Under His Thumb — page 121: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

112 ‘UNDER HIS THUMB. CHAPTER XV. STEVE STICKS TO HIS PURPOSE. With his nerves excited to the highest pitch, it 4 was no wonder that Steve Lawton was greatly start- q led by the sudden creaking and whirring all around him. But in a moment he comprehended the truth. The line of shatting which drove the great print- ing-presses was in motion. Some one had started the engine, for what purpose he could not conjec- ture. In the engine-room he~ could hear the click of the engine, the crackling sound of the big driving-belt, the faint hissing of steam from the cylinder. The boy stood listening to the sounds for a full - minute, uncertain what to do. The ring of a metallic shovel upon the cemented floor of the fire-room decided him, and he advanced boldly toward the latter. Ashe did so the motion of the engine became slower, and by the time he had reached the door of the fire-room it had stopped altogether. In the door-way he met the night watchman face to face. The man wasa brawny fellow; he had a lantern in one hand, in the other the siewse which he was in the act of hanging upon a hook. | “Kh! what are you here for?’’ the watchman de- manded, espying the boy before the latter could con- ceal iienself. “I was looking to see who started the engine: at this time of night,’’ Steve replied. comicboo KS com —