ed around like a top, when her helm went down. The
hands in charge of the jib-sheets were zealous to do their duty
promptly, and in an instant the sails were drawing on the port tack.

But this did not give the course the skipper wanted. He handled the
boat very cautiously on account of her bad reputation.

Gradually he let off the main-sheet, while Dick was directed to do the
same with the jib-sheet. At the same time Dory kept the helm up, and the
boat fell off until she was headed for the southern side of Garden
Island. She took the wind over her port quarter. It came in heavy gusts,
the Goldwing careening until her gunwale went under at every flaw.

"I don't know about this," said Thad.

"About what, Thad?" asked Dory quietly.

"We are about half under water. This is shaky sailing, in my opinion,"
added Thad, as a wave broke against the side of the boat, and drenched
most of the members of the club to the skin.

"We may get wholly under water before we get through with this trip,"
replied Dory. "But she will come up every time she goes down. For my
part, I never saw a boat work any better than the Goldwing is doing."

"But you will drown the whole of us, Dory!" protested Thad.

"She is working first-rate, Thad; and this isn't more than half as
lively as it will be before we get across the lake."

"Are you going across the lake now, Dory?" asked Corny.

"Certainly I am. We are bound for Burlington, aren't we? Didn't you want
me to take you home?"

"But we don't want you to drown us, and this boat has a bad habit of not
keeping on the top of the water."

"She will keep on the top of the water most of the time, and the worst
you have to fear is a wet jacket."

Just as the schooner was going in under the lee of Garden Island,
another wave broke against her side, and about half a barrel of water
dropped into the standing-room.

"There it is again!" exclaimed Thad.

"That's all right," added Dory. "No boat can keep all the water on the
outside of her in such a sea as this. But she is working beautifully. Do
you see that rope, Thad?" continued the skipper, pointing to the line by
which the centre-board was handled.

"I see it, but I haven't the least idea what it is for."

"I want you and Nat to haul up the centre-board, for we don't need quite
so much of it while we are going free."

The two boys named cast off the line, and pulled with all their might;
but they could not start the board, as Dory did n