The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1876-01-21

and only the deep roar of the furnace was
heard through the vast foundry.
George finished his supper and saunt-
cred into one of the tool shops to find his
pipe. "Inventor" sat alone before the great
blast. The one rational faculty of his fee
. bile mind enabled him to comprehend what
a it means, and even something of the mag
nitude of the enterprise that was ripening
inside those burning walls. He knew that
the furnace was full of valuable metal and
that close beside him, buried out Of sight
in the deep sand, was the huge mould, so
soon to be filed with the precious cast
He knew and could see that all the chan
nels for the flow of the fiery liquid were
ready and that near the mouth of the huge
ftlrnsce stood the long iron rod that was
to lie used when the moment came to let
on tine moulten stream.
All this his limited thoughts took in by
, habit. Dimly conscious that something
gfeat was soon-to be done, he sat with
his eyes on the furnace, absorbed and in
tent.
Suddenly something startled him. There
was slight noise and burning crack APP
peared near the top of the furnace. Then
another crack, and q scorching brick fell
out and rolled to the ground at his feet.
The lad opened his mouth to shrek,
but so terrified was lie that the sounds
stuck in his throat, as if he had been in q
fit of nightmare.
A thin red stream followed the fallen
brick, add trickled down the furnace side
like running lava. Then came another
alarming noise, and u thin gap half way
down the masonry let out more of the his
sing metal
[ Where was George? Was the unfathful
fellow still hunting for his pipe The fur
mace was bursting, with only poor, half
idiot lad to guard it
What could he do? He did what, per
haps, a lad in his right mind would not
have dared to do. Rushing to the mouth
of the furnace, he seized the long iron rod
that stood near, and tapped the vent. One
desperate thrust with sharp point up
the terrible tunnel-a few quick, prying
strokes Stand back, now The confin-
ing clay fell away, and the yellow-white
! flood spurted out with resistless force. 1t
leaped into the clay-lined troughs, and
Kissed its way, flaming down to the mouth
of the bell mould.
The fool" had done deed worthy of a
general on field of battle.
Was it too late9 Every moment new
| assures opened in the doomed furnace -
Some of the upper stones toppled over
| Still the metal poured out into the mould
but the waste was great from those gap
ping flaws. The pressure was relieved by
the open vent, but the leaks multiplied
continually. 1t vas art running a race
with ruin.
Poor "Mopus" stood powerless before
| tho 70 trpnln HE kppolr-
ed together and his head swan. A great
heap of red hot bricks and rubbish fell at
his feet. He had barely thought to get out
of the way and save his life. He heard a
wild shout of human voices in the distance,
then an awful roar behind him, and lie
saw and felt himself pursued by sur4es
of SETTLING fire. Sharp, blistering pains
pierced his flesh at hundred points. The
rest was all horrible unintelligible dream.
1t was as if he had suddenly sunk into the
earth and had been swallowed up forever.
By seven o'clock comparative quiet
reigned again on the scene of DISASTER
Ruins lay everywhere The engines had
quenched the flames that had caught the
| building, and the men, blackened with
smoke, stood in silent groups about the re-
mains of the furnace. 1t had fallen to
pieces, and nothing was left but heaps of
steaming rubbish.
Poor "Inventor," who had been found
with the tappingrod in his hand, lying on
his face in the sand, frighttully burned,
had been carried to his home.
Little was said, but the few words spo-
ken, uttered with no mild emphasis the
natural wrath of the master and hands
against the man George, whose excuses
for himself only exaggerated his offence.
"See, what he's DONE" said they few
days later, as they stood in the half burn
ed foundry. "Five thousand dollars gone
to waste in minute! The best job in twen-
ty years spoiled The rascal to 60 hunt
ing for his pipe and leave that suffering
idiot to watch Is that all can say for
himseli2 Out upon such carelessness
Why the boy didn't even know enough to
bawl out when he must have seen the fur
mace tumbling to piecesn'
The master, who had more at stake
than the men, of course, felt the loss more
lseenly than they. He almost wept with
mingled grief and rage. Suddenly some
thing peculiar caught his eye among the
debris, and lie cried, in startled voice:
"Halloo what's this What's this 2"
He snatched up fragment of one of the
trougbs which had led from the furnace
to the mould. There were traces of the
stream of bronze still running in it. Then
the possible meaning of the iron found in
the injured boys hand flashed upon him.
Bring me shovel quick ~ he shout
ed.
A spade was put into his hands and he
began nervously to heayc away the hot
mass that lay piled over the bell-mould
1t was hercuean task, but he worked
like giant, and three or four of his men
took hold and helped him.
Brckbats, ore, slug and ashes flew in
every direction. Presently the masters
spade pentrated the sand and touched
something hard. He stopped down. Then
he leaped up like one half frantic, and,
plying his spade with redoubled energy,
tore away the remaining sand, disclosing
what looked like great metallic ring.
men," he cried out, lifting his pushed
face, "the bell is cast"
"Who did this 2" asked every excited
voice, as soon as the cheering died away.
"Come with me, two or three of you u
cried the master. ~ think / know who
, did it. It's miracle !"
, They hurried away to the home of the
half witted boy. The attendant met them
with her finger OH her lips.
"The poor boy is in brain fever" she
said.
"Does he say anything in his delrium"
, whispered the master.
20, yes, he raves all the time about the
5 bell mould. L hope it will fill hope il
, will fill, he says"
9 The men exchanged glances. 1t was
indeed true. The idiot had cast the great
' bell of St. Johns. Just then the physi
Q clan came out. perhaps he will recover