humiliate Jack in the eyes of his admirers in some way and at some time.
But no opportunity came for him, as month after month passed.

Jack showed a wonderfully industrious nature, and he never seemed idle.
When not at work he was studying some part of the ponderous machinery
about him, as if anxious to learn all there was to be known about it. The
knowledge he thus obtained was to be of inestimable value to him in the
scenes to come.

This trait of his pleased Henshaw, who, if a rough man, was honest in his
intentions, and he caused Jack's wages to be raised to seven dollars a
week. This was done in opposition to his assistant, who had taken a
strange dislike to him. His reasons for this will become apparent as we
proceed. About that time Jack was surprised to find that Fret Offut had
found employment in the building, though it was more as a helper than as a
regular workman, his chief task being to wheel the scraps of iron and
waste material away and to wait upon the boss of the big steam hammer.

He did not offer to speak to Jack, but the latter soon saw him holding
whispered conversations with Mires and the second boss, Furniss, when he
felt certain by their looks and motions that he was the subject of their
remarks. Once he overheard Offut tell a companion:

"I sha'n't wheel scrap iron always and Jack North won't be boss, either."

Jack had been at the engine works about six months, when he accidentally
learned that the company were planning to ship one of their machines to
South America, and that they were looking about for a suitable person to
send with it, to help unload it properly and set it up. A few days later,
as he was leaving the shop to go home, Henshaw came to him, saying: