Part 19 (1/2)

”It would be madness,” he replied. ”Down, Piter! Quiet, good dog!”

”Now what's the meaning of it all?” he said after turning the light round the place. ”What did you hear? Were they getting in?”

”No,” I said; ”they were trying to draw this canister on to the fire with the wire; but I heard them and got hold of it.”

Uncle Jack turned the light of the bull's-eye on to the canister I held, and then turned it off again, as if there were danger of its doing some harm with the light alone, even after it had pa.s.sed through gla.s.s.

”Why, Cob,” he said huskily, ”did you get hold of that?”

”Yes, I stopped it,” I said, trembling now that the excitement had pa.s.sed.

”But was the fuse alight?”

”No,” I said; ”they were going to draw it over the fire there, only I found it out in time.”

”Why, Cob,” he whispered, ”there's a dozen pounds of powder here wrapped round with all this fuse. Come with me to put it in a place of safety: why, it would have half-wrecked our works.”

”Would it?” I said.

”Would it, boy! It would have been destruction, perhaps death. Cob,”

he whispered huskily, ”ought we to go on watching?”

”Oh, Uncle Jack,” I said, ”I suppose I am foolish because I am so young!”

”Cob, my boy,” he said softly; ”if you had been ten times as old you could not have done better than you have done to-night. Here, let's place this dreadful canister in the water chamber: it will be safer there.”

”But the men; will they come again?”

”Not to-night, my lad. I think we are safe for a few hours to come.

But what of the future, if these blind savages will do such things as this?”

CHAPTER NINE.

DROWNING AN ENEMY.

I did not sleep that morning, but kept watch with Uncle Jack, and as soon as the men came to work I hurried off to Mrs Stephenson's to tell the others of the night's adventures.

Half an hour later they were with me at the works, where a quiet examination was made, everything being done so as not to take the attention of the work-people, who were now busy.

We had first of all a good look round outside, and found that beneath the window of the furnace-house there were some half dozen great nails or spikes carefully driven into the wall, between the stones, so as to make quite a flight of steps for an active man, and across the window lay a tangled-together length of thin wire.

We did not stop to draw out the nails for fear of exciting attention, but strolled back at once into the works.

And now once for all, when I say _we_, please to understand that it is not out of conceit, for my share in our adventures was always very small, but to avoid uncling you all too much, and making so many repet.i.tions of the names of Uncle d.i.c.k, Uncle Jack, and Uncle Bob.

I saw several of the men look up from their work as we went through the grinding-shop, but they went on again with their task, making the blades they ground shriek as they pressed them against the swiftly revolving stones.

”They must know all about it, Uncle Bob,” I whispered, and he gave me a meaning look.