no simpleton, and was confident that Moody had no pistol,
to say nothing of four of them.

A silence of a full hour followed, for neither party seemed to have any
plan to act upon. It was plain enough to Dory that the new skipper had
discovered the presence of the detective on board of the boat, either
before or soon after he went into her himself. A little later he saw a
plaid overcoat lying on the forward deck. It was odd enough to betray
the identity of its owner, who had forgotten to take it into the cabin
with him.

It afterwards appeared that Moody had sneezed twice. This was the sound
the skipper heard; and it informed the later passenger that the cabin
was occupied, as the coat explained by whom. Two hours had elapsed since
the capture of the boat; and the Goldwing was off Cumberland Head,
hugging the Grand Isle shore.

CHAPTER XXI.

ANOTHER ELEMENT IN THE CONTEST.

"Where are we now, Dory?" asked Peppers, appearing at the aperture in
the door, at which he had not been seen for the last half hour, though
his voice was heard in consultation with Moody.

"Off Cumberland Head, and close to Grand Isle," replied Dory.

"Is there any thing in sight, Dory?" continued Peppers.

"There is a steamer coming towards the Head. I saw her above Valcour's
Island two hours ago; and she has been in at Plattsburgh since that,"
answered Dory.

"Do you know what steamer it is?"

"I am not sure: she has not been within two miles of us."

"I can tell you all about her," interposed Pearl Hawlinshed with his
frequent chuckle. "Why don't you apply at the captain's office when you
want any information?"

"I don't think I can depend upon your information," added Peppers.

"I think you can. The steamer is the Sylph," added Pearl.

"I thought it was the Sylph," said Dory.

"She is the fastest boat of her inches on the lake," continued the
skipper. "She has run by any of the big steamers, except the Vermont,
which is good for eighteen miles an hour."

Dory had seen the steamer before, and he never saw her without having
sad thoughts. He always kept away from her if she happened to be in any
port where he was. But she was a beautiful craft, and her ordinary rate
of sailing was twelve miles an hour; and it was said that she was good
for two or three miles more if her owner would only "let her out."

"I don't think there is any comfort in her for you," chuckled Pearl.
"She is a private yacht, belonging to Captain Gi