CHAPTER XIII
DICK'S BRAVE ACT
"Hold on!" cried Dick, as he saw revealed a maze of wheels, levers, belts and cranks. "What is this? Who are you?"
For an instant he thought the thing might be an infernal machine.
"Who am I?" asked the man. "Why, I'm Silas Kendall, of Manlius Centre, an' this is my perpetual motion machine. Wait until I take th' chain off so's it can git inter motion an' ye'll open yer eyes, I reckon."
"Is it dangerous?" asked Bricktop, preparing to run.
"Not a bit, if ye don't put yer fingers in th' wheels. It wouldn't harm a baby."
He drew from his pocket a key, which he proceeded to insert into a big lock that held together the ends of a chain which was twisted about the biggest wheel on the machine.
"Have t' keep it chained up," he said, with a queer sort of smile, "or it would keep on workin' all th' while. Fll show ye—Silas Kendall—he'll astonish th' world. Ye got my letter, I reckon," turning to Dick.
