CHAPTER VI

 Ready for A cruise

“What a pretty cabin!” cried Mollie.

“And see the places to put things!” exclaimed Betty.

“Places to put things!” fairly snorted Mr. Marlin, or to give him his proper title, Captain Marlin.  “Places!  Huh!  Lockers, young ladies!  Lockers!  That’s where you put things.  The aft starboard locker, the for’d port locker.  You must learn sea lingo if you’re to cruise in the Gem.”

The girls were still aboard the new motor boat.  They could not seem to leave it since Betty had been told that it was a gift from her uncle.  They inspected every part, turned the wheel, daintily touched the shining motor, and even tried the bunks.

“There is room for five in the cabin,” said Betty, looking about.  “If we wanted to take another girl with us we could, when we go cruising.”

“Or a chaperone,” added Grace.  “We may have to do that, you know.”

“Well, we can,” admitted Betty.  “The question is, shall we go on a cruise?”

“Ask us!” exclaimed Mollie with a laugh.  “Just ask us!”

“I do ask you,” retorted the little captain of the Gem.  “Girls, you are hereby invited to accompany me on a cruise to go—­ Oh, where can we go?”

“To Rainbow Lake, of course,” said Grace, promptly.  “We can go down the river into the lake, motor about it, go out into the lower river if we want to, camp on an island or two, if we like, and have a general good time.”

“That’s the way to talk!” cried Captain Marlin.  “And I’ll come with you part of the time.  There’s some extra bunks back here maybe you didn’t see,” and he showed them three folding ones in the cockpit back of the trunk cabin, where awnings could be stretched in stormy weather, enclosing that part of the craft.

“But what makes the boat go?” asked gentle Amy.

“The motor makes it ‘mote,’” spoke Betty.  “It’s up in front; isn’t it, Uncle Amos?”

“Up in front!  There you go again, Bet.  Up in front!  You mean for’ard; up for’ard!”

“That’s right, Uncle, I forgot.  Come, we’ll show these girls where the motor is,” and she led the way to where the machinery was enclosed in a large compartment in the bow, close by hinged wing-covers.

The motor, one of three cylinders, was a self-starter, but by means of a crank and chain could be started from the steering platform, just aft of the trunk cabin, in case of emergency.  There was a clutch, so that the motor could be set in motion without starting the boat, until the clutch, set for forward or reverse motion, had been adjusted, just as the motor of an automobile can be allowed to run without the car itself moving.

“And what a dear little stove in the kitchen!” exclaimed Betty, as the girls looked in the cooking compartment—­ it was not much more than a compartment.

“Kitchen!” cried Captain Marlin.  “That isn’t a kitchen!”