Patterdale all about his
meeting with Captain Shivernock on Long Island, and asked his advice. It
was not too late to do so now. Donald was so uneasy that he could not
sit in the house, and went out doors. He walked about the beach for a
time, and then sat down in front of the shop to think the matter over
again.

Suddenly, while he was meditating in the darkness, he saw the trunk
lights of the Maud illuminated, as though there was a fire in her cabin.
He did not wait to study the cause, but jumping into his skiff, he
pushed off, and sculled with all his might towards the yacht. He was mad
and desperate, for the Maud was on fire! He leaped on board, with the
key of the brass padlock which secured the cabin door in his hand; but
he had scarcely reached the deck before he saw a man on the wharf
retreating from the vicinity of the yacht. Then he heard the flapping of
a sail on the other side of the pier; but he could not spend an instant
in ascertaining who the person was. He opened the cabin door, and
discovered on the floor a pile of shavings in flames. Fortunately there
was a bucket in the standing-room, with which he dashed a quantity of
water upon the fire, and quickly extinguished it. All was dark again;
but to make sure, Donald threw another pail of water on the cabin floor,
and then it was not possible for the fire to ignite again.

Although the deck had been swept clean before the launch, the side next
to the wharf was littered with shavings, and a basket stood there, in
which they had been brought on board, for it was still half full. Donald
found that one of the trunk lights had been left unfastened, in the
hurry and excitement of attending the festival at Mr. Rodman's house.
Through the aperture the incendiary had stuffed the shavings, and
dropped a card of lighted matches upon them, for he saw the remnants of
it when he threw on the first water. Who had done this outrageous deed?
Donald sprang upon the wharf as he recalled the shadowy form and the
flapping sail he had seen. Leaping upon the pier, he rushed over to the
other side, where he discovered a sail-boat slowly making her way, in
the gentle breeze, out of the dock.

Beyond a peradventure, the boat was the Juno. Her peculiar rig enabled
him readily to identify her. Was Laud Cavendish in her, and was he
wicked enough to commit such an act? Donald returned to the Maud to
assure himself that there was no more fire in her. He was satisfied that
the yacht