties-difficulties which Trevannion had attribute

he finer qualities of insight that enable a man to forestall such difficulties and, when they occur, to meet them with as small an expenditure of capital and labour

can draw cubes and triangles and cannot do anything else except come here-late probably-in an overcoat and comfort

f the town through which lay his route. In order to reach the works, he had to cross the river by means of a ferry-boat. When he reached the landing-stage on

his eyes, and used strong language to relieve his feelings. He was still blaming the river, the ferryman, and anything e

comer, as if the latter was in some way responsible for the fact. "It's an aw

gone to sleep. Hadn't we better get across some other way? There is a boat a few

hen he hesitated. "You-you are not g

first time

r name

Perhaps you

didn't expect you quite so s

own tweed cap, to the umbrella that protected the bowler from the dripping rain-ay, even to the comforter. It was as he had feared.

gloved right hand. Trevannion took it limply and quickly let it drop

ged from the clumsy way in which Garstin handled his oar and his apparent powerlessness to impart vigour to the stroke that muscular development had not formed part of his education. Trevannion stood six-foot-one in his stockings, and his frame was well knit with

the slimy ladder that did duty for a stairway. "The steps are

that the hint would not be wasted. He had already decided that the ne

on to the wharf when Tre

eters. O'Donnell was drunk-leastways so Peters says. Any'ow they got fighting and mauled ea

ying much attention, but now-he glanced at the slight figure beside him, who evidently required as many object-lessons as c

," said the gan

aid Trevannion. "Summary justice, you know. They're a

ion, he wondered that any engineer should wield such powers. However, he had not much time for wondering, or indeed for anything except the task of keeping pace with his nimble, long-legged comrade. He kept stumbling over l

ed by the fatal greatcoat and muffler. After divesting himself of these he stood still and breathed hard in front of a chee

ision, repeating his elucidation of black lines, red lines, and green lines, of the length, breadth, and numbers of the piles, of the soil, subsoil, and sub-subsoil, that receive

and asked a question connected with water-pressure and the strength of resisting force. Trevannion was surprised into returning what he though

g the calm superiority of the older hand. But with Garstin's logic it was useless to be calm. It was worse than useless to try to be superior. The intruder stuck to his guns with respectful pe

t. Trevannion clearly was not. In half an hour his treasured theories had been picked to piec

when he said that Section D represented a point on the wharf where the river persistently-more persistently than at other points-forced its way into the cavit

d get a little fresh air. We'll h

followed by th

t-brown river raced past. The echoing wind and the hoarse murmur of the gang at work on Section D mingled with the groaning and clattering of the cranes. Garstin missed the warmth of the fire and shivered; he

r-a support to the wedge of earth that the mighty river pressed against their backs. From the land side to the tops of the piles stretched transverse beams, two and three yards apart; more beams lower down, constituting stays

the pumps in Section D, and so too little time and opportunity for more progressive labour. Then, disregarding the obviously slip

Garstin. "You cannot see what is going o

e beam, had drawn back, a leaden pall

nd expression. There was something in the young fellow's face that spoke of more than a qualm of nervousness. It was

why he hesitated. A third was slowly trundling a wheelbarrow full of sand towards them. Trevannion took in these details in a flash-and realised their significance. Here was an easy chance of shaming Garstin before the gang, of convicting hi

r that was little more than a breath. "

mething more potent than the gusty wind, his face turned anywhere but downwards. Trevannion did not hold him, but his hand rested reassurin

of funk-rather a bogie place on a slippery day-might happen to anybody-get used to it-danc

inished Gar

," said Trevannion lamely, and wai

wardice, and did not wish his companion to consider it anythi

his wife anent the new assistant, whom for some

e will never make a practical engineer. Wouldn't be any good in an emergency. No nerve-no nerve at all. Seems to go to bits directly he gets outside the office. Can't even look down into the section without ho

l?" said

the regulations would not admit of his re-employment; besides, I had reported him as dismissed and filled up the vacancy. Then he started cursing and threatening that he would do for the wharf and for me too,

e muttered. 'I'm sure he does-I read it in his eyes. Hadn'

't. But Garstin's a brainy b

int efforts, as he liked to call Garstin's useful suggestions, proved successful in ousting the river finally from Section D? and was not that troublesome part of t

or the old section," h

xpected collapse of

t's impo

improb

a heavy oil lantern. "I am going to have a look at the section on the way," he said; "just to see that the river has not co

said Garstin-wi

hey could roughly locate the far bank by the myriads of starry lights that showed Berthwer town beyond. A single red lamp glowed dully far to the west; it belonged to a steamer that they had seen come to her moori

, and had covered half the distance when Garstin stopped. "Don't you hear something?" he asked. "I am alm

halted an

s, who could be on the wharf now? You know the regu

he noise h

he said nothing, but resumed his march, swinging his lantern this way and that, so as to gain a la

he exclaimed, and

e to grief over some old metal. When he picked himself up, the other was yards a

ction. But how and where? Anxiously examining the opposite side with his lantern, he soon discovered what the matter was, and the discovery caused him a thrill of amazed horror. T

he fell backwards into Section D, wildly an

ion! Tre

to himself. He was lying face downwards on something, with his arm under his breast-his left arm, that is-his right seemed to have disappeared. Likewise, tho

ing to the unfamiliar echo of his own voice, he heard just behind him a splash, splash, splash, and his left arm jerked

he re

n the water. Garstin was somewhere above him, and the river was pouring steadily into the section, splashing n

oken. He remained still and considered. Was the broken arm the extent of his injuries? The cold water had numbed his

g himself, at any rate until assistance came. And the water

n the black beams, greeted his eyes. There was no sound save that of the water-splash, sp

happened. He had fallen into the section-no-he had been pushed in. There flashed upon him the vision

had survived any possible encounter. And the absence of Garstin, the oppressive silence now? Garstin had gone for help, of course. A boy like that could do nothing by himself even if he

Garstin realise the danger of the black water that was rising, ever ris

slowly over the bea

d before his eyes like a mocking spirit-and was gone. But shortly it reappeared, and with it a lantern and a rope, with somebody clinging

it was many days before Trevannion

ont the infuriated man as he turned to retreat. In a blind frenzy the boy sprang at his enemy, and the la

re a lantern and a coil of rope, and, taking these, he returned to Section D, resolved to attempt the rescue by himself. Having shouted and received a reply, he hitched one end of t

that there was a length or two in the office, and thither he set out at once. The door being locked and Trevannion h

that he might find Trevannion drowned. He hastily affixed the new rope, and let himself down into

a gush of water swept over the beam, carrying away the lantern and plunging them into total darkness. For som

ifficult to obtain a grip. However, he managed to reach the summit and clambered over the brink, then paused awhile

ted from the side. Yet, working inch by inch, he accomplished it, and when Trevannion had been brought sufficiently near the top, he made the rope fast to a convenient bl

the police-station, whence were presently despatched a couple of constables who found the man, stunned and considerab

there was no doubt that if O'Donnell had been undisturbed, he would have done the most serio

answer to a question Garstin said that at the time he had scarcely noticed the physical strain. The thing that was uppermost in his mind was the fear that Trevannion might d

d I was a fool to faint at the c

many and profound. Nor was he ever again he