ful red motor boat, at the wheel of which sat a
stout man, with a very florid face and a commanding air.

"Get out of my way!" he cried. "I can't stop so short! Look out,
or I'll run you down!"

Tom, with a fierce feeling of resentment at the fellow, was about
to shift the course of the Kilo, but he was too late.

A moment later there came a smashing blow on the stern port
quarter and the Kilo heeled over at a dangerous angle, while, with
a rending, splintering sound of wood, the big red motorboat swept
on past Tom and Ned, her rubstreak grinding along the side of the
Kilo.

CHAPTER V

SHARP WORDS

"Great Scott, Tom! What happened?"

"I know as much as you, Ned. That fellow ran us down, that's all."

"Are we leaking?" and with this question Ned sprang from his place
near the bow, and looked toward the stern, where the heaviest blow
had been struck.

The Kilo had swung back to an even keel again, but was still
bobbing about on the water.

"Any hole there?" cried Tom, as he swung the wheel over to point
his craft toward shore, in case she showed a tendency to sink.

"I can't see any hole," answered Ned. "But water is coming in
here."

"Then there's a leak all right! Probably some of the seams are
opened, or it may be coming in around the shaft stuffing-box.
Here, Ned, take the wheel, and I'll start up the engine again,"
for with the blow the motor had stopped.

"What are you going to do?" asked Ned, as he again made his way
forward.

"Take her to shore, of course. It's deep out here and I don't want
her to go down at this point."

"Say, what do you think of that fellow, anyhow, Tom?"

"I wouldn't like to tell you. Look, he's coming back."

This was so, for, as the boys watched, the big red motor boat had
swung about in a circle and was headed for them.

"I'll tell him what I think of him, at any rate," murmured Tom, as
he bent over his motor. "And, later on, I'll let the lawyers talk
to him."

"You mean you'll sue him, Tom?"

"Well, I'm certainly not going to let him run into me and spring a
leak, for nothing. That won't go with me!"

By this time Tom had the motor started, but he throttled it down
so that it just turned the propeller. With it running at full
speed there was considerable vibration, and this would further
open the leaking seams. So much water might thus be let in that
the craft could not be gotten ashore.

"Head her over, Ned," cried Tom, when he found he had suffi