At that moment there sounded a loud explosion from the other boat and at the same time there came over the water a shrill cry of alarm."That's a girl in that boat!" exclaimed Ned."Maybe she's hurt.""No, the motor only backfired," observed Tom."But we'll go over and see if we can help her.Perhaps she doesn't understand it.Girls don't know much about machinery."A little later the ARROW shot up alongside the other craft, which had come to a stop.The two lads could see a girl bending over the motor, twirling the flywheel and trying to get it started."Can I help you?" asked Tom, shutting off the power from his craft.
The young lady glanced up.Her face was red and she seemed ill at ease.At the sight of the young inventor she uttered an exclamation of relief.
"Why, Mr.Swift!" she cried."Oh, I'm in such trouble.I can't make the machine work, and I'm afraid it's broken; it exploded.""Miss Nestor!" blurted out Tom, more surprised evidently to see his acquaintance of the runaway again than she was at beholding him."I didn't know you ran a motor-boat," he added."I don't," said she simply and helplessly."That's the trouble, it won't run.""How comes it that you are up here?" went on Tom.
"I am stopping with friends, who have a cottage near the Lakeview Hotel.They have a motor-boat and I got Dick Blythe---he's the owner of this---to show me how to run it.I thought I knew, and I started out a little while ago.At first it went beautifully, but a few minutes ago it blew up, or---or something dreadful happened.""Nothing very dreadful, I guess," Tom assured her."I think I can fix it." He got into the other boat and soon saw what the trouble was.The carburetor had gotten out of adjustment and the gasoline was not feedingproperly.The young inventor soon had it in order, and, testing the motor, found that it worked perfectly.
"Oh, I can't thank you enough," cried Miss Nestor with a flash from her brown eyes that made Tom's heart beat double time."I was afraid I had damaged the boat, and I knew Dick, who is a sort of second cousin of mine, would never forgive me.""There's no harm done," Tom assured her."But you had better keep near us on your way back, that is, if you are going back.""Oh, indeed I am.I was frightened when I found I'd come so far away from shore, and then, when that explosion took place---well, you can imagine how I felt.Indeed I will keep near you.Are you stopping near here? If you are, I wish you'd come and see me, you and Mr.Newton" she added, for Tom had introduced his chum.
"I'll be very glad to," answered our hero, and he told how he happened to be in the neighborhood."I'll give you a few lessons in managing a boat, if you like," he added.
"Oh, will you? That will be lovely! I won't tell Dick about it, and I'll surprise him some day by showing him how well I can run his boat.""Good idea," commented Tom.
He started the motor for Miss Nestor, having stopped it after his first test, and then, with the DOT, which was the name of the small boat Miss Nestor was in, following the larger ARROW, the run back to the hotel was made.The young lady turned off near the Lakeview dock to go to the cottage where she was stopping and the lads tied up at the hotel boathouse."Yes, we are in for a storm," remarked Tom as he and his chum walkedup toward the hotel."I wonder how dad is?I hope the outing is doing him good.""There he comes now," observed Ned, and, looking up, Tom saw his father approaching.The young inventor was at once struck by the expression on his parent's face.Mr.Swift looked worried and Tom anxiously hastened forward to meet him.
"What's the matter dad?" he asked as cheerfully as he could."Have you been figuring over that gyroscope problem again, against my express orders?" and be laughed a little.
"No, Tom, it's not the gyroscope that's worrying me." "What is it then?""Those scoundrels are around again, Tom!" and Mr.Swift looked apprehensively about him.
"You mean the men who stole the turbine model?""Yes.I was walking in the woods near the hotel yesterday and I saw Anson Morse.He did not see me, for I turned aside as quickly as I had a glimpse of him.He was talking to another man.""What sort of a man?"
"Well, an ordinary enough individual, but I noticed that he had tattooed on the little finger of his left hand a blue ring.""Happy Harry, the tramp!" exclaimed Tom."What can he and Morse be doing here?""I don't know, Tom, but I'm worried.I wish I was back home.I'm afraid something may happen to some of my inventions.I want to go back to Shopton, Tom.""Nonsense, dad.Don't worry just because you saw some of your former enemies.Everything is all right at home.Mrs.Baggert and Garret Jackson will look after things.But, if you like, I, can find out for you how matters are.""How, Tom?"
"By taking a run down there in my motor-boat.I can do it to- morrow and get back by night, if I start early.Then you will not worry.""All right, Tom; I wish you would.Come up to my room and we will talk it over.I'd rather leave you go than telephone, as I don't like to talk of my business over the wire if I can avoid it."
