3618 Pampas Nursery Road New Smyrna Beach, Florida 32168
This is the story of an engine hunt that could have been true.
After I had returned home from an engine show one Sunday afternoon,
I decided to pay a visit to our local airport to investigate a
rickety old building that was almost ready to fall down. As I
opened a door to this dimly lit building, I could see, among the
spider webs and other debris, this beautiful little engine, looking
right at me. It was all painted up and polished, and was by far the
most beautiful engine a person could ever hope to see. As I stood
entranced looking at it, I could see that it was a Monitor Side
Shaft, about three or four horsepower.
Behind the little engine was a small lathe. In back of the lathe
was a small three cylinder truck, used, I imagine, to haul the
engine to different work places. I could see three spark plug
wires, but questioned why I couldn’t see a fourth, as a three
cylinder vehicle engine would be very rare. You can imagine the
exhilaration I felt by this time. On the wall was a dark picture of
an old man with a cane, which reminded me of a picture my mother
had when I was a little boy. By now, I could see better. Scattered
around the little engine were about six or eight leather pouches
about ten inches square, displaying emblems, plaques, and other
priceless mementos.
As I walked outside the ruins, I hesitated. I could see a
stranger dressed in black walking towards me, with a limp. He
stopped and spoke, and said he was from a nearby town. He said all
these things were given to him. I said they must be worth a million
dollars. He said he knew it.
By now, I had begun to like the old man.
After a pause, as it was getting dark, with a faint chuckle in
his voice, I could hear the old man say, ‘Be patient, my lad,
someday these will all be yours.’
We passed on, like two strangers in the night.
Question: Who was the stranger dressed in black?
