"Pull her in," called Matt to the boy. "I'd like to look at her engine."
The boy laid hold of the painter, and drew the boat up alongside the wharf. Matt dropped into her, and lifted one side of the hinged hood that protected the motor.
He found that the engine consisted of two horizontal opposed cylinders, and was as neat, simple, and compact a marine motor as any he had ever seen. The gasoline tank was in the nose of the boat.
"Ten horse power," mused Matt.
"You've struck it," said the boy.
After a five-minute examination the only fault Matt had to find with the machinery lay in the reversing gear. The brake band was not properly adjusted, but was set so that it dragged on the drum, which could hardly fail to result in a reduction of speed.
When Matt climbed up on the wharf again McGlory met him with an eager question as to what he thought of the Sprite, which was the name of the little craft.
"She's all right," answered Matt, "and ought to run like a singed cat."
"Worth a couple of hundred plunks?"
"The motor alone is worth a hundred and fifty, and seems to be as good as new."