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 shifted the ballast,"
replied Dory, wishing the third passenger 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.

Just then he saw the inquirer drop his head, and put his right ear very
near the blinds in the doors of the cabin. But he did not act as if he
had discovered any thing. The skipper thought he heard some kind of a
noise in the cabin, as though one of its occupants had coughed or
sneezed. But he was not sure of it, and the noise was just as likely to
have been the dashing of the water against the bow of the boat.

"You spoil the sailing of the boat by staying so far forward," repeated
the skipper, with his heart in his mouth.

"Perhaps I do, Dory Dornwood. I asked you if you happened to have the
key of that padlock in your pocket," said Pearl, as he moved aft. "I
should like to have you answer me if it isn't too much trouble."

"Of course I have the key," replied Dory.

"Suppose you give it to me? I should like to take a nap in the cabin
while we are going down the lake," added Pearl.

"I just said it spoiled the sailing of the boat to have you so far
forward. I slept on that seat here in the standing-room last night; and
I think you can take your nap just as comfortably there as in the
cabin," answered Dory.

There was something cunning and suspicious in the conduct of Pearl
Hawlinshed that made the skipper very uncomfortable. He acted as though
he was playing a part to accomplish a purpose. The skipper had made up
his mind that it was time for him to open the cabin-