TheMungananoticedhisfearandwhispered:
　　“Wemustswimthewater。Ifyouhaveagod，whiteman，prayhimtoprotectyoufromBonsa。“
　　“Leadon，“answeredAlan，“Idonotdreadafoulfetish，onlythelookofit。Butistherenowayround？“
　　TheMunganashookhisheadandbegantoenterthecanal。Jeekie，whoseteethwerechattering，hungback，butAlanpushedhimfrombehind，sosharplythathestumbledandmadeasplash。ThenAlanfollowed，andasthecold，blackwaterrosetohischest，lookedagainatBigBonsa。
　　Itseemedtohimthatthethinghadturnedroundandwasstaringatthem。Surelyafewsecondsagoitssnoutpointedtheotherway。No，thatmustbefancy。Hewasswimmingnow，theywereallswimming，AlanandJeekieholdingtheirpistolsandlittlestockofcartridgesabovetheirheadstokeepthemdry。ThegoldheadofBigBonsaappearedtobeliftingitselfupinthewater，asareptilemight，inordertogetabetterviewoftheseproceedings，butdoubtlessitwastheripplesthattheycausedwhichgaveitthisappearance。Onlywhydidtheripplesmakeitcometowardsthem，quitegently，likeaninvestigatingfish？
　　Itwasabouttenyardsoffandtheywereinthemiddleofthecanal。
　　TheMunganahadpassedit。ItwasinalinewithAlan’shead。OhHeavens！asuddensmotheroffoam，arushlikethatofatorpedo，andsetlowdownbetweentwocurvingwaves，aflashofgold。Thenagurgling，inhumanlaughandaweightuponhisback。DownwentAlan，downanddown！
　　Themoonlightabovevanished。Alanwasaloneinthedepthswiththisdevil，orwhateveritmightbe。Hecouldfeelhandsandfeetgrippingandtreadingonhim，buttheydidnotseemtobehuman，forthereweretoomanyofthem。Alsotheywereverycold。HegavehimselfupfordeadandthoughtofBarbara。
　　Thensomethingflashedintohismind。Inhishandhestillheldtherevolver。Hepresseditupwardsagainstthethingthatwassmotheringhim，andpulledthetrigger。Againhepulledit，andagain，foritwasaself-cockingweapon，andeventheredeepdowninthewaterheheardthethudoftheexplosionofthedamp-proofcoppercartridges。Hislungswerebursting，hissensesreeled，onlyenoughofthemremainedtotellhimthathewasfreeofthatstranglinggripandfloatingupwards。Hisheadroseabovethesurface，andthroughthemouthofhismaskhedrewinthesweetairwithquickgasps。DownbelowhimintheclearwaterhesawtheyellowheadofBigBonsarockingandquiveringlikeagreatreflectedmon，sawtoothatitwasbeginningtorise。Yethecouldnotswimawayfromit，thefetishseemedtohavehypnotizedhim。HeheardJeekiecallingtohimfromtheshallowwaternearthefurtherbank，butstillhefloatedtherelikealogandstareddownatBigBonsawallowingbeneath。
　　Jeekieplungedbackintothecanalandwithafewstrongstrokesreachedhim，grippedhimbythearmandbegantotowhimtotheshore。
　　BeforetheycamethereBigBonsaroselikeahugefishandtriedtofollowthem，butcouldnot，orsoitseemed。Atanyrateitonlywhirledroundandrounduponthesurface，whilefromitpouredawhitefluidthatturnedtheblackwatertothehueofmilk。Thenitbegantoscream，makingathinanddreadfulsoundmorelikethatofaninfantinpainthananythingtheyhadeverheard，averysickeningsoundthatAlannevercouldforget。Hestaggeredtothebankandstoodstaringatitwhereitbled，rolledandshrieked，butbecauseofthemilkyfoamcouldmakenothingoutinthatlight。
　　“Whatisit，Jeekie？“hesaidwithanidioticlaugh。“Whatisit？“
　　“Oh！don’tknow。Devilandall，perhaps。Comeon，Major，beforeitcatchus。“
　　“Idon’tthinkitwillcatchanyonejustatpresent。Devilornothollow-nosedbulletsdon’tagreewithit。ShallIgiveitanother，Jeekie？“andheliftedthepistol。
　　“No，no，Major，don’tplaytomfool，“andJeekiegrabbedhimbythearmanddraggedhimaway。
　　AfewpacesfurtheronstoodtheMunganalikeamantransfixed，andeventhenAlannoticedthatheregardedhimwithsomethingakintoawe。
　　“Strongerthanthegod，“hemuttered，“strongerthanthegod，“andboundedforward。
　　Followingthepaththatranbesidethecanal，theyplungedintoatunnel，holdingeachotherasbefore。InafewminutestheywerethroughitandinaplacefullofcedartreesoutsidethewalloftheGoldHouse，underwhichevidentlythetunnelpassed，forthereitrosebehindthem。Beneaththesecedartreestheyflittedlikeghosts，nowinthemoonlightandnowintheshadow。
　　Thegreatfalltothebackofthetownwasontheirleft，andinfrontofthemlayoneofthearmsoftheriver，atthisspotaragingtorrentnotmuchmorethanahundredfeetinwidth，spannedbyanarrowsuspensionbridgewhichseemedtobesupportedbytwofibreropes。Onthehithersideofthisbridgestoodaguardhut，andtotheirdismayoutofthishutranthreemenarmedwithspears，evidentlytocutthemoff。Oneofthesemenspedacrossthebridgeandtookhisstandatthefurtherend，whiletheothertwopostedthemselvesintheirpathattheentrancetoit。
　　TheMunganaslackedhisspeedandsaidoneword——“Finished！“andJeekiealsohesitated，thenturnedandpointedbehindthem。
　　Alanlookedbackandflittinginandoutbetweenthecedartrees，sawthewhiterobesofthepriestsofBonsa。Thendespairseizedthemall，andtheyrushedatthebridge。Jeekiereacheditfirstanddodgingbeneaththespearsofthetwoguards，plungedhisknifeintothebreastofoneofthem，andbuttedtheotherwithhisgreathead，sothathefelloverthesideofthebridgeontotherocksbelow。
　　“Cut，Major，cut！“hesaidtoAlan，whopushedpasthim。“Allrightnow。“
　　Theywereonthenarrowswayingbridge——itwasbutasingleplank——
　　Alanfirst，thentheMungana，thenJeekie。WhentheywerehalfwayacrossAlanlookedbeforehimandsawasighthecouldneverforget。
　　Thethirdguardatthefurthersidewassawingthroughoneofthefibreropeswithhisspear。Theretheywereonthemiddleofthebridgewiththetorrentravingfiftyfeetbeneaththem，andthemanhadnearlyseveredtherope！Togetoverbeforeitpartedwasimpossible；behindwerethepriests；beneaththeroaringriver。Allthreeofthemstoppedasthoughparalyzed，forallthreehadseen。
　　SomethingstruckagainstAlan’sleg，itwashispistolthatstillremainedfastenedtohiswristbyitsleatherthong。Hecockedandliftedit，tookaimandfired。Theshotmissed，whichwasnotwonderfulconsideringthelightandtheplatformonwhichtheshooterstood。Itmissed，buttheman，astonished，forhehadneverseenorheardsuchathingbefore，stoppedhissawingforamoment，andstaredatthem。ThenashebeganagainAlanfiredoncemore，andthistimebygoodfortunethebulletstruckthemansomewhereinthebody。Hefell，andashefellgraspedthenearlyseparatedropeandhungtoit。
　　“Getholdoftheotherropeandcomeon，“yelledAlan，andoncemoretheyboundedforward。
　　“MyGod！it’sgoing，“heyelledagain。“Holdfast，Jeekie，holdfast！“
　　Nextinstanttheropepartedandthemanvanished。Thebridgetippedover，andsupportedbytheremainingrope，hungedgewaysup。Tothisropethethreeofthemclungdesperately，restingtheirfeetupontheedgeoftheswayingplank。Forafewsecondstheyremainedthus，afraidtostir，thenJeekiecalledout:
　　“Climbon，Major，climbonlikeonemonkey。Lookbad，butquitesafereally。“
　　AstherewasnothingelsetobedoneAlanbegantoclimb，shiftinghisfeetalongtheplankedgeandhishandsalongtherope，whichcreakedandstretchedbeneaththeirthreefoldweight。
　　Itwasahorriblejourney，andinhisimaginationtookatleastanhour。Yettheyaccomplishedit，foratlasttheyfoundthemselveshuddledtogetherbutsafeuponthefurtherbank。ThesweatpouringdownfromhisheadalmostblindedAlan；adeadlynauseaworkedwithinhim，sicklytremorsshotupanddownhisspine；hisbrainswam。YethecouldhearJeekie，inwhomexcitementalwaystooktheformofspeech，sayingloudly:
　　“Thinkthatmannoliarwhatsayourgreatpapaswasmonkeys。Neverlookdownonmonkeynomore。Wakeup，Major，thosepriestsmonkey-mentoo，forweallbrothers，youknow。Waitabit，Istoptheirlittlegame，“andspringingupwiththreeorfourcutsofthebigcurvedknife，heseveredtheremainingropejustastheirpursuersreachedthefurthersideofthechasm。
　　Theyshoutedwithrageasthelongbridgeswungbackagainsttherock，thecutendofitfallingintothetorrent，andwavedtheirspearsthreateningly。TothisdemonstrationJeekierepliedwithgesturesofcontemptsuchasareknowntostreetArabs。ThenhelookedattheMungana，wholayuponthegroundamelancholyanddilapidatedspectacle，fortheperspirationhadwashedlinesofpaintoffhisfaceandpatchesofdyefromhishair，alsohisgorgeousrobeswerewater-
　　stainedandhisgemnecklacesbroken。HavingstudiedhimawhileJeekiekickedhimmeditativelytillhegotup，thenaskedhimtosetouttheexactsituation。TheMunganaansweredthattheyweresafeforawhile，sincethattorrentcouldonlybecrossedbythebrokenbridgeandwastoorapidtoswim。TheAsiki，headded，mustgoalongjourneyroundthroughthecityinordertocomeatthem，thoughdoubtlesstheywouldhuntthemdownintime。
　　HereJeekiecuthimshort，sinceheknewallthatcountrywellandonlywishedtolearnwhetheranymorebridgeshadbeenbuiltacrossthetorrentsincehewasaboy。
　　“Now，Major，“hesaid，“yougetupandfollowme，forIknoweveryinchofground，alsobyandbygoodshortcutovermountains。YouseeJeekieverycleverboy，andwhenheherdsheepandgoathemadenoteofeverythingandneverforgetnothing。Hepullyououtofthishole，neverfear。“
　　“Gladtohearit，Iamsure，“answeredAlanasherose。“Butwhat’stobecomeoftheMungana？“