Patience Wins | Page 8

machinery, can't you?"
"Yes," I said, "like wheels whizzing and stones rolling, as if giant
tinkers were grinding enormous scissors."
"Exactly," he said; "but you very seldom hear the hiss of steam out
here."
"No. Have they a different kind of engines?"
"Yes, a very different kind. Your steam-engine goes because the water
is made hot: these machines go with the water kept cold."
"Oh, I see! By hydraulic presses."
"No, not by hydraulic presses, Cob; by hydraulic power. Look here."
We were getting quite in the outskirts now, and on rising ground, and,
drawing me on one side, he showed me that the works we were by were
dependent on water-power alone.
"Why, it's like one of those old flour-mills up the country rivers," I
exclaimed, "with their mill-dam, and water-wheel."
"And without the willows and lilies and silver buttercups, Cob," said
Uncle Jack.
"And the great jack and chub and tench we used to fish out," said
Uncle Bob.
"Yes," I said; "I suppose one would catch old saucepans, dead cats,
and old shoes in a dirty pool like this."
"Yes," said Uncle Dick, "and our wheel-bands when the trades'-union
people attack us."

"Why should they throw them in here?" I said, as I looked at the great
deep-looking piece of water held up by a strong stone-built dam, and
fed by a stream at the farther end.
"Because it would be the handiest place. These are our works."
I looked at the stone-built prison-like place in disgust. It was
wonderfully strongly-built, and with small windows protected by iron
bars, but such a desolate unornamental spot. It stood low down by the
broad shallow stream that ran on toward the town in what must once
have been the bed of the river; but the steep banks had been utilised by
the builders on each side, and everywhere one saw similar-looking
places so arranged that their foundation walls caught and held up the
water that came down, and was directed into the dam, and trickled out
at the lower end after it had turned a great slimy water-wheel. "This is
our place, boys; come and have a look at it." He led us down a narrow
passage half-way to the stream, and then rang at a gate in a stone wall;
and while we waited low down there I looked at the high rough stone
wall and the two-storied factory with its rows of strong iron-barred
windows, and thought of what Mr Tomplin had said the night before,
coming to the conclusion that it was a pretty strong fortress in its way.
For here was a stout high wall; down along by the stream there was a
high blank wall right from the stones over which the water trickled to
the double row of little windows; while from the top corner by the
water-wheel, which was fixed at the far end of the works, there was the
dam of deep water, which acted the part of a moat, running off almost
to a point where the stream came in, so that the place was about the
shape of the annexed triangle: the works occupying the whole of the
base, the rest being the deep stone-walled dam.
"I think we could keep out the enemy if he came," I said to Uncle Bob;
and just then a short-haired, palefaced man, with bent shoulders, bare
arms, and an ugly squint, opened the gate and scowled at us.
"Is your master in?" said Uncle Dick.
"No-ah," said the man sourly; "and he wean't be here to-day."

"That's a bad job," said Uncle Dick. "Well, never mind; we want to go
round the works."
"Nay, yow wean't come in here."
He was in the act of banging the gate, but Uncle Dick placed one of his
great brown hands against it and thrust it open, driving the man back,
but only for a moment, for he flew at my uncle, caught him by the arm
and waist, thrust forward a leg, and tried to throw him out by a clever
wrestling trick.
But Uncle Dick was too quick for him. Wrenching himself on one side
he threw his left arm over the fellow's neck, as he bent down, the right
arm under his leg, and whirled him up perfectly helpless, but kicking
with all his might.
"Come inside and shut that gate," said Uncle Dick, panting with his
exertion. "Now look here, my fine fellow, it would serve you right if I
dropped you into that dam to cool you down. But there, get on your
legs," he cried contemptuously, "and learn to be civil to strangers when
they come."
The scuffle and noise brought about a dozen workmen out of the place,
each in wooden clogs, with a rough wet apron about him, and