for a moment, then fell behind. Our engine had not been running perfectly from the first; and now as we jolted over a section of newly mended road and began to climb a bumpy hill, the trouble suddenly became so much worse that it looked as though it meant delay. Impure gasolene does not make one cylinder miss fire regularly for many revolutions and then explode once or twice with a croupy grunt. "There's something the matter with the car," said Lady nervously. "I hope we're not going to break down. We mustn't break down."[Pg 98] [Pg 98] "The chauffeur says it's the gasolene," I answered, "but I don't believe it. It's ignition by the sound." "Do you know anything about a car?" "A little," I said; and as we drew up at the side of the road, I was out and in front of the machine almost before the chauffeur had lumbered from his seat. He got out his electric lamp, and began tinkering with the carburetor. "Hold on a minute," I said. "If you ball up that adjustment, it may take half an hour to get it right again. Are you sure it isn't ignition?" "Ignition's all right, sir," he grunted; "she's getting too much gas." "Then why are three of your cylinders all right and one all wrong?" I snapped. "Come around here with that lamp." Once the bonnet was open it was not hard to find the trouble. The nut which held one of the wires to its connection on the magneto had dropped off, and the end of the wire was hanging loose, connecting only when the vibration of the car swung it against the binding-post. The chauffeur did not appear grieved. "We're dished," he remarked cheerfully. "I've no other nut like that."[Pg 99] [Pg 99] "It's probably in the underpan," I retorted. We got the pan off, and after some search in the puddle of grimy grease, were fortunate enough to find it. A moment later we were throbbing steadily on our way. "That man of yours isn't exactly delighted with his work," I commented. "I don't blame him. He isn't supposed to be waked up for forty-mile trips in the middle of the night, and he's English and worships his habits. Are we all right now?"
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