are all tired.”
Building work had not yet been finished, so the carpenters were still with us. They were sleeping on the press floor. I said, pointing to them, “But can’t we make use of these carpenters? And we may have a whole night of work. I think this device is still open to us.”
“I dare not wake up the carpenters. And our men are really too tired,” said West.
“Well, that’s for me to negotiate,” said I.
“Then it is possible that we may get through the work,” West replied.
I woke up the carpenters and requested their cooperation. They needed no pressure. They said, “If we cannot be called upon in an emergency, what use are we? You rest yourselves and we will work the wheel. For us it is easy work.” Our own men were of course ready.
West was greatly delighted and started singing a hymn as we set to work. I partnered the carpenters, all the rest joined turn by turn, and thus we went on until 7 a.m. There was still a good deal to do. I therefore suggested to West that the engineer might now be asked to get up and try again to start the engine, so that if we succeeded we might finish in time.
West woke him up, and he immediately went into the engine room. And lo and behold! the engine worked almost as soon as he touched it. The whole press rang with peals of joy. “How can this be? How is it that all our labours last night were of no avail, and this morning it has been set going as though there were nothing wrong with it?” I enquired.
“It is difficult to say,” said West or the engineer. I forget which. “Machines also sometimes seem to behave as though they required rest like us.”