Part 4 (1/2)

”We shouldn't go too far. We have to be able to hear when they call.”

”Can hear. Not far,” said Baartock as he kept scrambling up the hill.

This was something that no amount of noise could scare away.

”Please slow down,” asked Mr. Fennis after a few minutes. He wasn't used to racing up hills, and he was getting hot.

”Not far,” repeated Baartock, but he did slow down to let Mr. Fennis catch up.

At one time there must have been a lot of water coming down from a spring, because the stream bed was wide in some places and deep in others as it cut a path down the hill. But now it was dry most of the time, except when it rained, when the water would come churning down the hill, bubbling past the rocks and was.h.i.+ng the leaves down hill.

Then after the rain ended, it would stop flowing, just leaving pools to dry up in the sunlight.

Mr. Fennis caught up with Baartock at a bend in the stream bed, just where it went around a clump of trees. Baartock just pointed up the hill.

”Mine,” he said.

Mr. Fennis stopped to see what he was pointing at. Just a little way up the hill was a stone bridge over the stream bed. Mr. Fennis stared at it.

The bridge looked just like a picture out of a story book. It was a low, wide, stone arch crossing over the stream. Big, heavy stones made up the pillars on each end and the curved bottom of the bridge. Lots of smaller flat stones filled in the walls, and some bigger ones topped off the walls. There were trees and bushes going up to the bridge on either side. Under the arch, there was the glitter of sunlight on a pool on the other side. It was a very pretty sight, but Mr. Fennis couldn't think why anyone would build a bridge here, so far away from everything.

Baartock ran to the bridge and stood under it, and looked back at Mr.

Fennis with a big grin. ”Mine,” he said again.

Mr. Fennis hurried to the bridge too. He had never seen a real stone bridge like this before. ”Baartock,” he said, ”you shouldn't stand under there. It might not be safe.”

”Not safe?” asked Baartock.

”One of those stones might fall down.”

”Not fall down,” said Baartock, not grinning any more. ”I make. Good bridge. Trolls make good bridge. I show you good bridge.”

He came out from under the bridge, and went scrambling up the side of the stream bed. Mr. Fennis looked for a better place to climb up, but finally climbed where Baartock had. When he got up to the end of the bridge, Baartock was in the middle. And he wasn't just standing there.

He was jumping up and down.

”I make good bridge,” he said again. ”Not fall down.

”Yes. It's a good bridge,” agreed Mr. Fennis. He stopped watching Baartock and examined the bridge. It did seem safe. It really did look like someone had just built it. The path on each side only went about ten feet into the woods and stopped. There didn't seem to be any reason for anyone to build a bridge in the middle of the woods. He didn't even consider what Baartock had said, that he had built it.

Baartock stood watching Mr. Fennis for a minute, then he had an idea.

He went over and took his hand. ”Come,” he said, leading him to the end of the path. ”I call. You come cross bridge.” Baartock ran back across the bridge and into the woods on the other side.

Mr. Fennis stood waiting for a minute, then he faintly heard Baartock call ”Now!” It sounded like he had run way off in the woods. Not sure what the game was, Mr. Fennis walked back to the bridge and started to cross it.

Just then there was the most awful noise he had ever heard. He stopped to look around. And Baartock came running and screaming up from under the bridge. Mr. Fennis stood there for a moment with his mouth wide open, then he found himself running off the bridge, and running away into the woods. He was quite a long way into the woods when he realized that the noise had been made by Baartock. It had been terrifying. He stopped beside a big tree and leaned on it while he caught his breath. He wasn't used to running, or to being scared like that. He was still standing there panting, when Baartock came walking up to him. Mr. Fennis didn't know what to say.

”Good bridge,” was what Baartock said, with a huge grin on his face. He had done it. On his first day. He really had scared someone.

Mr. Fennis stood, leaning up against the tree, and thought of some things he could say, but ”Shouldn't we go back now?” was what he said.

With Baartock leading the way, they walked back toward the stream bed.