“Well, it’s good fun, at any rate,” laughed the great man. “The boys will think you are a little god.”
“I suppose I shouldn’t have dared to meddle with it if I had not fallen out with Colonel Wimpleton and his son.”
“Ah, indeed?” queried the major, opening his eyes, as a gleam of satisfaction passed over his face. “We will talk that matter over when your job is finished.”
By this time the students, who would have insulted me if I had come among them at any other time, had brought up the planks from the car, and I proceeded to lay a track for the dummy wheels. I placed two lines of wide ones as far as the iron rails, sweeping them in curves, so as to turn the engine as it neared the track. On them I laid narrower planks for the wheels to run upon, gauging them with a stick measured to the width of the flanges of the wheels. When all was ready for a start, I gave the signal with my handkerchief. The steamer paddled and splashed, the rope strained, and the dummy started again. I directed the students to steady the planks so that they should not slip, and in a couple of minutes, more or less, we had the machine on the temporary track I had rigged. I waved my handkerchief again, and the boat stopped.
“That will do, Tommy,” said I. “Tell your fellows to cast off the snatch-block, and let the captain haul in his tow-line. We shall not want it any more.”
“But the dummy is not on the track yet,” replied Tommy, fearful that some delay might occur.
“We can move it on the planks easily enough without the steamer; and she pulls so hard I am afraid she will overdo the matter. Send a couple of your fellows off in my skiff with the snatch-block and ropes.”
The scion of the Toppleton house liked to be “the biggest toad in the puddle,” and he gave off his orders with great gusto to the students, not always in as gentlemanly terms as I could have wished, but with effect. He was promptly obeyed, without dispute. I suggested to him that the cushions and other movable articles in the passenger compartment of the dummy should be removed, and placed in the sun to dry. Tommy went at the students as though the idea was his own, and made all hands “stand around” for a moment. I was very willing to flatter his vanity by letting him do the ordering.
There was a brake in the engine-room, and another on the platform in the rear of the car. Tommy, at my request, placed a student at each of them. I then rigged a long rope at the forward end of the dummy, which was manned by a crowd of boys, while the men who were standing by took hold at the sides and end of the car.
“Now start her, Tommy,” said I in a low tone, so as to permit him to enjoy the pleasing illusion that he was running the machine.