story
of the mill, and go careering swiftly and smoothly down the slides,
till, just before coming to the final plunge, they would jump off, and
fall on the heap of sawdust. This was a game that to strangers looked
perilous enough; but there had never been an accident, so at Aspohegan
Mills it had outgrown the disapproval of the hands. To Sandy MacPherson,
however, it was new, and from time to time he eyed the sport
apprehensively. And all the while Vandine glared upon him from his
corner in the upper story, and the children raced shouting down the
slides, and tumbled with bright laughter into the sawdust.

Among the children none enjoyed more than Stevie this racing down the
slides. His mother, looking out of the window on the hillside, saw the
merry little figure, bareheaded, the long yellow curls floating out
behind him, as he half knelt, half sat on the sliding plank ready to
jump off at the proper moment. She had no thought of danger as she
resumed her housework. Neither had Stevie. At length it happened,
however, that just as he was nearing the end of the descent, an eagle
came sailing low overhead, caught the little fellow's eye, and diverted
his attention for a moment. It was the fatal moment. Just as he looked
down again, gathering himself to jump, his heart sprang into his throat,
and the plank with a sickening lurch plunged into the churning basin.
The child's shrill, frightened shriek was not half uttered ere the
waters choked it.

Vandine had just let the buzzing little circular slip back into its
recess, when he saw MacPherson spring from his cart and dash madly down
to the shore.

At the same instant came that shrill cry, so abruptly silenced.
Vandine's heart stood still with awful terror,--he had recognized the
child's voice. In a second he had swung himself down over the
scaffolding, alighting on a sawdust heap.

"Hold back the deals!" he yelled in a voice that pierced the din. It was
not five seconds ere every one in the mill seemed to know what had
happened. Two men sprang on the slides and checked the stream of deals.
Then the great turbines ceased to grumble, and all the clamor of the
saws was hushed. The unexpected silence was like a blow, and sickened
the nerves.

And meanwhile--Stevie? The plank that bore his weight clinging
desperately to it, plunged deeper than its fellows, and came up somewhat
further from the slide, but not now with Stevie upon it. The child had
lost his hold, and whe