Part 14 (2/2)

”Do you see those cleats on the mainmast, Thad?” asked Dory, making ready to do something,--”one on each side of the mast, with a rope leading up? Do you see them?”

”I don't know what cleats are,” answered Thad.

”Those bra.s.s things, with ropes around them.”

”I see them. These are what you hoist the sail with,” added Thad, as he grasped the ropes.

”Now let go both ropes together when I give the word. Not yet! All the rest of you, grab the sail when it comes down, and mind the gaff don't hit you in the head.”

”What are you going to do, Dory?” asked Thad. ”I have the ropes in my hands.”

”I am going to take in the mainsail. That will ease her off; and I can work her before it with the jib alone.”

At this moment a tremendous gust struck the mainsail, and Dory crowded the helm down; but the schooner took in a large quant.i.ty of water over the lee side as she careened.

”Let go the halyards, Thad!” shouted the skipper as the boat swept around. ”Look out for the sail, all of you!”

But the sail did not readily come down, the pressure upon it causing it to bind. But Dory continued to luff until it was released.

”Haul down the sail lively!” called Dory with energy, when the canvas began to thrash and beat about as though it was bound to tear itself into shreds.

Under the direction of the skipper the sail was secured after a great deal of difficulty. Dory let her off again under the jib alone. This proved to be a decided change for the better. The Goldwing kept on a tolerably even keel, and drove ahead almost as fast as she did before.

”She's doing a good deal better,” said Thad, who began to breathe freer than he had since the boat went into the worst of it. ”Why didn't we do that before?”

”Because we were trying to keep out of the way of the Missisquoi before,” replied Dory.

But it was not baby play, even with nothing but the jib set. The mainsail had steadied the boat to some extent; but now she began to roll tremendously, and was not so readily controlled by the helm. The waves broke over her on the weather side, but she did not scoop up the water on the lee side.

The Goldwing had taken in so much water that it was swas.h.i.+ng about in the standing-room. Dory directed Nat to keep pumping. d.i.c.k Short was told to take a pail which belonged to the boat, and Corny was armed with a tin dipper. The members of the club were glad to have something to do, as almost any nervous person is; and they worked with tremendous zeal.

In a short time the pump sucked, and not another dipperful of water could be taken up in the well.

”Now we are all right,” said Dory. ”We can take it easy now.”

”We are almost over to Providence Island,” added Corny.

”We shall be in smooth water in ten minutes more.”

”But we are a long way from Burlington,” suggested Thad.

”At least a dozen miles,” said the skipper. ”Of course you know that we can't get there, fellows, without going outside of Colchester Point. All the rest of the way is quite as bad as, if not worse than, we have been having for the last twenty minutes.”

”Are we going right along to Burlington, Dory?” asked Thad in dismay at the information given by the skipper.

”I think not at present,” replied Dory. ”But you have been through this once before to-day.”

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