"Now, them's the words I like. We'd have stopped till the old dam
burst, but speaking for self and family, ah'd say I'd reather not."
There was another good-humoured roar at this, but it was mingled with a
sigh of relief, and a swift walk was soon hastened into a run, till all
were gathered in a fairly safe position above the mill, where they
paused to breathe.
Willows and his friends came last, the former standing smiling to see
the stack of household treasures Will and his helpmates had piled up.
"Well done, my lads!" he cried. "We've come to help you now."
"Have you saved the dam, father?" cried Will, excitedly.
There was a look of resignation on the father's face, as he gazed in his
son's eyes and slowly shook his head.
"Ahoy, there! Drinkwater! Ahoy! What are you hinging back there for?"
shouted the north-country man. "More wuck to do. Come on and help."
All eyes were directed now to a solitary figure standing on the top of
the great stone wall as if inspecting the damaged spot.
"What's he stopping there for?" cried the Vicar, excitedly.
"Why, Drinkwater, my lad," shouted Willows, between his hands, "you
can't stay there. Come over to us here. Quick, man! Quick!"
The old fellow turned and shaded his eyes again, gazing fiercely at the
speaker, and, as he lowered his hand and came slowly towards them, Will
noticed that across his white brow there was a broad mark of blood.
"Father, look," he whispered, hoarsely; "what does that mean?"
"A mark from his hands, my boy. He must have worn them raw. Poor
fellow! He has been like a hero in this strife."
The man came down, still slowly, and then ascended to where the group
were awaiting further orders; but when these orders came, and with a
rush the workers formed a line from the mill up to a shelf-like path
where by no possibility could the pent-up water rise if the dam gave
way, and began handing up rapidly bale after bale of finished silk, and
mighty skeins of twisted thread, he did not stir a hand, but stood with
the stain upon his brow, leaning against a corner of the mill,
apparently exhausted, and never once taking his eyes from his master.
For a full hour the men worked on, cheering loudly as the announcement
was made that the wareroom was empty; and then a rush was made for the
Mill House, where in turn all that was portable and good was borne away.
Then came the end.
For a long while past Willows and his friends had ceased to give any
thought to the worldly goods, standing together intently watching for
the danger they felt must come, and watching as it were in vain; for,
save its ragged edge, from whence stones had been torn, the green and
mossy old wall stood intact. The sluices still roared; along the great
chute a solid-looking mass of crystal water rushed and gleamed and
flashed before it bent over in a glorious curve to plunge on to the
wheel and break in spray, while the men laughed and joked merrily, as
they made a play of their heavy toil and shouted gaily to the two groups
of watchers--their wives and children and work-mates--who shouted
encouragingly back.
And all at once, as if hoping to lighten their labours--lovers of music
as these people are--a shrill, musical, woman's voice arose, starting a
familiar chorus, which was taken up directly by the young, to rise and
fall and swell along the valley, the sweet soprano tones supported by
the roaring waters' heavy bass.
"Bravo! Bravo!" shouted the Vicar, huskily, and as he spoke Will
noticed that his voice sounded strange, and in the glance he obtained he
noted that his eyes were filled with tears.
The next minute he was hurrying up towards his people, walking-stick in
hand, to leap upon a stone where he could be well seen by the choral
singers on either side of the vale, and there for about a minute he
stood, waving his baton-like stick, conducting his strange double choir,
who sang more loudly their cheery mill-song, and at their best, till in
an instant, like a thunderclap, there was a sharp report, the song
became a wail of agony, and the voice of the master was heard above all,
crying--
"For your lives, men, run!"
It could only have been for a few seconds, during which nothing seemed
to happen save that there was the patter and scramble of many feet as
with one accord all seemed to have made for safety, while, as that haven
was reached, all turned their eyes towards the dam, to look in wonder,
seeking as they did in vain for the cause of that sharp report.
Another or two of those strangely drawn-out seconds passed, and then the
watchers had their reward. The great, green, mossy wall, with all its
luxuriance of orange-tinted bracken and golden fern, seemed to shiver as
if touched by a passing wind. Then the quivering motion ceased, the
whole centre crumbled softly down, and it was as if some huge, hoary
monster, a living earthquake, had leaped from the prison in which it was
bound, to spring upon its prey--the great mill buildings below.
One moment all were there intact; the next they were gone, and in their
place a mighty river of water was tearing down the vale with a hiss and
roar that struck the gazers dumb; and then a great gap was visible where
the vast dam-wall had been, the pool was empty, there was little more
than a stream, and the roaring monster that had swept all before it
could be heard gnashing, raging and destroying, far away below.