the bridge-builders-第2章

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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　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