“The new engineer?” asked the professor. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t you know, sir,” replied the captain, “Mr. Ward has gone? ’Twas day before yesterday he went ashore, and when he came back he had another man with him. Said he had a better job, and was going to leave. Said this other man was going to take his place. Thought he had it all arranged with you.”
“The first I have heard of it,” said the professor.
“I told him I had nothing to do with it,” went on the captain. “If you said it was all right, it was all right.”
“So, we haven’t any engineer,” said the professor. “That’s awkward. I suppose we shall have to lose a lot of time while we hunt up another.”
“Why not Mr. Berwick?” suggested Jim. “He’s a first class engineer, and he wants to go with us anyway.”
“Why, of course,” replied the professor. “Never thought of that. How stupid of me. How is it, Mr. Berwick, will you take the place?”
“Suits me to the dot,” replied the engineer. “Wanted to go along, and glad to be of use.”
“All right, Mr. Berwick. Suppose you take hold at once and look things over.”