"But we are likely to know
something more about the case before dinner-time. I called in Peppers,
who used to be a detective in New York City; and he is at work on the
case now."

"What did you do that for?" demanded Pearl, who did not seem to relish
the information. "You set me at work on the case; and now you have
called in another person to attend to it, after I have engaged a
steamer."

"All I asked you to do was to bring the boy in to be questioned. Peppers
won't interfere with any thing that you may do," replied the landlord,
not a little surprised at the objection of Pearl.

"What is Peppers doing?" asked Pearl uneasily.

"I don't know what he is doing: at least, I don't know much about it,
and he told me not to tell what I did know."

"But you can tell me, for I am at work on the case," said Pearl in a
coaxing tone.

"No: I won't tell you any thing. You won't interfere with each other,
and it is best for each of you to work on his own hook," replied the
hotel-keeper, as he turned to attend to a guest who wished to speak to
him.

Pearl saw that it was useless to press the matter any farther; and he
was evidently very much disturbed about the turn the investigation had
taken during his absence. He was particularly anxious to know what the
detective was about, but he was unable to obtain any information from
any person. He returned to the steamboat wharf. When he came in sight of
the breakwater, he was not a little startled to see the Goldwing dart
out from behind the structure, with only a small jib and a reefed
mainsail.

He was startled; because not more than an hour had elapsed since he left
the Missisquoi, and he expected it would be another hour before she
would be ready to go in pursuit of the Goldwing. The latter could sail
like the wind if she would only keep right side up, and she would get a
long start of the steamer. Besides, Pearl did not like the looks of the
big waves on the lake any better than Mr. Button had; and he was not
altogether sure that he could manage her any better than Captain Vesey
had done.

The Goldwing was running from the end of the breakwater over towards the
main shore, and it was possible that Dory intended to make a landing at
Plattsburgh. But it was not more than a quarter of a mile from the
breakwater to the shore, and he could soon tell what she intended to do.
He hastened down the railroad to settle this point. In the furious
breeze that was blowing, the Goldwi