Part 6 (1/2)
”Well, now that you have a boat, I don't suppose you will be riding about the country so much,” commented Mr. Damon as he got into his car.
”Bless my spark-plug! But if you ever get over to Waterfield, where I live, come and see me. It's handy to get to by water.”
”I'll come some day,” promised the lad.
”Bless my hat band, but I hope so,” went on the eccentric individual as he prepared to start his car.
Tom completed the remainder of the trip to his house without incident and his father came down to the dock to see the motor-boat. He agreed with his son that it was a bargain and that it could easily be put in fine shape.
The youth spent all the next day and part of the following working on the craft. He overhauled the ignition system, which was the jump-spark style, cleaned the magneto and adjusted the gasoline and compression taps so that they fitted better. Then he readjusted the rudder lines, tightening them on the steering wheel, and looked over the piping from the gasoline tank.
The tank was in the forward compartment, and, upon inspecting this, the lad concluded to change the plan by which the big galvanized iron box was held in place. He took out the old wooden braces and set them closer together, putting in a few new ones.
”The tank will not vibrate so when I'm going at full speed,” he explained to his father.
”Is that where the strange man was tampering with the lock the day of the auction?” asked Mr. Swift.
”Yes, but I don't see what he could want in this compartment, do you dad?”
The inventor got into the boat and looked carefully into the rather dark s.p.a.ce where the tank fitted. He went over every inch of it, and, pointing to one of the thick wooden blocks that supported the tank, asked:
”Did you bore that hole in there, Tom?”
”No, it was there before I touched the braces. But it isn't a hole, or rather, someone bored it and stopped it up again. It doesn't weaken the brace any.”
”No, I suppose not. I was just wondering whether that was one of the new blocks or an old one.”
”Oh, an old one. I'm going to paint them, too, so in case the water leaks in or the gasoline leaks out the wood won't be affected. A gasoline tank should vibrate as little as possible, if you don't want it to leak. I guess I'll paint the whole interior of this compartment white, then I can see away into the far corners of it.”
”I think that's a good idea,” commented Mr. Swift.
It was four days after his purchase of the boat before Tom was ready to make a long trip in it. Up to that time he had gone on short spins not far from the dock, in order to test the engine adjustment. The lad found it was working very well, but he decided with a new kind of spark plugs for the two cylinders that he could get more speed out of it.
Finally the forward compartment was painted and a general overhauling given the hull and Tom was ready to put his boat to a good test.
”Come on, Ned,” he said to his chum early one evening after Mr. Swift had said he was too tired to go out on a trial run. ”We'll see what the ARROW will do now.”
From the time Tom started up the motor it was evident that the boat was going through the water at a rapid rate. For a mile or more the two lads speeded along, enjoying it hugely. Then Ned exclaimed:
”Something's coming behind us.”
Tom turned his head and looked. Then he called out:
”It's Mr. Hastings in his new CARLOPA. I wonder if he wants a race?”
”Guess he'd have it all his own way,” suggested Ned.
”Oh, I don't know. I can get a little more speed out of my boat.”
Tom waited until the former owner of the ARROW was up to him.