Ashbury College - Ashburian Yearbook (Ottawa, Ontario Canada)

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I6 THE ASHBURIAN the charge, in exploding, would make the maximum damage. He placed the charges, fixed them solidly with wire, placed the detonator and started unrolling the electric wire. He heard, down in the gorge, the torrent wildly roaring on the rocks. VVhen the footsteps neared, Simon interrupted his work, and, motionless, waited. He finished placing the first charge. He came back, carefully, flat on iis face on the metal bar. He stopped an instant where they had left the rocks and puffed on his fingers, then took a new bundle of explosives ane set to work on the second beam. For half-an-hour he was at work. It seemed to him that in the valey the rumbling of the motors came closer. He had to be quick. Simon finished placing the dynamite and the detonator, then came back to iis starting point, unrolling the cord. He joined the two wires. He was astonished at his calm. Still a moment and all would be over. He gat iered the empty sacks, climbed up the ravine and went into the forest. He set the wire he was dragging behind him to the clock mechanism and set it. There. lt was done . . . How simple it was! ln a quarter of an hour, the bridge would blow up. Of this beautiful construction of iron and concrete, there would only be left a distorted wreck in the stream. Simon looked at the intact bridge a last time. He had tears in his eyes. lle turned and went up to the cave Where his companions waited. He was half way up the slope when he heard a detonation, then a deep grumbling. He turned around. A light cloud of smoke was sus- pended in mid-air. The echo rolled from one side to the other of the mountain and then, slowly, extinguished. Nothing was left. Simon started walking again. He found Marco and Pepe at the fixed place. All three started the long walk back together. They could not stay long there . . . 'Beautiful job', said Marco. Simon remained silent. 'What did you construct, before the war', inquired Marco. 'Bridgesh answered the young man. 'True? . . . Built many? 'Only one. l haven't been an engineer for long. I haven't worked much. Only one . . . But l think it wasn't too bad'. 'XYhere?' asked Pepe. 'Here, very close, said Simon. In the mountain on the Renansao . Bridge 22, you'know?' They walked a bit more. Pepe was thinking. 'lt's sometimes hard to do what one must,' he said finally. Simon thouffht he was ri fht. P 5' DE Dammit.

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THE ASHBURIAX 15 Simon had had a shock, but nobody asked for his opinion: he had to obey. So he was descending the little path, with a bitter taste in his mouth, which could be either fear or anger. They reached the road. The bridge was a few feet awav, but the thickness of the forest still made them invisible. Thev only 'heard the footsteps of the sentinel, striding along, whistling Lili .llazilwlc to the air. 'l'll take care of the guy , said Nlarco reaching for his knife. Simon stopped him. 'Out of the question! They're six, in the cabin. At the slightest sound we'll have them on our backsl. 'So what? Three partisans against six German regulars. XYe're strongerl. 'VVC want to blow the bridge, nothing more'. Simon was astonished that he could talk that way. He didn't know he had such a sense of duty. Marco put his knife in his belt again. Simon separated the branches. WVhen he's at the other end', he said. They waited a long minute. The sentinel, turning his back on them. went slowly away. 'Now . . . ' They moved furtively. one behind the other, from the forest to the road, then, quickly, jumped in the ravine, where stood the end of the bridge. There was, between the bridge and the rock, a sort of nook, isolated and quiet, where they unloaded their sacks. The footsteps were coming back. 'He'll turn around and go', said Simon very low. VVhen he's at the other end, you make yourselves scarcel. 'But you, comrade? 'I'll do very well alone'. 'It's true you're an engineer', observed Nlarco. This bridge, you must knowf 'Of course', said Simon, sadly. They waited, crouched under the sonorous platform, until the sen- tinel's footsteps faded away at the other end, and then, the two men climbed the ravine. 'VVait for me up there. l'll join you'. They disappeared immediately. ' Simon set to work. He wasnt afraid. :Xnd still, during his work. he wanted to leave everything there and go up into the protective woods. But his hands went on working. building destruction. precise. skilful. He crawled on the metallic beam until he reached the exact place where

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