the cone-第2章

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silence　turned　into　the　cinder…made　by…way　that　presently　opened

out　the　prospect　of　the　valley。



A　blue　haze；　half　dust；　half　mist；　touched　the　long　valley

with　mystery。　　Beyond　were　Hanley　and　Etruria；　grey　and　dark

masses；　outlined　thinly　by　the　rare　golden　dots　of　the　street

lamps；　and　here　and　there　a　gaslit　window；　or　the　yellow　glare　of

some　late…working　factory　or　crowded　public…house。　　Out　of　the

masses；　clear　and　slender　against　the　evening　sky；　rose　a　multitude

of　tall　chimneys；　many　of　them　reeking；　a　few　smokeless　during　a

season　of　〃play。〃　　Here　and　there　a　pallid　patch　and　ghostly

stunted　beehive　shapes　showed　the　position　of　a　pot…bank；　or　a

wheel；　black　and　sharp　against　the　hot　lower　sky；　marked　some

colliery　where　they　raise　the　iridescent　coal　of　the　place。　　Nearer

at　hand　was　the　broad　stretch　of　railway；　and　half　invisible　trains

shunteda　steady　puffing　and　rumbling；　with　every　run　a　ringing

concussion　and　a　rhythmic　series　of　impacts；　and　a　passage　of

intermittent　puffs　of　white　steam　across　the　further　view。　　And

to　the　left；　between　the　railway　and　the　dark　mass　of　the　low　hill

beyond；　dominating　the　whole　view；　colossal；　inky…black；　and

crowned　with　smoke　and　fitful　flames；　stood　the　great　cylinders　of

the　Jeddah　Company　Blast　Furnaces；　the　central　edifices　of　the　big

ironworks　of　which　Horrocks　was　the　manager。　　They　stood　heavy　and

threatening；　full　of　an　incessant　turmoil　of　flames　and　seething

molten　iron；　and　about　the　feet　of　them　rattled　the　rolling…mills；

and　the　steam　hammer　beat　heavily　and　splashed　the　white　iron

sparks　hither　and　thither。　　Even　as　they　looked；　a　truckful　of　fuel

was　shot　into　one　of　the　giants；　and　the　red　flames　gleamed　out；

and　a　confusion　of　smoke　and　black　dust　came　boiling　upwards

towards　the　sky。



〃Certainly　you　get　some　fine　effects　of　colour　with　your

furnaces；〃　said　Raut；　breaking　a　silence　that　had　become

apprehensive。



Horrocks　grunted。　　He　stood　with　his　hands　in　his　pockets；

frowning　down　at　the　dim　steaming　railway　and　the　busy　ironworks

beyond；　frowning　as　if　he　were　thinking　out　some　knotty　problem。



Raut　glanced　at　him　and　away　again。　　〃At　present　your

moonlight　effect　is　hardly　ripe；〃　he　continued；　looking　upward。　

〃The　moon　is　still　smothered　by　the　vestiges　of　daylight。〃



Horrocks　stared　at　him　with　the　expression　of　a　man　who　has

suddenly　awakened。　　〃Vestiges　of　daylight？　。　。　。　。　Of　course；　of

course。〃　　He　too　looked　up　at　the　moon；　pale　still　in　the　midsummer

sky。　　〃Come　along；〃　he　said　suddenly；　and；　gripping　Raut's　arm　in

his　hand；　made　a　move　towards　the　path　that　dropped　from　them　to

the　railway。



Raut　hung　back。　　Their　eyes　met　and　saw　a　thousand　things　in

a　moment　that　their　eyes　came　near　to　say。　　Horrocks'　hand

tightened　and　then　relaxed。　　He　let　go；　and　before　Raut　was　aware

of　it；　they　were　arm　in　arm；　and　walking；　one　unwillingly　enough；

down　the　path。



〃You　see　the　fine　effect　of　the　railway　signals　towards

Burslem；〃　said　Horrocks；　suddenly　breaking　into　loquacity；　striding

fast；　and　tightening　the　grip　of　his　elbow　the　while。　　〃　Little

green　lights　and　red　and　white　lights；　all　against　the　haze。　　You

have　an　eye　for　effect；　Raut。　　It's　a　fine　effect。　　And　look　at

those　furnaces　of　mine；　how　they　rise　upon　us　as　we　come　down　the

hill。　　That　to　the　right　is　my　petseventy　feet　of　him。　　I　packed

him　myself；　and　he's　boiled　away　cheerfully　with　iron　in　his　guts

for　five　long　years。　　I've　a　particular　fancy　for　HIM。　　That

line　of　red　therea　lovely　bit　of　warm　orange　you'd　call　it；

Rautthat's　the　puddlers'　furnaces；　and　there；　in　the　hot　light；

three　black　figuresdid　you　see　the　white　splash　of　the

steam…hammer　then？that's　the　rolling　mills。　　Come　along！　　Clang；

clatter；　how　it　goes　rattling　across　the　floor！　　Sheet　tin；　Raut；

amazing　stuff。　　Glass　mirrors　are　not　in　it　when　that　stuff　comes

from　the　mill。　　And；　squelch！there　goes　the　hammer　again。　　Come

along！〃



He　had　to　stop　talking　to　catch　at　his　breath。　　His　arm

twisted　into　Raut's　with　benumbing　tightness。　　He　had　come　striding

down　the　black　path　towards　the　railway　as　though　he　was　possessed。



Raut　had　not　spoken　a　word；　had　simply　hung　back　against　Horrocks'

pull　with　all　his　strength。



〃I　say；〃　he　said　now；　laughing　nervously；　but　with　an

undernote　of　snarl　in　his　voice；　〃why　on　earth　are　you　nipping　my

arm　off；　Horrocks；　and　dragging　me　along　like　this？〃



At　length　Horrocks　released　him。　　His　manner　changed　again。　

〃Nipping　your　arm　off？〃　he　said。　　〃Sorry。　　But　it's　you　taught　me

the　trick　of　walking　in　that　friendly　way。〃



〃You　haven't　learnt　the　refinements　of　it　yet　then；〃　said

Raut；　laughing　artificially　again。　　〃By　Jove！　　I'm　black　and　blue。〃



Horrocks　offered　no　apology。　　They　stood　now　near　the　bottom　of　the

hill；　close　to　the　fence　that　bordered　the　railway。　　The　ironworks

had　grown　larger　and　spread　out　with　their　approach。　　They　looked

up　to　the　blast　furnaces　now　instead　of　down；　the　further　view　of

Etruria　and　Hanley　had　dropped　out　of　sight　with　their　descent。　

Before　them；　by　the　stile　rose　a　notice…board；　bearing　still　dimly

visible；　the　words；　〃BEWARE　OF　THE　TRAINS；〃　half　hidden　by　splashes

of　coaly　mud。



〃Fine　effects；〃　said　Horrocks；　waving　his　arm。　　〃Here　comes　a

train。　　The　puffs　of　smoke；　the　orange　glare；　the　round　eye　of

light　in　front　of　it；　the　melodious　rattle。　　Fine　effects！　　But

these　furnaces　of　mine　used　to　be　finer；　before　we　shoved　cones　in

their　throats；　and　saved　the　gas。〃



〃How？〃　said　Raut。　　〃Cones？〃



〃Cones；　my　man；　cones。　　I'll　show　you　one　nearer。　　The　flames

used　to　flare　out　of　the　open　throats；　greatwhat　is　it？pillars

of　cloud　by　day；　red　and　black　smoke；　and　pillars　of　fire　by　night。



Now　we　run　it　off　in　pipes；　and　burn　it　to　heat　the　blast；　and　the

top　is　shut　by　a　cone。　　You'll　be　interested　in　that　cone。〃



〃But　every　now　and　then；〃　said　Raut；　〃you　get　a　burst　of　fire

and　smoke　up　there。〃



〃The　cone's　not　fixed；　it's　hung　by　a　chain　from　a　lever；　and

balanced　by　an　equipoise。　　You　shall　see　it　nearer。　　Else；　of

course；　there'd　be　no　way　of　getting　fuel　into　the　thing。　　Every

now　and　then　the　cone　dips；　and　out　comes　the　flare。〃



〃I　see；〃　said　Raut。　　He　looked　over　his　shoulder。　　〃The　moon

gets　brighter；〃　he　said。



〃Come　along；〃　said　Horrocks　abruptly；　gripping　his　shoulder

again；　and　moving　him　suddenly　towards　the　railway　crossing。　　And

then　came　one　of　those　swift　incidents；　vivid；　but　so　rapid　that

they　leave　one　doubtful　and　reeling。　　Halfway　across；　Horrocks'

hand　suddenly　clenched　upon　him　like　a　vice；　and　swung　him　backward

and　through　a　half…turn；　so　that　he　looked　up　the　line。　　And　there

a　chain　of　lamp…lit　carriage…windows　telescoped　swiftly　as　it　came

towards　them；　and　the　red　and　yellow　lights　of　an　engine　grew

larger　and　larger；　rushing　down　upon　them。　　As　he　grasped　what　this

meant；　he　turned　his　face　to　Horrocks；　and　pushed　with　all

his　strength　against　the　arm　that　held　him　back　between　the　rails。　

The　struggle　did　not　last　a　moment。　　Just　as　certain　as　it　was　that

Horrocks　held　him　there；　so　certain　was　it　that　he　had　been

violently　lugged　out　of　danger。



〃Out　of　the　way；〃　said　Horrocks；　with　a　gasp；　as　the　train

came　rattling　by；　and　they　stood　panting　by　the　gate　into　the

ironworks。



〃I　did　not　see　it　coming；〃　said　Raut；　still；　even　in　spite　of

his　own　apprehensions；　trying　to　keep　up　an　appearance　of　ordinary

intercourse。



Horrocks　answered　with　a　grunt。　　〃The　cone；〃　he　said；　and

then；　as　one　who　recovers　himself；　〃I　thought　you　did　not　hear。〃



〃I　didn't；〃　said　Raut。



〃I　wouldn't　have　had　you　run　over　then　for　the　world；〃　said

Horrocks。



〃For　a　moment　I　lost　my　nerve；〃　said　Raut。



Horrocks　stood　for　half　a　minute；　then　turned　abruptly　towards

the　ironworks　again。　　〃See　how　fine　these　great　mounds　of　mine；

these　clinker…heaps；　look　in　the　night！　　Tha