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The carpenter, Mr. Hatch, got some kind of skin disease, which compelled him to leave for home. Then there were only two left, myself and Jenkins. Poor Jenkins turned out badly, and left me inside of two years; thus I was the only one left at Bangkok.
My next move was with my mate to put a pair of 20 × 24 yacht engines in the Prime Minister's yacht, "Meteor." I ran the yacht for some time, until the natives were properly schooled.
The next job was to put in a small single engine for Som Decht Noi's yacht, used for merely a plaything round the river and canals. Som Decht Noi was a very high noble. His title was conferred on him for meritorious conduct. He was a very old man, and was heavy, say about 250 pounds. He wanted me to erect the engine in a saw shed, which I did. He came in the day I started it, and became very much interested and excited at seeing the engine run. Ile said it was wonderful. As he was leaving the shed,
