Then in went the punch again,
and again the huge hammering commenced, with such bangs and blows, that
the smith was wise to have no floor to his smithy, for they would surely
have knocked a hole in that, though they were not able to knock the
anvil down halfway into the earth, as the giant smith in the story did.
While this was going on, Mr Macmichael, perceiving that the operation
ought not to be interrupted any more than a surgical one, stood quite
still waiting, and Willie stood also--absorbed in staring, and gradually
creeping nearer and nearer to the anvil, for there were no sparks flying
about to make it dangerous to the eyes, as there would have been if they
had been striking the iron itself instead of the punch.
As soon as the punch was driven through, and the smith had dropped his
sledge-hammer, and begun to wipe his forehead, Willie spoke.
"Mr Willet," he said, for he knew every man of any standing in the
village by name and profession, "why did you put bits of coal into the
hole you were making? I should have thought it would be in the way
rather than help you."
"So it would, my little man," answered Willet, with no grim though grimy
smile, "if it didn't take fire and keep getting out of the way all the
time it kept up the heat.
Pages:
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35