than they were expected. Tedder, though still out of breath, gave
an account of the expedition.
“We found the tool house almost as soon as we got there.
Crawled through a window while Mac stood outside and watch
ed. Jack found the wrench the first thing, but I stuck my hand
into an old setting hen. It felt as if I had stuck my hand into a
barrel of soft soap. She didn’t make much noise but let out a
sharp guttural c-u-u-r-r-r, and scared me about senseless. I
jumped back and rubbed against a pair of double trees hanging
on the wall. Didn’t you hear them over here? Well, they fell
like a wagon load of stoves. We got out pretty suddenly, but Jack
held on to the wrench. When we left a little dog was barking in
the house. That is a good wrench. It is a pipe and bolt wrench
combined. We can unscrew those steam pipes with it.”
' The large wrench proved to be the key to the situation, and with
it the engine was soon unbolted from its foundations. Owing to
obstacles the engine had to be moved across timbers from its
resting place to the wagon.
“Are you sure those sticks are sound,” asked Tedder. “This old
horse moves as though he were' heavy enough to break through
a bridge.”
“They are all right,” came back the reply. “But, say, this wagon
will have to be coupled shorter before we put the engine on it.”
it “ Don>t you have anything to do, Johnson?” asked McCormick.
“Suppose you bring a piece of the moon in here so we can see
better. You might go out and watch for that farmer. He might
stroll over here with his artillery.”
After some difficulty the wagon was adjusted and they began to
move the engine slowly on rollers. The greasy monster moved
inch by inch under the efforts of the straining students. The
smell of old grease was everywhere, and even the faint light show
ed how black it made their hands and sweating faces. The engine
was moving nicely, but a sudden effort caused the wagon to roll
forward a few inches. The timbers slipped off the foundation
and the engine dropped with a startling crash. Those prying on
the levers plunged suddenly into the dark. They had forgotten to