I can only hastily elucidate the idea of this machine. Pinned to a sort of frame, or trestle, which was anchored all round with stout grapnels, and shored up in front against a bracket, was a ship’s steering-wheel, which the inventor had picked up cheap at a marine auction. A good rope (length indefinite), to be passed round the subject of the proposed haulage, and its two ends then carried to the wheel and clamped, one on each side, to its rim, completed the design. So disposed, nothing remained but to turn the wheel by its spokes, when the rope would garrotte the object, and, mechanically contracting of itself, induce a forward strain. Now, I know little about scientific values; but certainly in this case the result justified the means, as you shall hear. We had got all in place but the rope; and then suddenly Mr. Sant drew himself up, scratching his head in an unclerical manner. “Whereabouts is it to be passed round?” he said. “O!” answered Uncle Jenico: “as high up on the shaft as one can reach.” “My good man,” cried the rector sarcastically, “do you really imagine we are going to haul that thing over by tugging at its base, or near it?” “It is tottering already. It is laid bare to its lowest course. These boys examined and proved it!” answered Uncle Jenico. Nevertheless, I could see he was taken by surprise and dismayed. “That may be,” said Mr. Sant, “but----” He paused, shrugged his shoulders, and laughed out comically. “O, it will never do!” he said. “We must give this insanity a better chance. By hook or by crook, we must get the thing fixed up near the top.” I started forward. “I’ll carry the rope up, sir. I know the way. Harry and I climbed it once before.” “No,” cried Uncle Jenico, sharply and decisively. “I won’t have you go on any account, Richard!” “Then it’s to be me!” cried Harry; and, as I muttered discontentedly, trying to block his way, he evaded me and ran for the shaft. Mr. Sant, trailing the rope, followed him, and in a moment they were under its shadow. I chafed, watching them: but my relative was inexorable. And, indeed, to speak truth, there was considerably more risk in the venture than formerly before the storm. Harry, however, accomplished his part in safety; and, while he still dwelt aloft, holding the loop in place, Mr. Sant captured the two ends of the rope, and came running towards us with them. In a moment we had pulled them taut and clamped them in place to the wheel. And then we hailed Harry to come down, which he did, rather with a run, so afraid was he of missing any detail of the sport.