The works seemed to be very melancholy and strange, but we went there regularly enough, and when we had a fire going and stayed in there was no doubt about the matter; we were watched.
Piter grew quite well again, and in his thick head there seemed to be an idea that he had been very badly used, for, as he walked close at my heels, I used to see him give the workmen very ugly looks in a side wise fashion that I used to call measuring legs.
One morning my uncles said that they should not go to the works that day, and as they did not seem to want me I thought I would go back and put a project I had in my mind in force.
I had pa.s.sed the night at the works in company with Uncle Jack, and all had been perfectly quiet, so, putting some bones in the basket for Piter, I also thrust in some necessaries for the task I had in hand, and started.
About half-way there I met Gentles, the fat-faced grinder, and he shut his eyes at me and slouched up in his affectionate way.
"Ah! Mester Jacob," he said, "when"s this here unhappy strike going to end?"
"When the rascals who stole our bands bring them back," I said, "and return to their work."
"Ah!" he sighed, "I"m afraid they wean"t do that, my lad. Hedn"t the mesters better give in, and not make no more noofangle stoof?"
"Oh, that"s what you think, is it, Gentles?" I said.
"Who? Me, mester? Oh, no: I"m only a pore hardworking chap who wants to get back to his horse. It"s what the other men say. For my part I wishes as there was no unions, stopping a man"s work and upsetting him; that I do. Think the mesters"ll give in, Mester Jacob, sir?"
"I"m sure they will not, Gentles," I said, "and you had better tell the men so."
"Nay, I durstn"t tell "em. Oh, dear, no, Mester Jacob, sir. I"m a quiet peaceable man, I am. I on"y wants to be let alone."
I went on, thinking, and had nearly reached the lane by the works, when I met Pannell, who was smoking a short black pipe.
"h.e.l.lo!" he cried.
"h.e.l.lo! Pannell," I said.
"Goin" to open wucks, and let"s get on again, lad?"
"Whenever you men like to bring back the bands and apologise, Pannell."
"Nay, I"ve got nowt to "pologise for. I did my wuck, and on"y wanted to be let alone."
"But you know who took the bands," I cried. "You know who tried to poison our poor dog and tried to blow up the furnace, now don"t you?"
He showed his great teeth as he looked full at me.
"Why, my lad," he said, "yow don"t think I"m going to tell, do "ee?"
"You ought to tell," I cried. "I"m sure you know; and it"s a cowardly shame."
"Ay, I s"pose that"s what you think," he said quietly. "But, say, lad, isn"t it time wuck began again?"
"Time! Yes," I said. "Why don"t you take our side, Pannell; my uncles are your masters?"
"Ay, I know that, lad," said the big smith quietly; "but man can"t do as he likes here i" Arrowfield. Eh, look at that!"
"Well, mate," said a rough voice behind me; and I saw the smith start as Stevens, the fierce grinder, came up, and without taking any notice of me address the smith in a peculiar way, fixing him with his eye and clapping him on the shoulder.
"Here, I want to speak wi" thee," he said sharply. "Coom and drink."
It seemed to me that he regularly took the big smith into custody, and marched him off.
This set me thinking about how they must be all leagued together; but I forgot all about the matter as I opened the gate, and Piter came charging down at me, delighted to have company once more in the great lonely works.
The next minute he was showing his intelligence by smelling the basket as we walked up to the door together.
I gave him some of the contents to amuse him, and then entering the deserted grinding-shop, walked straight to the door at the end opening into the great wheel-pit, and throwing it back stood upon the little platform built out, and looked down at the black water, which received enough from the full dam to keep it in motion and make the surface seem to be covered with a kind of thready film that was always opening and closing, and spreading all over the place to the very walls.
It looked rather black and unpleasant, and seemed to be a place that might contain monsters of eels or other fish, and it was to try and catch some of these that I had taken advantage of the holiday-time and come.
For I had several times called to mind what Gentles had said about the fish in the dam and pit, and meant to have a turn; but now I was here everything was so silent and mysterious and strange, that I rather shrank from my task, and began to wonder what I should do if I hooked some monster too large to draw out.
"What a coward I am!" I said aloud; and taking the stout eel-line I had brought, and baiting the two hooks upon it with big worms, I gathered up the cord quite ready and then made a throw, so that my bait went down right beneath the wheel, making a strange echoing splash that whispered about the slimy walls.
"Looks more horrible than ever," I said to myself, as I shook off my dislike, and sat down on the little platform with my legs dangling over the water.
But I could not quite shake off my dread, for the feeling came over me: suppose some horrible serpentlike water creature were to raise its head out of the black depths, seize me by the foot, and drag me down.
It was an absurd idea, but I could not fight against it, and I found myself drawing my legs up and sitting down tailor fashion with my feet beneath me.
And there I sat with not a sound but the dripping water to be heard, and a curious rustling that I soon after made out to be Piter busy with his bone.
A quarter of an hour, half an hour, pa.s.sed away, and I did not get a touch, so drawing up my line I restored the baits and threw in again, choosing the far-off corner of the pit close by where the water escaped to the stream below.
The bait had not been down a minute, and I was just wondering whether Gentles was correct about there being any fish there, when I felt the line softly drawn through my fingers, then there was a slight quivering vibration, and a series of tiny jerks, and the line began to run faster, while my heart began to beat with antic.i.p.ation.
"He was right," I exclaimed, as I tightened the line with a jerk, and then a sharp little struggle began, as the fish I had hooked rushed hither and thither, and fought back, and finally was dragged out of the water, tying itself up in a knot which bobbed and slipped about upon the floor as I dragged it into the grinding-room, and cut the line to set it free, for it was impossible to get the hook out of the writhing creature"s jaws.
It was an eel of about a pound weight, and, excited now by the struggle, I fastened on a fresh hook, baited it, and threw in the same place again.
Quite half an hour elapsed before I had another bite, and knowing how nocturnal these creatures are in their habits, I was just thinking that if I liked next time I was on the watch I might throw a line in here, and keep catching an eel every now and then, when--
Check! A regular sharp jerk at the line, and I knew that I had hooked a good one, but instead of the line tightening it suddenly grew quite slack.
For a moment I was afraid that the fish had broken away, but I realised directly that it had rushed over to my side of the wheel-pit, and it had come so swiftly that I began to think that it could not be an eel.
I had not much line to gather in, though, before I felt the check again, and a furious tug given so hard that I let the line run, and several yards were drawn through my fingers before I began to wonder where the eel or other fish I had hooked had gone.
"Perhaps there is a pa.s.sage or drain under the works," I thought as I dragged at the line, now to feel some answering throbs; but the fish did not run any farther, only remained stationary.
"What a monster!" I cried, as I felt what a tremendous weight there was against me. I drew the line and gained a little, but gave way for fear it should break.
This went on for ten minutes or so. I was in a state of the greatest excitement, for I felt that I had got hold of a monster, and began to despair of dragging it up to where I was. Such a thing seemed impossible, for the line would give way or the hook break from its hold I was sure.
In place of jerking about now, the fish was very still, exercising a kind of inert force against its captor; but I was in momentary expectation of a renewal of the battle, and so powerful did the creature seem, so enormously heavy was it, that I began to regret my success, and to wonder what the consequences would be if I were to get the large eel up there on the floor.