Billy, for the first time in his life thoroughly frightened, was glad to go out into the open air.
Then he went to the window opposite the great cupola to wait for the pouring.
There at the left of the furnace door stood the foundry foreman, tall and strong, holding a long iron rod in his hand. He, too, was waiting.
Then, because Billy had thought and thought over what Uncle John had told him about pouring, his mind began to make a picture; and when sparks of fire from the spout shot across the foundry, the cupola became a fiery dragon and the foreman a noble knight, bearing a long iron spear.
Only once breathed the dragon; for the knight, heedless of danger, closed the iron mouth with a single thrust of his spear.
Another wait. This time the knight forced the dragon to open his mouth, and the yielding dragon sent out his pointed, golden tongue.
But only for a moment; for again the knight thrust in his iron spear.
At last the knight gave way to the dragon.
Then, wonder of wonders, from the dragon’s mouth there came a golden, molten stream.
When the great iron ladle below was almost filled, the knight closed once more the dragon’s mouth.