CHAPTER IX THE "WATER SPRITE"
The next morning dawned clear and beautiful. The storm of the day beforehad washed the dust from plants and trees, and seemed to have washed thevery air itself, for it was as clear as crystal and had a tonic qualitythat set the blood to dancing.
Cora had awakened early and stolen to her window, where she sat entrancedby the beauty of the view. But she was not allowed to enjoy it long, forthere came a thundering knock on the door that made her jump.
"Come along, you sleepyheads!" sounded Jack's voice from outside. "It'stoo fine a morning to waste it in sleep."
"Let us now be up and doing!" chanted Walter.
"The day is one to stir the sluggard blood!" added Paul.
"You boys just trot along," sang out Cora defiantly. "We're going to takeour time."
"You always do," retorted Jack. "If time were money you girls would bemillionaires."
"Let them rave," remarked Belle, as she opened her sleepy eyes.
"I'm going to have another forty winks," said Bess, as she turned over onher pillow.
"No, you're not!" declared Cora, as the boys went clattering down thestairs. "It's a perfectly gorgeous day, girls, and it's simply a crime towaste it in bed. The view from these windows is enough to make you gasp.Besides, we don't want to keep breakfast waiting."
Bess still protested, but yielded to the laughing threat of being draggedfrom bed if she did not get up of her own accord, and the girls hurriedwith their dressing.
They found the boys already at the table, making huge inroads on thefood.
"You see we're waiting for you," remarked Jack, as he passed his platefor another helping of bacon and eggs.
"Yes," replied Cora, "I see you are."
"You're a gallant lot!" reproached Belle.
"We didn't think you'd get up till noon," defended Walter.
"Besides," added Paul, "we've heard of something that makes us want tohustle."
"What is that?" asked Bess with lively interest, as the girls took theirseats.
"Aunt Betty tells us that there is an old motor boat down on the lake,"replied Jack. "It hasn't been used much for the last two or three years,and it's probably a good deal out of repair. We thought we might be ableto tinker it up and take you girls out for a sail on the lake."
"You see, we're always thinking of how we can give you girls a goodtime," observed Paul.
"Of course you weren't expecting to have a good time yourselves," mockedCora.
"I didn't know that there was a lake so close at hand," said Belledelightedly.
"Hadn't I told you about it?" said Cora. "We've had so much to talk aboutthat I must have omitted that from my description. But there is abeautiful mountain lake not more than five minutes' walk from here. Ididn't know that there was a motor boat anywhere round, though. I'm wildto have a look at it."
"Don't spend too long a time at the table then," admonished Jack.
"That's pretty good, coming from you," countered Belle. "But don't worry.You boys live to eat, while we eat to live."
"None of you seems to be wasting away," retorted Jack. "But hurry alongnow and all will be forgiven. We fellows have got to go out and see ifJoel has the tools we'll need for tinkering up the boat."
They excused themselves and went out, while the girls, who were all agogwith the new pleasure promised them, hurried through their meal and wereready for the trip when the boys returned.
A few minutes of brisk walking brought them to the borders of a lakewhose blue waters shimmered in the morning sun. An exclamation of delightbroke from them as they gazed upon its beauty.
The lake stretched for about four miles in one direction and was perhapsa mile and a half in width. Near the center of it they could see a smallisland that appeared to be heavily wooded.
Not far from where they were standing was a small boathouse with a pierprojecting into the lake. Near the end of the little dock a motor boatwas moored.
"There's the boat!" cried Jack, and they all made a rush for it.
"The _Water Sprite_," read Cora from the partly effaced letters on thestern.
"It has good enough lines," said Walter, as he ran his eyes over theboat, "but it seems as though it had been pretty well neglected."
"The owner never used it much," explained Jack. "He didn't care much forthe water, and when he was here spent most of his time in hunting onland."
"Looks pretty much like junk to me," admitted Paul, as he took in thedilapidated appearance of the boat.
The others could not help agreeing that Paul's criticism seemedjustified.
"Doesn't look as though she'd be worth taking much trouble for, doesshe?" remarked Jack doubtfully.
"Well, you wouldn't say that she'd just come from a motor-boat show,"observed Paul; "but just the same she may be a well made boat and capableof speed too if she's put in decent condition. Of course she looks like atotal loss now, but it's wonderful what a little work will do. Let's takea look at the engine anyway."
They boarded the little craft and removed a tarpaulin that had beenspread over the engine. The boys then proceeded to give the latter athorough inspection, first, however, bailing out the water that hadcollected in the bottom of the boat.
"Say, fellows!" exclaimed Jack, as his eyes lit on the manufacturer'sname plate, "this is a good little motor, no doubt of that. You know thatany engine these people put out is bound to be first class, don't you?"
"That's true enough," agreed Paul, "but the best engine ever built can beruined by carelessness and neglect."
"Yes," assented Walter, "but there may not be so much the matter withthis chugger after all. First thing to do is to turn the old engine overand see how it sounds." He had already put in some oil and gasoline.
"A fine idea," panted Jack after applying all his strength to theflywheel without result. "The trouble is that it won't turn at all."
"Here," said Walter, taking it from his hand, "let me try. Only youmustn't mind if I pull the whole engine out of the boat. I'm mighty aptto if I really let myself go, you know."
"Listen to Samson talking!" gibed Cora.
"Go ahead," said Jack. "Look out for flying splinters, Paul. Sampson isgoing to tear things wide open."
"He's mighty strong," mocked Paul. "He doesn't ask you to prove it. Headmits it."
There were no flying splinters, however, for in spite of all Walter'sexertions, the engine remained immovable.
"Well, that proves that she's a good solid boat to stand the strain,"grinned Walter, at last giving over the attempt.
"The muscles of his brawny arms Are strong as iron bands,"
jeered Cora.
"Guess there's nothing to do," continued Walter, "but take the enginedown and see what's wrong. It feels as though the parts had growntogether."
"Must be if you couldn't move it," said Jack scathingly. "But let's getbusy, fellows. I suppose the first thing to do is to get the cylindersoff."
They fell to with a will, and soon had the smaller fittings dismounted.The motor was of the two-cylinder, two-cycle type, and according to themakers' plate was rated at six horse power. The exterior was in fairlygood condition, only a few patches of rust showing here and there wherethe paint had been chipped off, leaving the metal exposed.
With some difficulty, the boys got the cylinders off. As they removed thefront one, Jack gave a long whistle.
"I'll bet there's the cause of the trouble," he said, pointing to thefront cylinder.
The others examined it and Paul remarked:
"Guess it's a case of broken piston ring, eh, Jack?"
"No doubt of it," was the response.
And indeed this would have been plain even to the most inexperienced eye.One of the grooves cut in the piston to receive a compression ring waspacked with broken bits of metal and metallic dust, many of the fragmentshaving actually been reduced to powder.
"That's a bad job," remarked Walter, shaking his head. "I wo
nder if thecylinder itself is damaged much."
"Easy to find out," said Jack. "Let's have a look."
They were relieved to find that the cylinder was very little scored,considering the condition of the piston.
"Looks to me as if a new set of piston rings would be necessary," judgedPaul.
"That's what," replied Jack. "But it would probably take a week to getthem from the manufacturers."
Cora gave a little exclamation of dismay.
"And wait all that time before we can have a ride in the _Water Sprite_?"she asked.
"Unless you can wave a magic wand and make the pistons come running,"said Jack.
"I'm going to rummage through these lockers," declared Cora, jumping upand going into the little cabin. "Perhaps there are some spare parts onhand."
A moment later she gave an exclamation of triumph.
"Here they are!" she cried, holding up a pair of the much desired rings.
"Oh, I'm so glad!" exclaimed Bess.
"Takes a woman to do things," said Belle in a superior way.
The boys looked a little sheepish, but at the same time delighted.
"She's a fairy all right," conceded Walter.
"You're the real thing, sis," beamed Jack, as he held out his hand forthe rings. "And now for the dirty work."
They adjusted the rings and overhauled the rest of the engine, whichproved to be in fairly good condition. There were no radical defects, andby dint of hard work they soon had the entire machinery in what seemed tobe good working order.
"There," panted Jack, as he straightened up, "I guess we're some littlemachinists, all right."
"We ought to be able to get a union card," said Walter.
"Toil has no terror for us!" declared Paul, striking an attitude.
"Those boys just hate themselves, don't they?" laughed Bess.
"They've worked pretty hard--for them," admitted Cora. "And as a specialreward, boys," she added generously, "we'll let you take us for our firstride in the _Water Sprite_ this afternoon."
The Motor Girls in the Mountains; or, The Gypsy Girl's Secret Page 9