“The first time they’ve laid down on me,” he muttered, as, monkey wrench in hand, he tried to locate the source of the trouble.
“What’s the matter?” hailed Ralph impatiently down the tube. “Aren’t you ready yet?”
“Not yet. There is some trouble here I can’t locate.”
“Bother! I wanted to get under way as soon as possible. What do you think is the matter?”
“Impossible to say yet.”
“Well, hurry up and do the best you can.”
“You bet I’ll do that. It may take some time, though.”
“But they were working all right when we tied up this afternoon.”
“That makes it all the more puzzling. Something has happened to them between then and now, that is certain.”
The young engineer went vigorously to work. Systematically he went over wiring and ignition and tested the compression. All were in perfect working order, and yet the engines only responded with a lifeless series of “shoo-oo-o-oofs-s-s!” to all his efforts.