"What's the trouble, Jack?" inquired the red-headed lad. Then without waiting for an answer he wrinkled his freckled nose in disgust and stepped back with loud sniffs of displeasure.
"You needn't tell me; I know," he cried. "Somebody tried to take lessons in cooking and burned the water before it could boil!"
Both his comrades laughed at Jimmie's remark. Jack, however, turned again to an examination of his machine with a worried look on his face. Touching the parts gingerly he went carefully over the engine.
"Whew, Jack," spoke up the third boy, "you're surely some loud smeller! What did you run over and why did you do it?"
"I know!" cried Jimmie excitedly. "He's got a hot box!"
"Sure?" inquired Jack teasingly.
"Hope I never see the back of my neck!" declared Jimmie.
"Guess I know now what that freight train conductor out in Montana meant when he spoke of a 'stinker,'" Harry mused.
"But how did you get it?" persisted Jimmie.
"Boys, if you want to know the truth, I think some one was unkind enough to wish this onto me!" soberly declared Jack.