Page:The purple pennant (IA purplepennant00barb).pdf/109

Rh wheel and peered into the glowing furnace under the boiler and listened to an exposition on the subject of getting up steam and the purposes of the steam and water gauges. The engineer was a willing teacher and Lanny an apt pupil, and they both enjoyed themselves.

"And what do you do with it at night?" asked Lanny innocently. "Do you leave it here and put the fire out?"

"Lave it here, yes, but I don't put the fire out, lad. I just bank it down, d'you see, an' thin in the mornin' I just rake her out a bit and throw some more coal in and there she is."

"Oh, I see. And how much steam does she have to have to work on?"

"Depends. Sixty pounds'll carry her along on a level strate, but you have to give her more on a grade."

"It's quite interesting," said Lanny. "And thanks for explaining it to me."

"Sure, that's all right," replied the other good-naturedly. "Maybe, though, you'll be afther my job first thing I know." He winked humorously.

Lanny smiled and shook his head. "I guess I'd be afraid to try to run one of those alone," he said. "It looks pretty difficult. How was it, now, I started it before?"