CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.
FIRE AND WATER.
One dark night at the end of March we went down to the works all four,meaning to watch two and two through the dark hours. The wind blew hardand the rain fell, and as we reached the lane we could hear the waterlapping and beating against the sluice and the stones that formed thehead of the dam, while the waste rushed away with a hollow roar.
"Pity to lose so much good power," said Uncle Jack.
"Sun and wind will bring it back to the hills," said Uncle Dick gravely."There is no waste in nature."
I half expected to see a group of men, friends or enemies, waitingabout; but not a soul was in sight, and as we reached the gates Ishivered involuntarily and thought that people must have very seriousspite against us if they left their snug firesides to attack us on anight like that.
Uncle Dick opened the little door in the gate and we stepped in, but toour surprise there was no low growl and then whine of recognition fromPiter.
"That's strange," said Uncle Jack suspiciously, and he walked on quicklyto the door of the building and listened.
There was no dog there, and his chain and collar did not hang over thekennel as if they had been taken from the dog's neck. They were gone.
This seemed very strange, and what was more strange still, though wewent from grinding-shop to smithy after smithy, furnace house and shed,there was no sign of the dog, and everything seemed to point to the factthat he had been led away by his chain, and was a prisoner somewhere.
"Looks like mischief," whispered Uncle Bob. "Where's that scoundrellying asleep?"
We went upstairs to see, and expected to find our careful watchmancarefully curled up somewhere, but there was no snoring this time, andUncle Bob's threat of a bucket of water to wake him did not assumesubstance and action.
For though we searched everywhere it soon became evident that Searby wasnot present, and that we had come to find the works deserted.
"Then there is going to be some attack made," said Uncle Dick. "I'mglad we came."
"Shall you warn the police?" I whispered.
"No," said Uncle Jack sharply. "If we warn the police the scoundrelswill get to know, and no attack will be made."
"So much the better," I said. "Isn't it?"
"No, my lad. If they did not come to-night they would be here someother time when we had not been warned. We are prepared now, so letthem come and we may give them such a lesson as shall induce them toleave us in peace for the future."
"Do you mean to fight, then?" I asked.
"Most decidedly, boy. For our rights, for our place where we win ourlivelihood. We should be cowards if we did not. You must play thedog's part for us with your sharp eyes and ears. Recollect we haveright on our side and they have wrong."
"Let's put the fort in a state of defence," said Uncle Dick merrily."Perhaps it will turn out to be all nonsense, but we must be prepared.What do you say--divide in two watches as we proposed, and take turn andturn?"
"No: we'll all watch together to-night in case anything serious shouldbe meant."
It did seem so vexatious that a small party of men should be able tokeep up this system of warfare in the great manufacturing town. Herehad my uncles brought a certain amount of prosperity to the place byestablishing these works; the men had found out their worth andrespected them, and everything was going on in the most prosperous way,and yet we were being assailed with threats, and it was quite possiblethat at any moment some cruel blow might be struck.
I felt very nervous that night, but I drew courage from my uncles, whoseemed to take everything in the coolest and most matter-of-fact way.They went round to the buildings where the fires were banked up andglowing or smouldering, ready to be brought under the influence of theblast next day and fanned to white heat. Here every precaution wastaken to guard against danger by fire, one of the most probable ways ofattack, either by ordinary combustion or the swift explosion ofgunpowder.
"There," said Uncle Jack after a careful inspection, "we can do no more.If the ruffians come and blow us up it will be pretty well ruin."
"While if they burn us we are handsomely insured," said Uncle Dick.
"By all means then let us be burned," said Uncle Bob laughing. "There,don't let's make mountains of molehills. We shall not be hurt."
"Well," said Uncle Dick, "I feel as if we ought to take every possibleprecaution; but, that done, I do not feel much fear of anything takingplace. If the scoundrels had really meant mischief they would have donesomething before now."
"Don't halloa till you are out of the wood," said Uncle Jack. "I smelldanger."
"Where, uncle?" I cried.
"In the air, boy. How the wind blows! Quite a gale. Brings the smellof naphtha from those works half a mile away. Shows how a scent likethat will travel."
"I say, boys," said Uncle Bob, "what a trade that would be to carry on--that or powder-mills. The scoundrels would regularly hold one at theirmercy."
"Wind's rising, and the water seems pretty lively," said Uncle Dick aswe sat together in the office, listening to the noises of the night.
We were quite in the dark, and from time to time we had a look roundabout the yard and wall and that side of the building, the broad dam onthe other side being our protection.
"What a curious gurgling the water makes!" said Uncle Bob as we satlistening; "anyone might think that half a dozen bottles were beingpoured out at once."
"The water plays in and out of the crevices amongst the stones, drivingthe air forth. I've often listened to it and thought it was someonewhispering out there beneath the windows," said Uncle Dick.
Then came a loud gust of wind that shook the windows, and directly afterthere was the strong sour scent of naphtha.
"They must have had an accident--upset a tank or something of the kind,"said Uncle Jack. "How strong it is!"
"Yes; quite stinging. It comes each time with the puffs of wind. Isuppose," continued Uncle Dick, "you would consider that which we smellto be a gas."
"Certainly," said Uncle Bob, who was, we considered, a pretty goodchemist. "It is the evaporation of the spirit; it is so volatile thatit turns of itself into vapour or gas and it makes itself evident to ournostrils as it is borne upon the air."
"There must be great loss in the manufacture of such a spirit as that."
"Oh, they charge accordingly!" said Uncle Bob; "but a great deal doesundoubtedly pass off into--"
He stopped short, for Uncle Jack laid his hand upon his knee and we alllistened.
"Nothing," said the latter; but I felt sure I heard a noise below.
"I heard the gurgling sound very plainly," said Uncle Dick. "There itis again. One might almost think there was water trickling into thebuilding."
"Or naphtha, judging by the smell," said Uncle Bob. "It's very curious.I have it!" he cried.
"What do you mean?" said Uncle Jack sharply.
"There has been an accident, as we supposed, at the naphtha works, and aquantity of it has floated down the stream and into our dam."
"It has been very clever then," said Uncle Jack gruffly, "for it hasfloated up stream a hundred yards to get into our dam, and--Goodheavens!"
He sprang to the window and threw it open, for at that moment a heavydull explosion shook the room where we were, and in place of thedarkness we could see each other distinctly, for the place seemed tohave been filled with reflected light, which went out and then blazed upagain.
"Ah!" ejaculated Uncle Jack, "the cowards! If I had a gun!"
I ran to his side, and in the middle of the dam, paddling towards theouter side, there was a sort of raft with three men upon it, and nowthey were distinctly seen, for the black water of the dam seemed to havesuddenly become tawny gold, lit by a building burning furiously on ourright. That building was our furnace-house and the set of smithies andsheds that connected it with the grinding-shops and offices.
Uncle Jack banged to the window and took the command.
; "Cob," he cried, "run to the big bell and keep it going. Our lads willcome. Dick, throw open the gate; Bob, follow me. Fire drill. We maynip the blaze in the bud."
The fire-bell was not rung, the gate was not thrown open; for as we ranout of the office and down the stairs it was to step into a pool ofnaphtha, and in a few instants we found that a quantity had been pouredin at the lower windows--to what extent we could not tell--but it wasevident that this had been done all along the basement by the scoundrelson the raft, and that they had contrived that some should reach one ofthe furnaces, with the result that in an instant the furnace-house hadleaped into a mass of roaring flame, which the brisk gale was fanningand making the fire run along the naphtha-soaked buildings like a wave.
"Stop, stop!" roared Uncle Jack; "we can do nothing to stay this. Backto the offices and secure all books and papers."
So swiftly was the fire borne along by the gale that we had hardly timeto reach the staircase before it came running along, licking up thenaphtha, of which a large quantity had been spilled, and as it caughtthere were dozens of little explosions.
I do not think either of us gave a thought to how we were to get awayagain, for the valuable books and plans had to be saved at all hazards;so following Uncle Jack we rushed into the big office, the safe wasopened, and as rapidly as possible a couple of tin boxes were filledwith account-books, and a number of papers were bound round with string.
"You must look sharp," said Uncle Bob.
"But we must take my books, and odds and ends, and fishing-tackle," Icried.
"Better try and save our lives," said Uncle Bob. "Are you ready?"
"No; there are some plans we must take," said Uncle Dick.
"You must leave them," shouted Uncle Bob. "There, you are too late!" hecried, banging to the door at the end of the workshop; "the flame'scoming up the stairs."
"We can get out of the windows," said Uncle Jack coolly.
"The place beneath is all on fire," cried Uncle Bob, flinging himself onhis knees. "The floor's quite hot."
We should have been suffocated only that there was a perfect rush ofcold air through the place, but moment by moment this was becoming hotand poisonous with the gases of combustion. The flames were rushing outof the grinding-shop windows beneath us, and the yard on one side, thedam on the other, were light as day.
In one glance over the fire and smoke I saw our wall covered withworkmen and boys, some watching, some dropping over into the yard.While in a similar rapid glance on the other side I saw through theflame and smoke that on one side the dam bank was covered withspectators, on the other there were three men just climbing off a roughraft and descending towards the stream just below.
"Now," said Uncle Jack, seizing one box, "I can do no more. Each of youtake your lot and let's go."
"But where?--how?" I panted.
"Phew!"
Uncle Jack gave vent to a long whistle that was heard above thecrackling wood, the roar of flames carried along by the wind, and theshouts and cries of the excited crowd in the yard.
"It's worse than I thought," said Uncle Jack. "We can't get down. Keepcool, boys. We must save our papers. Here, there is less fire at thatwindow than at either of the others--let's throw the boxes out there.They'll take care of them."
We ran to the far corner window, but as we reached it a puff of flameand smoke curved in and drove us back.
It was so with every window towards the yard, and escape was entirelycut off.
The men were trying to do something to save us, for there was atremendous noise and excitement below; but they could do absolutelynothing, so rapidly had the grinding-shop beneath us been turned into afiery furnace.
And now the flames had mastered the end door, which fell inward, andflame and black and gold clouds of smoke rolled in.
"Quick, Cob!--into the office!" roared Uncle Dick; and I darted in withsome of the papers, followed by the rest, Uncle Jack banging to thedoor.
"Keep cool, all of you," he cried. "I must save these books andpapers."
"But we must save our lives, Jack," said Uncle Dick. "The floor'ssmoking. Our only chance is to jump into the dam."
"Through that blaze of flame!" said Uncle Bob gloomily.
"It is our only chance," said Uncle Jack; "but let's try to save ourboxes as well. They will float if we take care."
"Now, then, who's first?"
The window was open, the tin boxes and the packets on the table, the dambeneath but invisible; for the flame and smoke that rose from the windowbelow came like a fiery curtain between us and the water; and it wasthrough this curtain that we should have to plunge.
Certainly it would be a momentary affair, and then we should be in theclear cold water; but the idea of taking such a leap made even my stoutuncles shrink and vainly look round for some other means of escape.
But there were none that we could see. Above the roar and crackling ofthe flames we could hear the shouting of the mob and voices shriekingout more than crying, "Jump! Jump!" Everything, though, was one whirlof confusion; and I felt half-stifled with the terrible heat and thechoking fumes that came up between the boards and beneath the door.
It was rapidly blinding as well as confusing us; and in those excitingmoments leadership seemed to have gone, and if even I had made a boldstart the others would have followed.
At last after what seemed to have been a long space of time, though itwas doubtless only moments, Uncle Jack cried fiercely:
"Look: the floor's beginning to burn. You, Dick, out first, Cob shallfollow; and we'll drop the two tin boxes to you. You must save them.Now! Are you ready?"
"Yes," cried Uncle Dick, climbing on a chair, and thrusting his arm outof the window.
As he did so, there was a puff like some gigantic firework, and a largecloud of fiery smoke rose up full of tiny sparks; and he shrank backwith an ejaculation of pain.
"Hot, Dick?" cried Uncle Jack almost savagely. "Go on, lad; it will behotter here. In five minutes the floor will be burned through."
"Follow quickly, Cob," cried Uncle Dick; and then he paused, for therewas a curious rushing noise, the people yelled, and there were shrieksand cries, and above all, a great trampling of feet.
We could see nothing for the flame and smoke that rose before thewindow; and just then the roar of the flames seemed to increase, and ourposition became unendurable.
But still that was a curious rushing noise in the air, a roar as ofthunder and pouring, hissing rain, and a railway train rushing by andcoming nearer and nearer every moment; and then, as Uncle Dick was aboutto step forth into the blaze and leap into the dam, Uncle Jack caughthim and held him back.
Almost at the same moment the rush and roar increased a hundred-fold,confusing and startling us, and then, as if by magic, there was atremendous thud against the walls that shook the foundations; a fiercehissing noise, and one moment we were standing in the midst of glowinglight, the next moment we were to our waists in water dashed against theopposite wall, and all was black darkness.
As we struggled to our feet the water was sinking, but the horriblecrashing, rushing noise was still going on--water, a huge river of waterwas rushing right through our factory threatening to sweep it away, andthen the flood seemed to sink as quickly as it had come, and we stoodholding hands, listening to the gurgling rush that was rapidly dyingaway.
"What is it?" panted Uncle Bob.
"Life. Thank heaven, we are saved!" said Uncle Dick fervently.
"Amen!" exclaimed Uncle Jack. "Why, Dick," he cried, "that great dam upin the hills must have burst and come sweeping down the vale!"
Uncle Jack was right, for almost as he spoke we could hear voicesshouting "rezzyvoyer;" and for the moment we forgot our own troubles inthe thought of the horrors that must have taken place up the vale.
But we could not stay where we were, half suffocated by the steam thatrose, and, opening the door, which broke away half-burned through, westood once more in the long workshop, which seemed little
changed, savethat here and there a black chasm yawned in the floor, among which wehad to thread our way to where the stout door had been.
That and the staircase were gone, so that our only chance was to descendby lowering ourselves and dropping to the ground.
Just then we heard the splashing of feet in the yard, and a voice werecognised as Pannell cried:
"Mebbe they've got away. Ahoy there, mesters! Mester Jacob!"
"Ahoy!" I shouted; and a ringing cheer went up from twenty throats.
"We're all right," I cried, only nearly smothered. "Can you get a shortladder?"
"Ay, lad," cried another familiar voice; and another shouted, "Owd Joneshas got one;" and I was sure it was Gentles who spoke.
"How's the place, Pannell?" cried Uncle Dick, leaning out of one of thewindows.
"So dark, mester, I can hardly see, but fire's put right out, and thesehere buildings be aw reight, but wheer the smithies and furnace was isnobbut ground."
"Swept away?"
"Pretty well burned through first, mester, and then the watter came andwashed it all clear. Hey but theer's a sight of mischief done, I fear."
A short ladder was soon brought, and the boxes and papers were placed insafety in a neighbouring house, after which in the darkness we trampedthrough the yard, to find that it was inches deep in mud, and that theflood had found our mill stout enough to resist its force; but thehalf-burned furnace-house, the smithies, and about sixty feet of tallstone wall had been taken so cleanly away that even the stones weregone, while the mill next to ours was cut right in two.
There was not a vestige of fire left, so, leaving our further inspectionto be continued in daylight, we left a couple of men as watchers, andwere going to join the hurrying crowd, when I caught Uncle Dick's arm.
"Well?" he exclaimed.
"Did you see where those men went as they got off the raft?"
"They seemed to be climbing down into the hollow beside the river," hesaid:
"Yes," I whispered with a curious catching of the breath, "and then theflood came."
He gripped my hand, and stood thinking for a few moments.
"It is impossible to say," he cried at last. "But come along, we may beof some service to those in trouble."
In that spirit we went on down to the lower part of the town, followingthe course of the flood, and finding fresh horrors at every turn.
Patience Wins: War in the Works Page 26