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the bridge works； and after the cholera smote the small…pox。 The
fever they had always with them。 Hitchcock had been appointed a
magistrate of the third class with whipping powers； for the
better government of the community； and Findlayson watched him
wield his powers temperately； learning what to overlook and what
to look after。 It was a long； long reverie； and it covered
storm； sudden freshets； death in every manner and shape； violent
and awful rage against red tape half frenzying a mind that knows
it should be busy on other things； drought； sanitation； finance；
birth； wedding； burial； and riot in the village of twenty warring
castes； argument； expostulation； persuasion； and the blank
despair that a man goes to bed upon； thankful that his rifle is
all in pieces in the gun…case。 Behind everything rose the black
frame of the Kashi Bridge … plate by plate； girder by girder；
span by span … and each pier of it recalled Hitchcock； the
all…round man； who had stood by his chief without failing from
the very first to this last。
So the bridge was two men's work … unless one counted Peroo； as
Peroo certainly counted himself。 He was a Lascar； a Kharva from
Bulsar； familiar with every port between Rockhampton and London；
who had risen to the rank of serang on the British India boats；
but wearying of routine musters and clean clothes； had thrown up
the service and gone inland； where men of his calibre were sure
of employment。 For his knowledge of tackle and the handling of
heavy weights； Peroo was worth almost any price he might have
chosen to put upon his services； but custom decreed the wage of
the overhead…men； and Peroo was not within many silver pieces of
his proper value。 Neither running water nor extreme heights made
him afraid； and； as an ex…serang； he knew how to hold authority。
No piece of iron was so big or so badly placed that Peroo could
not devise a tackle to lift it … a loose…ended； sagging
arrangement； rigged with a scandalous amount of talking； but
perfectly equal to the work in hand。 It was Peroo who had saved
the girder of Number Seven pier from destruction when the new
wire…rope jammed in the eye of the crane； and the huge plate
tilted in its slings； threatening to slide out sideways。 Then
the native workmen lost their heads with great shoutings； and
Hitchcock's right arm was broken by a falling T…plate； and he
buttoned it up in his coat and swooned； and came to and directed
for four hours till Peroo； from the top of the crane； reported
〃All's well；〃 and the plate swung home。 There was no one like
Peroo； serang； to lash； and guy； and hold； to control the
donkey…engines； to hoist a fallen locomotive craftily out of the
borrow…pit into which it had tumbled； to strip； and dive； if need
be； to see how the concrete blocks round the piers stood the
scouring of Mother Gunga； or to adventure upstream on a monsoon
night and report on the state of the embankment…facings。 He
would interrupt the field…councils of Findlayson and Hitchcock
without fear； till his wonderful English； or his still more
wonderful linguafranca； half Portuguese and half Malay； ran out
and he was forced to take string and show the knots that he would
recommend。 He controlled his own gang of tackle men … mysterious
relatives from Kutch Mandvi gathered month by month and tried to
the uttermost。 No consideration of family or kin allowed
Peroo to keep weak hands or a giddy head on the pay…roll。
〃My honour is the honour of this bridge；〃 he would say to the
about…to…be…dismissed。 〃What do I care for your honour？
Go and work on a steamer。 That is all you are fit for。〃
The little cluster of huts where he and his gang lived centred
round the tattered dwelling of a sea…priest … one who had never
set foot on black water； but had been chosen as ghostly
counsellor by two generations of sea…rovers all unaffected by
port missions or those creeds which are thrust upon sailors by
agencies along Thames bank。 The priest of the Lascars had
nothing to do with their caste； or indeed with anything at all。
He ate the offerings of his church； and slept and smoked； and
slept again； 〃for；〃 said Peroo； who had haled him a thousand
miles inland； 〃he is a very holy man。 He never cares what you
eat so long as you do not eat beef； and that is good； because on
land we worship Shiva； we Kharvas； but at sea on the Kumpani's
boats we attend strictly to the orders of the Burra Malum
＇the first mate＇； and on this bridge we observe what Finlinson
Sahib says。〃
Finlinson Sahib had that day given orders to clear the
scaffolding from the guard…tower on the right bank； and Peroo
with his mates was casting loose and lowering down the bamboo
poles and planks as swiftly as ever they had whipped the cargo
out of a coaster。
From his trolley he could hear the whistle of the serang's silver
pipe and the creek and clatter of the pulleys。 Peroo was
standing on the top…most coping of the tower； clad in the blue
dungaree of his abandoned service； and as Findlayson motioned to
him to be careful； for his was no life to throw away； he gripped
the last pole； and； shading his eyes ship…fashion； answered with
the long…drawn wail of the fo'c'sle lookout： 〃Ham dekhta hai〃
（〃I am looking out〃）。
Findlayson laughed and then sighed。 It was years since he had
seen a steamer； and he was sick for home。 As his trolley passed
under the tower； Peroo descended by a rope； ape…fashion； and
cried： 〃It looks well now； Sahib。 Our bridge is all but done。
What think you Mother Gunga will say when the rail runs over？〃
〃She has said little so far。 It was never Mother Gunga that
delayed us。〃
〃There is always time for her； and none the less there has been
delay。 Has the Sahib forgotten last autumn's flood； when the
stone…boats were sunk without warning … or only a half…day's
warning？〃
〃Yes； but nothing save a big flood could hurt us now。 The spurs
are holding well on the West Bank。〃
〃Mother Gunga eats great allowances。 There is always room for
more stone on the revetments。 I tell this to the Chota Sahib〃 …
he meant Hitchcock … 〃and he laughs。〃
〃No matter； Peroo。 Another year thou wilt be able to build a
bridge in thine own fashion。〃
The Lascar grinned。 〃Then it will not be in this way … with
stonework sunk under water； as the Qyetta was sunk。 I like
sus…sus…pen…sheen bridges that fly from bank to bank。 with one
big step； like a gang…plank。 Then no water can hurt。 When does
the Lord Sahib come to open the bridge？〃
〃In three months； when the weather is cooler。〃
〃Ho！ ho！ He is like the Burra Malum。 He sleeps below while the
work is being done。 Then he comes upon the quarter…deck and
touches with his finger； and says： 'This is not clean！ Dam
jibboonwallah！'〃
〃But the Lord Sahib does not call me a dam jibboonwallah； Peroo。〃
〃No； Sahib； but he does not come on deck till the work is all
finished。 Even the Burra