“Then of course you do not know how long we shall be delayed?”
“No; I couldn’t say, sir. Can’t even promise that we can run in on one pair of cylinders, sir, for they all seem to be affected alike.”
At this a shadow overspread the owner’s face and he turned to Dr. Sterling.
“Sorry, Doc,” he said. “What did you tell me about getting to town before dark?”
“I merely mentioned the fact that Miss Calvert should be early to bed, because she appears at a concert to-morrow evening, and it is necessary that she feel as well as possible.”
“It is after four now,” said Mr. Ronald, looking at his watch, “and I don’t know what to tell you until Sharley—that’s my engineer—locates the trouble.”
“Then perhaps we had better withhold from those on deck the fact that there may be an indefinite delay, merely making the general statement that the trouble is being rectified as rapidly as possible.”
“Very well; will you tell them, and make my excuses? I shall want to stay pretty close here till this trouble is found.”
“I’ll tell them,” said the doctor, and motioning Jim to follow went on deck. So the news which, poorly told, might have brought consternation to Dorothy and her aunt, merely aroused their curiosity. Soon they were laughing and talking with all thoughts of the accident gone from their minds.
Meanwhile, below, Mr. Ronald, Sharley and the assistant engineer, were going over every inch of the gasoline motors, hoping to find what had been the cause of their sudden refusal to do their work.