“Well, I’ll go after some planks,” said the man, “but it may take two hours to get ’em here. I’ll have to hunt for ’em.”
Slowly Jerry rode his motor down to the white structure that spanned the now swollen and swiftly running stream. As the man had said the last span of the bridge, on the side farthest from Jerry, had been carried away. It was the part which had extended from the shore to the stone abutment.
The boy carefully examined the ruined bridge. There were planks on the floor, but they were firmly spiked down, and none of them seemed long enough. To leap the gap was a feat beyond Jerry’s ability, though a professional jumper might have done it.
“If the stream wasn’t so swift I could swim it,” the boy murmured. “But it’s too risky. Besides, even if I get over, I wonder how the doctor is to come back? Though I guess I can manage that. He can bring some planks with him, and walk over on them. That part will be all right if I can only get across.”
But Jerry had to admit that the problem was a difficult one to solve. He looked at the bridge with sorrow in his heart as he thought of the man waiting anxiously for the doctor.
“I simply must get across!” exclaimed the boy.
As he walked to the edge of the structure, looking in vain for a plank that would serve, Jerry noticed a strange trick that the water had played. In tearing away the far span the timbers that remained resting on the stone abutment had been loosened. This caused the middle of what was left of the bridge to sag, or dip down to considerable degree.
All at once a daring thought came to Jerry. He looked at the sagging bridge, at the gap where the span was missing, and at the angry waters that swirled between him and the other shore. Then he turned and looked back at the hill which came to an end right at the bridge.
“I have it!” cried the boy, his eyes shining with excitement. “If I only dare do it! I will do it!”
He hurried back to where he had left his motor cycle. He started it in motion and rode slowly back up the hill which he had just descended. Any one seeing him, and not knowing his plan might have thought he had given up in despair. But Jerry was not that kind of a boy.