her to her owner?" suggested Pearl in an indifferent
sort of way.

"I guess not," said Captain Vesey, with a broad grin on his face. "I
never object to making five dollars, or one dollar, for that matter."

"I want to see Dory Dornwood on some particular business; and, if you
will put me on board of his boat, I will give you five dollars," said
Pearl in an insinuating tone.

Captain Vesey was ready to do it.

CHAPTER VII.

THE MAN THAT LOOKED THROUGH THE KEYHOLE.

Pearl Hawlinshed had not looked to see if the Goldwing was where he had
last seen her, outside of the breakwater. The water was unusually low on
the lake; and, though he saw the topmasts of several boats beyond the
breakwater, he was unable to determine whether or not any of them
belonged to the Goldwing. Captain Vesey had seen no boat go out, and
Pearl concluded that she was still at anchor.

Pearl made his trade with the acting skipper of the little steamer,
which was hardly more than a steam-launch. Mr. Button the engineer, who
was to remain in the employ of the new owner, was wiping the water off
the machinery. He was called, and informed of the arrangement with
Pearl. To the astonishment of both, he refused to move the Missisquoi
from the wharf.

"I reckon the boat is in my care until she is delivered to the new
owner," argued Captain Vesey.

"It don't make any difference to me whose care she is in. I won't go out
with a man who don't know any more about handling a boat than you do,
Captain Vesey," replied Mr. Button warmly. "It was only by a miracle
that we got over here at all. I expected to go to the bottom every
minute of the time until we got inside of the breakwater."

"I reckon I know how to handle a steamboat as well as the next man,"
returned Captain Vesey indignantly.

"That depends upon how much the next man knows about a tug-boat. If the
next man don't know any more about it than you do, I don't want to run
the engine for him."

Pearl could not help being on the engineer's side of the controversy. He
and Dory had agreed that the captain of the Missisquoi did not
understand his business. But Pearl Hawlinshed believed that he knew all
about a steamer, and all about the lake. He considered himself competent
to command one of the large steamers.

"I am going with you, Mr. Button, and it will be five dollars in your
pocket, as well as the captain's," interposed Pearl, who was disposed to
be liberal with the landlord's mone