ass the stream.

Considerable time had thus been lost.

Indeed, it was twelve o'clock before they reached the railroad track at
a point between Polo and Cowgill.

"The question is, has the train passed?" said Jack.

"Ve ditn'd seen nodding ohf her yet," replied Fritz.

"Ay, but that ain't no sign as it didn't pass," growled Tim, as he took
a chew of tobacco. "I recollect when I wuz in the navy how we started
fer ther rendezvous o' a enemy's ship---"

"I won't listen!" exclaimed Jack, with a frown.

"Waal, I'll tell Fritz," said Tim, in nowise abashed. "Yer see it wuz
sich a dark night we missed ther spot, which was a lagoon, on the coast
o' Georgie---"

"Try ub!" roared Fritz.

"I'll be blowed if I will!"

"I don'd vant ter hear dot yarn."

"I don't keer if yer don't. Ter continer: But although we missed ther
lagoon in ther gloom, an runned inter a leetle bay, our enemy did ther
same. Thar we had him. Gee whiz, how we socked it ter him! He sailed
aroun' and aroun' ther bay, an' we arter him. I manned ther long Tom,
an' pickin' 'em out one by one, I gave it ter each o' ther crew---"

"For Heaven's sake, stop!" cried Jack.

"Wot fer?"

"How could you see in the dark?"

"Why, every time I fired ther moon popped out, an' as soon as I stopped
it hid itself agin," explained Tim, "Waal, sir, arter ther crew o' that
ship surrendered, wot d'yer s'pose?"

"Ve don't vos tink noddings!" roared Fritz.

"But I wants yer ter, I'll tell yer. We diskivered as ther ship wot we
wuz firin' at wazn't no enemies wessel at all. It wuz our own consort,
an'---"

"Oh, you old liar! You positively asserted it was your enemy---"

"But I wuz mistooken. I---"

Bang!

A startling report rang out.

It came from beneath the stage.

The Terror stopped.

"By jingo, she's broken!" gasped Jack.

"How?" asked Tim, forgetting his yarn.

"It must be in the truck."

"Himmel! How ve go ahet now ter safe dot drain?"

Jack alighted.

He quickly examined the gear.

"It's one of the driving rods snapped in two!" he cried, finally.

"Kin ye fix it, my lad?"

"I don't know till I take it off. We are crippled."

He got a wrench and unfastened the bolts, took off the two pieces, and
then saw that the rim of one of the wheels had picked up a long stone
which flew around with it.

It jammed between the body of the stage and one of the spokes, and the
sudden shock had caused the rod to snap.

Just as Jack examined it, he he