"I should rather go in the Goldwing," said Thad, looking at his companions.
"You must be in a hurry about it, for she will be off in a few minutes,"
added Corny. "We won"t get home to-day if we don"t take this chance."
"When are you going, Dory?" asked Nat Long.
"I don"t know when I shall go. If you have a chance to go, you had better use it," replied Dory.
After a little discussion, the four members of the Goldwing Club decided to improve the opportunity to get home; for Dory could not say that he should go to Burlington that day. All of them but Corny took occasion to say that they believed Dory was all right, so far as the money was concerned; for the detective did not seem inclined to say any thing about the matter beyond the rather encouraging statement he had already made. A few minutes later the skipper saw a small steamer leave another part of the town, and he was again alone so far as friends were concerned.
"I think we had better go up to the Witherill House, and look the case over," said Peppers, after the boys had gone.
"Why do you say there will not be much music for me to face, Mr.
Peppers?" asked Dory, as they walked up the wharf. "I am accused of stealing the money, and I don"t understand the matter."
"I am sorry Hawlinshed did not come back with you," replied the detective, without answering the question. "In fact, we want him more than we want you."
"Do you want him as evidence against me?" inquired Dory very anxiously.
"We are looking into the case, and finding out all we can. We have some ideas, but we don"t say much about them," said the detective.
Dory could not get any thing more out of the officer. They soon reached the hotel, where he was introduced to Mr. Velsey, the landlord, who was informed that the skipper of the Goldwing had come to face the music, whereat he looked very good-natured, and conducted the party to a private parlor.
The landlord wanted to know where Dory had been since he left the hotel the morning before; and he told the story in full of his trip on the lake, and the pursuit of the Missisquoi. The hotel-keeper and the detective were very much amused at the manner in which he had dodged the steamer, and especially when the hero stated that he had left his pursuers aground on Colchester Shoal.
"But, if I am charged with stealing this money, I want to know about it," said Dory when he had finished his narrative. "Pearl Hawlinshed said I was wanted here; and here I am."
"You were about the hotel night before last, were you not?" asked Peppers.
"I was. I was here to see a gentleman who had a room on the next floor.
I left between ten and eleven," replied Dory promptly.
"I don"t think it is any use to go into that matter, Peppers,"
interposed Mr. Velsey, when he saw that the detective was disposed to make as much parade over the case as possible. "Come to the point at once."
"Have you any money, Dory?" asked the officer, evidently coming to the point as directed.
"I have: I have sixty dollars and some change," answered Dory, without any hesitation, as he put his hand upon his wallet in his pocket.
"Have you any five-dollar bills?" continued the detective.
"I have two five-dollar bills. The rest of the money is in tens."
"Will you show me the fives?"
Dory produced his wallet, and handed the two bills to the officer.
Peppers pa.s.sed them to Moody at once. The latter shook his head, and handed them back to the detective, who returned them to the owner. The skipper wondered what all this meant, and was very much surprised that Peppers did not ask him where he had got the money he paid for the Goldwing.
"That sets you all right, Dory Dornwood," said the landlord. "I am sorry we made you come back to Plattsburgh, but Hawlinshed was sure you were the one that stole the money from Moody"s room. We are satisfied now that another person committed the robbery."
"Then you don"t want to send me to jail?" added Dory, with a sensation of the most intense relief.
"Not at all. We didn"t know so much about the case yesterday forenoon as we do now. The next man we want to see is Hawlinshed. You say he is aground somewhere in the steamer."
"On the Colchester Shoal: at least he was three hours ago," added Dory.
"That"s in Vermont, but I will give you ten dollars to put Peppers in the same boat with him."
Dory was glad enough to do it. The tables had turned.
CHAPTER XVIII.
DORY LOCKS HIS Pa.s.sENGERS INTO THE CABIN.
Ten dollars! And this sum was to be made with the Goldwing. It would pay nearly one-fourth of what she cost, and add ten dollars to the sum he was to have the happiness of giving to his mother.
"I don"t understand yet why I am let off," said Dory, after he had recovered from his amazement at the prospect of earning ten dollars.
"You are let off because you didn"t do it," replied the landlord, laughing. "I am sorry we accused you, but it looked bad for you at the first of it. Peppers and Moody will tell you all about it after you get into the boat. We have an early dinner ready, and you must dine before you go."
In addition to all this, the landlord invited him to come to his house whenever he was in Plattsburgh, and make himself at home there. The hotel-keeper dined with them, and he asked Dory a great many questions about the boat. Was she a dangerous boat?
"Any boat will tip over if you don"t handle her right," replied Dory sagely. "I sailed her across the lake yesterday when it blew a young hurricane, and she is as safe as any boat I ever was in."
The young skipper proceeded to explain what had made the Goldwing so unruly. He had overcome the difficulty, and he was sure that she was as safe as any boat on the lake. He had perfect confidence in her, and he was willing to have her tested in any weather by any boatman on the lake.
"Pearl Hawlinshed wanted to buy her; and he claims to be the greatest boatman on the lake, and knows his way all over it from Whitehall to St.
Johns," added the hotel-keeper. "He knows just where the bottom is in every place."
"I think he does," replied Dory, laughing. "I know he found it yesterday and to-day. Any fellow knows just where the bottom is, but he don"t always know how far it is from the top."
"I often have parties here who want a boat and a skipper; and I may be able to turn some business into your hands, Dory," added the hotel-keeper.
"Thank you, sir: that"s what I want every day in the week, except Sunday," replied the skipper of the Goldwing.
After dinner Dory and his pa.s.sengers went to the wharf, and in a few minutes they were standing up the lake. The wind was considerably fresher than it had been in the morning, and the Goldwing made about six miles an hour. The bad reputation of the boat had made some impression upon Peppers, and at first he was very shy when she heeled over under the influence of the smart breeze.
Dory soon satisfied him that the boat would not upset, with any thing like fair treatment. He explained and ill.u.s.trated the lee-helm business.
With the tiller fast in the comb, he allowed the craft to have her own way. At the next gust she threw her head up into the wind, and spilled all her sails. This satisfied both of the pa.s.sengers, and they manifested no more timidity.
In an hour and a half the schooner was up with Stave Island. The detective had asked the skipper half a dozen times if he could see any thing of the Missisquoi; but the islands had concealed her from view, if she were still on the shoal. A few minutes more would enable him to answer the question. Dory"s pa.s.sengers had plied him so closely with questions since they started, that he had forgotten all about the matter the officer was to explain to him; but the expectation of soon seeing Pearl brought it back to his mind.
"You haven"t told me yet why I was charged with taking Mr. Moody"s money from his room," said he.
"One reason was, that you were seen about the hotel, near Mr. Moody"s room; and the other was, that you had money enough to buy this boat,"