Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-08-31
3Misrellanu.
RY HENRY CLEMENS PEARSON.
Under a Fly Wheel.

the wheels of the factory.
Inm worked by the door, near the on
glne room He could, therefore. e,sil,
see the engine and all its surroundings
The interest of IFS rapid. ceaseless motion
partly recOnciled him to the fact thar
while most boys of thirteen were eniovino
full liberty outside, he was shut up within
doors
This morning. more than usually, h,
had been watching the forbidden splen.
dorN ut he engine room, for the engineer
allowed no one in the sanctum. The
great machine fascinated Tom with
It's easy grace OF movement. His ewes
dweIt long on the neat finish of line
hexagonal bolt heads that cleaned abont
the cy yIindcr. He tried to tell from hi.
position how full the glass oil cups were
as they ltshed to and fro on the poishrd
arm; and then his eyes rested on the Av
wheel that rrvolvel so gracefully in its
barrow prison. Oplv one half of thr
wheel could he see at once, the other half
being he'Ow the floor, almost ilinO =
uarr"w, rocklined cavity called the " pit
As Tom watched the whirling spokas il
seem d rs if the mass Of iron stood still
80 swift was lis motion. He remembered
'tat once the engineer seeing his interest
in the machinery, had invited him in and
that ne had stood leaning over the fraiI
wooden guard, his face so close to the ac
wheel That the wind from its surface blew
buck his hair, while he looked down into
pit with wonder and dread. He re
mnm3ered asking the engineer if he
supposed anv one could climb down there
while the engine was in motion. The
ah-wcr had come:
" There isn't It man in the factory that
has nerve enough, even if there were
room, the splce between the wheel and
the wall being hardly Il foot and half in
width
The boys eye next wandered from the
object If his thoughts and rested on the
hight brass domes of the force pumps
That occupied II brick settle" on one SIDE
of the room, AM then up TO the mpze of
pipes that crossed and recrossed above the
lollmg machinery.
Su denly, glancing down, he saw a
little child standing beneath the guard,
close to tire great fly wheel.
The engineer was nowhere in sight and
linlr May was his only child. Toms
heart gave great leap. In an instant he
had scrambled down from his perch and
was N the tngine room. As he passed
the doorway lie was Just in time to see the
child toddle forward and fail into the pit
With an awful shudder he waited to see
The monster wheel spurn the baby Girl
from It's cruel sides. But no such siuht
came.
He dashed forward and looked into the
pit. She sat on the hard, rocky bottom
sohhing softly to herself The fall had
not harmed her, yet she was still in great
dWgcr Any attempt TO move from her
position would give the relentless wheel
another chance
Tom slipped out of his brown Jump
er," 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 decent The great mass of
iron wmred dlzziIy close to his eyes; the
inclined plane down which he was slowly
sliding was covered deep with dust min
glod wi ii oil; the thick. oily, damp air.
famed by the heavy breeze from tire
wheel, almost took his breath away.
Where the curve of the wheel was nearest
it almost brushed his clothes With his
back pressed light against the rocks he
slid down until his feet struck the bottom.
and now came the worst part of the
orlcal-th" ponderous wheel, sweeping in
giddy curves above him, so affected his
nerves hat his strength began to fail
There was one space where the wheel
curved away from II corner, so he dropped
on his knees there and for an instant shut
his gching eyes
Ih" child was in the other corner of the
pit, Sl'Iug in an open space similar to
that in which Iom knelt. AS he looked
pas the terrible barrier, she made II
movement rs if 70 stand up. That brought
blck lOu's iieelng senses. If she should
stand M the wheel would strike her. Ly
ing carefully fiat upon the bottom of the
pit, he began slowly and cautiously to
work his way beneath the mass of flying
iron. He could feel the awful wind rails
ing his hair us he crept along. Nearer
and nearer he cume to the child and near
rr TO the curve of the wheel As he
passed beneath it, an incautious movement
and Il sud len burn on his shoulder
showed that he had touched 1t.
The Ii'tl" one had not seen him at all
yet, rs she had been sitting and rubbing
her eyes, Tut she looked up now, and
seeing the pale face streaked with oil and
dus coming toward, her, she covered her
fac" again with her lutte hands and sob.
pu uhrd'f lllan ever lOm crepL on
until he c'nme so near to the child that he
could lay hold Of her dress; then he stop
prd A strange dizzy blur kept throwing
veil over his eyes, and he tried in vain
to oyrrcame Il longing for sleep. He
could feel The ceaseIess whirl of the great
Wheel and it made him almost wild.
Curious yagHries and half deirious fancies
danced through his head. With AN eifoIt
he rev them off, and raising his face
from The rocky couch, called for help
Instantly, "a dnZan mockng voices from
the Sdes OF the pit flung back the cry into
hi, very cars. But the wheel caught the
cry, aud whrled it away. up into the
engn" room, in distorted echoes. He
called again, and the sounds seemed less
terrible. The little Girl tried to get up,
but he held to her white dress and soothed
her the best he could.
A moment later he distinctly heard