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？“
