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〃No； Sahib； but he does not come on deck till the work is all
finished。 Even the Burra Malum of the Nerbudda said once at
Tuticorin …〃
〃Bah！ Go！ I am busy。〃
〃I； also！〃 said Peroo； with an unshaken countenance。 〃May I take
the light dinghy now and row along the spurs？〃
〃To hold them with thy hands？ They are； I think； sufficiently heavy。〃
〃Nay； Sahib。 It is thus。 At sea； on the Black Water； we have
room to be blown up and down without care。 Here we have no room
at all。 Look you； we have put the river into a dock； and run her
between stone sills。〃
Findlayson smiled at the 〃we。〃
〃We have bitted and bridled her。 She is not like the sea； that
can beat against a soft beach。 She is Mother Gunga … in irons。〃
His voice fell a little。
〃Peroo； thou hast been up and down the world more even than I。
Speak true talk； now。 How much dost thou in thy heart believe of
Mother Gunga？〃
〃All that our priest says。 London is London； Sahib。 Sydney is
Sydney； and Port Darwin is Port Darwin。 Also Mother Gunga is
Mother Gunga； and when I come back to her banks I know this and
worship。 In London I did poojah to the big temple by the river
for the sake of the God within。 。 。 。 Yes； I will not take the
cushions in the dinghy。〃
Findlayson mounted his horse and trotted to the shed of a
bungalow that he shared with his assistant。 The place had become
home to him in the last three years。 He had grilled in the heat；
sweated in the rains； and shivered with fever under the rude
thatch roof； the lime…wash beside the door was covered with rough
drawings and formulae； and the sentry…path trodden in the matting
of the verandah showed where he had walked alone。 There is no
eight…hour limit to an engineer's work； and the evening meal with
Hitchcock was eaten booted and spurred： over their cigars they
listened to the hum of the village as the gangs came up from the
river…bed and the lights began to twinkle。
〃Peroo has gone up the spurs in your dinghy。 He's taken a couple
of nephews with him； and he's lolling in the stern like a
commodore；〃 said Hitchcock。
〃That's all right。 He's got something on his mind。 You'd think
that ten years in the British India boats would have knocked most
of his religion out of him。〃
〃So it has；〃 said Hitchcock； chuckling。 〃I overheard him the
other day in the middle of a most atheistical talk with that fat
old guru of theirs。 Peroo denied the efficacy of prayer； and
wanted the guru to go to sea and watch a gale out with him； and
see if he could stop a monsoon。〃
〃All the same； if you carried off his guru he'd leave us like a
shot。 He was yarning away to me about praying to the dome of St。
Paul's when he was in London。〃
〃He told me that the first time he went into the engine…room of a
steamer； when he was a boy； he prayed to the low…pressure
cylinder。〃
〃Not half a bad thing to pray to； either。 He's propitiating his
own Gods now； and he wants to know what Mother Gunga will think
of a bridge being run across her。 Who's there？〃 A shadow darkened
the doorway； and a telegram was put into Hitchcock's hand。
〃She ought to be pretty well used to it by this time。 Only a
tar。 It ought to be Ralli's answer about the new rivets。 。 。 。
Great Heavens！〃 Hitchcock jumped to his feet。
〃What is it？〃 said the senior； and took the form。 〃that's what
Mother Gunga thinks； is it；〃 he said； reading。 〃Keep cool；
young 'un。 We've got all our work cut out for us。 Let's see。
Muir wired half an hour ago： 'Floods on the Ramgunga。 Look out。'
Well； that gives us … one； two … nine and a half for the flood to
reach Melipur Ghaut and seven's sixteen and a half to Lataoli …
say fifteen hours before it comes down to us。〃
〃Curse that hill…fed sewer of a Ramgunga！ Findlayson； this is two
months before anything could have been expected； and the left bank
is littered up with stuff still。 Two full months before the time！〃
〃That's why it comes。 I've only known Indian rivers for
five…and…twenty years； and I don't pretend to understand。 Here
comes another tar。〃 Findlayson opened the telegram。 〃Cockran；
this time； from the Ganges Canal： 'Heavy rains here。 Bad。' He
might have saved the last word。 Well； we don't want to know any
more。 We've got to work the gangs all night and clean up the
riverbed。 You'll take the east bank and work out to meet me in
the middle。 Get everything that floats below the bridge： we
shall have quite enough river…craft coming down adrift anyhow；
without letting the stone…boats ram the piers。 What have you got
on the east bank that needs looking after？
〃Pontoon … one big pontoon with the overhead crane on it。 T'other
overhead crane on the mended pontoon； with the cart…road rivets
from Twenty to Twenty…three piers … two construction lines； and a
turning…spur。 The pilework must take its chance；〃 said
Hitchcock。
〃All right。 Roll up everything you can lay hands on。 We'll give
the gang fifteen minutes more to eat their grub。〃
Close to the verandah stood a big night…gong； never used except
for flood； or fire in the village。 Hitchcock had called for a
fresh horse； and was off to his side of the bridge when
Findlayson took the cloth…bound stick and smote with the rubbing
stroke that brings out the full thunder of the metal。
Long before the last rumble ceased every night…gong in the
village had taken up the warning。 To these were added the hoarse
screaming of conches in the little temples； the throbbing of
drums and tom…toms； and； from the European quarters； where the
riveters lived； McCartney's bugle； a weapon of offence on Sundays
and festivals； brayed desperately； calling to 〃Stables。〃 Engine
after engine toiling home along the spurs at the end of her day's
work whistled in answer till the whistles were answered from the
far bank。 Then the big gong thundered thrice for a sign that it
was flood and not fire； conch； drum； and whistle echoed the
call； and the village quivered to the sound of bare feet running
upon soft earth。 The order in all cases was to stand by the
day's work and wait instructions。 The gangs poured by in the
dusk； men stopping to knot a loin…cloth or fasten a sandal；
gang…foremen shouting to their subordinates as they ran or paused
by the tool…issue sheds for bars and mattocks； locomotives
creeping down their tracks wheel…deep in the crowd； till the
brown torrent disappeared into the dusk of the river…bed； raced
over the pilework； swarmed along the lattices； clustered by the
cranes； and stood still … each man in his place。
Then the troubled beating of the gong carried the order to take
up everything and bear it beyond high…water mark； and the
flare…lamps broke out by the hundred between the webs of dull
iron as the riveters began a night's work； racing against the
flood that was to come。 The girders of the three centre piers …
those that stood on the cribs …