“Well, I’ll be blowed!” he muttered.
It took him some moments to recover, and then he grated:
“I’ll take her out alone before I’ll have you!”
Then he jumped down from the cab and made for the office.
Frank kept about his work, and had 33 ready when old Joe came back, looking sour enough. Without a word, he got on and pulled out for the train shed.
It was not till they were coupled on and ready to start that Joe spoke. Then he growled:
“You’ve got to keep her hot, and if you make me lose time for want of steam, I’ll report you to the general manager.”
“That will be all right,” came quietly from Frank. “If you are looking for steam, you shall have all you want.”
Then Frank started in to keep the firebox door and the shovel on the swing, having resolved to give old Joe what he asked for. The engineer sat on his seat and scowled blackly, but said not a word as Frank “ladled in the lampblack.”
To Merry’s surprise, he was unable to get up more steam; in fact, the gauge dropped off a little, even though he worked like a slave. That was something he could not understand, but he thought at first that the fault was with him.