Patience Wins: War in the Works

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER FOUR.

  OUR ENGINE.

  "Bravo, Spartan!" cried Uncle Bob, as he stood looking on, when, afterwalking some distance, Uncle Dick insisted upon my taking off my jacketin a lane and having the place bathed.

  "Oh, it's nothing," I said, "only it was tiresome for it to bleed."

  "Nothing like being prepared for emergencies," said Uncle Jack, takingout his pocket-book, and from one of the pockets a piece ofsticking-plaster and a pair of scissors. "I'm always cutting orpinching my fingers. Wonder whether we could have stuck Cob's head onagain if it had been cut off?"

  I opined not as I submitted to the rough surgery that went on, and thenrefusing absolutely to be treated as a sick person, and go back, Itramped on by them, mile after mile, to see something of the fine opencountry out to the west of the town before we settled down to work.

  We were astonished, for as we got away from the smoky pit in whichArrowfield lay, we found, in following the bank of the rivulet thatsupplied our works, that the country was lovely and romantic too. Hill,dale, and ravine were all about us, rippling stream, hanging wood, groveand garden, with a thousand pretty views in every direction, as weclimbed on to the higher ground, till at last cultivation seemed to havebeen left behind, and we were where the hills towered up with raggedstony tops, and their slopes all purple heather, heath, and moss.

  "Look, look!" I cried, as I saw a covey of birds skim by; "partridges!"

  "No," said Uncle Bob, watching where they dropped; "not partridges, mylad--grouse."

  "What, here!" I said; "and so near the town."

  "Near! Why we are seven or eight miles away."

  "But I thought grouse were Scotch birds."

  "They are birds of the moors," said Uncle Bob; "and here you have themstretching for miles all over the hills. This is about as wild a bit ofcountry as you could see. Why, the country people here call those hillsmountains."

  "But are they mountains?" I said; "they don't look very high."

  "Higher than you think, my lad, with precipice and ravine. Why, look--you can see the top of that one is among the clouds."

  "I should have thought it was a mist resting upon it."

  "Well, what is the difference?" said Uncle Bob, smiling.

  Just then we reached a spot where a stream crossed the road, and thesight of the rippling water, clear as crystal, took our attention fromthe hills and vales that spread around. My first idea was to run downto the edge of the stream, which was so dotted with great stones that Iwas soon quite in the middle, looking after the shadowy shapes that Ihad seen dart away.

  My uncles followed me, and we forgot all about the work and troubleswith the rough grinders, as we searched for the trout and crept up towhere we could see some good-sized, broad-tailed fellow sunning himselftill he caught sight of the intruders, and darted away like a flash oflight.

  But Uncle Dick put a stop to our idling there, leading us back to theroad and insisting upon our continuing along it for another mile.

  "I want to show you our engine," he said.

  "Our engine out here!" I cried. "It's some trick."

  "You wait and see," he replied.

  We went on through the beautiful breezy country for some distancefarther, till on one side we were looking down into a valley and on theother side into a lake, and I soon found that the lake had been formedjust as we schoolboys used to make a dam across a ditch or stream whenwe were going to bale it out and get the fish.

  "Why," I cried, as we walked out on to the great embankment, "this hasall been made."

  "To be sure," said Uncle Dick. "Just the same as our little dam is atthe works. That was formed by building a strong stone wall across ahollow streamlet; this was made by raising this great embankment rightacross the valley here and stopping the stream that ran through it.That's the way some of the lakes have been made in Switzerland."

  "What, by men?"

  "No, by nature. A great landslip takes place from the mountains, rushesdown, and fills up a valley, and the water is stopped from runningaway."

  We walked right out along what seemed like a vast railway embankment, onone side sloping right away down into the valley, where the remains ofthe stream that had been cut off trickled on towards Arrowfield. On theother side the slope went down into the lake of water, which stretchedaway toward the moorlands for quite a mile.

  "This needs to be tremendously strong," said Uncle Jack thoughtfully, aswe walked on till we were right in the middle and first stood lookingdown the valley, winding in and out, with its scattered houses, farms,and mills, and then turned to look upward towards the moorland and alongthe dammed-up lake.

  "Why, this embankment must be a quarter of a mile long," said Uncle Jackthoughtfully.

  "What a pond for fishing!" I cried, as I imagined it to be peopled bylarge jack and shoals of smaller fish. "How deep is it, I wonder?"

  Did you ever know a boy yet who did not want to know how deep a piece ofwater was, when he saw it?

  "Deep!" said Uncle Dick; "that's easily seen. Deep as it is from hereto the bottom of the valley on the other side: eighty or ninety feet. Ishould say this embankment is over a hundred in perpendicular height."

  "Look here," said Uncle Jack suddenly; "if I know anything aboutengineering, this great dam is not safe."

  "Not safe!" I said nervously. "Let's get off it at once."

  "I daresay it will hold to-day," said Uncle Dick dryly, "but you can runoff if you like, Cob."

  "Are you coming?"

  "Not just at present," he said, smiling grimly.

  I put my hands in my pockets and stood looking at the great embankment,which formed a level road or path of about twelve feet wide where westood, and then sloped down, as I have said, like a railway embankmentfar down into the valley on our left, and to the water on our right.

  "I don't care," said Uncle Jack, knitting his brows as he scanned theplace well, "I say it is not safe. Here is about a quarter of a mile ofearthen wall that has no natural strength for holding together like awall of bonded stone or brick."

  "But look at its weight," said Uncle Bob.

  "Yes, that is its only strength--its weight; but look at the weight ofthe water, about a mile of water seventy or eighty feet deep just here.Perhaps only sixty. The pressure of this water against it must betremendous."

  "Of course," said Uncle Dick thoughtfully; "but you forget the shape ofthe wall, Jack. It is like an elongated pyramid: broad at the base andcoming up nearly to a point."

  "No," said Uncle Jack, "I've not forgotten all that. Of course it isall the stronger for it, the wider the base is made. But I'm notsatisfied, and if I had made this dam I should have made this wall twiceas thick or three times as thick; and I don't know that I should havefelt satisfied with its stability then."

  "Well done, old conscientious!" cried Uncle Bob, laughing. "Let's geton."

  "Stop a moment," I cried. "Uncle Dick said he would show us ourengine."

  "Well, there it is," said Uncle Dick, pointing to the dammed-up lake."Isn't it powerful enough for you. This reservoir was made by a watercompany to supply all our little dams, and keep all our mills going. Itgathers the water off the moorlands, saves it up, and lets us have it ina regular supply. What would be the consequences of a burst, Jack?" hesaid, turning to his brother.

  "Don't talk about it man," said Uncle Jack frowning. "Why, this body ofwater broken loose would sweep down that valley and scour everythingaway with it--houses, mills, rocks, all would go like corks."

  "Why, it would carry away our works, then," I cried. "The place isright down by the water side."

  "I hope not," said Uncle Jack. "No I should say the force would beexhausted before it got so far as that, eight or nine miles away."

  "Well, it does look dangerous," said Uncle Bob. "The weight must betremendous. How would it go if it did burst?"

  "I say, uncle, I'm only a coward, please. Hadn't we better go offhere?"

  They all laughed,
and we went on across the dam.

  "How would it go!" said Uncle Jack thoughtfully. "It is impossible tosay. Probably the water would eat a little hole through the topsomewhere and that would rapidly grow bigger, the water pouring throughin a stream, and cutting its way down till the solidity of the wallbeing destroyed by the continuity being broken great masses wouldcrumble away all at once, and the pent-up waters would rush through."

  "And if they came down and washed away our works just as we were makingour fortunes, you would say I was to blame for taking such a dangerousplace."

  "There, come along," cried Uncle Bob, "don't let's meet troubleshalf-way. I want a ramble over those hills. There, Cob, now we'resafe," he said, as we left the great dam behind. "Now, then, who's forsome lunch, eh?"

  This last question was suggested by the sight of a snug little villageinn, where we had a hearty meal and a rest, and then tramped off to meetwith an unexpected adventure among the hills.

  As soon as one gets into a hilly country the feeling that comes over oneis that he ought to get up higher, and I had that sensation strongly.

  But what a glorious walk it was! We left the road as soon as we couldand struck right away as the crow flies for one of several tremendoushills that we saw in the distance. Under our feet was the purple heathwith great patches of whortleberry, that tiny shrub that bears thelittle purply grey fruit. Then there was short elastic wiry grass andorange-yellow bird's-foot trefoil. Anon we came to great patches offurze of a dwarf kind with small prickles, and of an elegant growth, thepurple and yellow making the place look like some vast wild garden.

  "We always seem to be climbing up," said Uncle Dick.

  "When we are not sliding down," said Uncle Jack, laughing.

  "I've been looking for a bit of level ground for a race," said UncleBob. "My word! What a wild place it is!"

  "But how beautiful!" I cried, as we sat down on some rough blocks ofstone, with the pure thyme-scented air blowing on our cheeks, larkssinging above our heads, and all around the hum of insects or beeshurrying from blossom to blossom; while we saw the grasshoppers slowlyclimbing up to the top of some strand of grass, take a look round, andthen set their spring legs in motion and take a good leap.

  "What a difference in the hills!" said Uncle Jack, looking thoughtfullyfrom some that were smooth of outline to others that were all rugged andlooked as if great jagged masses of stone had been piled upon theirtops.

  "Yes," said Uncle Dick. "Two formations. Mountain limestone yonder;this we are on, with all these rough pieces on the surface and stickingout everywhere, is millstone-grit."

  "Which is millstone-grit?" I cried.

  "This," he said, taking out a little hammer and chipping one of thestones by us to show me that it was a sandstone full of hard fragmentsof silica. "You might open a quarry anywhere here and cut millstones,but of course some of the stone is better for the purpose than others."

  "Yes," said Uncle Jack thoughtfully. "Arrowfield is famously situatedfor its purpose--plenty of coal for forging, plenty of water to workmills, plenty of quarries to get millstones for grinding."

  "Come along," cried Uncle Bob, starting up; and before we had gone farthe grouse flew, skimming away before us, and soon after we came to alovely mountain stream that sparkled and danced as it dashed down inhundreds of little cataracts and falls.

  Leaving this, though the sight of the little trout darting about wastemptation enough to make me stay, we tramped on over the rugged ground,in and out among stones or piled-up rocks, now skirting or leaping boggyplaces dotted with cotton-rush, where the bog-roots were here green andsoft, there of a delicate pinky white, where the water had been driedaway.

  To a London boy, accustomed to country runs among inclosed fields andhedges, or at times into a park or upon a common, this vast stretch ofhilly, wild uncultivated land was glorious, and I was ready to see anywonder without surprise.

  It seemed to me, as we tramped on examining the bits of stone, the herbsand flowers, that at any moment we might come upon the lair of some wildbeast; and so we did over and over again, but it was not the den of wolfor bear, but of a rabbit burrowed into the sandy side of some greatbank. Farther on we started a hare, which went off in its curioushopping fashion to be out of sight in a few moments.

  Almost directly after, as we were clambering over a steep slope, UncleBob stopped short, and stood there sniffing.

  "What is it?" I cried.

  "Fox," he said, looking round.

  "Nonsense!" cried Uncle Dick.

  "You wouldn't find, eh? What a nasty, dank, sour odour!" cried UncleJack, in his quiet, thoughtful way.

  "A fox has gone by here during the last few minutes, I'm sure," criedUncle Bob, looking round searchingly. "I'll be bound to say he is upamong those tufts of ling and has just taken refuge there. Spread outand hunt."

  The tufts he pointed to were right on a ridge of the hill we wereclimbing, and separating we hurried up there just in time to see alittle reddish animal, with long, drooping, bushy tail, run in amongstthe heath fifty yards down the slope away to our left.

  "That's the consequence of having a good nose," said Uncle Bobtriumphantly; and now, as we were on a high eminence, we took a goodlook round so as to make our plans.

  "Hadn't we better turn back now?" said Uncle Jack. "We shall haveseveral hours' walk before we get to Arrowfield, and shall have done asmuch as Cob can manage."

  "Oh, I'm not a bit tired!" I cried.

  "Well," said Uncle Dick, "I think we had better go forward. I'm notvery learned over the topography of the district, but if I'm not muchmistaken that round hill or mountain before us is Dome Tor."

  "Well?" said Uncle Jack.

  "Well, I propose that we make straight for it, go over it, and then askour way to the nearest town or village where there is a railway-station,and ride back."

  "Capital!" I cried.

  "Whom will you ask to direct us?" said Uncle Jack dryly.

  "Ah! To be sure," said Uncle Bob. "I've seen nothing but a sheep ortwo for hours, and they look so horribly stupid I don't think it is ofany use to ask them."

  "Oh! We must meet some one if we keep on," said Uncle Dick. "What doyou say? Seems a pity not to climb that hill now we are so near."

  "Yes, as we are out for a holiday," said Uncle Bob. "After to-day wemust put our necks in the collar and work. I vote for Dick."

  "So do I," said Uncle Jack.

  "Come along then, boys," cried Uncle Dick; and now we set ourselvessteadily to get over the ground, taking as straight a line as we could,but having to deviate a good deal on account of streams and bogs andrough patches of stone. But it was a glorious walk, during which therewas always something to examine; and at last we felt that we weresteadily going up the great rounded mass known as Dome Tor.

  We had not been plodding far before I found that it was entirelydifferent to the hills we had climbed that day, for, in place of greatmasses of rugged, weatherworn rock, the stone we found here and therewas slaty and splintery, the narrow tracks up which we walked being fullof slippery fragments, making it tiresome travelling.

  These tracks were evidently made by the sheep, of which we saw a fewhere and there, but no shepherd, no houses, nothing to break the uttersolitude of the scene, and as we paused for a rest about half-way upUncle Dick looked round at the glorious prospect, bathed in the warmglow of the setting sun.

  "Ah!" he said, "this is beautiful nature. Over yonder, at Arrowfield,we shall have nature to deal with that is not beautiful. But come,boys, I want a big meat tea, and we've miles to go yet before we can getit."

  We all jumped up and tramped on, with a curious sensation coming into mylegs, as if the joints wanted oiling. But I said nothing, only trudgedaway, on and on, till at last we reached the rounded top, hot, out ofbreath, and glad to inhale the fresh breeze that was blowing.

  The view was splendid, but the sun had set, and there were cloudsbeginning to gather, while, on looking round, though we cou
ld see ahouse here and a house there in the distance, it did not seem very clearto either of us which way we were to go.

  "We are clever ones," said Uncle Dick, "starting out on a trip like thiswithout a pocket guide and a map: never mind, our way must be west, andsooner or later we shall come to a road, and then to a village."

  "But we shall never be able to reach a railway-station to-night," saidUncle Bob.

  "Not unless we try," said Uncle Jack in his dry way.

  "Then let's try," said Uncle Dick, "and--well, that is strange."

  As we reached the top the wind had been blowing sharply in our faces,but this had ceased while we had been lying about admiring the prospect,and in place a few soft moist puffs had come from quite another quarter;and as we looked there seemed to be a cloud of white smoke starting upout of a valley below us. As we watched it we suddenly became aware ofanother rolling along the short rough turf and over the shaley paths.Then a patch seemed to form here, another there, and these patchesappeared to be stretching out their hands to each other all round themountain till they formed a grey bank of mist, over the top of which wecould see the distant country.

  "We must be moving," said Uncle Dick, "or we shall be lost in the fog.North-west must be our way, but let's push down here where the slope'seasy, and get beyond the mist, and then we can see what we had betterdo."

  He led the way, and before we could realise it the dense white steamyfog was all around us, and we could hardly see each other.

  "All right!" said Uncle Dick; "keep together."

  "Can you see where you are going, Dick?" said Uncle Jack.

  "No, I'm as if I was blindfolded with a white crape handkerchief."

  "No precipices here, are there?" I cried nervously, for it seemed sostrange to be walking through this dense mist.

  "No, I hope not," cried Uncle Dick out of the mist ahead. "You keeptalking, and follow me, I'll answer you, or else we shall be separated,and that won't do now. All right!"

  "All right!" we chorused back.

  "All right!" cried Uncle Dick; "nice easy slope here, but slippery."

  "All right!" we chorused.

  "All ri--Take--"

  We stopped short in horror wondering what had happened, for Uncle Dick'swords seemed cut in two, there was a rustling scrambling sound, and thenall was white fog and silence, broken only by our panting breath.

  "Dick! Where are you?" cried Uncle Jack taking a step forward.

  "Mind!" cried Uncle Bob, catching him by the arm.

  It was well he did, for that was the rustling scrambling noise againfalling on my ears, with a panting struggle, and two voices in the densefog seeming to utter ejaculations of horror and dread.