The End of the Bridge

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"Shark" Manning, a brawny, brutal crook, is chief of the Mudflats gang of robbers, and has for his leading aide a sallow, slim youth, Dick Brackett, the latter residing with his father, Silas, his mother, Luck Brackett, and Dick's sister, Stella. The home of the Bracketts is a café and boathouse at the edge of the mudflats. The gang robs some railway freight cars, and Detective David Dale is sent to get evidence against the robber band. "Shark," Dick and two other thieves steal a $10,000 necklace from a mansion. Dale happens to see Dick crossing the fiats, chase him, and Dick, fearing capture, drops the diamond necklace into one of the sloughs in the mudflats. "Shark" and Dick later try to recover the gems with grappling hooks, but fail. Dale, disguised as a stevedore, visits the Brackett café, and falls in love with Stella. Dick hears a street preacher denouncing thievery and resolves to reform his law-breaking ways and have nothing more to do with Manning's acts. Manning tries to kiss Stella, and Dale bests him in a fight. "Shark" is maddened by hatred for Dick, and has Dick shanghaied on to a ship almost ready to depart for South Africa. "Shark" then learns that a gigantic hydraulic dredger has begun work dredging the slough where Dick dropped the necklace. Dale meets one of "Shark's" pals, makes him confess the whereabouts of Dick, the confessor telling Dale that Dick is a prisoner in the hold of a vessel at San Pedro, and that the ship will sail within an hour. Dale and Stella then try to catch a train for San Pedro, to rescue her brother, but just miss the train. Dale and Stella then climb on a railroad handcar and speed away down the track for the wharves. "Shark," who has learned Dale's plans, follows them on a horse, and manages to overtake them while they are speeding the handcar across a railroad bridge, one end of which can be raised 200 feet high to allow vessels to pass. "Shark" fells the bridge-tender with his fists, operates the machinery and the handcar is caught on the bridge end, raising Dale and Stella to a lofty height. After many thrilling scenes Dale and Stella resume their race, rescue Dick and return home. "Shark," hunting for the diamonds, gets near the suction part of the dredger and is drawn to an awful death. Dick recovers the gems, and Dale returns them to their owner. Dick becomes an honest mechanic, and Dale and Stella agree to marry.