that would do th' work it would be a great labor-savin' device.
Wa'al, I went t' work on it----"

"An' he never give up fer a year," interrupted his wife. "He neglected
th' farm until it ain't worth shucks. He spent all he had saved up t'
buy machinery, an' he ain't hardly slept nights with worryin' over
perpetual motion. I wish he'd throw it away an' go back t' farmin'. He
made money that way."

"Farmin's too hard work, Mandy," joined in Mr. Kendall. "We'll be rich
now, fer this machine is destined t' revolutionize th' world. I come,
jest as I writ ye," he went on, turning to Dick, "t' give ye th' fust
chance t' git stock in th' new company I'm goin' t' form t' make th'
machines. They don't cost much, and we'll be millionaires in a year. If
you've got a leetle t' invest you'll git big dividends out of this."

"Let's see how it works," suggested Walter.

"All right," assented Silas. "I'm goin' t' unchain th' perpetual motion
machine. She'll begin t' whizz as soon as I take th' shackles off, an'
then--wa'al, watch out, that's all."

He sprung open the padlock with a click and the chain rattled to the
ground. As it did so Mr. Kendall sprang back, as though the machine
might bite him. He stooped down and peered toward it as if it might
spring at him. But nothing happened. The machine was as motionless as a
hitching post.

"Hum! Suthin's wrong," murmured the inventor. "Guess it got a leetle
stiff comin' over in th' wagon. I'll jest give it a start. Where's a
pole? Mandy, git me a clothes pole."

His wife went to the back yard, where she had noticed some, and while
she was gone the boys looked at the apparatus.

It consisted of a big wheel, with spokes made in zig-zag fashion. The
spokes were shaped like a trough and contained a number of metal balls,
which were prevented from falling out, as the wheel turned, by some
strips of wood.

There were other smaller wheels connected with the big one, and a tall
chute, with a sort of endless chain, to which were attached hooks and
buckets. There were also several heavy springs.

"Ye see th' way it works," explained Mr. Kendall, "is by them balls.
They roll down the spokes of th' wheel, toward the tire, so t' speak,
an', of course, their weight makes th' wheel go 'round. Then, when they
git t' th' end of th' spokes they drop out an' roll toward th' high
chute. Soon as th' balls git thar th' endless chain an' th' hooks an'
buckets on it catches hold of th' balls an' lifts