turnout to let the cars pass.
We were climbing steadily, nearing the top of the valley when I begin to smell hot oil. I rolled down my window.
The air was crisp and cold.
“C'mon, baby,” Dave said to the car. “You can make it.”
I saw a red light come on below the speedometer.
“What's that light?”
“Got to fix that,” he said and kept driving.
We were almost out of the valley, had just crossed a bridge over a chasm, had started to climb again, there was a
shudder, a bang. The car stopped.
Dave got out swearing at Plymouth Valiant. He dug a flashlight from the glove box. We looked under the hood.
Dave got in the car, kept trying to start it - it wouldn't turn over.
“What's wrong with the car?”
He kicked the dusty fender. “Something major – damn it!.” He stood still for a moment, kicked the door closed and said,
“Get your stuff out.”
`
He pointed at some lights that were starting up the grade. “We'll hitch a ride with him.”
He stepped back. His head swiveled.
“There’s room for cars to get past,” he said. “We’ll leave her here with a note on the windshield.”
I held the flashlight while Dave scribbled, “DON’T TOW , Broke down, Will return Saturday”, on piece of paper he got off
the floor and stuck it under a windshield wiper. Then I started collecting things that I had taken out of my pack. Dave reached
in the glove box, put his dark glasses in his shirt pocket, raked the other stuff into a frayed cardboard box. We put three boxes,
his toolbox, a dirty sleeping bag and my pack on the mountain side of the road.
“Hey I just thought of something.”
I held the flashlight as he unplugged and reconnected some wires under the hood.
“Now, try it..”
I got in the car. It wouldn’t turn over.
“The headlights work?”
I pulled the knob. They came on.
“I was hoping it was a bad connection,” Dave said from under the hood. “Damn it to hell!”
“Let me try.”
I didn’t know what he could do, but I climbed out of the Haywagon.
Dave tried to start the car. It still wouldn’t turn over, but the headlights dimmed. Dave got out swearing and cursing.
He slammed the hood closed, gave the car a tremendous body slam, the headlights flickered. He dented the hood.
