Part 17 (2/2)
”All right! Let her come,” replied Dory.
”But we are getting pretty close together,” added Thad. ”She is going to catch us this time. At least, I am afraid she is.”
”Don't worry about it, Thad. She isn't going to catch us on this tack.”
The Missisquoi was coming in between Hog's Back Island and the reef of the same name. She kept the red buoy on her starboard, and the black on her port hand. She was hardly more than a quarter of a mile from the Goldwing, and running for a point ahead of her. It began to be very exciting for the boys, for they believed she would overtake the schooner in a few minutes more.
But the Goldwing came out just a little ahead; and the steamer was astern of the boat, but not more than a hundred yards. She gained on her every minute, until suddenly the Missisquoi stopped.
CHAPTER XVI.
A GRAVE CHARGE AGAINST THE SKIPPER.
The Missisquoi was aground. This result was exactly what the skipper of the Goldwing intended and expected, if the pilots of the steamer followed the schooner. Colchester Light is about west of a point having the same name. Extending north from Colchester Point is a shoal, on which, at the present low stage of the water, there was a depth of from two to eight feet. It was two miles and a half long from its northern extremity to the point.
Dory struck the shoal not more than a quarter of a mile north of Law Island, where the water was only about four feet deep. The Goldwing went over it without any difficulty; but there was not water enough for the steamer. Ordinarily a small steamer could have crossed any part of the shoal, but the lake had not been so low before for years.
The skipper of the schooner had calculated upon using this shoal in the same manner that he had used Champion Rock and Stave Island Ledge. If he had not depended upon this shallow water, he would not have left the ledges. But he did not expect that Captain Vesey would attempt to follow him where there was not more than four feet of water. It was evident enough that neither the captain nor Pearl was a competent pilot.
”Here we are,” said Dory quietly, as he put the helm down, and came up into the wind.
”What's the matter now?” asked Corny.
”Nothing the matter; but the Missisquoi has concluded not to come any farther in this direction just now,” replied Dory, as he headed the schooner to the north-west.
”She has stopped!” exclaimed Thad.
”That is just what she has done,” added the skipper.
”What has she stopped there for?” asked Corny.
”She couldn't very well help it, for she is hugging the bottom.”
”Hugging the bottom! What do you mean by that?” demanded Corny.
”In plain English, she is aground.” And the skipper proceeded to explain the situation to his companions.
”Then, you knew what you were about all the time, Dory,” said Thad, with something of admiration in his tones and manner.
”I thought I did all the time; but I did not expect the Missisquoi would try to go over a place where the bottom is so near the top as it is on this shoal,” answered Dory. ”There is nearly seven miles of deep water to the eastward of this shoal to the head of Mallett's Bay. The lake is thirteen miles wide on just this line.”
”Were you going up Mallett's Bay?”
”Not at all. I expected to run back and forth over this shoal until the Missisquoi had enough of it, and then I was going to Burlington.”
<script>