“This is Wolf—is it?” said Major Toppleton, bestowing a patronizing glance at me.
“Yes, father; this is Wolf, and he puts things through by daylight, I can tell you. He and I have managed this thing ourselves,” replied Tommy, swelling with importance.
“I’m glad to see you, Wolf. They say you have a taste for machinery.”
“Yes, sir; I’m very fond of machinery.”
“And you live on the other side?”
“Yes, sir; my father is the engineer in Colonel Wimpleton’s steam mill.”
“Humph!” ejaculated the major. “But you have done well, for I was just offering a man two hundred dollars to raise the dummy. He said it would take him three days to rig his derrick, and bring down his capstans from Ucayga. I was talking with him when you hooked on and dragged the thing away. You are a smart boy.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“You shall not lose anything by the job, if you do belong on the other side,” said the major, magnanimously.
“O, I don’t ask anything, sir. I only did it for fun.”