Page:St. Nicholas (serial) (IA stnicholasserial402dodg).pdf/699

1913.] the oil is stored in the double bottom, where it takes up no cargo space. Then, too, there is no boiler-room, which provides more space for the cargo, and does away with a lot of the crew,”

He was interrupted by a commotion forward. Some one had sighted the Christian X at anchor at quarantine.

“What makes it look so queer?” exclaimed Will, “Why, it has n’t any smoke-stacks!”

“Now, why should it? There is no furnace onboard, and no smoke comes from the engines. That is a feature of the oil motor that would count for a great deal in a war-vessel that did not want to betray its presence to the enemy,”

By the time we reached the Christian X, the health officers had examined the men on board, and we were free to visit the ship, No sooner had I scrambled up to the deck, than some one seized me by the coat-collar, and demanded, in a gruff voice:

“Young man, what are you doing here?”

Without waiting for an answer, he dropped me and grabbed Will, who was right behind me, and dragged him up on the deck.

We both gasped in astonishment—it was Uncle Edward!

“W-w-where did you come from?” stammered Will.

“And w-w-where did you?” mimicked Uncle Edward. “The surprise is mutual. Dr. McGreggor and I are about the only passengers on board. We have been studying the motor engines all the way across, and they have behaved beautifully. But how in the world did you happen aboard?”

While we were in the midst of our explanations, Uncle Edward caught sight of his partner.

“Oh, McGreggor,” he called, “see who ’s here. These are the two chaps you thought would go to the dogs if they were turned loose in New York. Here they are, keenly interested in Diesel engines, and during the last few months they have been through almost everything of any engineering importance, I hear. You must admit that my confidence in these youngsters was not misplaced.”

“Wait a bit; let me cross-examine them,” returned Dr. McGreggor. “How much of that one thousand dollars is left?”

“Quite a little,” said Will, pulling out his checkbook, which showed a balance of about $480.

“Some of it was spent at Coney Island?”

“Oh, yes, some; I could n't say how much, You know, we have had a very hot summer.”

“What else have you seen?”

“Bridge-building, foundations, the aqueduct—”

“Hold on, now; what evidence have I of all this?”

“Our diary. Jim is the scribe, you know. He has an account of everything of any importance. He took notes as we went along, and then entered them in the diary at night.”

“Where is your note-book, Jim?” asked Dr. McGregor, sternly.

I handed him the book, apologizing for its scrawly condition. He looked at it perfunctorily at first, then an item caught his attention, and he began to examine the notes intently.

“Well?” interrupted Uncle Edward, after we had waited for several minutes.

“Most interesting,” muitered Dr. McGreggor; “most interesting. Young gentlemen, I have no case, and I shall direct the jury to bring in a verdict in your favor.”

“Hurray!” shouted Uncle Edward, patting Will on the back; “you have the right stuff in you; I knew you would n’t fail me.” Dr. McGreggor shook his head, and grunted something as Uncle Edward continued, “Will, I am going to put you through a stiff course in college, and make an engineer of you.”

Will was radiant.

Then a most tnexpected thing happened. Dr. McGreggor spoke up, “Jim is going through college, too, and I am going to meet his expenses.”

I was overwhelmed. A college course for me! How I had longed for it! How impossible it seemed with Father in his present straitened circumstances! How it had hurt to think of Will’s going to college while I stayed at home; for I felt certain all along that his Uncle Edward would look after him. I don’t know that I comported myself very creditably, but I stammered out some a of thanks—not a thousandth part of what I felt.

“I was planning to take care of Jim, too,” said Uncle Edward, But Dr. McGreggor insisted on bearing the expenses himself. After he and Uncle Edward had talked it over at some length, it was finally conceded that Dr. McGreggor should see me through college, provided my parents did not object.

“Hello, we are under way again,” exclaimed Uncle Edward, “we had better run below, or the ship will be docked before you have a chance to sre the engines running.”

Of what we saw down in the engine-room I have only the vaguest impression. The picture on a preceding page will tell the story better than I can. My eyes could not take in very much, for my mind was up in the clouds somewhere.