ople
passed that way. His breath grew short, his heart seemed as if it did
not beat.
"Oh! oh! my last moment is come, and I must soon stand before that God I
have seldom thought of, never prayed to in this life. Where must I go?
where must I go? I will lead a better life if I am saved. I will! I
will!"
Just then he heard a cheerful voice cry out, "Well done, Mark: hold on,
hold on; we'll stop the mill soon for you."
The words were spoken by the man whom Mark Page said he hated more than
any other man on earth,--his neighbour, Farmer Grey. Farmer Grey had
been riding round his farm in the cool of the morning, when, looking up
towards the mill, he saw Mark Page and his man Sam Green at work on the
arms. Then, as he looked, the arms began to go round and round with
Mark on them.
Farmer Grey, on this, dashed up the hill at a gallop, jumped from his
horse and rushed up the steps into the mill to try and stop the arms.
He had been a few times in a wind-mill, and knew something about the
works. At great risk though of hurting himself, he seized what he
thought was the right crank to make the mill stop. His wish was to stop
the mill just as the arm to which the miller clung rose above the
ground. His heart beat as he watched for the proper moment. It was
life or death to the miller. If he stopped it too soon Mark might be
dashed to the ground; if he waited till it rose too far he would be
thrown up in the air and have a heavy fall. Farmer Grey watched; the
right moment came, he stopped the mill, then fast as he could move he
ran down the steps, and was in time to receive Mark Page in his arms as
he fell without sense from the arm to which he had till that moment
clung. Had the miller gone but one round more, he must have dropped,
and would surely have been killed.
Farmer Grey undid his neckcloth, and got some water and bathed his face;
but it was some time before the miller came to himself. When he did,
the first words he said, when he opened his eyes, were, "Well; I did not
think, Farmer Grey, that you would have done this for me."
"Why not, neighbour Page?" asked the farmer, with a smile. "I saw a
fellow-man in danger, and of course I ran to help him. I am very glad
that God has let me save your life. Give God the praise. Raise your
voice to Him for that and all His other mercies."
"Yes, farmer, I will try," said Mark Page; "I have been a bad man all my
life, and I don't like to think where
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