inor adjustments and the next day he went out alone for a long
run.

Heading up the lake, Tom was soon in sight of a popular excursion
resort that was frequently visited by church and Sunday-school
organizations in the vicinity of Shopton. The lad saw a number of
rowing craft and a small motor-boat circling around opposite the resort
and remarked: "There must be a picnic at the grove to-day. Guess I'll
run up and take a look."

The lad was soon in the midst of quite a flotilla of rowboats, most of
them manned by pretty girls or in charge of boys who were giving
sisters (their own or some other chap's) a trip on the water. Tom
throttled his boat down to slow speed and looked with pleasure on the
pretty scene. His boat attracted considerable attention, for motor
craft were not numerous on Lake Carlopa.

As our hero passed a boat, containing three very pretty young ladies,
Tom heard one of them exclaim:

"There he is now! That's Tom Swift."

Something in the tones of the voice attracted his attention. He turned
and saw a brown-eyed girl smiling at him. She bowed and asked,
blushing the while:

"Well, have you caught any more runaway horses lately?"

"Runaway horses--why--what? Oh, it's Miss Nestor!" exclaimed the lad,
recognizing the young lady whose steed he had frightened one day when
he was on his bicycle. As told in the first volume of this series, the
horse had run away, being alarmed at the flashing of Tom's wheel, and
Miss Mary Nestor, of Mansburg, was in grave danger.

"So you've given up the bicycle for the motor-boat," went on the young
lady.

"Yes," replied Tom with a smile, shutting off the power, "and I haven't
had a chance to save any girls since I've had it."

The two boats had drifted close together, and Miss Nestor introduced
her two companions to Tom.

"Don't you want to come in and take a ride?" he asked.

"Is it safe?" asked Jennie Haddon, one of the trio.

"Of course it is, Jennie, or he wouldn't be out in it," said Miss
Nestor hastily. "Come on, let's get in. I'm just dying for a
motor-boat ride."

"What will we do with our boat?" asked Katie Carson.

"Oh, I can tow that," replied the youth. "Get right in and I'll take
you all around the lake."

"Not too far," stipulated the girl who had figured in the runaway. "We
must be back for lunch, which will be served in about an hour. Our
church and Sunday-school are having a picnic."

"Maybe Mr. Swift will come and have s