A TERRIBLE RIDE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81873, 24 October 1906, Page 4

A TERRIBLE RIDE.

The famous gorge in the Arirondack Mountains, known as (he Au Sable chasm, was, some years ago. spanned by a rude wooden bridge, which hung over one hundred feci above the water. One night, says "Chums," a fearful windstorm blew away this bridge,leaving but a single plank spanning the chasm. The bridge was not replaced, bill this piece of wood remained rolling in the weather.

One pitch-dark night, afier the bridge over '.lie cha-m had disappeared, a stranger drew «;• his horse ; n ficn of the tavern at Ou Sable Forks. As the man was eating" his -upper in hj" corner of the room the .andlord engaged him in conversation. "Dark night outside," be said.

' L Ve.s—black.'' ansu ered tlie neiv comer.

"Have any trouble lii.ding your "No; I used to live in this neighborhood twenty'years a;;o." "Which way did you rome across?" "Right over the bridge across the Au Sable.'" Everybody in the room stared at the man. "Impossible, sir! That bridge .blew down ten years ago.'* | '"Again I tell you, my friend, that 1 came acres ii thi> very night, 1 ' *he stranger insisted. "It was too dark for me to see, but I heard thr clatter of my horse's feet on the planking, and 'he noise of the water in the hasm below.' 1

Next morning everybody at Au Sable was at the chasm There, sure enough, were the fresh prints of a horses fpi leading from the end of the plank. The stranger had told the truth. 11l the darkness, his horse had crossed the chasm on a single narrow and weather-beaten beam.

When the stranger saw the perilous path ovej-' whieli. in his ignorance, h' 1 had so unconcernedly ridden ihe night before, and glanced down intr. the chasm, h»' trembled, and turned away with a face white with fear.

According to statements made, the Chinese nation is on the eve of a great change, which sooner or later will undoubtedly alter the a-poci of affairs in the I-ar East. Captain S. \Y. Moore stated that China was simplv beginning to recognise her own enormous power. In the Russd-Japenese war China saw what Japan will her more advanced idens was able to do. and the question now asked in China was, "If Japan was ab!e to defeat on; 1 great European nation, why cannot China do the same?" The military spirit appeared to be spreading throughout the Empire, and to-dav China was dr'lling he r thousands of troops. The Mandar n in each district had received instructions to drill a certain number of troops, and it was no secre; that large supplies of war material had been impored from Germany and other countries. Cap;ain Moore laid particular stress upon the progressive steps recentlv taken m laying down new railways, which would have the effect of opening up rich agricultural country. It was well known that the internal traffic was enormous, and that up to tin present a great part of it was tarried Oil by means of rivers, which sc. m literally to swarm wi'ii boats of i| kinds and descriptions. \„ w ( |„, ni ji. way was beginning to pierce -he country, and lip- result \ von Id be beneficial to China generally.

Aearly 200 officers of the liritish loicr, il( present serving in the Egyptian Army.