y.

"My life is worth something to me; or at any rate it is to my family,"
replied Mr. Button doubtfully. "Do you know about handling such a boat
as this?"

"I know all about it: I used to sail in the Au Sable," replied Pearl
confidently.

Mr. Button was doubtless a good engineer, but he was not a very shrewd
man. If he had been, he would have asked in what capacity the applicant
for the use of the Missisquoi served on board of the Au Sable. Possibly
Pearl would have evaded the question, or lied about the matter, for he
had simply been a waiter in the cabin for a few weeks. But Pearl thought
he knew all about a steamer, and all about the navigation of the lake.

"If you are a steamboat man I have no objection to taking the boat out,"
added the engineer. "It is a very rough day on the lake, and one has to
know something about handling a boat in such big waves."

"But I am the captain of this boat, and I reckon I don't want any boss
over me," interposed Captain Vesey at this point.

"We shall have no trouble," added Pearl, as he walked aft with the
captain. "I shall not meddle with your management of the boat. I only
said what I did to quiet the engineer."

But the boat had to take in a supply of fuel, for which Pearl promised
to pay out of the landlord's pocket. She could not leave for a couple of
hours. Pearl wanted to go back to the hotel, and attend to some matters
in connection with his mission which he had forgotten.

"I am to pay you five dollars, and the engineer five dollars, when you
put me on board of the Goldwing," said Pearl, as he was about to leave
the boat. "Is that the trade?"

"That's it," replied the engineer; and so answered the captain.

Pearl walked up the pier, and then went down the railroad till he could
see outside of the breakwater. He found the Goldwing lay at anchor in
the place she had chosen at first. Ten dollars would be a good sum to
pay if the Missisquoi was obliged to take him only out to the
breakwater. But, the sooner he brought Dory on shore, the sooner the
Goldwing would be put up at auction again.

He walked to the Witherill House, and informed the landlord of what he
had done, and declared that the boy who had stolen the money should be
handed over to him in a couple of hours. The hotel-keeper did not object
to the expense; but he wished his representative to be careful how he
managed the business, for it was by no means certain that the boy had
taken the money.

"I