“We—we seem to have stopped,” I said.
“Yes,” snapped Hawkins.
“What was it? Do you suppose anything was sticking out into the shaft? Has—can it be possible that there is anything like a mechanical error in your Hydro-Vapor Lift?”
“No! It's that blamed fool of an engineer!”
“What!” I exclaimed. “Do you blame him?”
“Certainly.”
“But how was it his fault?”
“Oh—you see—bah!” said the inventor, turning rather red. “You wouldn't understand if I were to explain the whole thing, Griggs.”
“But I should like to know, Hawkins.”
“Why?”