Chapter 22

ANOTHER ELEMENT IN THE CONTEST.

"Where are we now, Dory?" asked Peppers, appearing at the aperture in the door, at which he had not been seen for the last half hour, though his voice was heard in consultation with Moody.

"Off Cumberland Head, and close to Grand Isle," replied Dory.

"Is there any thing in sight, Dory?" continued Peppers.

"There is a steamer coming towards the Head. I saw her above Valcour's Island two hours ago; and she has been in at Plattsburgh since that," answered Dory.

"Do you know what steamer it is?"

"I am not sure: she has not been within two miles of us."

"I can tell you all about her," interposed Pearl Hawlinshed with his frequent chuckle. "Why don't you apply at the captain's office when you want any information?"

"I don't think I can depend upon your information," added Peppers.

"I think you can. The steamer is the Sylph," added Pearl.

"I thought it was the Sylph," said Dory.

"She is the fastest boat of her inches on the lake," continued the skipper. "She has run by any of the big steamers, except the Vermont, which is good for eighteen miles an hour."

Dory had seen the steamer before, and he never saw her without having sad thoughts. He always kept away from her if she happened to be in any port where he was. But she was a beautiful craft, and her ordinary rate of sailing was twelve miles an hour; and it was said that she was good for two or three miles more if her owner would only "let her out."

"I don't think there is any comfort in her for you," chuckled Pearl. "She is a private yacht, belonging to Captain Gildrock; and he don't go out of his way to assist poor and distressed fellow-creatures like you."

"How far off is she, Dory?" asked the officer.

"She is half way across Cumberland Bay; and I should think she was four miles off, or thereabouts," answered Dory.

"Just about four: that was a good guess, Dory Dornwood," added the skipper.

"Can't you hail her if she comes near us?" suggested Peppers.

"No, he can't!" exclaimed Pearl sharply. "It would be cruel of you to ask him to do such a thing; for as sure as he makes a sign to that steamer, or to any other craft, I will throw him overboard, with his hands tied behind him."

"It would be cruel of you to do such a thing, Hawlinshed."

"I know it would, and I shall not do it unless you compel me to act in self-defence."

"Where is this thing to end?" demanded Peppers in a disgusted tone of voice.

"Somewhere up in Canada, I guess," replied Pearl. "I don't believe it will end before we get there, and I think we shall be over the line some time to-night."

"Then you intend to take us into Canada, Hawlinshed?"

"Yes: unless we can make some better arrangement. If you prefer to land at some point on Grand Island, I think we could fix it so as to accommodate you."

"How can we fix it?" asked Peppers rather anxiously.

"I have been thinking the matter over, and I believe I have a plan by which I might safely oblige you," said Pearl. "I have concluded not to go back to Plattsburgh: in fact, I don't believe I should be comfortable and happy there."

"I don't believe you would," added the officer significantly. "We should be apt to make it warm for you."

"Why so, Peppers? You and I have always been good friends, and we never quarrelled. Why should we now?"

"We shouldn't, and I don't intend to quarrel with you. But in my private opinion you will spend the greater part of the rest of your days within the stone walls."

"I don't intend to do any thing of the sort; and I don't believe I shall, if I only take good care of you while I have you as a passenger."

"But how can we fix this matter?" inquired the officer.

"If you will put your hands behind you, and then put them out through that hole you have made, I will fasten them together, as I have Dory Dornwood's. I will do the same with your roommate; and then I will land all three of you at Wilcox Cove, or some other good place. How does this plan strike you?"

"It don't strike me at all," protested Dory. "I won't agree to it."

"But, my dear little Bantam, I didn't ask you to agree to it. Your hands are already tied behind you; and, when I have done with you, I shall throw you overboard, if that happens to be the most convenient way to get rid of you. I was speaking to Mr. Peppers, whose hands are not yet tied behind him; and you should not interrupt the conversation of those who are older and wiser than you are."

"I don't agree to the plan. We will turn in and go to sleep, and you can take us where you please; but you will find in the end that this world isn't big enough to hide you from me," replied Peppers.

"Just as you please, Peppers. We shall not quarrel about a little matter like this. I suppose you came over after me. Allow me to suggest that you haven't stated the nature of your business with me," continued Pearl gayly in appearance, though Dory could see that he did not feel half so chipper as he talked.

"I think I won't talk any more at present," replied Peppers. "I can wait till we see this thing through."

"You won't have to wait many hours," answered the skipper, as he looked astern to see if any craft was coming near the Goldwing.

Dory was certain that the skipper was disgusted with the decision of the officer, and that he was very anxious to get rid of his troublesome passengers. But the owner of the boat was delighted with the conduct of the detective. He had been afraid that he would compromise with the villain, and that he should lose his boat, or at least be deprived of the use of her for a long time.

"Where is the Sylph now?" asked the officer half an hour later.

"She is not more than a mile astern of us," replied Dory.

"Is she coming near us?"

"She is headed directly for us."

"And where is this boat?" continued Peppers.

"We are approaching Long Point, and are within half a mile of it. We are inside of Sister Islands, and the Sylph seems to be taking the same course. She acts just as though she was following us," said Dory, who had been watching the progress of the beautiful steam-yacht ever since she first came in sight.

"She does act as though she was following us, don't she, Dory Dornwood?" added Pearl Hawlinshed.

"I have no doubt she is following us," replied Dory.

"Do you know of any reason why she should follow us?" asked the skipper, trying to conceal his anxiety.

"I don't," answered Dory.

"Do you know her owner, Dory?" inquired Pearl.

Dory hesitated. It was a disagreeable topic to him, and he would gladly have avoided it. It was plain enough that the Sylph was following the Goldwing, but Dory could think of no reason why she should do so.

"Do you know Captain Gildrock, her owner?" asked Pearl again, and with more energy than before.

"I do know him: he is my uncle," replied Dory, who could see no reason why he should conceal the disagreeable truth--for it was disagreeable to him--from the skipper.

"Your uncle!" exclaimed Pearl, apparently startled at the reply. "Do you mean to say that Captain Gildrock is your uncle, you young cub?"

"I mean to say it, and I do say it."

But Dory wished with all his might that the captain was not his uncle, or any other relation.

"He is one of the richest men in this part of the country," added Pearl, looking astern at the elegant steam-yacht.

"I know it; but I don't have any thing to do with him, and I don't think he is coming after this boat on my account," added Dory.

"I suppose you will be glad to get on board of her," suggested Pearl, who had now become quite nervous in spite of his fine philosophy.

"No, I shouldn't. I was never on board of the Sylph in my life; and I shall not go on board of her if I can help it," answered Dory.

"You and your uncle don't seem to be on the best of terms," continued Pearl, as he headed the boat to the eastward, after passing Long Point.

The skipper ran the Goldwing close to the point. The Sylph was within hailing-distance of her at this time; but the steamer had to go a quarter of a mile or more to the northward of the point in order to find water enough for her greater draught. In this way Pearl gained half a mile or more upon her. This enabled him to run the distance to the Gut, which is the strait, or channel, between North Hero and South Hero, or Grand Isle. It was about half a mile wide, between Bow-Arrow Point and Tromp's Point; though there is only a narrow channel, between a red and a black buoy, for vessels that drew over five feet of water at the lowest stage of the lake.

Pearl headed the Goldwing to the southward of the buoys. The Sylph was almost up with the schooner again; and, if the latter had gone between the buoys, the steamer would have overhauled her before she reached them. The skipper became more and more nervous. It was clear to Dory that Pearl was not familiar with the navigation of this difficult place; for he frequently looked over the side of the boat into the water, doubtless to see how deep it was.

"How deep is the water ahead, Dory Dornwood?" asked the skipper, when he seemed to be bewildered, and evidently expected the boat to take the bottom every moment.

"If you are going to sail the boat, you must do it alone," replied Dory after a little hesitation. "I won't do any thing to help you as things are now."

"Goldwing, ahoy!" shouted some one with a gruff voice in the forward part of the Sylph.

But the steam-yacht had stopped her propeller, and immediately began to back. Her pilot knew how deep the water was on the shoal. Pearl made no reply to the hail, and the schooner continued on her course. Off Tromp's Point she struck her centre-board; but, as she was going before the wind, she did not need it, and Pearl hauled it up so that the boat slid over the shallow place.

The man with the gruff voice hailed the boat again; but the skipper did not respond. Pearl hauled in his sheets, and headed the boat to the north-west. The steamer then went through the channel.

"I will play your game upon him, Dory Dornwood," said Pearl, as he put the boat about.

The Sylph stopped her propeller again.