CHAPTER THREE.
A BAD BEGINNING.
I thought when I lay down, after putting out my candle, that I shouldnever get a wink of sleep. There was a dull glow upon my window-blind,and I could hear a distant clangour and a curious faint roar; but all atonce, so it seemed to me, I opened my eyes, and the dull glow had givenplace to bright sunshine on my window-blind, and jumping out of bed Ifound that I had slept heartily till nearly breakfast time, for thechinking of cups in saucers fell upon my ear.
I looked out of the window, and there lay the town with the smokehanging over it in a dense cloud, but the banging of a wash-jug againsta basin warned me that Uncle Dick was on the move, and the next moment_tap, tap, tap_, came three blows on my wall, which I knew as well ascould be were given with the edge of a hair-brush, and I replied in thesame way.
"Ha, ha!" cried Uncle Bob, "if they are going to give us fried ham likethat for breakfast--"
"And such eggs!" cried Uncle Jack.
"And such bread!" said Uncle Dick, hewing off a great slice.
"And such coffee and milk!" I said, taking up the idea that I was surewas coming, "we won't go back to London."
"Right!" said Uncle Dick. "Bah! Just as if we were going to befrightened away by a set of old women's tales. They've got police here,and laws."
The matter was discussed until breakfast was over, and by that time mythree giants of uncles had decided that they would not stir for an armyof discontented workmen, but would do their duty to themselves and theirpartner in London.
"But look here, boys," said Uncle Dick; "if we are going to war, wedon't want women in the way."
"No," said Uncle Jack.
"So you had better write and tell Alick to keep on the old place tillthe company must have it, and by that time we shall know what we areabout."
This was done directly after breakfast, and as soon as the letter hadbeen despatched we went off to see the works.
"I shall never like this place," I said, as we went down towards thetown. "London was smoky enough, but this is terrible."
"Oh, wait a bit!" said Uncle Dick, and as we strode on with me trying totake long steps to keep up with my companions, I could not help seeinghow the people kept staring at them. And though there were plenty ofbig fine men in the town, I soon saw that my uncles stood out amongstthem as being remarkable for their size and frank handsome looks. Thiswas the more plainly to be seen, since the majority of the work-peoplewe passed were pale, thin, and degenerate looking little men, with bigmuscular arms, and a general appearance of everything else having beensacrificed to make those limbs strong.
The farther we went the more unsatisfactory the town looked. We wereleaving the great works to the right, and our way lay through streetsand streets of dingy-looking houses all alike, and with the openchannels in front foul with soapy water and the refuse which the peoplethrew out.
I looked up with disgust painted on my face so strongly that Uncle Boblaughed.
"Here, let's get this fellow a bower somewhere by a beautiful stream,"he cried, laughing. Then more seriously, "Never mind the dirt, Cob," hecried. "Dirty work brings clean money."
"Oh, I don't mind," I said. "Which way now?"
"Down here," said Uncle Dick; and he led us down a nasty dirty street,worse than any we had yet passed, and so on and on, for about half anhour, till we were once more where wheels whirred, and we could hear theharsh churring noise of blades being held upon rapidly revolving stones.Now and then, too, I caught sight of water on our right, down throughlanes where houses and works were crowded together.
"Do you notice one thing, Cob?" said Uncle Dick.
"One thing!" I said; "there's so much to notice that I don't know whatto look at first."
"I'll tell you what I mean," he said. "You can hear the rush and rumbleof machinery, can't you?"
"Yes," I said, "like wheels whizzing and stones rolling, as if gianttinkers were grinding enormous scissors."
"Exactly," he said; "but you very seldom hear the hiss of steam outhere."
"No. Have they a different kind of engines?"
"Yes, a very different kind. Your steam-engine goes because the wateris made hot: these machines go with the water kept cold."
"Oh, I see! By hydraulic presses."
"No, not by hydraulic presses, Cob; by hydraulic power. Look here."
We were getting quite in the outskirts now, and on rising ground, and,drawing me on one side, he showed me that the works we were by weredependent on water-power alone.
"Why, it's like one of those old flour-mills up the country rivers," Iexclaimed, "with their mill-dam, and water-wheel."
"And without the willows and lilies and silver buttercups, Cob," saidUncle Jack.
"And the great jack and chub and tench we used to fish out," said UncleBob.
"Yes," I said; "I suppose one would catch old saucepans, dead cats, andold shoes in a dirty pool like this."
"Yes," said Uncle Dick, "and our wheel-bands when the trades'-unionpeople attack us."
"Why should they throw them in here?" I said, as I looked at the greatdeep-looking piece of water held up by a strong stone-built dam, and fedby a stream at the farther end.
"Because it would be the handiest place. These are our works."
I looked at the stone-built prison-like place in disgust. It waswonderfully strongly-built, and with small windows protected by ironbars, but such a desolate unornamental spot. It stood low down by thebroad shallow stream that ran on toward the town in what must once havebeen the bed of the river; but the steep banks had been utilised by thebuilders on each side, and everywhere one saw similar-looking places soarranged that their foundation walls caught and held up the water thatcame down, and was directed into the dam, and trickled out at the lowerend after it had turned a great slimy water-wheel. "This is our place,boys; come and have a look at it." He led us down a narrow passagehalf-way to the stream, and then rang at a gate in a stone wall; andwhile we waited low down there I looked at the high rough stone wall andthe two-storied factory with its rows of strong iron-barred windows, andthought of what Mr Tomplin had said the night before, coming to theconclusion that it was a pretty strong fortress in its way. For herewas a stout high wall; down along by the stream there was a high blankwall right from the stones over which the water trickled to the doublerow of little windows; while from the top corner by the water-wheel,which was fixed at the far end of the works, there was the dam of deepwater, which acted the part of a moat, running off almost to a pointwhere the stream came in, so that the place was about the shape of theannexed triangle: the works occupying the whole of the base, the restbeing the deep stone-walled dam.
"I think we could keep out the enemy if he came," I said to Uncle Bob;and just then a short-haired, palefaced man, with bent shoulders, barearms, and an ugly squint, opened the gate and scowled at us.
"Is your master in?" said Uncle Dick.
"No-ah," said the man sourly; "and he wean't be here to-day."
"That's a bad job," said Uncle Dick. "Well, never mind; we want to goround the works."
"Nay, yow wean't come in here."
He was in the act of banging the gate, but Uncle Dick placed one of hisgreat brown hands against it and thrust it open, driving the man back,but only for a moment, for he flew at my uncle, caught him by the armand waist, thrust forward a leg, and tried to throw him out by a cleverwrestling trick.
But Uncle Dick was too quick for him. Wrenching himself on one side hethrew his left arm over the fellow's neck, as he bent down, the rightarm under his leg, and whirled him up perfectly helpless, but kickingwith all his might.
"Come inside and shut that gate," said Uncle Dick, panting with hisexertion. "Now look here, my fine fellow, it would serve you right if Idropped you into that dam to cool you down. But there, get on yourlegs," he cried contemptuously, "and learn to be civil to strangers whenthey come."
The scuffle and noise brought about a dozen workmen out of the place,each
in wooden clogs, with a rough wet apron about him, and his sleevesrolled up nearly to the shoulder.
They came forward, looking very fierce and as if they were going toattack us, headed by the fellow with the squint, who was no sooner atliberty than he snatched up a rough piece of iron bar and rolled up hisright sleeve ready for a fresh attack.
"Give me that stick, Cob," said Uncle Dick quickly; and I handed him thelight Malacca cane I carried.
He had just seized it when the man raised the iron bar, and I felt sickas I saw the blow that was aimed at my uncle's head.
I need not have felt troubled though, for, big as he was, he jumpedaside, avoided the bar with the greatest ease, and almost at the samemoment there was a whizz and a cut like lightning delivered by UncleDick with my light cane.
It struck the assailant on the tendons of the leg beneath the knee, andhe uttered a yell and went down as if killed.
"Coom on, lads!" cried one of the others; and they rushed towards us,headed by a heavy thick-set fellow; but no one flinched, and theyhesitated as they came close up.
"Take that fellow away," said Uncle Jack sternly; "and look here, whileyou stay, if any gentleman comes to the gate don't send a surly dog likethat."
"Who are yow? What d'ye want? Happen yow'll get some'at if yo' stay."
"I want to go round the place. I am one of the proprietors who havetaken it."
"Eh, you be--be you? Here, lads, this is one o' chaps as is turning usout. We've got the wheels ti' Saturday, and we wean't hev no one here."
"No, no," rose in chorus. "Open gate, lads, and hev 'em out."
"Keep back!" said Uncle Dick, stepping forward; "keep back, unless youwant to be hurt. No one is going to interfere with your rights, whichend on Saturday night."
"Eh! But if it hedn't been for yow we could ha kep' on."
"Well, you'll have to get some other place," said Uncle Dick; "we wantthis."
He turned his back on them and spoke to his brothers, who both, knowingtheir great strength, which they cultivated by muscular exercise, hadstood quite calm and patient, but watchful, and ready to go to theirbrother's aid in an instant should he need assistance.
"Come on and look round," said Uncle Dick coolly; and he did not evenglance at the squinting man, who had tried to get up, but sank downagain and sat grinning with pain and holding his injured leg.
The calm indifference with which my three uncles towered above theundersized, pallid-looking fellows, and walked by them to the entranceto the stone building had more effect than a score of blows, and the menstopped clustered round their companion, and talked to him in a lowvoice. But I was not six feet two like Uncle Bob, nor six feet one likeUncle Jack, nor six feet three like Uncle Dick. I was only an ordinarylad of sixteen, and much easier prey for their hate, and this they sawand showed.
For as I followed last, and was about to enter the door, a shower ofstones and pieces of iron came whizzing about me, and falling with arattle and clangour upon the cobble stones with which the place waspaved.
Unfortunately, one piece, stone or iron, struck me on the shoulder, aheavy blow that made me feel sick, and I needed all the fortitude Icould call up to hide my pain, for I was afraid to say or do anythingthat would cause fresh trouble.
So I followed my uncles into the spacious ground-floor of the works, allwet and dripping with the water from the grindstones which had just beenleft by the men, and were still whizzing round waiting to be used.
"Plenty of room here," said Uncle Dick, "and plenty of power, you see,"he continued, pointing to the shaft and wheels above our heads."Ugly-looking place this," he went on, pointing to a trap-door at theend, which he lifted; and I looked down with a shudder to see a greatshaft turning slowly round; and there was a slimy set of rotten woodensteps going right down into the blackness, where the water was fallingwith a curiously hollow echoing sound.
As I turned from looking down I saw that the men had followed us, andthe fellow with the squint seemed to have one of his unpleasant eyesfixed upon me, and he gave me a peculiar look and grin that I had goodreason to remember.
"This is the way to the big wheel," said Uncle Dick, throwing open adoor at the end. "They go out here to oil and repair it when it's outof gear. Nasty spot too, but there's a wonderful supply of cheappower."
With the men growling and muttering behind us we looked through into agreat half-lit stone chamber that inclosed the great wheel on one side,leaving a portion visible as we had seen it from the outside; and hereagain I shuddered and felt uncomfortable, it seemed such a horribleplace to fall into and from which there would be no escape, unless onecould swim in the surging water below, and then clamber into the wheel,and climb through it like a squirrel.
The walls were dripping and green, and they echoed and seemed to whisperback to the great wheel as it turned and splashed and swung down itslong arms, each doubling itself on the wall by making a moving shadow.
The place had such a fascination for me that I stood with one hand uponthe door and a foot inside looking down at the faintly seen black water,listening to the echoes, and then watching the wheel as it turned, onepale spot on the rim catching my eye especially. As I watched it I sawit go down into the darkness with a tremendous sweep, with a great dealof splashing and falling of water; then after being out of sight for afew moments it came into view again, was whirled round, and dashed down.
I don't know how it was, but I felt myself thinking that suppose anyonefell into the horrible pit below me, he would swim round by the slimywalls trying to find a place to cling to, and finding none he would beswept round to the wheel, to which in his despair he would cling. Thenhe would be dragged out of the water, swung round, and--
"Do you hear, Cob?" cried Uncle Jack. "What is there to attract you, mylad? Come along."
I seemed to be roused out of a dream, and starting back, the door wasclosed, and I followed the others as they went to the far end of thegreat ground-floor to a door opening upon a stone staircase.
We had to pass the men, who were standing about close to theirgrindstones, beside which were little piles of the articles they weregrinding--common knives, sickles, and scythe blades, ugly weapons if themen rose against us as they seemed disposed to do.
They muttered and talked to themselves, but they did not seem inclinedto make any farther attack; while as we reached the stairs I heard theharsh shrieking of blades that were being held upon the stones, and Iknew that some men must have begun work.
The upper floor was of the same size as the lower, but divided into fourrooms by partitions, and here too were shafts and wheels turning fromtheir connection with the great water-wheel. Over that a small room hadbeen built supported by an arch stretching from the works to a stonewall, and as we looked out of the narrow iron-barred window down uponthe deep dam, Uncle Bob said laughingly:
"What a place for you, Cob! You could drop a line out of the window,and catch fish like fun."
I laughed, and we all had a good look round before examining the sidebuildings, where there were forges and furnaces, and a tallchimney-shaft ran up quite a hundred feet.
"Plenty of room to do any amount of work," cried Uncle Jack. "I thinkthe place a bargain."
"Yes," said Uncle Bob, "where we can carry out our inventions; and ifanybody is disagreeable, we can shut ourselves up like knights in acastle and laugh at all attacks."
"Yes," said Uncle Dick thoughtfully; "but I wish we had not begun byquarrelling with those men."
"Let's try and make friends as we go out," said Uncle Jack.
It was a good proposal; and, under the impression that a gallon or twoof beer would heal the sore place, we went into the big workshop ormill, where all the men had now resumed their tasks, and were grindingaway as if to make up for lost time.
One man was seated alone on a stone bench, and as we entered he halfturned, and I saw that it was Uncle Dick's opponent.
He looked at us for a moment and then turned scowling away.
My
uncles whispered together, and then Uncle Dick stepped forward andsaid:
"I'm sorry we had this little upset, my lads. It all arose out of amistake. We have taken these works, and of course wanted to look roundthem, but we do not wish to put you to any inconvenience. Will you--"
He stopped short, for as soon as he began to speak the men seemed topress down their blades that they were grinding harder and harder,making them send forth such a deafening churring screech that he pausedquite in despair of making himself heard.
"My lads!" he said, trying again.
Not a man turned his head, and it was plain enough that they would nothear.
"Let me speak to him," said Uncle Bob, catching his brother by the arm,for Uncle Dick was going to address the man on the stone.
Uncle Dick nodded, for he felt that it would be better for someone elseto speak; but the man got up, scowled at Uncle Bob, and when he held outa couple of half-crowns to him to buy beer to drink our healths thefellow made a derisive gesture, walked to his stone, and sat down.
"Just as they like," said Uncle Dick. "We apologised and behaved likegentlemen. If they choose to behave like blackguards, let them. Comealong."
We turned to the door, my fate, as usual, being to come last; and as wepassed through not a head was turned, every man pressing down some steelimplement upon his whirling stone, and making it shriek, and, in spiteof the water in which the wheel revolved, send forth a shower of sparks.
The noise was deafening, but as we passed into the yard on the way tothe lane the grinding suddenly ceased, and when we had the gate wellopen the men had gathered at the door of the works, and gave vent to asavage hooting and yelling which continued after we had passed through,and as we went along by the side of the dam we were saluted by a showerof stones and pieces of iron thrown from the yard.
"Well," said Uncle Bob, "this is learning something with a vengeance. Ididn't think we had such savages in Christian England."
By this time we were out of the reach of the men, and going on towardsthe top of the dam, when Uncle Dick, who had been looking very seriousand thoughtful, said:
"I'm sorry, very sorry this has happened. It has set these men againstus."
"No," said Uncle Jack quietly; "the mischief was done before we came.This place has been to let for a long time."
"Yes," said Uncle Bob, "that's why we got it so cheaply."
"And," continued Uncle Jack, "these fellows have had the run of theworks to do their grinding for almost nothing. They were wild with usfor taking the place and turning them out."
"Yes," said Uncle Dick, "that's the case, no doubt; but I'm very sorry Ibegan by hurting that fellow all the same."
"I'm not, Uncle Dick," I said, as I compressed my lips with pain. "Theyare great cowards or they would not have thrown a piece of iron at me;"and I laid my hand upon my shoulder, to draw it back wet with blood.