DORY DORNWOOD MANOEUVRES TO ESCAPE.
"What are you about, Theodore?" shouted Captain Gildrock, as the
Goldwing shot away, heeled down to her gunwale under the blast of the
strong wind. "Come about, and run her on the beach."
Dory took no notice of this direction, but grasped the tiller with all
his might; and with the short stick it was all he could do to hold her.
He dropped the centre-board, and stood to the eastward, evidently to
avoid the steam-yacht, which was now giving an occasional turn to her
screw to avoid being driven out into the Gut. The starboard quarter-boat
had just put the detective and his prisoner on board of her.
Captain Gildrock had put the other boat about; and the four oarsmen were
straining their muscles, pulling in the direction the schooner had
taken. Mr. Jepson saw what was going on; and, as soon as he had
disposed of his passengers, he started his boat to the eastward, with
the intention of cutting off the Goldwing as she came out of the bay.
The sky was obscured by piles of angry-looking clouds, and every thing
looked like a southerly storm. The sun was now not more than half an
hour high, but there would be about an hour more of daylight. The
Goldwing was making at least eight miles an hour, and Dory was satisfied
that Captain Gildrock's boat could not overtake him. He had headed it to
the north-east, so as to take the shortest course; for the Goldwing must
soon go to the north, or she would run ashore.
As soon as Dory noticed the change in the course of his uncle's boat, he
began to haul in his sheets; for he saw that he was giving the boat the
advantage of him, though it was not likely to gain enough to enable it
to overhaul the schooner. The port boat was the only one from which he
expected any interference. The skipper measured the distances very
carefully with his eye. He calculated that he had to make half a mile to
reach the point where the starboard boat would intercept him, if at all.
Mr. Jepson's boat had to get over at least three-quarters of this
distance.
Dory thought his chances were very good. At any rate, he determined to
keep on his present course until he found himself mistaken. The Goldwing
was tearing through the water at a tremendous rate. Since his passengers
left her, she was trimmed down at the stern too much; but this did not
interfere with her speed while she had a free wind.
The tiller was a great strain upon him, and it took all his strength to
prevent the boat from coming up into the wind. There was certainly
nothing like a lee helm in her present condition. As the wind increased
in force the farther out he went from the sheltering shore, he was
afraid he should not be able to hold her up to her course. If he let her
broach to, and spilled the sails, he must certainly lose the race.
Taking the end of the sheet, which was considerably longer than was
required, he took a turn with it around the end of the tiller. In this
manner he was able to take the strain off his muscles in holding the
boat; but at every gust of wind he had to put his helm up, and then let
it off. He wanted the long tiller, but he could not leave the helm for a
moment to get it.
The Goldwing occasionally dipped up the water over her lee wash-board;
and, when she did this, it was necessary to "touch her up," or let her
eat into the wind, as she would do if left to herself. The skipper was
doing some bold and risky sailing, but he was determined to keep out of
his uncle's hands if it were possible. He watched the starboard boat
with the most intense interest. He had made up his mind that he had
little to fear from her, even if she reached the point where the two
courses of the boats met.
If Mr. Jepson put his boat in the course of the schooner, Dory did not
see how he could help running over her. The collision would smash the
quarter-boat, for it would strike her on the beam; while the schooner
was not likely to be greatly harmed. She would strike with her bow,
where she was least liable to injury.
As Dory continued on his course, he was satisfied that he was greatly
outsailing the boat from which he expected trouble, if he had any. The
water was getting rough, which impeded the speed of the quarter-boat,
while it did not diminish that of the schooner. Five minutes later he
was sure Mr. Jepson's boat would fall astern of him. He was confident of
it, but he did not relax his care. The officer was urging his crew to
increased exertions, but the oarsmen were evidently doing all they
could.
The two craft were rapidly approaching each other. Dory realized that he
should not have more than a boat's length to spare, but that was as good
as a mile. He tried to keep cool, as his father had often told him he
must do when there was any danger in a boat. His heart was in his mouth,
and he tried in vain to swallow it; but it seemed to be too big for his
throat.
"Hold on, Theodore!" shouted Mr. Jepson, when the two boats came within
twenty feet of each other. "Your uncle wants you, and he won't do you
any harm."
Dory kept his eyes on the sails of the Goldwing, and made no reply. He
was not afraid that his uncle would hurt him. If this had been all, he
would not have run away from him,--at least not before the danger
menaced him.
"Hold on, Theodore!" repeated the officer of the starboard boat.
But Dory hauled the tiller up, and kept the sails full, though sundry
buckets of water poured over the wash-board into the standing-room at
this moment. The Goldwing dashed madly on her course, and the skipper
did not even ease her off at this most exciting moment of the chase.
"Hold on! You will surely upset that boat," cried Mr. Jepson, who was no
doubt greatly concerned about the fate of the boy who was doing this
reckless sailing.
The moment of doubt on the part of the skipper had passed. The stern of
the schooner was abreast of the bow of the quarter-boat, and her mission
was a failure. Dory had cleared both of the boats; and now he had to
contend with the steamer, if with any thing. She could follow him in
perfect safety wherever he went. He could not outsail her; and, if he
accomplished any thing more, he must get out of her way before she could
pick up her boats, and get under way again.
The Sylph could not run into the shoal water where the boats were; and
the crews would have to pull back to her against the strong wind, which
amounted to half a gale. It was not more than half as bad as it was the
day he crossed the lake with a reefed mainsail, and the bonnet off the
jib; but then he was not on the open lake, where he could get the full
benefit of all that was blowing.
Dory did not wait to see how long it would take for the steam-yacht to
pick up her boats, or to see what she was going to do next. He held on
his course to the north-east; and ten minutes more, at his present rate
of speed, would take him through Eastern Cut into the eastern arm of the
lake. He went to the southward and eastward of the red buoy. After he
had passed it, he stole a glance at the Sylph. Her boats were close
aboard of her, but she had not yet hoisted them up to the davits. When
he had made his next mile, and the Goldwing was off Ladd's Point, he
could not see her. He was confident that he was two miles ahead of her.
The schooner was under the lee of the Point; and Dory decided that he
must, at all hazards, trim the boat, and get out the long tiller. The
fifty-sixes which had been moved had not been put under the floor, and
he got them ready for a hasty change of position. At a favorable moment
he dropped the tiller into the comb well up, and rushed forward with one
of the weights. He put it in its proper place, and then attended to the
helm until the boat was again in condition to take care of herself for a
moment.
By watching his opportunities, he conveyed the rest of the surplus
ballast forward; and the schooner was again in good trim. With no little
difficulty he removed the short tiller, and inserted the long one in its
place in the rudder-head. Though he still used the tiller-rope he had
brought into service, it was comparatively easy to steer the boat. He
could now work her quicker than before, and more effectually counteract
the sharp gusts of wind.
The Goldwing was now out of the Gut; and this arm of the lake, near the
channel, between the two great islands, was from three to five miles
wide. But she was now under the lee of the west shore, and she would not
get the full strength of the blast until she had gone about two miles
farther.
By this time Dory had fully made up his mind what to do. His programme
for avoiding the Sylph was made out. His natural pride would not permit
him to fall into his uncle's hands if it was possible, even at no little
risk, to avoid such a catastrophe. He had ceased to wonder what his
uncle wanted of him. Captain Gildrock had heard bad stories about him,
and he seemed to be prepared to believe them all. He thought it probable
that his uncle had heard of his discharge from the steamer, and very
likely he had found a place for him. But he did not want his uncle to
assist him. This was all he could surmise in regard to the present
chase.
To the eastward of the Gut was St. Alban's Bay, which extended about
three miles into the land, on the Vermont side of the lake. At the
northerly entrance to this bay were three islands. Potter's Island, the
largest of them, was over a mile in length. South-west of it, and about
half a mile distant, was Ball Island. This island was three miles from
Ladd's Point, off which the Goldwing was running with the wind on her
beam.
Dory had decided to run across the lake in the direction of Ball Island.
He intended to bring into use the tactics which had enabled him to beat
the Missisquoi, though he did not expect her pilot to run her aground in
any attempt to follow the schooner into shoal water. As well as he could
estimate the speed of the Goldwing, she could make two miles to the
steamer's three. He had two miles the start of her. When he reached Ball
Island the steamer would be half a mile behind him.
Between Potter's and Ball Island the water was shoal, and the bottom
rocky. At the ordinary stage of the water, it was from eight to thirteen
feet deep; but now it was only from two to seven feet deep. The Sylph
would not dare to go through the opening, while Dory was sure of seven
feet near the larger island. He had his plan arranged for another
movement after this one; but he desired to see how the first scheme
worked before he gave much consideration to a second.
Beyond these islands the wind had a rake of five miles, and the roughest
water and the heaviest wind must be met after he had passed them. He was
not sure that the Goldwing could stand it. Before he was half way across
the lake he found she had all she could stand under. But he determined
to put her through, keeping out of trouble by letting off the sheet, and
touching her up, as occasion might require. He cast frequent glances
behind him, to obtain the earliest knowledge of the approach of the
Sylph. He was less than half a mile from the southern point of the large
island, and she could not yet be seen.
The skipper wondered if she had not given up the chase.