is what the voice said,
"you ridiculous landlubber! You go everywhere? What about the water? Can
you go to France and back again? It's only I who can haul the world's
goods across the ocean! And even where you _can_ go, you never get
trusted if they can possibly trust me, now do you? Did you ever think
why men use river steamers instead of you? Did you ever think why men
cut the great Panama Canal so that sea could flow into sea? Well, it's
simply because they're smart and prefer me to you when they can get me.
You eat too much coal with your speed,--that's what the trouble is with
you--you ridiculous landlubber!"

This long speech made the old steamer quite hoarse so he cleared his
throat with a long "Toooot" and sank into silence.

"Of course, what he says is true," thought the engine. "At the same time
it is equally true that _on land_ I _do_ serve everyone, I go
everywhere----"

Just here he was interrupted again by a most unexpected noise. It
sounded half like a steel giggle, half like a brass hiccough. It
made the engine uneasy. He was sure someone was laughing at him.
Majestically he turned his headlight till it lighted up a funny little
automobile who was laughing and laughing and shaking frantically like
this and going "zzzzz."

"You silly little road beetle," shouted the great engine, "what on
earth's the matter with you?"

The automobile gave one violent shake, turned off his spark and said in
an orderly voice, "It struck my funny bone to hear you say you went
everywhere _on land_, that's all. Don't you realize you're an old fuss
budget with your steam and your boiler and your fire and what not?
You're tied to your rails and if everything about your old tracks isn't
kept just so you tumble over into a ditch or do some fool thing. Now I'm
the one that can endure real hardships. Sparks and gasoline! you just
sit right there, you baby, you railclinger, and watch me take that hill!
Honk, honk!" And he was off up the hill.

The engine slowly turned back his headlight till the light shone full on
his shiny rails. He thought of what he had heard. "He called me a
railclinger--yes, that I am. How can that preposterous little beetle run
without tracks? I'm afraid he's more wonderful than I."

Now the automobile went jouncing and bouncing up the rough road puffing
merrily and thinking, "I'm mightily pleased with myself. Look at the way
I climb this hill. There's nothing really so wonderful as I----"

Just the