Page:Tom Swift and His Motor Boat.djvu/94

82 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 back-fired," 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 fly-wheel 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."