CHAPTER SIXTEEN.
SOMETHING FOR ME.
Rash--cruel--unwise. Well, I'm afraid it was all those, but I was onlya boy, and I was stung by the injustice and cowardly cruelty of theoutrages perpetrated on us by the men who earned their bread in ourworks; and hence it was, that, instead of feeling any compunction indoing what I proposed, I was delighted with the idea, and longed for anopportunity to put it in force.
I was, then, very eager to begin, for the present calm, I felt sure, wasonly going before the storm, and after what I had found out I wasanxious to be ready.
Pannell did not keep me waiting long.
Two days after I had made my plans with him I went into his smithy, andin answer to my inquiring look he said, in a heavy, unmoved way:
"Theer's summut for you hung up i' the forge chimney. She goes hard,but theer's a steel bar 'long wi' her as you can prise down the springtill she's set. On'y mind thysen, lad--mind thysen."
"And will it hold a man, Pannell?" I cried.
"Ay; this here's noo pattern. I haven't got into it yet I've got a rarelot of 'em to do."
"But tell me," I whispered, "will it?"
"Think this here noo steel's better than owd fashion stoof?" he said.
"Bother the steel!" I said, speaking lower still. "I want you to tellme whether--"
"Bull-poop's gettin' too fat, Mester Jacob," said Pannell. "Don't give'im so much meat. Spoils a dorg. Give un bones as he can break oop andyeat. That's the stoof for dorgs. Gives un such a coat as never was."
"Will you tell me?" I began, angrily.
"Nay, I wean't tell thee nowt," he growled. "I've telled thee enew asit is. Tek it when I'm not here, and good luck to thee!"
I could get no more from him, for he would not say another word aboutthe trap, so I waited impatiently for the night so that I might smuggleit from the forge chimney into my desk.
When the time came it was quite absurd how many hindrances there were tomy little task. I did not want to set it that night. I only wanted toget it in safety to my desk; but first there were men hanging about thesmithies as if they were watching me; then there were my uncles; andlastly, there was Gentles, who made signs that he wished to speak to me,and I didn't care to say anything to the sleek, oily fellow, who onlywanted to what he called make it up.
At last, though, everyone had gone but Uncle Jack, who was busy writinga letter or two, and I was to wait for him, and we were going backtogether.
I slipped off to the smithy, and just as I was half-way there I turnedquickly round, feeling quite cold, and as if I was found out, for Iheard a curious yawning noise behind me.
It was only Piter, who looked up in my face and gave his tail a wag, andthen butted his great head against my leg, holding it tightly there asif it was so heavy that he was glad to give it a rest.
I went on at once impatiently, and Piter's head sank down, the doguttering a low, discontented whine on being left. I glanced up at thewall, half expecting to see some one looking over and watching me; thenup at the windows, fearing that one of the men might still be left.
But all was perfectly quiet, and though I half anticipated such anaccident there was no one seated on the top of either of the greatchimney-shafts in the neighbourhood watching me with a telescope.
I had a few more absurdly impossible ideas of this kind as I went alongthe yard, feeling horribly guilty and ready to give up my undertaking.The very silence and solitariness of the place startled me, but I wenton and turned in at the open door of the smithy where Pannell worked,and breathed more freely as I looked round and saw that I was alone.
But to make sure I stepped up on to the work-bench and looked out of thewindow, but there was nothing but the dam to be seen there, and I leapeddown and climbed on to the forge, with the coal-dust crushing under myfeet, gave a last glance round, and was about to peer up thefunnel-like, sheet-iron chimney, when there was a loud clang, and Ibounded down, with my heart beating furiously.
I stamped my foot directly after and bit my lips angrily because I hadbeen such a coward, for I had moved a pair of smiths' tongs when Istepped up, and they had slid off on to the ground.
"I'm doing what I ought not to do," I said to myself as I jumped on tothe forge again, "but now I've gone so far I must go on."
I peered up in the dark funnel and could see nothing, but I had comeprepared, and striking a match I saw just before me, resting on a sootyledge, the object of my quest.
I lifted it down, astounded at its size and weight, and found that itwas an exact imitation of the rat-trap, but with blunt teeth, and ashort steel lever with a point like a crowbar was attached to it bymeans of a bit of wire.
It was enormous, and I quite trembled at the idea of carrying it to theoffice; but after a sharp glance out of the doorway I took hold of thetrap by the iron chain bound round it, and walked quickly to my ownplace, hoping that even if I had been seen, the watcher would not havebeen able to make out what I was carrying.
There was not much room to spare when I had laid the great trap in mydesk, the lid of which would only just shut down over it; but oncesafely there, and with the key in the lock ready for me to turn if Iheard steps, I had a good look at my treasure.
I was nervous now, and half repentant, for the instrument looked soformidable that I felt that I should not dare to use it.
I had a good look though, and found that it was very complete with chainand ring, and that the lever had a head to it like a pin, evidently sothat after it had been used, it could be placed through the ring at theend of the chain, and driven down to act as a peg in the ground.
I had hardly arrived at all this when I heard Uncle Jack's cough, andhastily closing the desk and locking it, I went to meet him.
"Sorry to keep you waiting so long, my boy," he said; "but I wanted tosend word to your father how we are going on."
It was on the second night that I put my plan into practice.
I had thought it all well out, and inspected my ground, which was justbelow the wall, pretty close to the edge of the dam, where I had seensome marks which had made me suspicious.
So as soon as Uncle Bob had gone to lie down, and I had begun my half ofthe watch, I fastened up Piter, took out my heavy trap, carried it downto the edge of the dam, and carefully felt the wall for the place I hadmarked by driving in a little nail.
I soon found it, placed my trap exactly beneath it, and wrenching downthe spring by means of the lever, I tried to set it.
I had practised doing this in my own place, and could manage it prettywell, but in the darkness and excitement that troubled me now, it provedto be an exceedingly difficult job. Twice I managed to get it set, andwas moving away when it went off with a startling clang that made mejump, and expect to see Uncle Bob come running out, especially as thedog set up a furious bark.
I quieted Piter though each time, and went and tried again till Imanaged my task, having to take great care that I did not hoist myselfwith my own petard, for it was a terribly dangerous engine that I wassetting, though I did not think so then.
It was now set to my satisfaction, and being quite prepared with a bighammer, my next task was to drive in the lever like a peg right throughthe ring and up to the head, so that if I did catch my bird, there wouldbe no chance of his getting away.
I felt about in the dark for a suitable place, and the most likelyseemed to be just at the extent of the five feet of chain, which reachedto the edge of the dam, where, between two of the big stones of theembankment, I fancied I could drive in the lever so that it could not bedrawn out.
So taking the steel bar with the sharp edge I ran it through the ring,directed the point between two blocks of stone, and then began to drive.
As I said I was well prepared, having carefully thought out the wholeaffair, and I had bound several thicknesses of cloth over the head ofthe hammer like a pad so as to muffle the blows, and thus it was that Iwas able to drive it home without much noise.
At first it went in so
easily that I was about to select a fresh place,but it soon became harder and firmer, and when I had done and felt thehead it was quite immovable, and held the ring close down to the stones.
My idea had been to cover the trap with a handful or two of hay, but itwas so dark that I thought I would leave it, as it was impossible to seeit even from where I looked. I left it, meaning to come the nextmorning and set it free with a file, for I did not want to take up thepeg, and I could get another for lever and join the chain with a strongpadlock the next time.
It was about eleven o'clock when I had finished my task, and I did notknow whether to be pleased or alarmed. I felt something like a boymight who had set a bait at the end of a line to catch a crocodile, andwas then very much alarmed for fear he should have any luck.
I crept away and waited, thinking a great deal about Piter, and whatwould be the consequences if he walked over the trap, but I argued thatthe chances were a hundred thousand to one against his going to thatparticular spot. Besides, if I left him chained up Uncle Bob was notlikely to unloose him, so I determined to run the risk, and leave thetrap set when I went off guard.
The time went slowly by without any alarm, and though I went now andthen cautiously in the direction of my trap it had not been disturbed,and I came away more and more confident that it was in so out of the waya part of the yard that it might be there for weeks unseen.
I felt better after this, and at the appointed time called Uncle Bob,who took his watch, and when he called me in the morning the wheel wasturning, and the men were coming up to their work.
"I thought you were tired, Cob, so I let you lie till the last moment."
I was so stupid and confused with sleep that I got up yawning; and wewere half-way back home before, like a flash, there came to me therecollection of my trap.
I could not make an excuse and go back, though I tried hard to inventone; but went on by my uncle's side so quiet and thoughtful that he madea remark.
"Bit done up, Cob! You ought to have another nap after dinner."
"Oh, I'm all right, uncle," I said, and I went on home with him to havesteel-traps for breakfast and think of nothing else save what they hadcaught.
For I felt perfectly sure that someone had come over the wall in thenight--Stevens I expected it would prove to be--and had put his footright in the trap, which had sprung, caught him by the leg, and cut itright off, and I felt sure that when I got back I should find him lyingthere where he had bled to death.
The next thing that struck me was that I was a murderer, and that Ishould be tried and condemned to death, but respited and sentenced totransportation for life on account of my youth.
With such thoughts as these rushing through my brain it was not likelythat I should enjoy the breakfast with the brown and pink ham so nicelyfried, and the eggs that were so creamy white, and with such yolks ofgold.
I did _not_ enjoy that breakfast, and I was feverishly anxious to getback to the works, and though first one and then another advised me togo and lie down, I insisted upon going.
I was all in a tremble as I reached the gate, and saw old Dunning'sserious face. I read in it reproach, and he seemed to be saying to me,"Oh, how could you do it?" Seemed, for what he did say was, "Nicepleasant morning, Mester Jacob!"
I told a story, for I said, "Yes, it is," when it was to me the mostpainful and miserable morning I had ever experienced; but I dared notsay a word, and for some time I could not find an opportunity for goingdown the yard.
Nobody ever did go down there, unless it was to wheel a worn-outgrindstone to a resting-place or to carry some broken wood-work of themachinery to throw in a heap. There was the heap of coal and the heapof slack or coal-dust, both in the yard; but those who fetched the coaland slack fetched them from this side, and they never went on the other.
The last time I could recall the men going down there to the dam, waswhen we threw in Piter to give him a bath.
Piter! Had he been let loose? The thought that had come of him wasstartling, but easily set right, for there was the bull-dog fast asleepin his kennel.
Then there was Stevens!
The thought was horrible. He ought to be in the grinding-shop, and ifhe were not--I knew!
It would have been easy to go and look, but I felt that I could not, andI walked back to the gate and spoke to old Dunning.
"All the men come yet?" I said.
"No, Mester Jacob, they hevn't all come yet," he said.
I dare not ask any more. All had not come, and one of those who had notcome was, of course, Stevens, and he was lying there dead.
I walked back with Dunning's last words ringing in my ears.
"Ain't you well, Mester Jacob?"
No, I was not well. I felt sick and miserable, and I would have givenanything to have gone straight down the yard and seen the extent of themisery I had caused.
Oh! If I could have recalled the past, and undone everything; but thatwas impossible, and in a state of feverish anxiety I went upstairs towhere the men were busy at lathe and dry grindstones, to try and get--aglimpse of my trap, as I hoped I could from one of the windows.
To my horror there were two men looking out, and I stoppeddumb-foundered as I listened for their words, which I knew must be aboutthe trapped man lying there.
"Nay, lad," said one, "yow could buy better than they at pit's mouth foreight shillings a chaldron."
Oh, what a relief! It was like life to me, and going to one window Ifound that they could only see the heap of coals.
From the other windows there was no better view. Even from the roomover the water-wheel there was no chance of a glimpse of the trap.
I could not stop up there, for I was all of a fret, and at last,screwing up my nerves to the sticking point, I went down determined togo boldly into the grinder's shop, and see if Stevens was there.
What an effort it was! I have often wondered since whether other boyswould have suffered what I did under the circumstances, or whether I wasa very great coward.
Well, coward or no, I at last went straight into the grinder's shop, andthere was the plashing rumble of the great water-wheel beyond the door,the rattle of the bands and the whirr and whirl and screech of thegrindstones as they spun round, and steel in some form or other was heldto their edge.
There were half a dozen faces I knew, and there was Gentles ready tosmile at me with his great mouth and closed eyes.
But I could only just glance at him and nod, for to my horror Stevens'wheel was not going, and there was no one there.
I felt the cold sweat gather all over my face, and a horrible sensationof dread assailed me; and then I turned and hurried out of the building,so that my ghastly face and its changes should not be seen.
For just then I saw Stevens rise up from behind his grindstone with anoil-can in his hand--he had been busy oiling some part or other of thebearings.
Patience Wins: War in the Works Page 16