“Feel o’ that,” said Archer, triumphantly rubbing his finger nail across it, for it was more easily felt than seen, “and then go away back and sit down, the whole bunch of you. We got a regularr chief engineer here now,” he added generously, “and you better treat him decent while he’s here.”
Tom shuddered for fear he would say too much.
“He might get exchanged any time,” said Archer.
“Some boys,” remarked one of the prisoners.
“But findin’s ain’t fixin’s,” said a British soldier.
“Oh, ain’t they though!” said Archer. “We’ll have it fixed in—— How long’ll it take to fix it, Slady?”
“Maybe a couple of days,” said Tom.
“Mybe a couple o’ weeks,” said the Britisher.
“Mybe it won’t, yer jolly good bloomin’ ole London fag, you!” mimicked Archer. “It’s as good as fixed already.”
“Better knock wood, Archie.”