"We'd be glad to have you," added Miss Haddon. "Oh!" she suddenly
screamed, "the boat's tipping over!"
"Oh, no," Tom hastened to assure her, coming, to the side to help
her in. "It just tilts a bit, with the weight of so many on one
side. It couldn't capsize if it tried."
In another moment the three were in the roomy cockpit and Tom had
made the empty rowboat fast to the stern. He was about to start
up when from another boat, containing two little girls and two
slightly larger boys, came a plaintive cry:
"Oh, mister, give us a ride!"
"Sure!" agreed Tom pleasantly. "Just fasten your boat to the
other rowboat and I'll tow you."
One of the boys did this, and then, with three pretty girls as his
companions in the ARROW and towing the two boats, Tom started off.
The girls were very much interested in the craft and asked all
sorts of questions about how the engine operated. Tom explained
as clearly as he could how the gasoline exploded in the cylinders,
about the electric spark and about the propeller. Then, when he
had finished, Miss Haddon remarked naively:
"Oh, Mr. Swift, you've explained it beautifully, and I'm sure if
our teacher in school made things as clear as you have that I
could get along fine. I understand all about it, except I don't
see what makes the engine go.
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