"

The young man at once obeyed by driving an iron beam clean through the
wheel which brought the machinery to a standstill. Then he raised the
central revolving disc which was in connection with the millstone, hung
in the hook of the millstone an iron chain which was wound round the
beam and this done, laid the sack and its contents on the bolting-hutch.
Then the old man himself, sat down on the hutch and extended his hand to
the girl. "Jump on Anicza." And the girl jumped on without help for she
was as agile as a chamois.

"Paul," said the old man to the young journeyman, "was not Fatia Negra
here before us?"

"He has not been through here either to-day or yesterday. It has been my
turn to watch these last two days."

"I am right you see; he is not here," said the girl.

"He _is_ here, I tell you."

"Come Onucz," said the youth, "can Black Face make himself invisible
then? He could not pass here without my knowing it!"

"What do you know about it?" answered the old man, adjusting himself on
the bolting-hutch. "Let the mill go!"

As now the revolving disc or platform began to move, the machinery stood
still, yet the millstone together with the bolting-hutch began slowly to
sink downwards together with those sitting upon it, and after some
moments, disappeared entirely into a dark gulf, the chain unwinding and
rattling after it. Suddenly from the depths below resounded the old
man's voice: "Halt!" Then Paul stopped the mill, hung the chain in an
iron ring and the machinery once more set in motion, raised the
millstone up, Paul fastened the revolving disc to it and it began to
rattle round again so furiously that sparks flew out of it. Now whoever
had any meal to grind might come, he was quite ready for them.

It was a huge subterraneous cavern into which Onucz and Anicza had
descended. At the bottom of this hollow flowed a branch of the mountain
stream which turned the mill and indeed was diverted thither by means of
wooden pipes. Here, however, it flowed in its regular bed, glistening
here and there in the light of two oil lamps which burnt on both sides
of a small iron bridge that traversed the stream.

In the background of this hollow stood a peculiar, roofless, stone
building, whose two round little windows, like the eternally watchful
eyes of some underground worm, shone with a red glare which dazzled the
eyes, while the slate-covered chimney belched forth a thick smoke filled
with sparks into the subte