the cone-第3章

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

these　clinker…heaps；　look　in　the　night！　　That　truck　yonder；　up

above　there！　　Up　it　goes；　and　out…tilts　the　slag。　　See　the

palpitating　red　stuff　go　sliding　down　the　slope。　　As　we　get　nearer；

the　heap　rises　up　and　cuts　the　blast　furnaces。　　See　the　quiver　up

above　the　big　one。　　Not　that　way！　　This　way；　between　the　heaps。　　

That　goes　to　the　puddling　furnaces；　but　I　want　to　show　you　the

canal　first。〃　　He　came　and　took　Raut　by　the　elbow；　and　so　they　went

along　side　by　side。　　Raut　answered　Horrocks　vaguely。　　What；　he

asked　himself；　had　really　happened　on　the　line？　　Was　he　deluding

himself　with　his　own　fancies；　or　had　Horrocks　actually　held　him

back　in　the　way　of　the　train？　　Had　he　just　been　within　an　ace　of

being　murdered？



Suppose　this　slouching；　scowling　monster　DID　know

anything？　　For　a　minute　or　two　then　Raut　was　really　afraid　for　his

life；　but　the　mood　passed　as　he　reasoned　with　himself。　　After　all；

Horrocks　might　have　heard　nothing。　　At　any　rate；　he　had　pulled　him

out　of　the　way　in　time。　　His　odd　manner　might　be　due　to　the　mere

vague　jealousy　he　had　shown　once　before。　　He　was　talking　now　of　the

ash…heaps　and　the　canal。　　〃Eigh？〃　said　Horrocks。



〃What？〃　said　Raut。　　〃Rather！　　The　haze　in　the　moonlight。　

Fine！〃



〃Our　canal；〃　said　Horrocks；　stopping　suddenly。　　〃Our　canal　by

moonlight　and　firelight　is　an　immense　effect。　　You've　never　seen

it？　　Fancy　that！　　You've　spent　too　many　of　your　evenings

philandering　up　in　Newcastle　there。　　I　tell　you；　for　real　florid

effectsBut　you　shall　see。　　Boiling　water　。　。　。　〃



As　they　came　out　of　the　labyrinth　of　clinker…heaps　and　mounds

of　coal　and　ore；　the　noises　of　the　rolling…mill　sprang　upon　them

suddenly；　loud；　near；　and　distinct。　　Three　shadowy　workmen　went　by

and　touched　their　caps　to　Horrocks。　　Their　faces　were　vague　in　the

darkness。　　Raut　felt　a　futile　impulse　to　address　them；　and　before

he　could　frame　his　words；　they　passed　into　the　shadows。　　Horrocks

pointed　to　the　canal　close　before　them　now：　a　weird…looking　place

it　seemed；　in　the　blood…red　reflections　of　the　furnaces。　　The　hot

water　that　cooled　the　tuyeres　came　into　it；　some　fifty　yards　up

a　tumultuous；　almost　boiling　affluent；　and　the　steam　rose　up　from

the　water　in　silent　white　wisps　and　streaks；　wrapping　damply　about

them；　an　incessant　succession　of　ghosts　coming　up　from　the　black

and　red　eddies；　a　white　uprising　that　made　the　head　swim。　　The

shining　black　tower　of　the　larger　blast…furnace　rose　overhead　out

of　the　mist；　and　its　tumultuous　riot　filled　their　ears。　　Raut　kept

away　from　the　edge　of　the　water；　and　watched　Horrocks。



〃Here　it　is　red；〃　said　Horrocks；　〃blood…red　vapour　as　red　and

hot　as　sin；　but　yonder　there；　where　the　moonlight　falls　on　it；　and

it　drives　across　the　clinker…heaps；　it　is　as　white　as　death。〃



Raut　turned　his　head　for　a　moment；　and　then　came　back　hastily

to　his　watch　on　Horrocks。　　〃Come　along　to　the　rolling…mills；〃　said

Horrocks。　　The　threatening　hold　was　not　so　evident　that　time；　and

Raut　felt　a　little　reassured。　　But　all　the　same；　what　on　earth　did

Horrocks　mean　about　〃white　as　death〃　and　〃red　as　sin？〃　

Coincidence；　perhaps？



They　went　and　stood　behind　the　puddlers　for　a　little　while；

and　then　through　the　rolling…mills；　where　amidst　an　incessant　din

the　deliberate　steam…hammer　beat　the　juice　out　of　the　succulent

iron；　and　black；　half…naked　Titans　rushed　the　plastic　bars；　like

hot　sealing…wax；　between　the　wheels。　　〃Come　on；〃　said　Horrocks　in

Raut's　ear；　and　they　went　and　peeped　through　the　little　glass　hole

behind　the　tuyeres；　and　saw　the　tumbled　fire　writhing　in　the　pit　of

the　blast…furnace。　　It　left　one　eye　blinded　for　a　while。　　Then；

with　green　and　blue　patches　dancing　across　the　dark；　they　went　to

the　lift　by　which　the　trucks　of　ore　and　fuel　and　lime　were　raised

to　the　top　of　the　big　cylinder。



And　out　upon　the　narrow　rail　that　overhung　the　furnace；　Raut's

doubts　came　upon　him　again。　　Was　it　wise　to　be　here？　　If　Horrocks

did　knoweverything！　　Do　what　he　would；　he　could　not　resist　a

violent　trembling。　　Right　under　foot　was　a　sheer　depth　of　seventy

feet。　　It　was　a　dangerous　place。　　They　pushed　by　a　truck　of　fuel　to

get　to　the　railing　that　crowned　the　place。　　The　reek　of　the

furnace；　a　sulphurous　vapor　streaked　with　pungent　bitterness；

seemed　to　make　the　distant　hillside　of　Hanley　quiver。　　The　moon　was

riding　out　now　from　among　a　drift　of　clouds；　halfway　up　the　sky

above　the　undulating　wooded　outlines　of　Newcastle。　　The　steaming

canal　ran　away　from　below　them　under　an　indistinct　bridge；　and

vanished　into　the　dim　haze　of　the　flat　fields　towards　Burslem。



〃That's　the　cone　I've　been　telling　you　of；〃　shouted　Horrocks；

〃and；　below　that；　sixty　feet　of　fire　and　molten　metal；　with　the　air

of　the　blast　frothing　through　it　like　gas　in　soda…water。〃



Raut　gripped　the　hand…rail　tightly；　and　stared　down　at　the

cone。　　The　heat　was　intense。　　The　boiling　of　the　iron　and　the

tumult　of　the　blast　made　a　thunderous　accompaniment　to　Horrocks'

voice。　　But　the　thing　had　to　be　gone　through　now。　　Perhaps；　after

all　。　。　。



〃In　the　middle；〃　bawled　Horrocks；　〃temperature　near　a　thousand

degrees。　　If　YOU　were　dropped　into　it　。　。　。　。　flash　into

flame　like　a　pinch　of　gunpowder　in　a　candle。　　Put　your　hand　out　and

feel　the　heat　of　his　breath。　　Why；　even　up　here　I've　seen　the

rain…water　boiling　off　the　trucks。　　And　that　cone　there。　　It's　a

damned　sight　too　hot　for　roasting　cakes。　　The　top　side　of　it's

three　hundred　degrees。〃



〃Three　hundred　degrees！〃　said　Raut。



〃Three　hundred　centigrade；　mind！〃　said　Horrocks。　　〃It　will

boil　the　blood　out　of　you　in　no　time。〃



〃Eigh？〃　said　Raut；　and　turned。



〃Boil　the　blood　out　of　you　in　。　。　。　No；　you　don't！〃



〃Let　me　go！〃　screamed　Raut。　　〃Let　go　my　arm！〃



With　one　hand　he　clutched　at　the　hand…rail；　then　with　both。　

For　a　moment　the　two　men　stood　swaying。　　Then　suddenly；　with　a

violent　jerk；　Horrocks　had　twisted　him　from　his　hold。　　He　clutched

at　Horrocks　and　missed；　his　foot　went　back　into　empty　air；　in

mid…air　he　twisted　himself；　and　then　cheek　and　shoulder　and　knee

struck　the　hot　cone　together。



He　clutched　the　chain　by　which　the　cone　hung；　and　the　thing

sank　an　infinitesimal　amount　as　he　struck　it。　　A　circle　of　glowing

red　appeared　about　him；　and　a　tongue　of　flame；　released　from　the

chaos　within；　flickered　up　towards　him。　　An　intense　pain　assailed

him　at　the　knees；　and　he　could　smell　the　singeing　of　his　hands。　　He

raised　himself　to　his　feet；　and　tried　to　climb　up　the　chain；　and

then　something　struck　his　head。　　Black　and　shining　with　the

moonlight；　the　throat　of　the　furnace　rose　about　him。



Horrocks；　he　saw；　stood　above　him　by　one　of　the　trucks　of　fuel

on　the　rail。　　The　gesticulating　figure　was　bright　and　white　in　the

moonlight；　and　shouting；　〃Fizzle；　you　fool！　　Fizzle；　you　hunter　of

women！　　You　hot…blooded　hound！　　Boil！　boil！　boil！〃



Suddenly　he　caught　up　a　handful　of　coal　out　of　the　truck；　and

flung　it　deliberately；　lump　after　lump；　at　Raut。



〃Horrocks！〃　cried　Raut。　　〃Horrocks！〃



He　clung　crying　to　the　chain；　pulling　himself　up　from　the

burning　of　the　cone。　　Each　missile　Horrocks　flung　hit　him。　　His

clothes　charred　and　glowed；　and　as　he　struggled　the　cone　dropped；

and　a　rush　of　hot　suffocating　gas　whooped　out　and　burned　round　him

in　a　swift　breath　of　flame。



His　human　likeness　departed　from　him。　　When　the　momentary　red

had　passed；　Horrocks　saw　a　charred；　blackened　figure；　its　head

streaked　with　blood；　still　clutching　and　fumbling　with　the　chain；

and　writhing　in　agonya　cindery　animal；　an　inhuman；　monstrous

creature　that　began　a　sobbing　intermittent　shriek。



Abruptly；　at　the　sight；　the　ironmaster's　anger　passed。　　A

deadly　sickness　came　upon　him。　　The　heavy　odour　of　burning　flesh

came　drifting　up　to　his　nostrils。　　His　sanity　returned　to　him。



〃God　have　mercy　upon　me！〃　he　cried。　　〃O　God！　what　have　I