by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXVI.
DORY DORNWOOD MANOEUVRES TO ESCAPE.
"What are you about, Theodore?" shouted Captain Gildrock, as theGoldwing shot away, heeled down to her gunwale under the blast of thestrong wind. "Come about, and run her on the beach."
Dory took no notice of this direction, but grasped the tiller with allhis 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 toavoid the steam-yacht, which was now giving an occasional turn to herscrew to avoid being driven out into the Gut. The starboard quarter-boathad just put the detective and his prisoner on board of her.
Captain Gildrock had put the other boat about; and the four oarsmen werestraining their muscles, pulling in the direction the schooner hadtaken. Mr. Jepson saw what was going on; and, as soon as he haddisposed of his passengers, he started his boat to the eastward, withthe 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 thinglooked like a southerly storm. The sun was now not more than half anhour high, but there would be about an hour more of daylight. TheGoldwing was making at least eight miles an hour, and Dory was satisfiedthat Captain Gildrock's boat could not overtake him. He had headed it tothe north-east, so as to take the shortest course; for the Goldwing mustsoon go to the north, or she would run ashore.
As soon as Dory noticed the change in the course of his uncle's boat, hebegan to haul in his sheets; for he saw that he was giving the boat theadvantage of him, though it was not likely to gain enough to enable itto overhaul the schooner. The port boat was the only one from which heexpected any interference. The skipper measured the distances verycarefully with his eye. He calculated that he had to make half a mile toreach 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 thisdistance.
Dory thought his chances were very good. At any rate, he determined tokeep on his present course until he found himself mistaken. The Goldwingwas tearing through the water at a tremendous rate. Since his passengersleft her, she was trimmed down at the stern too much; but this did notinterfere with her speed while she had a free wind.
The tiller was a great strain upon him, and it took all his strength toprevent the boat from coming up into the wind. There was certainlynothing like a lee helm in her present condition. As the wind increasedin force the farther out he went from the sheltering shore, he wasafraid he should not be able to hold her up to her course. If he let herbroach to, and spilled the sails, he must certainly lose the race.
Taking the end of the sheet, which was considerably longer than wasrequired, he took a turn with it around the end of the tiller. In thismanner he was able to take the strain off his muscles in holding theboat; but at every gust of wind he had to put his helm up, and then letit off. He wanted the long tiller, but he could not leave the helm for amoment 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 hereat into the wind, as she would do if left to herself. The skipper wasdoing some bold and risky sailing, but he was determined to keep out ofhis uncle's hands if it were possible. He watched the starboard boatwith the most intense interest. He had made up his mind that he hadlittle to fear from her, even if she reached the point where the twocourses of the boats met.
If Mr. Jepson put his boat in the course of the schooner, Dory did notsee how he could help running over her. The collision would smash thequarter-boat, for it would strike her on the beam; while the schoonerwas 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 greatlyoutsailing the boat from which he expected trouble, if he had any. Thewater was getting rough, which impeded the speed of the quarter-boat,while it did not diminish that of the schooner. Five minutes later hewas sure Mr. Jepson's boat would fall astern of him. He was confident ofit, but he did not relax his care. The officer was urging his crew toincreased exertions, but the oarsmen were evidently doing all theycould.
The two craft were rapidly approaching each other. Dory realized that heshould not have more than a boat's length to spare, but that was as goodas a mile. He tried to keep cool, as his father had often told him hemust 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 histhroat.
"Hold on, Theodore!" shouted Mr. Jepson, when the two boats came withintwenty feet of each other. "Your uncle wants you, and he won't do youany harm."
Dory kept his eyes on the sails of the Goldwing, and made no reply. Hewas not afraid that his uncle would hurt him. If this had been all, hewould not have run away from him,--at least not before the dangermenaced him.
"Hold on, Theodore!" repeated the officer of the starboard boat.
But Dory hauled the tiller up, and kept the sails full, though sundrybuckets of water poured over the wash-board into the standing-room atthis moment. The Goldwing dashed madly on her course, and the skipperdid 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 nodoubt greatly concerned about the fate of the boy who was doing thisreckless sailing.
The moment of doubt on the part of the skipper had passed. The stern ofthe schooner was abreast of the bow of the quarter-boat, and her missionwas a failure. Dory had cleared both of the boats; and now he had tocontend with the steamer, if with any thing. She could follow him inperfect safety wherever he went. He could not outsail her; and, if heaccomplished any thing more, he must get out of her way before she couldpick up her boats, and get under way again.
The Sylph could not run into the shoal water where the boats were; andthe crews would have to pull back to her against the strong wind, whichamounted to half a gale. It was not more than half as bad as it was theday he crossed the lake with a reefed mainsail, and the bonnet off thejib; but then he was not on the open lake, where he could get the fullbenefit of all that was blowing.
Dory did not wait to see how long it would take for the steam-yacht topick up her boats, or to see what she was going to do next. He held onhis course to the north-east; and ten minutes more, at his present rateof speed, would take him through Eastern Cut into the eastern arm of thelake. He went to the southward and eastward of the red buoy. After hehad passed it, he stole a glance at the Sylph. Her boats were closeaboard of her, but she had not yet hoisted them up to the davits. Whenhe had made his next mile, and the Goldwing was off Ladd's Point, hecould 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 hemust, at all hazards, trim the boat, and get out the long tiller. Thefifty-sixes which had been moved had not been put under the floor, andhe got them ready for a hasty change of position. At a favorable momenthe dropped the tiller into the comb well up, and rushed forward with oneof the weights. He put it in its proper place, and then attended to thehelm until the boat was again in condition to take care of herself for amoment.
By watching his opportunities, he conveyed the rest of the surplusballast forward; and the schooner was again in good trim. With no littledifficulty he removed the short tiller, and inserted the long one in itsplace in the rudder-head. Though he still used the tiller-rope he hadbrought into service, it was comparatively easy to steer the boat. Hecould now work her quicker than before, and more effectually counteractthe sharp gusts of wind.
The Goldwing was now out of the Gut; and this arm of the lake, near thechannel, between the two great islands, was from three to five mileswide. But she was now under the lee of the west shore, and she would notget the full strength of the blast until she had gone about two milesfarther.
By this time Dory had fully made up his mind what to do. His programmefor avoiding the Sylph was made out. His
natural pride would not permithim to fall into his uncle's hands if it was possible, even at no littlerisk, to avoid such a catastrophe. He had ceased to wonder what hisuncle wanted of him. Captain Gildrock had heard bad stories about him,and he seemed to be prepared to believe them all. He thought it probablethat his uncle had heard of his discharge from the steamer, and verylikely he had found a place for him. But he did not want his uncle toassist him. This was all he could surmise in regard to the presentchase.
To the eastward of the Gut was St. Alban's Bay, which extended aboutthree miles into the land, on the Vermont side of the lake. At thenortherly entrance to this bay were three islands. Potter's Island, thelargest of them, was over a mile in length. South-west of it, and abouthalf a mile distant, was Ball Island. This island was three miles fromLadd's Point, off which the Goldwing was running with the wind on herbeam.
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 beatthe Missisquoi, though he did not expect her pilot to run her aground inany attempt to follow the schooner into shoal water. As well as he couldestimate the speed of the Goldwing, she could make two miles to thesteamer's three. He had two miles the start of her. When he reached BallIsland the steamer would be half a mile behind him.
Between Potter's and Ball Island the water was shoal, and the bottomrocky. At the ordinary stage of the water, it was from eight to thirteenfeet deep; but now it was only from two to seven feet deep. The Sylphwould not dare to go through the opening, while Dory was sure of sevenfeet near the larger island. He had his plan arranged for anothermovement after this one; but he desired to see how the first schemeworked before he gave much consideration to a second.
Beyond these islands the wind had a rake of five miles, and the roughestwater and the heaviest wind must be met after he had passed them. He wasnot sure that the Goldwing could stand it. Before he was half way acrossthe lake he found she had all she could stand under. But he determinedto put her through, keeping out of trouble by letting off the sheet, andtouching her up, as occasion might require. He cast frequent glancesbehind him, to obtain the earliest knowledge of the approach of theSylph. He was less than half a mile from the southern point of the largeisland, and she could not yet be seen.
The skipper wondered if she had not given up the chase.
