American Boys Afloat

The Maud had certainly developed a rather remarkable speed for a boat of her size; but she had been built on the Clyde for the Pacha, and twelve knots had been stipulated as the speed she was required to make in the contract. Felipe had explained as well as he could that something had been the matter with the machinery even before he left the service of the distinguished Moor.

Neither he nor the engineer of the Fatimé could ascertain what it was; but that morning, when he made a thorough overhauling of the machine, after his appointment as her engineer, he had discovered a bolt which had dropped into a place where it impeded the movement of the piston. He had removed it, and the result had been seen during the afternoon. But for this discovery the Grand Mogul, as all of them were in the habit of calling him in a sort of mild derision, might have bagged his game.