You'll have to get a new off front tire,
Doc. That one is pretty near gone. Better have Jim, here, put on the
spare when he gets through.
[The CARABINIERE beckon to MARIANO and speak to him.]
VASILI [seriously, stepping toward PIKE]. Do you know what you are
asking me to do?
PIKE [watching CARABINIERE]. To put on a new tire.
[VASILI, with exclamation and gesture of despair grimly tinged with
humor, turns away, greatly disturbed.]
MARIANO [addressing PIKE with an embarrassed bow]. The carabiniere with
all excuses beg if you will command the chauffeur to step forth from the
automobile.
PIKE. _No_, sir; I worked on that machine myself for three hours. He's
got his hands full of nuts and screws and bolts half fastened. If he
lays them down now to come out I don't know how long it'll take to get
them back in place. We want to get this job finished. [Continues with a
plaintive uplift of voice.] This is _serious_! Tell them to go on up
Main Street with their Knights of Pythias parade, and come around some
day when we haven't got our hands full.
MARIANO [meekly]. I tell them--yes, sir.
[Turns and confers with the CARABINIERE.]
PIKE. It'll be your turn in a minute, Doc; be mighty careful what you
say.
MARIANO. Because the chauffeur have been engaged only to-day and have
just arrived, the carabiniere ask ten thousand pardons, but inquire how
long he have been known to his employer.
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