t I had good
reason to remember.

"This is the way to the big wheel," said Uncle Dick, throwing open a
door at the end. "They go out here to oil and repair it when it's out
of gear. Nasty spot too, but there's a wonderful supply of cheap
power."

With the men growling and muttering behind us we looked through into a
great half-lit stone chamber that inclosed the great wheel on one side,
leaving a portion visible as we had seen it from the outside; and here
again I shuddered and felt uncomfortable, it seemed such a horrible
place to fall into and from which there would be no escape, unless one
could swim in the surging water below, and then clamber into the wheel,
and climb through it like a squirrel.

The walls were dripping and green, and they echoed and seemed to whisper
back to the great wheel as it turned and splashed and swung down its
long arms, each doubling itself on the wall by making a moving shadow.

The place had such a fascination for me that I stood with one hand upon
the door and a foot inside looking down at the faintly seen black water,
listening to the echoes, and then watching the wheel as it turned, one
pale spot on the rim catching my eye especially. As I watched it I saw
it go down into the darkness with a tremendous sweep, with a great deal
of splashing and falling of water; then after being out of sight for a
few moments it came into view again, was whirled round, and dashed down.

I don't know how it was, but I felt myself thinking that suppose anyone
fell into the horrible pit below me, he would swim round by the slimy
walls trying to find a place to cling to, and finding none he would be
swept round to the wheel, to which in his despair he would cling. Then
he would be dragged out of the water, swung round, and--

"Do you hear, Cob?" cried Uncle Jack. "What is there to attract you, my
lad? Come along."

I seemed to be roused out of a dream, and starting back, the door was
closed, and I followed the others as they went to the far end of the
great ground-floor to a door opening upon a stone staircase.

We had to pass the men, who were standing about close to their
grindstones, beside which were little piles of the articles they were
grinding--common knives, sickles, and scythe blades, ugly weapons if the
men rose against us as they seemed disposed to do.

They muttered and talked to themselves, but they did not seem inclined
to make any farther attack; while as we reached the sta