“Well, here’s a fine pickle!” exclaimed Sammy.
“What’s happened?” cried Alice.
“Our rowboat’s gone!”
“Our boat?” asked Andy, shortening his remarks for another time.
“That’s what I said,” came from Sammy. “The rope got untied. She’s floated off. I guess you’ll have to entertain us a little longer, Jerry.”
“Make yourselves comfortable,” said the engineer of the Dartaway. “I’m going to find out what’s the trouble before I go home. We’ll get you back some time.”
“I hope it’s soon,” murmured Alice. “It will be dark in a little while.”
Spurred on by the plight of their guests the motor boys redoubled their efforts to discover the cause of the trouble and remedy it. That it was in the wires leading from the batteries to the cylinders was certain, but the conductors, when examined as far as possible, showed no sign of break.
“I’ll just have to run new wires, temporary ones of course,” said Jerry after a while. “It will take a little time, but it’s bound to do the trick.”
He overhauled the stores and extra parts in one of the lockers. “I hope we have a coil of wire,” he muttered. “I’m certain I saw some.”