CHAPTER TWENTY.
A COMPANION IN TROUBLE.
I can't tell you the horrors of those moments as they appeared to me.No description could paint it all exactly; but one moment I was down indarkness with the current thundering in my ears, the next I was up atthe surface beating and splashing, listening to the echoing of thewater, which sounded hollow and strange, looking up at the sunshine thatstreamed in past the wheel, and then I went under.
It is a strange admission to make, but in those first few moments ofsurprise and horror I forgot that I knew how to swim, and all mymovements were instinctive and only wearied and sent me down again afterI had risen.
Then reason came to my help, and I began to strike out slowly and swamto the side of the great stone chamber, passing one hand along the slimywall trying to get some hold, but finding none; and then swimmingstraight across to the other side and trying there, for I dared notapproach the wheel, which looked horrible and dangerous, and I felt thatif I touched it the great circle would begin to revolve, and perhapstake me down under the water, carry me up on the other side, and throwme over again.
It looked too horrible, all wet, slimy, and dripping as it was, orpossibly I might have climbed up it and reached the edge of the dam, soI swam right beyond it and felt along the other side, but without avail.There was nothing but the slimy stonework, try where I would, and thechill of horror began to have a numbing effect on my arms.
I swam on to and fro beneath the doorway, with the little platformhanging by one end far above my had, and once as I swam my foot seemedto touch something, which might have been a piece of the sunken wood oriron work, but which made me shrink as if some horrible monster had madea snatch at me.
I shouted, but there was only the hollow echoing of the stone chamberand the lapping and whispering of the water; and, knowing that I wasalone locked in the works, the terrible idea began to dance before methat I was going to die, for unless I could save myself I need notexpect help.
The thought unnerved me more and more and made me swim more rapidly inthe useless fashion I was pursuing, and once more I stared in ashrinking way at the great wheel, which, innocent enough in itself,seemed a more terrible engine than ever. I knew it would move if I swamacross and clung to it, and I really dared not go near.
There was always something repellent and strange even in a big watercistern in a house, and as a mere boy I have often started back interror at the noise made by the pipes when the water was coming drivingthe air before it with a snorting gurgle, and then pouring in, while toclimb up a ladder or set of steps and look down into the black wateryplace always gave me a shudder and made me glad to get away.
It is easy to imagine, then, what my feelings were, suddenly cast intothat great stone-walled place, with I did not know what depth of waterbeneath me, and inhabited as I knew by large twining eels.
I daresay the eels were as much afraid of me as I was of them; but thatmade no difference to my feelings as I swam here and there trying invain for something to which to cling; but in the darkest parts as wellas the lightest it was always the same, my hand glided over the stonesand splashed down again into the water.
I was too much confused to think much, and moment by moment I wasgrowing more helpless. I can remember making a sort of bound to try andget a hold of the broken platform above my head, but the effect of thateffort was only to send me below the surface. I can recall, too,thinking that if I let my feet down I might find bottom, but this Idared not do for fear of what might be below; and so, each momentgrowing more feeble, I stared at the opened doorway through which I hadcome, at the iron-barred grating through which the water escaped, andwhich was the entrance to a tunnel or drain that ran beneath the works.Then I turned my eyes up at the sunlit opening through which seemed tocome hope surrounding the black tooth-like engine that was hung thereready to turn and grind me down.
My energy was nearly exhausted, the water was above my lips, and after awild glare round at the slimy walls the whispering lapping echoes werechanged for the thunderous roar and confusion felt by one plungedbeneath the surface; and in my blind horror I began beating the waterfrantically in my last struggle for life.
Natural instinct seems to have no hesitation in seizing upon the firsthelp that comes. It was so here. I might have swum to the wheel atfirst and clung to it, but I was afraid; but now, after going under onceor twice--I'm sure I don't know which--I came up in close proximity tothe great mass of slimy wood-work, one of my hands touched it, the otherjoined it directly, and I clung panting there, blind, confused,helpless, but able to breathe.
Almost at the same moment, and before I knew what I was holding on by,there came a sound which sent hope and joy into my heart. It was thewhimpering whine of Piter, who directly after set up a short yappingkind of bark, and I had a kind of idea that he must be somewhere on thewood-work inside the wheel.
I did not know that he had fallen in at the same time as I; and thoughonce or twice I had heard him whining, I did not realise that he wasalso in danger; in fact the horrible overwhelming selfishness of thedesire for self-preservation had swept away everything but the thoughtof how I was to get out of my trouble.
Every moment now gave me a little confidence, though it was nearlydriven away when, able to see clearly again, I found myself holding onby one of the wooden pocket-like places formed with boards on the outercircumference of the engine--the places in fact into which, when thesluice was opened, the water rushed, and by its weight bore the wheelround.
After a few minutes' clinging there, beginning to feel numbed andchilled by the cold, I realised that the sun was setting, that thepatches of light were higher, and that in a very few minutes the horrorsof this place would be increased tenfold by my being plunged in profounddarkness.
I dreaded moving, but I knew that the water could not come down upon meunless the sluice was opened, and that was turned off when the men leftwork, so that the water was saved for the next day, and the wheel ceasedto turn. I determined then to try and climb up from pocket to pocket ofthe wheel and so reach the stone-race at the opening, along which thewater poured.
My courage revived at this, and drawing my legs under me I got them uponone of the edges of the pocket beneath the water, raised myself up andcaught hold of one higher than I had hold of before, and was about totake a step higher when, to my horror, the huge wheel began to feel theeffect of my weight, and gradually the part I held descended.
At the same moment there was a loud splash, a beating of the water, awhining barking noise, and I knew I had shaken Piter off the bar orspoke to which he had been clinging inside.
"Here, Piter; here dog," I shouted; and he swam round to me, whiningpiteously and seeming to ask me for help.
This I was able to give him, for, holding tightly with one hand, I gotmy right arm round him and helped him to scramble up into one of thepockets, though the effort had weighed down the wheel and I sank deeperin the water.
I made another trial to climb up, but though the resistance of the greatwheel was sufficient to support me partly it soon began to revolve, andI knew that it would go faster if I tried to struggle up.
I heaved a despairing sigh, and for the first time began to think ofGentles.
"This must be his doing," I said to myself. He had set some one to takeout the support of the little platform, and I was obliged to own thatafter all he had only set a trap for me just as I had set one for him.
Still there was a great difference: he was on his way to do harm when hewas caught--I was engaged in my lawful pursuits and trying to do good.
I had another trial, and another, but found it would, in my exhaustedstate, be impossible to climb up, and as I clung there, up to my chestin the water, and with the dog close to me, he whined piteously andlicked my face.
The next minute he began to bark, stood up with his hind feet on theedge of one bar, his fore-paws on the one above, and made a bound.
To my surprise he reached his aim, and his weight having no ef
fect onthe wheel, he scrambled up and up till I knew he must have reached thetop.
There was no doubt about it.
The next minute I heard the rattling shaking noise made by a dog whengetting rid of the water in its coat. Then a loud and joyous barking.Then only the dripping, plashing sound of the water that escaped throughthe sluice and came running in and falling about the wheel.
What time was it? About half-past six, and the men would not come towork till the next morning. Could I hang there till then?
I knew it was impossible--that in perhaps less than half an hour Ishould be compelled to loose my hold and fall back into the black waterwithout strength to stir a paralysed arm.
I shouted again and again, but the walls echoed back my cry, and I knewit was of no use, for it was impossible for any one to hear me outsidethe place. It was only wasting strength, and that was wanted to sustainme as long as possible.
There was one hope for me, though: my uncles would be returning fromRedham at ten or eleven o'clock, and, not finding me at home, they wouldcome in search of me.
When it is too late!
I must have said that aloud, for the word _late_ came echoing back fromthe wall, and for a time I hung there, feeling numbed, as it were, in myhead, and as slow at thinking or trying to imagine some way of escape asI was at movement.
But I made one more effort.
It seemed to be so pitiful that a wretched, brainless dog, when placedin a position like this, should be able to scramble out, while I, withthe power of thinking given to me, with reason and some invention, wasperfectly helpless.
This thought seemed to send a current like electricity through me,nerving me to make another effort, and loosening one hand I caught atthe bar above me as before, changed the position of my feet, and beganto climb.
I gave up with a groan, for I was only taking the place of the water andturning the wheel just as a turnspit dog would work, or a squirrel inits cage, only that I was outside the wheel and they would have been in.
I came down with a splash; and as I clung there I could hear the watergo softly lapping against the wall and whispering in the corners as ifit were talking to itself about how soon I should have to loose my hold,sink down, and be drowned.
I was weakened by this last effort as well as by the strain upon mynerves, and as the water ceased to lap and whisper a horrible silencecrept down into the place in company with the darkness. Only a fewminutes before all was bright where the sun rays flashed in; now therewas only a soft glow to be seen, and all about me black gloom.
I grew more and more numbed and helpless, and but for the fact that Ihung there by my hands being crooked over the edge of the board acrossthe wheel, I believe I must have fallen back, but my fingers stiffenedinto position and helped me to retain my hold, till at last they beganto give way.
I had been thinking of home and of my uncles, and wondering how soonthey would find me, and all in a dull nerveless way, for I suppose I wastoo much exhausted to feel much mental or bodily pain, when all at onceI began to recall stories I had read about the Saint Bernard dogs andthe travellers in the snow; and then about the shepherds' collies in thenorth and the intelligence they displayed.
Several such tales came to my memory, and I was just thinking to myselfthat they were all nonsense, for if dogs had so much intelligence, whyhad not Piter, who had a head big enough for a double share of dogs'brains, gone and fetched somebody to help me, instead of making his ownescape, and then going and curling himself up by one of the furnaces toget dry--a favourite place of his if he had the chance.
Just then, as I seemed to be half asleep, I heard a sharp bark at adistance, then another nearer, and directly after Piter was on the topof the wheel, where he had stepped from the sluice trough, barking withall his might.
"Wheer is he then, boy? Wheer is he then?" said a gruff hoarse voice.
Piter barked more furiously than ever, and the glow seemed to give wayto darkness overhead, as the voice muttered:
"Dear, dear! Hey! Think o' that now. Mester Jacob, are you theer?"
"Help!" I said, so faintly that I was afraid I should not be heard.
"Wheerabouts? In the watter?"
"I'm--on--the wheel," I cried weakly, and then, as I heard the sound ofsomeone drawing in his breath, I strove to speak once more and calledout:
"Turn the wheel."
It began to move directly, but taking me down into the water, and Iuttered a cry, when the wheel turned in the other direction, drawing meout and up. My arms straightened out; I was drawn closer to thewood-work. I felt that I should slip off, when my toes rested upon oneof the bars, while, as I rose higher, the tension on my arms grew less,and then less, and at last, instead of hanging, I was lying upon mychest. Then a pair of great hands laid hold of me, and Piter waslicking my face.
Pannell told me afterwards that he had to carry me all along the narrowstone ledge to the window of his smithy, and thrust me through therebefore climbing in after me, for it was impossible to get into the yardthe other way without a boat.
I must have fainted, I suppose, for when I opened my eyes again, thoughit was in darkness, the icy water was not round me, but I was lying onthe warm ashes down in one of the stoke-holes; and the faint glow of thehalf-extinct fire was shining upon the shiny brown forehead of the bigsmith.
"Pannell!" I exclaimed, "where am I?"
"Get out!" he growled. "Just as if yow didn' know."
"Did you save me?"
"'Sh, will yo'!" he whispered. "How do we know who's a-watching an'listening? Yow want to get me knob-sticked, that's what yow want."
"No, no," I said, shivering.
"Yow know where we are, o' course. Down in the big stokul; but bequiet. Don't shout."
"How did you know I was in there?"
"What, in yonder?"
"Yes, of course; oh how my arms ache and throb!"
"Let me give 'em a roob, my lad," he said; and strongly, but notunkindly, he rubbed and seemed to knead my arms, especially the musclesabove my elbows, talking softly in a gruff murmur all the while.
"I did give you a wink, lad," he said, "for I know'd that some'at was onthe way. I didn' know what, nor that it was so bad as that theer. Lor'how can chaps do it! Yow might hev been drowned."
"Yes," I said with a shiver. "The cowards!"
"Eh! Don't speak aloud, lad. How did you get in? Some un push thee?"
"Push me! No; the platform was broken loose, and a trap set for me,baited with a wheel-band," I added angrily.
Pannell burst into a laugh, and then checked himself.
"I weer not laughing at yow, lad," he whispered, "but at owd Gentles.So yow got in trap too?"
"Trapped! Yes; the cowardly wretches!"
"Ay, 'twere cowardly. Lucky I came. Couldn't feel bottom, eh?"
"No."
"Nay, yow wouldn't; there's seven foot o' watter there, wi'out mood."
"How did you know I was there?"
"What! Didn' I tell ye?"
"No."
"I were hanging about like, as nigh as I could for chaps, a waitin' tosee yow go home; but yow didn't coom, and yow didn't coom; and I gotcrooked like wi' waiting, and wondering whether yow'd gone another way,when all at once oop comes the bull-poop fierce like, and lays holt o'me by the leg, and shakes it hard. I was going to kick un, but he'don'y got holt of my trowsis, and he kep on' shacking. Then he lets goand barks and looks at me, and takes holt o' my trowsis agin, and hangsaway, pulling like, till I seemed to see as he wanted me to coom, and Ifollowed him."
"Good old Piter!" I said; and there was a whine. I did not know it,but Piter was curled up on the warm ashes close by me, and as soon as heheard his name he put up his head, whined, and rapped the ashes with hisstumpy tail.
"He went to the wucks fast as he could, and slipped in under the gate;but I couldn't do that, you see, Mester, and the gate was locked, so Iwas just thinking what I'd best do, and wondering where you might be,when I see Stiven
s come along, looking as if he'd like to howd my nosedown again his grindstone, and that made me feel as if I'd like to getone of his ears in my tongs, and his head on my stithy. He looked atme, and I looked at him, and then I come away and waited till he'dgone."
"It seemed as if help would never come," I said.
"Ay, it weer long time," said Pannell; "but I found no one about atlast, and I slipped over the wall."
"Yes, and I know where," I said.
"And there was Piter waiting and wanting me to follow him. But therewas no getting in--the doors were locked. I seemed to know, though,that the dog wanted to get me to the wheel-pit, and when I tried tothink how to get to you I found there was no way 'cept through my forge.So I got out o' my window, and put the dorg down, and--well, I came.Arn't much of a fire here, but if I blow it up Stivens or some on 'emwill hear it, or see it, or something; and I s'pose I shall have it forto-night's work."
I did feel warmer and better able to move, and at last I rose to makethe best of my way back.
"Nobody will notice my wet things," I said, "now it's dark. I don'tknow what to say to thank you, Pannell."
"Say I was a big boompkin for meddling ower what didn't consarn me. IfI don't come to wuck to-morrow you'll know why."
"No; I shall not," I cried wonderingly.
"Ah, then, you'll have time to find out," he muttered. "Good-night,lad!"
"Stop a moment and I'll open the gate," I cried.
"Nay, I shall go out as I come in. Mayn't be seen then. Mebbe thelads'll be watching by the gate."
He stalked out, and as I followed him I saw his tall gaunt figure goingto the corner of the yard where the trap was set, and then there was ascuffling noise, and he had gone.
I left the place soon after, and as I fastened the gate I fancied I sawStevens and a man who limped in his walk; but I could not be sure, forthe gas lamp cast but a very feeble light, and I was too eager to gethome and change my things to stop and watch.
The run did me good, and by the time I had on a dry suit I was verylittle the worse for my immersion, being able to smile as I told myuncles at their return.
They looked serious enough, though, and Uncle Jack said it was all owingto the trap.
The question of putting the matter in the hands of the police was againwell debated, but not carried out--my uncles concluding that it would dono good even if the right man were caught, for in punishing him weshould only have the rest who were banded together more bitter againstus.
"Better carry on the war alone," said Uncle Dick; "we must win in theend."
"If we are not first worn-out," said the others.
"Which we shall not be," cried Uncle Dick, laughing. "There are threeof us to wear out, and as one gets tired it will enrage the others;while when all three of us are worn-out we can depute Cob to carry onthe war, and he is as obstinate as all three of us put together."
They looked at me and laughed, but I felt too much stirred to followtheir example.
"It is too serious," I said, "to treat like that; for I am obstinate nowmuch more than I was, and I should like to show these cowards that weare not going to be frightened out of the town."
"Cob don't know what fear is," said Uncle Jack with a bit of a sneer.
"Indeed but I do," I replied. "I was horribly frightened when I fellinto that place; but the more they frighten me, the more I want for usto make them feel that we are not to be beaten by fear."
"Bravo!" cried Uncle Bob, clapping his hands.
"There! Let's go on with our work," said Uncle Dick; "we must win inthe end."
To have seen the works during the next few days, anyone would havesupposed that there had never been the slightest trouble there. Afterdue consideration the little platform had been replaced and the bandstaken from the grindstone gear duly put in position, the men taking notthe slightest notice, but working away most industriously.
Pannell, however, did not come back, and his forge was cold, very muchto my uncles' annoyance. On inquiry being made we were told that hismother was dying, and that he had been summoned to see her.
I felt a little suspicious, but could hardly believe that anything waswrong, till one evening Uncle Jack proposed that we two should have awalk out in the country for a change.
I was only too glad, for the thought of getting away from the smoke anddirt and noise was delightful.
So as to get out sooner we took a short cut and were going down one ofthe long desolate-looking streets of rows of houses all alike, and builtso as to be as ugly as possible, when we saw on the opposite side a manseated upon a door-step in his shirt-sleeves, and with his head a gooddeal strapped and bandaged.
"That's one of the evils of a manufacturing trade where machinery isemployed," said Uncle Jack. "I'm afraid that, generally speaking, theaccidents are occasioned by the men's carelessness or bravado; but eventhen it is a painful thing to know that it is your machinery that hasmutilated a poor fellow. That poor fellow has been terribly knockedabout, seemingly."
"Yes," I said, looking curiously across the road.
"So far we have been wonderfully fortunate, but--here, this way! Whereare you going?"
"Over here," I said, already half across the road; for the brawny armsand long doubled-up legs of the man seemed familiar.
"Why?" cried Uncle Jack; but he followed me directly.
"Pannell!" I exclaimed.
"What, Mester Jacob!" he cried, lifting up his head with his face in mydirection, but a broad bandage was over his eyes.
"Why, what's all this?" I cried; "have you had some accident?"
"Yes, met wi' acciden' done o' purpose."
"But they said your mother was dying," I cried as I held the great hardhand, which was now quite clean.
"Ay, so I heard say," replied the great fellow.
"Is she better?"
"Better! Well, she ain't been badly."
"Not dying?" said Uncle Jack.
"What's that yow, Mester?" said Pannell. "Sarvice to you, sir. Mymother!--dying! Well, I suppose she be, slowly, like the rest of us."
"But what have you been doing?" I cried. "What a state you are in!"
"State I'm in! Yow should have seen me a fortnit ago, my lad. I'msplendid now--coming round fast."
"But how was it?" cried Uncle Jack, while I turned white as I seemed tosee it all.
"How was it, Mester!" said Pannell laughing. "Well, you see, I weerheving bit of a walluck, wi' my pipe in my mooth, and it being bit dusklike that night I didn't see which way I were going, and run my headagain some bits o' wood."
"Sticks!" I said excitedly.
He turned his head towards me smiling.
"Couldn't see rightly as to that, Mester Jacob," he said; "I dessay theyweer."
"And a set of cowards had hold of them!" I cried.
"Nay, I can't say," replied the great fellow. "Yow see, Mester, whenowt hits you on the head it wuzzles you like, and you feel maazed."
Uncle Jack stood frowning.
"You know very well, Pannell," I cried angrily, "that you have been setupon by some of these treacherous cowards for helping me that evening.Oh, Uncle Jack!" I cried, passionately turning to him, "why don't yougo to the police?"
"Howd thee tongue, lad!" cried Pannell fiercely. "Yow don't know nowtabout it. Don't yow do nowt o' t' sort, Mester. Let well alone, Isay."
"But I cannot stand still and see these outrages committed," said UncleJack in a low angry voice.
"Hey, but thou'lt hev to, 'less you give up maakin' 'ventions. Tradedon't like 'em, and trade will hev its say."
"But that you should have been so brutally used for doing a manly actionfor this boy," began Uncle Jack.
"Theer, theer, theer," said Pannell; "I don't kick agen it. I s'pectedthey'd do some'at. I know'd it must coom. Chap as breaks the laws hasto tek his bit o' punishment. Chaps don't bear no malice. I'm comin'back to work next week."
"Look here," said Uncle Jack, who was a good deal moved by th
e man'scalm patience, "what are we to do to come to terms with the workmen, andhave an end to these outrages?"
"Oh, that's soon done," replied Pannell, rubbing one great muscular armwith his hand, "yow've just got to give up all contrapshions, and usereg'lar old-fashioned steel, and it'll be all right."
"And would you do this, my man?" said Uncle Jack, looking down at thegreat muscular fellow before him.
"Ay, I'd do it for sake o' peace and quiet. I should nivver go agentrade."
"And you would advise me to give up at the command of a set of ignorantroughs, and make myself their slave instead of master."
"Mester Jacob," said Pannell, "I can't see a bit wi' this towel round myhead; look uppards and downards; any o' the chaps coming?"
"No," I said.
"Then look here, Mester, I will speak if I nivver do again. No, Iwouldn't give up if I was you, not if they did a hundred worse thingsthan they've done yet. Theer!"
Uncle Jack looked down on the man, and then said quickly:
"And you, what will you do?"
"Get to wuck again, Mester, as soon as I can."
"And the men who beat you like that?"
"Eh, what about 'em?"
"Shall you try and punish them?"
"Punish 'em, Mester! Why, how can I? They punished me."
"But you will turn upon them for this, Pannell, will you not?"
"Nay, Mester; I went again 'em, and they knob-sticked me for it, andit's all done and over. I shall soon be back at my stithy, if you'llhev me again."
"Have you! Yes, my man, of course," said Uncle Jack. "I wish we couldhave more like you."
"Cob," said Uncle Jack as we strode on and got well out into thecountry, "we've got a very strong confederation to fight, and I do notfeel at all hopeful of succeeding; but, there: we've put our hands tothe plough, and we can't look back. Now never mind business, let'slisten to the birds and enjoy the fresh country air for a time."
We were going up the valley, passing every now and then "a wheel" as itwas called, that is a water-wheel, turning a number of grindstones, theplaces being remarkably like ours, only that as we got farther out thepeople who ground and forged did their work under the shade of trees,while the birds piped their songs, and air and water were wonderfullydifferent from what they were about our place on the edge of the greattown.
"Let's get back, Cob," said Uncle Jack despondently. "It makes memiserable to hear the birds, and see the beauty of the hills and vales,and the sparkling water, and know that men toiling together in towns canbe such ruffians and so full of cruelty to their fellow creatures."
"And so strong and true and brave and ready to help one another."
"As who are, Cob?" said my uncle.
"Well, for want of thinking of anyone else just now," I said, "there'spoor Pannell; he saved me, and he has just shown us that he is toofaithful to his fellow-workmen to betray them."
Uncle Jack laid his hand upon my shoulder and gave it a hearty grip.
"You're right, my lad," he said. "You're the better philosopher afterall. There's good and bad, and like so many more I think of the bad andoverlook the good. But all the same, Cob, I'm very uneasy. These menhave a spiteful feeling against you, and we shall not be doing right ifwe trust you out of our sight again."