She stepped into the trim craft and affectionately patted the shining engine.
"'It is much simpler to run than a car, and besides, there isn't so much to get in your way on the water," Cora went on.
"My!" exclaimed Bess as she stepped in after her hostess. "This is really—scrumptious!"
"You take the seat in the stern, Belle, and Bess, you may sit here near me," said Cora, "as I suppose you will be interested in seeing how it works. Oh! There is the steamer from the train. Hurry! Perhaps there are folks aboard we know. Let us act at home, and pretend we have been running motor boats all our lives."
Cora took her place at the engine and before Bess or Belle had really gotten seated she was turning on the gasoline.
"You see this is the little pipe that feeds the 'gas' from the tank to the carburetor," she explained. "Now, I just throw in the switch: that makes the electrical connection: then I have to give this fly wheel—it's stiff—but I have to swing it around so! There!" and the wheel "flew" around twice slowly and then began to revolve very rapidly. "Now we are ready," and the engine started its regular chug chug.
"How do you steer?" asked Bess anxiously, for the big steamer with its cargo of summer folks seemed rather near.
"I can steer here," and Cora turned a wheel amidships, "or one may steer at the bow. Suppose you take the forward wheel Bess, as I may, have enough to do to look after the engine."
"Very well," acquiesced the girl, "but I hope I make no mistakes."
"Oh you won't. Just turn the wheel the way you want to go. Now we'll hurry. I want to show off my boat."