Lay the two ends of the belt exactly even.

With the insides together, and punch one straight row of holes across the end, driving the punch through both pieces so that the holes may correspond. Now take your lace, pointed at both ends, and pass the points in opposite directions through the first hole, still keeping the two ends of the belt together as when punched, and draw the loop tight, observing to keep the ends of equal length. Pass the points through the second hole, and so proceed to the last; then tie the ends over the edge of the belt, and the job is done. A belt can thus be mended in half the time and with half the length of lacing required in the usual way; and when the belt is subjected to heavy strains or slipping, it will wear ten times as long, as the lace never touches the pulley-faces. Of course the plan is not applicable when both sides of a belt run over pulleys, nor when the projecting ends would strike any thing in their track.