there
seems to be no other way."

Jimmie and Jack slid out of the doorway and down the oscillating bamboo
stairs, and when, an hour later, the Major went to the little dock where
the _Manhattan_ lay he found the two boys working over her, sweating and
complaining in loud voices against the inefficiency of modern motor boat
manufacturers. The Major went on with his preparations for departure,
never doubting that the _Manhattan_ would be ready for him in a few
minutes. At last Jimmie turned an oil-smeared face toward Ned.

"No use," he exclaimed, "she won't go! The batteries are off and there's
something wrong with the carbureter, and the spark-plug is twisted, and
the delivery is all to the bad. Perhaps Major Ross can bring new parts
down from Manila."

"Shut up, you dunce!" whispered Jack. "You'll give yourself away!"

Captain Godwin nudged Ned with an elbow and turned his laughing eyes
away. He saw what the boys were doing, and rather approved of the idea
of journeys among the islands in the motor boat during the Major's
absence.

"Preposterous!" shouted the Major. "You must get the boat in shape to
make the voyage to Manila! My mission will not endure delay. Captain
Godwin, see what you can do with the boat."

Captain Godwin knew about as much of the running gear of a motor boat as
did Jimmie, but he at once oiled up his hands and his face and tugged
and pulled at the wheel, tapped on the supply pipes, investigated the
electric appliance, and finally announced that the boat was not in
running order.

The Major blustered about for a few moments and then set forth on his
mission in the canoe in which the party had landed.

"Perhaps," he said, at parting, "I may be able to catch a ship at
Banglo, or whatever the name of that little pueblo is on the island to
the west. In that case I shall return inside of ten days."

And so the Major went away, urging the rowers to greater exertions and
wiping his red face with a red handkerchief. Then a strange thing
happened. Jack drove Jimmie away from the _Manhattan_, asked Captain
Godwin to bring him a wrench, and in ten minutes, or as soon as the
canoe bearing the disgusted Major was conveniently around a bend, the
boat was sailing about on the river like a bird in the sky.

Captain Godwin started to censure the boys for the deception they had
practiced on the Major, but his severe words ended in a laugh.

"You helped!" Jimmie said, accusingly. "You knew what was up! W