Not far from where they were standing was a small boathouse with a pier projecting into the lake. Near the end of the little dock a motor boat was 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 the stern.
“It has good enough lines,” said Walter, as he ran his eyes over the boat, “but it seems as though it had been pretty well neglected.”
“The owner never used it much,” explained Jack. “He didn’t care much for the water, and when he was here spent most of his time in hunting on land.”
“Looks pretty much like junk to me,” admitted Paul, as he took in the dilapidated appearance of the boat.
The others could not help agreeing that Paul’s criticism seemed justified.
“Doesn’t look as though she’d be worth taking much trouble for, does she?” 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 capable of speed too if she’s put in decent condition. Of course she looks like a total loss now, but it’s wonderful what a little work will do. Let’s take a look at the engine anyway.”
They boarded the little craft and removed a tarpaulin that had been spread over the engine. The boys then proceeded to give the latter a thorough inspection, first, however, bailing out the water that had collected in the bottom of the boat.