Part 22 (1/2)

”Take me on board, and I will make it all right with you,” continued Pearl, who did not seem to believe that Dory intended to take him on board.

The skipper had brought the boat about so that all her sails were shaking, but she had headway enough to carry her to the port quarter of the steamer.

”Be all ready to jump on board when I come up alongside,” called Dory.

”Are you going off to leave us, now that you have got us into this sc.r.a.pe?” demanded Captain Vesey, springing to his feet; for he had evidently been asleep on the quarter-deck.

”I am going to get a steamer to drag you off this shoal,” replied Pearl.

”I will come back in a couple of hours or so.”

”You may forget to come,” added Mr. b.u.t.ton, the engineer. ”I think you had better pay me the five dollars you owe me before we part company.”

”And five dollars you owe me,” added Captain Vesey.

”I don't owe you any five dollars, either of you,” replied Pearl blandly, as he was about to leap on board of the Goldwing. ”I was to give you five dollars apiece if you put me on board of this boat, and you haven't done it.”

”We should have done it if we hadn't let you do the piloting,” replied Captain Vesey. ”You owe us the money, and you must pay it.”

”I think not,” added Pearl, as he sprang on the forward deck of the schooner. ”You haven't done what I agreed to pay you for.”

”Hold on!” shouted b.u.t.ton angrily. ”If you don't pay me, I will take it out of your hide.”

”You will catch me first, won't you?” jeered Pearl, as he leaped down into the standing-room of the boat.

”Don't carry him off, Dory,” added Captain Vesey. ”He is the biggest rascal that ever floated on Lake Champlain.”

”Keep off, Dory, if you know when you are well off!” said Pearl in threatening tones.

But Dory was anxious to perform his part in the drama; and he filled away on the starboard tack, pointing the head of the boat towards Plattsburgh. His fellow-voyagers did not give Pearl a good character, but this was not a surprise to the skipper. He knew what Pearl was before he had seen him in the daylight.

”Here we are, Dory,” said the villain, as he seated himself in the standing-room. ”You have dodged me times enough yesterday and to-day, and I am glad to be alone on board of this craft with you.”

The skipper did not express his satisfaction that they were not alone, but he felt it just the same. Pearl was ugly, and Dory did not like the looks of him. The new pa.s.senger gazed about him, and seemed to be examining the boat for some time. He looked under the seats in the standing-room, and opened a couple of lockers. Then he raised the floor-boards, and looked at the ballast.

When he had done this, he seated himself again. He looked at Dory, and then he glanced up at the sails. He watched the sailing of the schooner in silence for a few minutes. He evidently had something on his mind, and he appeared to be debating with himself as to the manner in which he should open the subject. As his eyes wandered about the boat, they rested upon the cabin-doors. He looked at them a moment, and then went forward, and tried to open them.

”You keep the cuddy locked, do you, Dory?” asked he, as he pulled several times at the doors.

”Just now I do,” replied Dory, who had no skill in lying, and no inclination to practise it. ”I wish you would come aft, Mr. Hawlinshed.

When you are so far forward, it puts her down too much by the head.”

”She works very well indeed, Dory Dornwood. What have you been doing to her?” asked Pearl.

”I changed the position of the foremast, and have s.h.i.+fted the ballast,”

replied Dory, wis.h.i.+ng the third pa.s.senger would come aft; for he was afraid he might discover the presence of the others in the cabin.

”Do you happen to have the key to this padlock in your pocket, Dory?”

asked Pearl in an indifferent tone.