Part 21 (1/2)
”Can you beat that?” said Archer.
”There's water getting into the cylinder,” Tom said.
”Cylinder's lucky. _We_ poor guys got to go way down the other end of the earth to get water.”
”Maybe the water in the water jacket froze last winter and cracked the cylinder wall and the crack didn't let any through at first, most likely. You can't get your explosions right if there's water. That's why it starts first off and keeps going till the water works through.
'Tisn't much of a crack, I guess. A file wouldn't be any more use than a teaspoon.”
”A _what_? Believe _me_, I wouldn't know a teaspoon if I saw one,” said Archer.
”If we had a wrench to get the cylinder head off,” said Tom, ”I could show you.”
”It's the end of that engine,” said Archer.
”Depends on how bad it is. If it's only a little crack sometimes you can fix it with a chemical--sal ammoniac. It kind of--_corrodes_, I think they call it--right where the crack is and it'll work all right for quite a while. We had a cracked cylinder on our scout boat one time.”
Archer was generously pleased at Tom's sagacity and showed no professional jealousy. Before that day was over every prisoner in the camp knew that the rusty, dilapidated engine which languished near the pump was good for another season of usefulness. If Archer was not a good engineer he was at least a good promoter, and he started a grand drive for a rejuvenated pump. The R's rolled out of his busy mouth as the water had not flowed from the pump in many a day.
A pet.i.tion a yard long was pa.s.sed about and everybody signed it with lukewarm interest. It besought General von Griffenhaus either to have the cylinder head of the engine removed or a wrench loaned to Tom Slade for that purpose.
The prisoners did not lose any sleep over this enterprise, for both Tom and Archer were young and Archer at least was regarded as an irresponsible soul, whose mission on earth was to cause trifling annoyance and much amus.e.m.e.nt. Tom, sober, silent and new among them, was an unknown quant.i.ty.
”Doncher care,” said Archer. ”Robert Fulton had a lot o' trouble and n.o.buddy b'lieved him, and all that.”
Tom was ready to stand upon his p.r.o.nouncement of a cracked water jacket and, that established, he believed a little bottle of sal ammoniac would be easy to procure. When the pump was running again they would all be glad to use it and meanwhile they might laugh and call him the ”consulting engineer” if they wanted to.
At last Archer, having boosted this laggard campaign with amazing energy, elected himself the one to present the imposing pet.i.tion to General von Griffenhaus, because, as he said, he was never rattled in the presence of greatness, which was quite true. He caught the general on inspection tour and prayed for a monkey wrench with the humility but determination of the old barons before King John.
When he returned to their box-stall abode he triumphantly announced that ”Old Griff” had surrendered with the one portentous sentence, ”Ach! I vill see aboud this!” He found Tom sitting back against the board part.i.tion, arms about his drawn-up knees, sober and thoughtful.
”Ain't gettin' cold feet, are you?” Archer asked.
Tom looked at him, but did not speak.
”You ain't afraid there's something else the matter with the engine, after all, are you?” Archer asked, anxiously. ”I don't want this whole bunch guyin' me--afterr the pet.i.tion, and all.”
”It's the way I said,” said Tom dully.
”Not sore 'cause they've been kiddin' us, are you? You can't blame 'em fer that; they've got nothin' else to do. Look at Columbus, how they guyed him--and all. But they were thankful afterward all right, all right--those greasy Spaniards. D'I tell you 'bout the way I----”
”I don't mind their kiddin',” Tom interrupted; ”I had a lot of that on the s.h.i.+p. And I know they'll be glad when the pump's running. I was thinkin' about something else. Come on, let's go out and hike.” He always called those little restricted walks about the enclosure, hiking.
He could not forget the good scout word.
When they had walked for some little way Tom looked about to see if there was anyone near. The safest place for secrets and confidences is out in the open. He hesitated, made a couple of false starts, then began:
”There's somethin' I've always thought about ever since I came here. I don't know if you've ever thought about it--I know you like adventures, but you're kind of----” He meant irresponsible and rattle-brained, but he did not want to say so. ”And I wouldn't want to see you get in any trouble on account of me. You're different from me. You see, for a special reason I got to go and fight. Whatever you do, will you promise not to say anything to anybody?”
Archer, somewhat bewildered, promised.