The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1839-11-30

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far off, and haply my master, or some of
his neighbors, wondering at the sight, may
haste hither TO know the cause. A lucky
thought she exclaimed tits God sent il
10 me =
No sooner said than done Being all her
life accustomed to mill-gear, it was but the
work of moment for her to set the machi-
merry in motion. A brisk breeze which
sprang up, as it were by the special inter-
position Of Providence. at once, set the sails
flying. The arms of the huge engine
whirled round with fearful rapidly the
great wheel slowly reyolved on its axle /;
the smaller gear turned and creaked, and
groaned, according as they came into action
the mill was in full operation.
1t was at that very instant that the rufial
Diether had succeeded in squeezing himsel I
through the aperture in the wall, and get
ting safely lodged ir~ths inteFior of the greatl
drum-wheel. His dismay, however. was
describable when he began to be whlrled
about with its rotation, and found that all
his efforts to put stop TO the powerful
machinery which set in motion, or to ex-
tricate himself from his periloos situation,
were fruitless. His cries were most ap-
palling; his shrieks were truly fearful his
curses and imprecations were horrible to
hear. Hannchen hastencd to the spot, and
saw him caught, like reptile as he was
in his own trap, 1t need not be added,
that she did not liberate hi,u. She knew
that he would be more frightened than hurt
if he kept within his rotary prison and she
knew, also, that unless he attempted 10 es-
cape, there was no danger Of his falling out
inanimate all the while. In the meantime
the wheel went round & round & went the
rufiian along with it, steadily and unceas-
ingy TOO. In vain did he promise the
stout-hearted girl 10 work her no harm in
vain did he implore hsr to pity on his help
less condition in vain did he pray to all
the powers of heaven, and adiure all the
powers of hell 10 his aid. She would not
hear nor heed him and, unheard and un-
needed of them likewise, multering curses,
he was whirled round and round in the un-
firing wheel, until, at last, feeling and per-
ception failed lim, and he saw and heard
no more. He fell senseless on the bottom
of the engine, but even then his inanimate
body continued to be whirled round, and
round, and round, as before the brave girl
not daring to trust to appearances in con-
nexion with such william, and being there
fore, afraid 10 suspend the machinery, or
stop the mill-gear and tackle from running
at their fullest speed.
loud knocking at the door was shortly
after heard, and she FASTENED thilher. II
was her master and his family, accompanied
by several of their neighbors. The unac-
customed appearance of the mill-salls in full
swing on the Sunday, had, as she anticipa-
ted, attracted their attention, and they had
hastened home from church for the purpose
of asceraining the cause of the phenome-
non. The father bore his little boy in his
arms he had cut the cords wherewth the
child was tied but he was unable to obtain
an account of the extraordinary circumstan-
ces that had occurred from the afrighied
innocent
Hannchen, in few words, told all and
then the spirit which had sustained her so
long and so well while the emergency last
ed, forsook her at once as it passed away.
She fell senseless into the arms of the
m Hers eldest son, and was with difficulty
recovered.
The machinery Of the mill was at once
stopped, and the inanimate rufian dragged
forth from the great wheel. The other
rufIian was brought down from his prison.
Each were then bound and sent off to Bonn
under a strong escort; and, in due course
came under the hands Of the town execu-
toner.