Dick Hamilton's Fortune Part 18

"Is that really a perpetual motion machine?" asked Frank, who, with the other boys, was much interested in such things.

"Of course it is," replied the man. "I invented it all by myself. I'll tell ye a little about it before I unchain th' critter an' let it git t'

work. Did ye fasten th' hoss, Mandy?" he asked, as his wife approached.

"Yep, Silas. Now, do be careful of that contraption. I ain't got no faith in it," she said, turning to the boys.

"No, that's jest th' way with wimmin," remarked Silas. "Yet I really invented it for her."

"How?" asked d.i.c.k.

"Wa'al, I was watchin' her churn one day, an' I thought how awful it was that wimmin had t' work so hard. So I decided, if I could invent a machine that would do th' work it would be a great labor-savin' device.

Wa'al, I went t' work on it----"

"An' he never give up fer a year," interrupted his wife. "He neglected th' farm until it ain't worth shucks. He spent all he had saved up t'

buy machinery, an' he ain't hardly slept nights with worryin' over perpetual motion. I wish he'd throw it away an' go back t' farmin'. He made money that way."

"Farmin's too hard work, Mandy," joined in Mr. Kendall. "We'll be rich now, fer this machine is destined t' revolutionize th' world. I come, jest as I writ ye," he went on, turning to d.i.c.k, "t' give ye th' fust chance t' git stock in th' new company I'm goin' t' form t' make th'

machines. They don't cost much, and we'll be millionaires in a year. If you've got a leetle t' invest you'll git big dividends out of this."

"Let's see how it works," suggested Walter.

"All right," a.s.sented Silas. "I'm goin' t' unchain th' perpetual motion machine. She'll begin t' whizz as soon as I take th' shackles off, an'

then--wa'al, watch out, that's all."

He sprung open the padlock with a click and the chain rattled to the ground. As it did so Mr. Kendall sprang back, as though the machine might bite him. He stooped down and peered toward it as if it might spring at him. But nothing happened. The machine was as motionless as a hitching post.

"Hum! Suthin's wrong," murmured the inventor. "Guess it got a leetle stiff comin' over in th' wagon. I'll jest give it a start. Where's a pole? Mandy, git me a clothes pole."

His wife went to the back yard, where she had noticed some, and while she was gone the boys looked at the apparatus.

It consisted of a big wheel, with spokes made in zig-zag fas.h.i.+on. The spokes were shaped like a trough and contained a number of metal b.a.l.l.s, which were prevented from falling out, as the wheel turned, by some strips of wood.

There were other smaller wheels connected with the big one, and a tall chute, with a sort of endless chain, to which were attached hooks and buckets. There were also several heavy springs.

"Ye see th' way it works," explained Mr. Kendall, "is by them b.a.l.l.s.

They roll down the spokes of th' wheel, toward the tire, so t' speak, an', of course, their weight makes th' wheel go 'round. Then, when they git t' th' end of th' spokes they drop out an' roll toward th' high chute. Soon as th' b.a.l.l.s git thar th' endless chain an' th' hooks an'

buckets on it catches hold of th' b.a.l.l.s an' lifts 'em t' th' top. Then they drop inter th' hollow spokes agin an' th' same process goes on over agin. It goes on forever, like th' brook that poetry feller writ about--I forgit his name. It's perpetual motion as sure as ye're a foot high. Ah, here comes Mandy with th' clothes pole. Now I'll jest give th'

big wheel a start, 'count of it gittin' stuck, an' you'll see suthin'

worth watchin'."

With the long clothes pole Silas gave the big wheel a cautious poke. It began to move slowly, and he released a big spring.

"Stand back, everybody!" he called. "She vibrates suthin' terrible when she gits goin', an' I don't want n.o.body t' git hurt!"

At first the wheel barely turned. Silas gave it another prod with the clothes pole and it moved more quickly. Then it released another spring and began to gather speed. Faster and faster it went, the iron b.a.l.l.s rolling along the hollow spokes and dropping out with a noise like distant thunder.

"There she goes!" cried the old man, his chin whiskers vibrating in the intensity of his excitement. "There she goes!"

Faster and faster the wheel whizzed around. The b.a.l.l.s began dropping with such a continuous noise that one had to shout to be heard.

"How do you stop it?" called d.i.c.k.

"No, it won't stop," replied Mr. Kendall, misunderstanding the question.

"Well, how you going to get it home?" shouted Bricktop.

"Oh, when I want to stop it I jest throw th' chain at it, an' it tangles up in th' wheel, an' slows up enough so I can fasten it. If I didn't it would go on--forever--jest like that there brook."

The machine did seem to be working well, although only on account of the strong springs. The b.a.l.l.s, as they rolled down the inclined spokes, imparted a swift motion to the wheel. The released b.a.l.l.s ran down an incline to the foot of the chute, and the lifting belt began to slowly turn over on the wheels on which it worked. Then something happened.

Whether Silas had not built his machine strong enough to stand the strain, or whether the perpetual motion was too much for it, was never disclosed. At any rate, when the big wheel was revolving at a rapid rate, and the b.a.l.l.s were dropping out like immense hail stones, there was a sudden rending, splitting, breaking and cracking of wood. Then the machine seemed to creak and groan in agony. Next there was a snapping sound and the air was filled with a shower of black iron b.a.l.l.s, as though a bombsh.e.l.l had burst.

"Duck, everybody!" yelled d.i.c.k. "The thing's exploded!"

The machine fairly flew apart, splinters of wood, bits of iron, belts, spokes, chute, inclines and everything was scattered to the thirty-two points of the compa.s.s.

"Oh, Silas!" exclaimed Mrs. Kendall. "There it goes!"

"Yep," answered Silas, as he ran to get under a tree. "Thar she goes, sure enough, Mandy!"

There sounded dull thuds as the b.a.l.l.s struck the earth. Fortunately no one was. .h.i.t. Then it began to rain bits of wood.

"I guess it's all over," said d.i.c.k, as he and his chums looked down from the porch where they had taken refuge. "What happened, Mr. Kendall?"

"Everything," replied the inventor, in gloomy tones. "I see what th'

matter was. Th' big wheel was too strong for th' rest of th' machine.

Them b.a.l.l.s give it too much power an' it jest naturally went to flinders. I see my mistake now. I'll build it all of iron next time.

Wa'al, they say experience teaches us, an' this sure has been a great experience!"

"It sure has, Silas," remarked his wife. "You'd better give it up now, an' go back t' farmin'. That'll pay."

"No, sir," replied Silas, firmly. "I'm goin' t' make a perpetual motion machine before I die, an' don't ye forgit it. I see where I made a mistake an' I'll profit by it. I don't s'pose ye'll want t' invest any thin' in it until I make my new model?" he asked d.i.c.k.

"No, I think not," answered the millionaire's son.

"Wa'al, I'll call on ye agin when I git it rebuilt," promised Silas, as he piled the bits of his broken machine into the wagon and drove off.

"Say, d.i.c.k, what'll it be next?" asked Walter, as they watched the disappointed farmer driving away. "I never knew it was so exciting to be rich."

"Oh, it's exciting, all right," answered d.i.c.k, and he added: "I don't think that was a real perpetual motion machine. The springs made it work. But, come on, or it will be too late for our motor boat ride."

With a big basket, filled with good things to eat, which the cook obligingly put up for them, the four boys were soon at the dock where d.i.c.k's craft was moored.

"Let's go to Handell's Island," proposed Bricktop. "I heard there was a cave there that no one ever got to the end of."

"That'll be fun. We'll explore it," said d.i.c.k, always ready for any sort of an adventure.

Heading the boat toward the island, which was about ten miles away, the boys stretched out on the cus.h.i.+ons to enjoy the trip. It was a beautiful July day, hot enough to make a ride on the lake the height of enjoyment.