Patience Wins | Page 6

introduce, I hope, a good many improvements in several
branches of the trades carried on here, principally in forging."
Mr Tomplin drew in his lips and filled his face with wrinkles.
"Going to introduce new inventions, eh?" he said.
"Yes, sir, but only one at a time," said Uncle Jack.
"And have you brought a regiment of soldiers with you, gentlemen?"
"Brought a what?" said Uncle Bob, laughing.

"Regiment of soldiers, sir, and a company of artillerymen with a couple
of guns."
"Ha! Ha! Ha!" laughed Uncle Dick, showing his white teeth. "Mr
Tomplin means to besiege Arrowfield."
"No, I don't, my dear sir. I mean to turn your works into a fort to
defend yourselves against your enemies."
"My dear sir," said Uncle Jack, "we haven't an enemy in the world."
"Not at the present moment, sir, I'll be bound," said Mr Tomplin, taking
snuff, and then blowing his nose so violently that I wondered he did not
have an accident with it and split the sides. "Not at the present moment,
gentlemen; but as soon as it is known that you are going to introduce
new kinds of machinery, our enlightened townsmen will declare you
are going to take the bread out of their mouths and destroy everything
you make."
"Take the bread out of their mouths, my dear Mr Tomplin!" said Uncle
Jack. "Why, what we do will put bread in their mouths by making more
work."
"Of course it will, my dear sirs."
"Then why should they interfere?"
"Because of their ignorance, gentlemen. They won't see it. Take my
advice: there's plenty to be done by clever business men. Start some
steady manufacture to employ hands as the work suggests. Only use
present-day machinery if you wish to be at peace."
"We do wish to be at peace, Mr Tomplin," said Uncle Bob; "but we do
not mean to let a set of ignorant workmen frighten us out of our
projects."
"Hear, hear!" said Uncle Dick and Uncle Jack; and I put in a small
"hear" at the end.

"Well, gentlemen, I felt it to be my duty to tell you," said Mr Tomplin,
taking more snuff and making more noise. "You will have attacks made
upon you to such an extent that you had better be in the bush in
Queensland among the blacks."
"But not serious attacks?" said Uncle Jack. "Attempts to frighten us?"
"Attempts to frighten you! Well, you may call them that," said Mr
Tomplin; "but there have been two men nearly beaten to death with
sticks, one factory set on fire, and two gunpowder explosions during
the past year. Take my advice, gentlemen, and don't put yourself in
opposition to the workmen if you are going to settle down here."
He rose, shook hands, and went away, leaving us looking at each other
across the table.
"Cheerful place Arrowfield seems to be," said Uncle Dick.
"Promises to be lively," said Uncle Jack.
"What do you say, Cob?" cried Uncle Bob. "Shall we give up, be
frightened, and run away like dogs with our tails between our legs?"
"No!" I cried, thumping the table with my fist. "I wouldn't be frightened
out of anything I felt to be right."
"Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!" cried my uncles.
"At least I don't think I would," I said. "Perhaps I really am a coward
after all."
"Well," said Uncle Dick, "I don't feel like giving up for such a thing as
this. I'd sooner buy pistols and guns and fight. It can't be so bad as the
old gentleman says. He's only scaring us. There, it's ten o'clock; you
fellows are tired, and we want to breakfast early and go and see the
works, so let's get to bed."
We were far enough out of the smoke for our bedrooms to be
beautifully white and sweet, and I was delighted with mine, as I saw

what a snug little place it was. I said "Good-night!" and had shut my
door, when, going to my window, I drew aside the blind, and found that
I was looking right down upon the town.
"Oh!" I ejaculated, and I ran out to the next room, which was Uncle
Dick's. "Look!" I cried. "Now you'll believe me. The town is on fire."
He drew up the blind, and threw up his window, when we both looked
down at what seemed to be the dying out of a tremendous
conflagration--dying out, save in one place, where there was a furious
rush of light right up into the air, with sparks flying and flickering
tongues of flame darting up and sinking down again, while the red and
tawny-yellow smoke rolled away.
"On fire, Cob!" he said quietly. "Yes, the town's on fire, but in the
proper way. Arrowfield is a fiery place--all furnaces. There's nothing