Gear Alignment

Morning light hit the edge of the limestone ledge. I cleared my perch, settling low into a clump of dry clover to inspect the gear salvaged yesterday. From my pouch, I extracted the brass bell cogs and laid them on a flat chip of shale. A discarded rusted cotter pin lay trapped under a dandelion root nearby. I worked it free with steady pressure, scraping the orange oxidation off against the stone face. Threaded through the central bore of the dual cogs, the pin formed a solid manual axle. With a thumb flick against the ratchet arm, both wheels engaged in unison, spinning smooth and silent. A portable mechanical rotor calibrated.