An Occurrence At The Owl Creek Bridge

Ambrose Bierce

The Electronic Books Foundation

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Table of Contents
About the Author Part I Part II Part III 4 6 1 1!

About The Author

Ambrose "#innett Bierce $%une &4' 1(4& ) after *ecember &6' 1+1!, #as an American editorialist' -ournalist' short story #riter' fabulist' and satirist. /e #rote the short story 0An 1ccurrence at 1#l 2reek Bridge0 and compiled a satirical le3icon The *e4il5s *ictionary. /is 4ehemence as a critic' his motto 06othing matters0' and the sardonic 4ie# of human nature that informed his #ork' all earned him the nickname 0Bitter Bierce0. *espite his reputation as a searing critic' Bierce #as kno#n to encourage younger #riters' including poet "eorge 7terling and fiction #riter 8. 2. 9orro#. Bierce employed a distincti4e style of #riting' especially in his stories. /is style often embraces an abrupt beginning' dark imagery' 4ague references to time' limited descriptions' impossible e4ents and the theme of #ar. In 1+1!' Bierce tra4eled to 9e3ico to gain first:hand e3perience of the 9e3ican ;e4olution. 8hile tra4eling #ith rebel troops' he disappeared #ithout a trace. The above excerpt is licensed from Wikimedia Foundation under a creative commons license. You can learn more about it at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/ .!/us/

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Part I
A man stood upon a railroad bridge in northern Alabama' looking do#n into the s#ift #ater t#enty feet belo#. The man5s hands #ere behind his back' the #rists bound #ith a cord. A rope closely encircled his neck. It #as attached to a stout cross:timber abo4e his head and the slack fell to the le4el of his knees. 7ome loose boards laid upon the ties supporting the rails of the rail#ay supplied a footing for him and his e3ecutioners<t#o pri4ate soldiers of the Federal army' directed by a sergeant #ho in ci4il life may ha4e been a deputy sheriff. At a short remo4e upon the same temporary platform #as an officer in the uniform of his rank' armed. /e #as a captain. A sentinel at each end of the bridge stood #ith his rifle in the position kno#n as 0support'0 that is to say' 4ertical in front of the left shoulder' the hammer resting on the forearm thro#n straight across the chest<a formal and unnatural position' enforcing an erect carriage of the body. It did not appear to be the duty of these t#o men to kno# #hat #as occurring at the center of the bridge= they merely blockaded the t#o ends of the foot planking that tra4ersed it. Beyond one of the sentinels nobody #as in sight= the railroad ran straight a#ay into a forest for a hundred yards' then' cur4ing' #as lost to 4ie#. *oubtless there #as an outpost farther along. The other bank of the stream #as open ground<a gentle slope topped #ith a stockade of 4ertical tree trunks' loopholed for rifles' #ith a single embrasure through #hich protruded the mu>>le of a brass cannon commanding the bridge. 9id#ay up the slope bet#een the bridge and fort #ere the spectators<a single company of infantry in line' at 0parade rest'0 the butts of their rifles on the ground' the barrels inclining slightly back#ard against the right shoulder' the hands crossed upon the stock. A lieutenant stood at the right of the line' the point of his s#ord upon the ground' his left hand resting upon his right. E3cepting the group of four at the center of the bridge' not a man mo4ed. The company faced the bridge' staring stonily' motionless. The sentinels' facing the banks of the stream' might ha4e been statues to adorn the bridge. The captain stood #ith folded arms' silent' obser4ing the #ork of his subordinates' but making no sign. *eath is a dignitary #ho #hen he comes announced is to be recei4ed #ith formal manifestations of respect' e4en by those most familiar #ith him. In the code of military eti?uette silence and fi3ity are forms of deference.

The man #ho #as engaged in being hanged #as apparently about thirty:fi4e years of age. /e #as a ci4ilian' if one might -udge from his habit' #hich #as that of a planter. /is features #ere good<a straight nose' firm mouth' broad forehead' from #hich his long' dark hair #as combed straight back' falling behind his ears to the collar of his #ell fitting frock coat. /e #ore a moustache and pointed beard' but no #hiskers= his eyes #ere large and dark gray' and had a kindly e3pression #hich one #ould hardly ha4e e3pected in one #hose neck #as in the hemp. E4idently this #as no 4ulgar assassin. The liberal military code makes pro4ision for hanging many kinds of persons' and gentlemen are not e3cluded. The preparations being complete' the t#o pri4ate soldiers stepped aside and each dre# a#ay the plank upon #hich he had been standing. The sergeant turned to the captain' saluted and placed himself immediately behind that officer' #ho in turn mo4ed apart one pace. These mo4ements left the condemned man and the sergeant standing on the t#o ends of the same plank' #hich spanned three of the cross:ties of the bridge. The end upon #hich the ci4ilian stood almost' but not ?uite' reached a fourth. This plank had been held in place by the #eight of the captain= it #as no# held by that of the sergeant. At a signal from the former the latter #ould step aside' the plank #ould tilt and the condemned man go do#n bet#een t#o ties. The arrangement commended itself to his -udgement as simple and effecti4e. /is face had not been co4ered nor his eyes bandaged. /e looked a moment at his 0unsteadfast footing'0 then let his ga>e #ander to the s#irling #ater of the stream racing madly beneath his feet. A piece of dancing drift#ood caught his attention and his eyes follo#ed it do#n the current. /o# slo#ly it appeared to mo4e@ 8hat a sluggish stream@ /e closed his eyes in order to fi3 his last thoughts upon his #ife and children. The #ater' touched to gold by the early sun' the brooding mists under the banks at some distance do#n the stream' the fort' the soldiers' the piece of drift<all had distracted him. And no# he became conscious of a ne# disturbance. 7triking through the thought of his dear ones #as sound #hich he could neither ignore nor understand' a sharp' distinct' metallic percussion like the stroke of a blacksmith5s hammer upon the an4il= it had the same ringing ?uality. /e #ondered #hat it #as' and #hether immeasurably distant or near by< it seemed both. Its recurrence #as regular' but as slo# as the tolling of a death knell. /e a#aited each ne# stroke #ith impatience and<he kne# not #hy<apprehension. The inter4als of silence gre# progressi4ely longer= the delays became maddening. 8ith their greater

infre?uency the sounds increased in strength and sharpness. They hurt his ear like the trust of a knife= he feared he #ould shriek. 8hat he heard #as the ticking of his #atch. /e unclosed his eyes and sa# again the #ater belo# him. 0If I could free my hands'0 he thought' 0I might thro# off the noose and spring into the stream. By di4ing I could e4ade the bullets and' s#imming 4igorously' reach the bank' take to the #oods and get a#ay home. 9y home' thank "od' is as yet outside their lines= my #ife and little ones are still beyond the in4ader5s farthest ad4ance.0 As these thoughts' #hich ha4e here to be set do#n in #ords' #ere flashed into the doomed man5s brain rather than e4ol4ed from it the captain nodded to the sergeant. The sergeant stepped aside.

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Part II
Peyton Far?uhar #as a #ell to do planter' of an old and highly respected Alabama

family. Being a sla4e o#ner and like other sla4e o#ners a politician' he #as naturally an original secessionist and ardently de4oted to the 7outhern cause. 2ircumstances of an imperious nature' #hich it is unnecessary to relate here' had pre4ented him from taking ser4ice #ith that gallant army #hich had fought the disastrous campaigns ending #ith the fall of 2orinth' and he chafed under the inglorious restraint' longing for the release of his energies' the larger life of the soldier' the opportunity for distinction. That opportunity' he felt' #ould come' as it comes to all in #artime. 9ean#hile he did #hat he could. 6o ser4ice #as too humble for him to perform in the aid of the 7outh' no ad4enture to perilous for him to undertake if consistent #ith the character of a ci4ilian #ho #as at heart a soldier' and #ho in good faith and #ithout too much ?ualification assented to at least a part of the frankly 4illainous dictum that all is fair in lo4e and #ar. 1ne e4ening #hile Far?uhar and his #ife #ere sitting on a rustic bench near the entrance to his grounds' a gray:clad soldier rode up to the gate and asked for a drink of #ater. 9rs. Far?uhar #as only too happy to ser4e him #ith her o#n #hite hands. 8hile she #as fetching the #ater her husband approached the dusty horseman and in?uired eagerly for ne#s from the front. 0The Aanks are repairing the railroads'0 said the man' 0and are getting ready for another ad4ance. They ha4e reached the 1#l 2reek bridge' put it in order and built a stockade on the north bank. The commandant has issued an order' #hich is posted e4ery#here' declaring that any ci4ilian caught interfering #ith the railroad' its bridges' tunnels' or trains #ill be summarily hanged. I sa# the order.0 0/o# far is it to the 1#l 2reek bridgeB0 Far?uhar asked. 0About thirty miles.0

0Is there no force on this side of the creekB0 01nly a picket post half a mile out' on the railroad' and a single sentinel at this end of the bridge.0 07uppose a man<a ci4ilian and student of hanging<should elude the picket post and perhaps get the better of the sentinel'0 said Far?uhar' smiling' 0#hat could he accomplishB0 The soldier reflected. 0I #as there a month ago'0 he replied. 0I obser4ed that the flood of last #inter had lodged a great ?uantity of drift#ood against the #ooden pier at this end of the bridge. It is no# dry and #ould burn like tinder.0 The lady had no# brought the #ater' #hich the soldier drank. /e thanked her ceremoniously' bo#ed to her husband and rode a#ay. An hour later' after nightfall' he repassed the plantation' going north#ard in the direction from #hich he had come. /e #as a Federal scout.

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Part III
As Peyton Far?uhar fell straight do#n#ard through the bridge he lost consciousness and #as as one already dead. From this state he #as a#akened< ages later' it seemed to him<by the pain of a sharp pressure upon his throat' follo#ed by a sense of suffocation. Ceen' poignant agonies seemed to shoot from his neck do#n#ard through e4ery fiber of his body and limbs. These pains appeared to flash along #ell defined lines of ramification and to beat #ith an inconcei4ably rapid periodicity. They seemed like streams of pulsating fire heating him to an intolerable temperature. As to his head' he #as conscious of nothing but a feeling of fullness<of congestion. These sensations #ere unaccompanied by thought. The intellectual part of his nature #as already effaced= he had po#er only to feel' and feeling #as torment. /e #as conscious of motion. Encompassed in a luminous cloud' of #hich he #as no# merely the fiery heart' #ithout material substance' he s#ung through unthinkable arcs of oscillation' like a 4ast pendulum. Then all at once' #ith terrible suddenness' the light about him shot up#ard #ith the noise of a loud splash= a frightful roaring #as in his ears' and all #as cold and dark. The po#er of thought #as restored= he kne# that the rope had broken and he had fallen into the stream. There #as no additional strangulation= the noose about his neck #as already suffocating him and kept the #ater from his lungs. To die of hanging at the bottom of a ri4er@<the idea seemed to him ludicrous. /e opened his eyes in the darkness and sa# abo4e him a gleam of light' but ho# distant' ho# inaccessible@ /e #as still sinking' for the light became fainter and fainter until it #as a mere glimmer. Then it began to gro# and brighten' and he kne# that he #as rising to#ard the surface<kne# it #ith reluctance' for he #as no# 4ery comfortable. 0To be hanged and dro#ned'0 he thought' 0that is not so bad= but I do not #ish to be shot. 6o= I #ill not be shot= that is not fair.0 /e #as not conscious of an effort' but a sharp pain in his #rist apprised him that he #as trying to free his hands. /e ga4e the struggle his attention' as an idler might obser4e the feat of a -uggler' #ithout interest in the outcome. 8hat splendid effort@<#hat magnificent' #hat superhuman strength@ Ah' that #as a fine endea4or@ Bra4o@ The cord fell a#ay= his arms parted and floated up#ard' the hands dimly seen on each side in the gro#ing light. /e #atched them #ith a ne#

interest as first one and then the other pounced upon the noose at his neck. They tore it a#ay and thrust it fiercely aside' its undulations resembling those of a #ater snake. 0Put it back' put it back@0 /e thought he shouted these #ords to his hands' for the undoing of the noose had been succeeded by the direst pang that he had yet e3perienced. /is neck ached horribly= his brain #as on fire' his heart' #hich had been fluttering faintly' ga4e a great leap' trying to force itself out at his mouth. /is #hole body #as racked and #renched #ith an insupportable anguish@ But his disobedient hands ga4e no heed to the command. They beat the #ater 4igorously #ith ?uick' do#n#ard strokes' forcing him to the surface. /e felt his head emerge= his eyes #ere blinded by the sunlight= his chest e3panded con4ulsi4ely' and #ith a supreme and cro#ning agony his lungs engulfed a great draught of air' #hich instantly he e3pelled in a shriek@ /e #as no# in full possession of his physical senses. They #ere' indeed' preternaturally keen and alert. 7omething in the a#ful disturbance of his organic system had so e3alted and refined them that they made record of things ne4er before percei4ed. /e felt the ripples upon his face and heard their separate sounds as they struck. /e looked at the forest on the bank of the stream' sa# the indi4idual trees' the lea4es and the 4eining of each leaf<he sa# the 4ery insects upon themD the locusts' the brilliant bodied flies' the gray spiders stretching their #ebs from t#ig to t#ig. /e noted the prismatic colors in all the de#drops upon a million blades of grass. The humming of the gnats that danced abo4e the eddies of the stream' the beating of the dragon flies5 #ings' the strokes of the #ater spiders5 legs' like oars #hich had lifted their boat<all these made audible music. A fish slid along beneath his eyes and he heard the rush of its body parting the #ater. /e had come to the surface facing do#n the stream= in a moment the 4isible #orld seemed to #heel slo#ly round' himself the pi4otal point' and he sa# the bridge' the fort' the soldiers upon the bridge' the captain' the sergeant' the t#o pri4ates' his e3ecutioners. They #ere in silhouette against the blue sky. They shouted and gesticulated' pointing at him. The captain had dra#n his pistol' but did not fire= the others #ere unarmed. Their mo4ements #ere grotes?ue and horrible' their forms gigantic. 7uddenly he heard a sharp report and something struck the #ater smartly #ithin a fe# inches of his head' spattering his face #ith spray. /e heard a second report' and sa# one of the sentinels #ith his rifle at his shoulder' a light cloud of blue smoke rising from the mu>>le. The man in the #ater sa# the eye of the man on the

bridge ga>ing into his o#n through the sights of the rifle. /e obser4ed that it #as a gray eye and remembered ha4ing read that gray eyes #ere keenest' and that all famous marksmen had them. 6e4ertheless' this one had missed. A counter:s#irl had caught Far?uhar and turned him half round= he #as again looking at the forest on the bank opposite the fort. The sound of a clear' high 4oice in a monotonous singsong no# rang out behind him and came across the #ater #ith a distinctness that pierced and subdued all other sounds' e4en the beating of the ripples in his ears. Although no soldier' he had fre?uented camps enough to kno# the dread significance of that deliberate' dra#ling' aspirated chant= the lieutenant on shore #as taking a part in the morning5s #ork. /o# coldly and pitilessly<#ith #hat an e4en' calm intonation' presaging' and enforcing tran?uility in the men<#ith #hat accurately measured inter4al fell those cruel #ordsD 02ompany@E Attention@E 7houlder arms@E ;eady@E Aim@E Fire@0 Far?uhar di4ed<di4ed as deeply as he could. The #ater roared in his ears like the 4oice of 6iagara' yet he heard the dull thunder of the 4olley and' rising again to#ard the surface' met shining bits of metal' singularly flattened' oscillating slo#ly do#n#ard. 7ome of them touched him on the face and hands' then fell a#ay' continuing their descent. 1ne lodged bet#een his collar and neck= it #as uncomfortably #arm and he snatched it out. As he rose to the surface' gasping for breath' he sa# that he had been a long time under #ater= he #as perceptibly farther do#nstream<nearer to safety. The soldiers had almost finished reloading= the metal ramrods flashed all at once in the sunshine as they #ere dra#n from the barrels' turned in the air' and thrust into their sockets. The t#o sentinels fired again' independently and ineffectually. The hunted man sa# all this o4er his shoulder= he #as no# s#imming 4igorously #ith the current. /is brain #as as energetic as his arms and legs= he thought #ith the rapidity of lightningD 0The officer'0 he reasoned' 0#ill not make that martinet5s error a second time. It is

as easy to dodge a 4olley as a single shot. /e has probably already gi4en the command to fire at #ill. "od help me' I cannot dodge them all@0 An appalling splash #ithin t#o yards of him #as follo#ed by a loud' rushing sound' *I9I6FE6*1' #hich seemed to tra4el back through the air to the fort and died in an e3plosion #hich stirred the 4ery ri4er to its deeps@ A rising sheet of #ater cur4ed o4er him' fell do#n upon him' blinded him' strangled him@ The cannon had taken an hand in the game. As he shook his head free from the commotion of the smitten #ater he heard the deflected shot humming through the air ahead' and in an instant it #as cracking and smashing the branches in the forest beyond. 0They #ill not do that again'0 he thought= 0the ne3t time they #ill use a charge of grape. I must keep my eye upon the gun= the smoke #ill apprise me<the report arri4es too late= it lags behind the missile. That is a good gun.0 7uddenly he felt himself #hirled round and round<spinning like a top. The #ater' the banks' the forests' the no# distant bridge' fort and men' all #ere commingled and blurred. 1b-ects #ere represented by their colors only= circular hori>ontal streaks of color<that #as all he sa#. /e had been caught in a 4orte3 and #as being #hirled on #ith a 4elocity of ad4ance and gyration that made him giddy and sick. In fe# moments he #as flung upon the gra4el at the foot of the left bank of the stream<the southern bank<and behind a pro-ecting point #hich concealed him from his enemies. The sudden arrest of his motion' the abrasion of one of his hands on the gra4el' restored him' and he #ept #ith delight. /e dug his fingers into the sand' thre# it o4er himself in handfuls and audibly blessed it. It looked like diamonds' rubies' emeralds= he could think of nothing beautiful #hich it did not resemble. The trees upon the bank #ere giant garden plants= he noted a definite order in their arrangement' inhaled the fragrance of their blooms. A strange roseate light shone through the spaces among their trunks and the #ind made in their branches the music of Aeolian harps. /e had not #ish to perfect his escape<he #as content to remain in that enchanting spot until retaken. A #hi> and a rattle of grapeshot among the branches high abo4e his head roused him from his dream. The baffled cannoneer had fired him a random fare#ell. /e sprang to his feet' rushed up the sloping bank' and plunged into the forest.

All that day he tra4eled' laying his course by the rounding sun. The forest seemed interminable= no#here did he disco4er a break in it' not e4en a #oodman5s road. /e had not kno#n that he li4ed in so #ild a region. There #as something uncanny in the re4elation. By nightfall he #as fatigued' footsore' famished. The thought of his #ife and children urged him on. At last he found a road #hich led him in #hat he kne# to be the right direction. It #as as #ide and straight as a city street' yet it seemed untra4eled. 6o fields bordered it' no d#elling any#here. 6ot so much as the barking of a dog suggested human habitation. The black bodies of the trees formed a straight #all on both sides' terminating on the hori>on in a point' like a diagram in a lesson in perspecti4e. 14erhead' as he looked up through this rift in the #ood' shone great golden stars looking unfamiliar and grouped in strange constellations. /e #as sure they #ere arranged in some order #hich had a secret and malign significance. The #ood on either side #as full of singular noises' among #hich< once' t#ice' and again<he distinctly heard #hispers in an unkno#n tongue. /is neck #as in pain and lifting his hand to it found it horribly s#ollen. /e kne# that it had a circle of black #here the rope had bruised it. /is eyes felt congested= he could no longer close them. /is tongue #as s#ollen #ith thirst= he relie4ed its fe4er by thrusting it for#ard from bet#een his teeth into the cold air. /o# softly the turf had carpeted the untra4eled a4enue<he could no longer feel the road#ay beneath his feet@ *oubtless' despite his suffering' he had fallen asleep #hile #alking' for no# he sees another scene<perhaps he has merely reco4ered from a delirium. /e stands at the gate of his o#n home. All is as he left it' and all bright and beautiful in the morning sunshine. /e must ha4e tra4eled the entire night. As he pushes open the gate and passes up the #ide #hite #alk' he sees a flutter of female garments= his #ife' looking fresh and cool and s#eet' steps do#n from the 4eranda to meet him. At the bottom of the steps she stands #aiting' #ith a smile of ineffable -oy' an attitude of matchless grace and dignity. Ah' ho# beautiful she is@ /e springs for#ards #ith e3tended arms. As he is about to clasp her he feels a stunning blo# upon the back of the neck= a blinding #hite light bla>es all about him #ith a sound like the shock of a cannon<then all is darkness and silence@

Peyton Far?uhar #as dead= his body' #ith a broken neck' s#ung gently from side to side beneath the timbers of the 1#l 2reek bridge.

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Credits
A #ork by Ambrose Bierce $1(4&:1+1!, Archi4ed' Processed and Published by The Electronic Books Foundation. Archi4ed through the efforts of Adhithya ;a-asekaran' 7ri 9adha4i ;a-asekaran and ;enuka ;a-asekaran. All #orks by Ambrose Bierce are on the Public *omain in the Fnited 7tates. Please be a#are of the copyright la#s in your country before you do#nload this document. This document is copyrighted and is licensed under a liberal license. Aou can read the entire license at httpDGGebfoundation.#iki.>oho.com If you need to do#nload more books' please 4isit our archi4e at httpDGGscribd.comGambarathooni .