Theodore Winthrop

“ Tarbox looked sheepishly pleased, and summoned Perry Purtett.
“Run down, Perry,” said Wade, “to the ‘Ambuster,’ and ask Captain Isaac to step up here a moment. Tell him I have some freight to send by him.”
Perry moved through the Foundry with his usual jaunty step, left his dignity at the door, and ran off to the dock.
The weather had grown fitful. Heavy clouds whirled over, trailing snow-flurries. Rarely the sun found a cleft in the black canopy to shoot a ray through and remind the world that he was still in his place and ready to shine when he was wanted. ”

“ Prosperity was come. The world was all ready to move, and only waited for a fresh supply of wheels, cranks, side-levers, walking-beams, and other such muscular creatures of iron, to push and tug and swing and revolve and set Progress a-going.
Dunderbunk was to have its full share in supplying the demand. It was well understood by this time that the iron Wade made was as stanch as the man who made it. Dunderbunk, therefore, Head and Hands, must despatch.
So it was a busy afternoon at the industrious Foundry. The men bestirred themselves. The furnaces rumbled. The engine thumped. ”

“ He tore back to the Foundry, dashing through the puddles, and, never stopping to pick up his cap, burst in upon Wade and Bill Tarbox in the office.
The boy was splashed from head to foot with red mud. His light hair, blown wildly about, made his ashy face seem paler. He stood panting.
His dumb terror brought back to Wade’s mind all the bad omens of the morning.
“Speak!” said he, seizing Perry fiercely by the shoulder.
The uproar of the Works seemed to hush for an instant, while the lad stammered faintly, —
“There’s somebody carried off in the ice by Skerrett’s Point. It looks like a woman. ”