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394 “Well, you see, the engine hasn’t been working very well of late, and I shouldn’t be a bit surprised if it just stopped entirely to-morrow.”

“Get out! You haven’t had it going for days!” said Roy. “How do you know?”

“Feel it,” answered Dick, gravely. “I—I have a premonition.”

“And how long do you think it will be before the engine gets to working again?” asked the doctor, with a twinkle in his eye.

“Probably about a week, sir,” replied Dick, slyly.

“A very intelligent engine,” said the doctor, with a smile. “You have a talk with it to-night, Dick, and explain to it that I am obliged to be at home to-morrow. Maybe it will decide to go on with us. You might say, that if I can’t get home on the Slow Poke I’ll have to ferry across and take the train.”

“In that case,” said Dick, regretfully, “it—it might postpone its breakdown until later. But I feel sure that it won’t last longer than it takes to reach Ferry Hill.”

“Goody!” cried Harry. “Then you can stay and pay us a visit, can’t they, papa?”