Richland beacon., 1881-10-01
UNDER A FLY.WHEEL

machinery, the Sroanlng of the heavily
laden shafts, the oily thud If hundreds
Of cogs, mingled III busy dln, Ib. huge
engine sighed As, with its brawny arm
of polished steel, IT 10 impelled tho main
shaft to turn the wbe.lo of tho tdrtory.
Tom worked by tn. door, near the I'll
CINE room. He could. therefore. easily
see the engine and all IL surroundings.
The interest of Its rapid. ceaselesy mo
ton partly reconcIled HIN to the fact
that, while most boys Of thirteen were
enjoying the liberty outside, h" WAS
shut up within doors
This morning, more than Usually, he
had bceu watching the forbidden splcn-
dols Of the engine room, for the engineer
allowed no QUO III hl, sanctum. The
great machine fascinated Tom with its
easy grace and movement. His eyes
dwclt long ou the neat finish OF the hex
agonal bolt beads that CLEANED about
the cylinder. n, tried To- tell from his
position no" full the "il cups were, as
they flashed To and fro gu the polished
arm; aud then his eye, rested Oh the tly
wheel that rc'olNrd ~ gracefully in its
barrow prison. Only ouc-hali of th"
wheel could hc seen at once, the other
half being below the iloor. almost filling
a narrow, rochlI cavity called the
pit"
AZ Tom watched the whrlinS spokcs,
IT seemed a. II the mass of iron stood
still, 80 swift was lis motion. He re
memborcd that ouce the engineer, See
ing his interest III III" machinery, bad
stood leaning over the wooden guard,
his face 80 close to the ily-whccl that the
wind from it's surface blew back ms
hair. while he looked down into the pit
with wonder and dread. He remember
I'd asking the engineer # he supposed
any one could climb down there while
the Wheel was III motion. The answer had
come: There ISM Il man ID the factory
that has nerve enough, even If there were
room, the space between the wheel
and wall being nearly L foot Il half in
width.
The DO, scyus next wondered from the
object of his thoughts aud rested on the
bright brass domes of the forcc-pumps
that occupied Il brick settle Oh the sidu
Of the room aud then up to the mass f.
pipes that crossed and rccrosscd abO'v,
toiling machinery.
Suddenly, CHANGING down, b. saw a
little child standing beneath the guard,
close to the tly.wbecl.
Tho engineer was now here III sight,
and little May his only child. Toms
heart gave great leap. In on instant
no scrambled down from the purch and
was in the engine room.
As he passed the doorway he WAS
Just in time Il see the child toddlc for
ward and fall into tho pit. With an aw-
ful shudder he waited to SEQ the mon
ster wheel spurn the baby girl from its
curved sides; but no such sight came.
He dashed forward aud looked into
the pit. She sat on the hard, rocky
bottom, sobbing to herself. The fall
had not harmed her, Vet she was still
in great danger. Any attempt TO move
from her position would give tho re
lentless wheel another chance.
Tom slipped out of his brown Jump
err tore of his light shoes, and stood
inside the guard. One eager look III
the direction of the iron door through
which the engineer would come, aud
then ho began the descent. Tho great
mass of iron whirlcd dizzily close to hi.
eyes; the inclined plane down which he
was slowly sliding was covered deep
with dust mingled with oil; thick. oily,
damp air. famed by the heavy breeze
from tho wheel almost took his breath
away. When the curve of the wheel
was nearest il almost brushed his clothes.
With his back pressed tight against the
rocks he slid down until his feet pressed
the bottom And now came tho worst
part of the or,leal-thc pondcrous wheel,
sweeping in giddy curves above him, 81
affected his nerves that his strength i1-
gan to fail. There was one space where
the wheel curved away from corner, 80
he dropped Oh his knees thorc and for
an instant shut his aching eyes.
The child was in the other corner of
the pit, sitting i'll an open space similar
TO that in which Tom knclt. AS he look
ed past the terrible barrier. she made a
movement As if to stand up. That
brought back Toms ileeting senses. II
she should stand up the wheel would
strike her. Lying carefully Hat upon
the bottom of the pit, he began slowly
and cautiously To work his way beneath
the mass of dying iron. lie could feel
the awful wind raising his hair as he
crept along. Nearer aud nearer he came
10 the child and nearer TO the curve Of
the wheel. AS no passed beneath it, an
incuutious movement and 4 sudden
"buril" Oh bis shoulder showed that ne
had touched il.
The little one had not seen him at all
vet. as she had been sitting and rubbing
Il