"We'll never catch them now!" mourned Ruth, dejectedly.
They sat gazing at each other helplessly.
"Well, we'll never catch them if we sit here all day; that's a sure thing!" announced Jack, coming to life. "Come on, Mason! Let's break all records for a quick change!"
They scrambled out into the road.
"Jerusalem!" exclaimed Jack, poking a finger at the jagged hole in the flat tire, where the tread was so worn that the lining of the shoe was exposed. "Look at that hole!"
He peeled off his coat and tossed it into the machine, and handed his watch to Ruth, saying,
"Here, Ruth; time us, from now on."
Harold, following his example, was rummaging under the back seat for his tools; he threw a kit and a jack out into the road calling,
"There you are, Wilkinson! You unscrew the rim-cleats, and I'll jack her up."
"That's a funny-looking jack!" observed Ruth, looking at it curiously.