"The bridge challenges Mother Gunga," said Peroo, with a laugh.
"But when she talks I know whose voice will be the loudest."

For hours the naked men worked, screaming and shouting under the
lights. It was a hot, moonless night; the end of it was
darkened by clouds and a sudden squall that made Findlayson very
grave.

"She moves!" said Peroo, just before the dawn. "Mother Gunga is
awake! Hear!" He dipped his hand over the side of a boat and the
current mumbled on it. A little wave hit the side of a pier with
a crisp slap.

"Six hours before her time," said Findlayson, mopping his
forehead savagely. "Now we can't depend on anything. We'd
better clear all hands out of the riverbed."

Again the big gong beat, and a second time there was the rushing
of naked feet on earth and ringing iron; the clatter of tools
ceased. In the silence, men heard the dry yawn of water
crawling over thirsty sand.

Foreman after foreman shouted to Findlayson, who had posted
himself by the guard-tower, that his section of the river-bed
had been cleaned out, and when the last voice dropped Findlayson
hurried over the bridge till the iron plating of the permanent
way gave place to the temporary plank-walk over the three centre
piers, and there he met Hitchcock.