“Who cares, now that we’re getting right along?” sang out Bumpus, apparently quite convinced that their troubles were ended.
They had not gone half a mile when Thad showed signs of uneasiness.
“Something bothers me about this engine, and I’m afraid I’ll have to stop and take a look at it,” he announced.
“Well!” exploded Bumpus, “I’m glad the walking is good today, because I’m commencing to believe we’ll have to come down to shank’s mare before we’re through with this thing.”
Allan and Thad were soon busily engaged in looking over the motor. As it was in some ways different from any with which the boys were familiar they had to do considerable guessing as to what caused the trouble.
“About how long will you be held here, Thad, if you could make a guess?” asked Giraffe. “I want to know, because to tell you the truth I’ve got a caved-in feeling right now, and nothing’d please me better than to pick up a bite for the crowd. We passed a couple of small houses back there, and I saw some women and old men working in the market gardens. They all stopped work and stared at us when we whizzed past; but then mebbe I could coax the housewives to hand over some grub if I shoved a few francs before them.”
“Oh! well, we may be here all of fifteen minutes,” said Thad, without looking up from his work. “Don’t stay longer than that, Giraffe.”
“Good luck to you, old sport,” called out Bumpus, who had remained in his seat this time; “and say, remember we’re your chums, three of us, all told.”
Giraffe trotted off. The others kept busily at work, and Thad presently announced that he believed he had solved the riddle. It was a simple thing that had gone wrong, which could be remedied by the tightening of a bolt. This he proved to the complete satisfaction of Allan.
“Now if only Giraffe hadn’t let that appetite of his get the better of him, we could get away in a hurry!” suggested Bumpus, loftily, as though such a thing as getting hungry might be accounted a capital crime on certain occasions.