The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-09-15
TOMS HEROIsM.

4
The clicking and rafting of the lighter
machinery, the grooming of heavily
laden shafts. the oily thud of hundred
OF cogs, mingled in busy din. Tht
huge engine sighed as. with its brawny
arm of polished steel. it impelled the
main shaft to turn the wheels of the
factory.
Tom worked by the door, near the
| engine room. He could, therefore, cas-.
lily see the engine and all its surround.
ings. The interest of its rapid, cease
less motion partly reconciled him to the
fact that. while most boys of thirteen
were enjoying full liberty outside, be
was shut up within doors.
This morning, more than usually, he
had been watching the forbidden splen-
doris of the engine-room, for the enpi-
neer allowed, no one in his sanctum.
The great machine fascinated Tom with
its easy grace of movement. His eyes
dwelt long on the neat finish of the
hexagonal bolt heads that cleaned
about the cylinder. He tried to tell.
from his position, how full the glass
oh-cups were, as they flashed to and
fro on the polished arm; and then his
eyes rested on the fly-wheel that re-
volved SO gracefully in its narrow pris-
on. Only ne-half of the wheel could
ne see at once. the other halt being be-
low the floor, almost filing narrow,
rock-lined cavity called the ..pit..
AS Tom watched the whirling spokes.
1t seemed as If the mass of iron stood
still. so swift was its motion. He re-
membered that once the engineer, see
ing his interest in the machinery. had
invited him in, and that he had stood
leaning over the frail wooden guard,
his face SO close to the fiy-wheel that
the wind from its surface blew back his
hair, while he looked down into the Dit
with wonder and dread. He remem-
bered asking the engineer if he sup
posed any one could climb down there
while the engine was in motion. The
answer had come: There isn't a man
in the factory that has nerve enough.
even Ii there were roomn-the space
between the wheel and the wall beino
hardly a foot and half in width.
The boys eyes next wandered from
the object of his thoughts, and rested
on the bright brass domes OF the force
pump that occupied brick sssettle'' on
one side of the room; and then M to
the maze of pipes that crossed and re-
crossed above the toiling machinery.
Suddenly, glancing down. he saw a
nttle child standing beneath the guard,
close to the great ffy-wheel. 2
The engineer was nowhere in SIGHT.
and little May was his only child.
Toms heart gave great leap. In an
instant, he had scrambled down from
his perch, and was in the engine-room.
AS he passed the doorway he was
Just IN time to see the child toddle for
ward and fall into the pit! With an
awful shudder he waited to see the
monster wheel spurn the baby-eirl from
its cruel sides; but no such sight came.
he dashed forward and looked into
the pit. She sat on the hard, rocky
bottom. sobbing softly to herself. The
fall had not harmed her, yet she was
still in great danger. ANY attempt 10
move from her position would Give the
relentless wheel another chance.
Iom slipped out of his brown |
JuIaper," tore off his light shoes and |
stood inside the guard. One eager
look in the direction of the iron door
through which the engineer would |
come, and then he began the descent.
The great mass of iron whirled dizzily /
close to his eyes; the inclined plane |
down which he was slowly sliding was /
covered deep with dust mingled with |
oil, the thick, oily. damp air, famed by |
the heavy breeze from the wheel. al |
most took his breath away. Where the
curve of the wheel was nearest it al |
most brushed his clothes. With his
back pressed tight against the rocks. he |
slid down until his feet struck the bot
TOM. And now came the worst part of |
The ordeal - the ponderous wheel.
weeping In giddy curves above him, so
anected his nerves that his strength
began to fail. There was one space
where the wheel curved away from q
corner, so he dropped on his knees
here and for an instant shut his aching
,yes.
The child was in the other corner of
he pit, sitting in an open space similar
o that in which Tom knelt. As he
ooked past the terrible barrier. she
made movement as If to stand m.
That brought back Toms fieeinp
enses. II she should stand up, the
Wheel would strike her. Living care
ullv fiat upon the bottom of the nit.
le began slowly and cautiously to work
us way beneath the mass Of flying
ron. He could feel the awful wind
alsing his hair as he crept along.
Nearer and nearer he came to the child
nd nearer to the curve Of the wheel
IS ne passed beneath it, an incautious
Movement and sudden "burn'' on his
houlder showed that he had touched it.
The little one had not seen him at all
ct. as she had been sitting and rub
ing her eyes, but she looked up now.
nd seeing the pale face streaked with
u and dust coming toward her; she
overed her face again with her little
ands and sobbed harder than ever.
,om crept on until he came SO near the
hid that he could lay hold of her
ress; then he stopped. A strange,
Ivy blur kept throwing q veil over
Is eyes. and he tried in vain to over
ONE longing for sleep. He could /
eel the ceaseless whirl of the great
heel, and it made him almost wild.
furious vagaries and half delirious fan
les danced through his head. With
n effort he threw them off, and.
1ciS IVc r. T..