"Oh!"
A light began to break in on Bob's understanding.
"It's Zenas Henry's motor-boat we're tinkerin' with now," went on Willie.
"I see!"
He waited eagerly for further information, but evidently his host considered he had furnished all the data necessary, for instead of enlarging on the subject he approached the bench and began to inspect the model.
"I s'pose, with her bein' here, you didn't get ahead much while I was gone," he ventured, an inflection of disappointment in his tone.
"No, I didn't."
"I didn't accomplish nothin', either," the little old man went on. "Jan warn't to home; he'd gone fishin'."
His companion did not reply at once.
"I don't quite get my soundin's on Jan," he at length ruminated aloud. "Somethin's wrong with him. I feel it in my bones."