The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-10-01
UNDER A FLY.WHRRI,

- ~ " uullJ
IL was ten o'clock III the mor,,;,,.
livery one III tho factory was III worl
me clicking and rlttling of the light,
machinery, the grooming Of tn, heav;,
iaden shafts, tho oily tllud of hundred
OF coys, mingled in busy din. The buv
engine sighed az, with its brawny urr
OF polished steel, il is impelled III, ma;
sna't TO turn the wheels of the factory
ION worked by the door, near tn. 81,
3'ne room. He could, therefore, easil,
see Tue engine and all its surroundings
; he interest of It's rapid, ceaselcss mo
llotl partly rcconciled him to the fact
that, while most BOYS Of fl,,ricn ,,cr,
ohl"ylng the liberty outside, Il. was
shut up within doors.
lllIs morning, more than usually. he
nad been watching The forbidden splc,-
dors OF tho engine ROOM for the engineer
allowed no one in his sanctum. The
great machine fascinated Tom with its
S'"'o aiu movement. Ills eyes
d"elt long on the neat finish Of Tie hex
aaonal bolt heads that CLEANED abonl
tho cylinder lie tried to toll from his
position how full tho oil-cups were. as
they flashed to and fro on the polished
arm; AMI then his eyes rested on the fv
wheel that rcvoIvcd SO gracefully in It's
narrow prison. Only one-balf Of the
wheel could bo seen at once, the other
half being below the floor, almost filing
narrow, rock-lincd cavity called The
pit"
AS Tom watched tho whirl,pg spokcs.
IL seemed as if the mass of iron stood
still, so swift was its motion. He re-
membered that once the enyi,c.r sco-
ing bis interest in the machinery, had
stood leaning over tho wooden guard.
his face SO close to the tly-whcel that In. |
wind from its surface blew back h,s
hair, while he looked down into tn, nil
with wonder and dread. Hc remember
90 asking the engineer if be supposed
any one could climb down there Will,
the wheel was in motion. The answer had
come i; 'Ihcro isn't u man in the factory
that has nerve enough, even if there wer.
room, the space between the wheel
and wall being nearly u foot i half in
width ,
The boy 'scyes next wondered from the ,
object Of his thoughts and rested on the |
fright brass dolnes of tho torce-pumps '
hat occupied Il brick ''sctte" on tho side
t the room; and then up to The mass of t
lpes that crossed and rccrusscd above Fl
oiling machinery J,
Suddenly, glanciny down, he saw a o.
tito child standing beneath, Tic guard,
lose to the fly, wheel Ii,
The engineer WAS nowhere il, sight. Ii,
ad little May his only child. Toms y,
'art gave Il great leap. III on instant 81,
} scrambled down from the purch and ri.
as in the engine room. cl,
As he passed the doorway hc was el,
st i'll time To see the child toddlc for III
ard and fall into tho pit, With an aw- ul
shudder he waited to sec the u,ol1-
~ wheel sp'rn the baby girl from its
rived sides: but no such sight came,
He dashed forward aud looked into Nh
: pit. She sat on tho hard, rocky VI
ton, sobbing to herself The tall
i not harmed her, yet she was still !,
great danger. Any attempt TO move
III her position would give the &c
ltlcss wheel another chance.
Tom slipped ont Of his brown '.iump-
: tore off his light shoes, and stood
lido the guard. One eager look Il
direction Of the iron door through MI
ich the engineer would conc, and II
III he began tho descent. The great
IS Of iron whirlcd dizzily close to his
IS; the inclined plane down which he II,
g slowly sliding was covered deep
b dust mingled with oil thick, Only, y
MP air, famed by the heavy breeze I IMr
II tho wheel, almost took his breath and
~. When III, curve Of tl,, wheel ''ssy
, nearest it almost brushed his clothes. y
lh bis back pressed tight against the
KS he slid down until his feet pressed IA
bottom. Aud now came tho worst 8tel
Of tho "rdcal-the ponderous wheel,
cping in giddy curves above him, 50 I'll
ctcd his nerves that his strength be
to fail. There was one space where
wheel curved away from !, corner, so
(ropped on his knees there and for -.,.--
instant shut his aching eyes.
le child was III the other corner of
pit, sitting in an open space similar
lat i'll which Tom knott As he look State
asst the terrible barrier, she made a r ,''p
ement as ii to stand IN Tint Gene
ght back Toms ileetins senses. IL 800 w."
should stand up the wheel would
Q her. Lying carefully fiat upon ""
bottom of the pit, he began slowly
to work his way beneath =
mass of flying iron. He could feel
awful wind raising his hair as he
along. Nearer and nearer he came Tar.
child and nearer to the curve of VI
eel. As he passed beneath it, an b
Ms movement and , su,,l.,, Agricl
'"on tiers
N his shoulder showed that he rnpM
cd it.
one had not seer, him ut all IeD
rad been sitting and rubbing "a
she looked up now, and
'e face strenkcd with old ~,
tlg toward har, she COW
gain with her little hands
,oer than ever. Tom crept u {
"a u,.,r !, n. ,l;l, other 4