iven into the wall, between the stones, so as to
make quite a flight of steps for an active man, and across the window
lay a tangled-together length of thin wire.

We did not stop to draw out the nails for fear of exciting attention,
but strolled back at once into the works.

And now once for all, when I say _we_, please to understand that it is
not out of conceit, for my share in our adventures was always very
small, but to avoid uncling you all too much, and making so many
repetitions of the names of Uncle Dick, Uncle Jack, and Uncle Bob.

I saw several of the men look up from their work as we went through the
grinding-shop, but they went on again with their task, making the blades
they ground shriek as they pressed them against the swiftly revolving
stones.

"They must know all about it, Uncle Bob," I whispered, and he gave me a
meaning look.

"Yes," he said softly; "that's the worst of it, my lad. Master and man
ought to shake hands and determine to fight one for the other; but, as
you see, they take opposite sides, and it is war."

We went next into the wheel-pit and had a look round, after which Uncle
Jack spoke aloud to the man who acted as general engineer, and said he
thought that the great axle wanted seeing to and fresh cleaning.

The man nodded, and said gruffly that he would see to it, and then, as
he turned away, I saw him wink at one of the men grinding at a stone and
thrust his tongue into his cheek.

Just then he caught my eye, his countenance changed, and he looked as
foolish as a boy found out in some peccadillo, but the next instant he
scowled at me, and his fierce dark eyes said as plainly as if they
spoke:

"Say a word about that and I'll half kill you."

I read the threat aright, as will be seen; and, turning to follow my
uncles, I saw that the man was coming on close behind me, with a look in
his countenance wonderfully like that with which he was being followed
by Piter, who, unobserved, was close at his heels, sniffing quietly at
his legs and looking as if he would like to fix his teeth in one or the
other.

Seeing this I stopped back, half expecting that Piter, if left behind,
might be kicked by the man's heavy clogs. The others did not notice my
absence, but went on out of the grinding-shop, and the engineer came
close up to me, stooping down as I waited, and putting his face close to
mine.

"Look here, mester," he began in a low threatening tone, "do you know
what's meant b