Will of the Mill Part 18

"Nay," cried another; "I never had no faith in t'owd mawkin of a thing.

She's only fit to boon the roads."

"What's the matter?" shouted Manners.

"I don't know," cried Will, despondently; "it won't go."

"Are the pipes screwed on right?" said Manners.

"Yes."

"Is your end down in the water?"

"Yes; three or four feet."

"We must have got something screwed on upside down."

"No," said Will, firmly; "it's all right, just as old Boil O put it together when it was done."

"But it isn't all right," cried Manners; "the suckers or something must have been left out."

"Oh, why didn't we try it? Why didn't we try it when it was done?"

groaned Will. "I did want to, but Boil O said there was no time for me to be playing my games."

At that moment Mr Willows ran up.

"Well," he cried, "why don't you pump?"

"We did, father, but it won't go."

"Then don't waste time. Here, Manners!"

"Catch hold," shouted the artist, thrusting the copper branch into the nearest man hands and running up.

"Yes!" he said.

"Ladders and buckets," continued Mr Willows.

"Right, and form a double line. I say," he whispered; "here's treachery."

"I fear so; I fear so," said Willows, in the same tone. "It's revenge, and the engine has been purposely left out of gear. No," he cried, as if in agony, his words having given him intense pain; "I won't believe a man could be so base."

There was the scuffling rush of feet just then, and the object of his thoughts, wild and weird-looking from his dwarfish aspect, glistening head, and staring eyes, dashed up.

"Here, fools! Idiots! Are you going to let the poor old mill burn down?"

"Hurrah!" shouted Will; "here's Boil O! Here, old fellow, what is there wrong? I can't get the thing to go."

"Stand aside!" cried the man, fiercely; and the next moment he was down on his knees, rapidly examining the connections, valve, piston, and rod.

"Yah!" he roared, savagely. "The pins are left out here."

Clang went a box, as he threw up a lid in the front, s.n.a.t.c.hed out a screw hammer and a copper pin, and then, tap, tap, tap, some half-dozen sharply given blows were heard, the hammer was thrown with a crash back into the box, and the man's hoa.r.s.e, harsh voice rose in an angry roar.

"Now, then, put your backs into it! Pump!"

_Clink, clank_! _Clink, clank_! _Clink, clonk_! _Clink, clunk_!

There was a whistling sound as the water forced the wind out of the leather tubes, rushed along spurting in fine threads out of a score of tiny holes, and from the joints where they were not tightly screwed up, and then, just as, seeing what was about to happen, Manners rushed forward and grasped the copper branch, a fountain as of golden rain darted out of the glistening branch, rose higher and higher, making the flames hiss and steam, and a roar of triumph rose above the thudding, steady clank of the engine, now doing well its work, while the north-country man who had spoken jeeringly before shouted l.u.s.tily--

"Three cheers, boys, for good old Boil O!"

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

IT'S A MYSTERY.

There was a desperate fight now for about a quarter of an hour between man's two best slaves--fire and water; and John Willows looked anxiously on, asking himself the question, which was to win. At the end of the above-mentioned time, in spite of the inflammable nature of the old building, the matter was no longer in doubt. The men worked away n.o.bly at the clanging pumps, and every now and then in her eager excitement, some st.u.r.dy, strong-armed woman made a run forward to thrust husband or brother aside and take his place, working with a will, and sending quite a hissing deluge to flood the untouched parts of the roof, and gradually fight back the flames foot by foot, till their farther progress was stopped, and the rest was easy.

All through the fight, Manners held his post right in the forefront, his face s.h.i.+ning in the golden glow as he distributed the water. Will and Josh kept close up after the books had been saved, always ready to help, and bringing refreshment, while Drinkwater raged about like some lunatic, thrusting the men here and there, urging them on to pump faster, and nearly getting himself crushed over and over again, as he dodged about with a small oil-can, seeking to lubricate the old and stiffened parts of the machinery.

It was all to save the mill from destruction, and the master from injury from whom he had cut himself adrift, and there was the result at last.

The ruddy light which had illumined the fern-hung sides and curtains of ivy of the great gorge began to fail.

The great, black cloud of smoke which hung over from side to side began to turn from ruddy orange to a dull lead colour, and at last the word was given to cease pumping.

"There's nothing to do now, my lads, but to carry a few buckets inside and look out for sparks," cried Willows. "I thank you all! You've worked grandly, and you have saved our old mill."

"There'll be a big sore place upon it to-morrow, master," said one of the men.

"Nothing but what James Drinkwater and three or four workmen," said Willows, speaking meaningly, "can put right within a month. The machinery at this end seems to be uninjured."

"I hope so," said Manners, "but the lads here and I have given it a tremendous was.h.i.+ng where we sent the stream in through yon hole and those broken windows. What about the silk? Will it be spoiled?"

"There was little there to signify, and the loss will be comparatively small. Now then, everyone round to the big office, and let's see what we can do in the way of finding you all something to eat and drink."

There was another burst of cheers, and soon after, while the men and women were partaking of the mill-owner's cheer, he and his friends had been making such examination as the smoke, the darkness, and the water which had flooded the drenched part of the building would allow.

"Terrible damage, Carlile," he said. "Still nothing compared to what might have been. But what has become of Drinkwater? Who saw him last?"

"I think I did, father," cried Will. "He was busy with a lantern down there by the engine, wiping and oiling the different parts. I asked him to come in, but he only grunted and shook his head."

"That's where I found him," chimed in Josh, "when you sent me with a message, father."

"Yes, and I saw him there," said Manners. "My word, how he kept the pumpers up to the mark! The water never failed once. Why, you got quite a bargain in the old engine, Mr Willows, and that fellow did it up splendidly."

"And worked gloriously," cried Will. "I think, father, he felt ashamed of all he had said, and wanted to put matters right."

"I hope so," said Mr Willows; "at any rate I do for my miserable suspicions when the fire broke out."