Dory put the helm down, and all the sails shook for a moment; then they began to fill on the other side. As instructed, the hands in charge of the jib-sheets held the sail over till it was filled; and, in this position, it caught the wind sooner than the other sails, and assisted in carrying the head around.
"Draw jib!" said the captain; and the order was repeated by the second mate on the forecastle.
"Slack off the weather-sheet!" added Oscar Chester, who knew his part well, though this was the first time he had ever sailed in a schooner. "Haul on the lee-sheet! Too much! Ease off a little! That will do; belay the lee-sheet!"
The schooner had come about, and was now standing towards the old wharf, where the people of the institution were assembled, including the ladies from the house and the cottage. The instructors and others cheered lustily, and the ladies waved their handkerchiefs vigorously. Doubtless, the latter wished they were on board; but the principal would not allow any extra persons on board until the ship's company had been well drilled in handling the vessel.
With so many hands, there was very little for them to do; but the captain gave them as much as possible to work off their enthusiasm. He kept those at the sheets tolerable busy hauling in and easing off frequently, to enable him to get the "points" of the craft, as he described it. He let her go free for a moment, and then braced her up to the wind, making all the change he could without tacking.
As the Lily approached the old wharf where the spectators were assembled, he got a course parallel with the shore, and, with the wind a little abaft the beam, allowed her to do her best in a light wind. Her bow was quite sharp, and she was the best model the principal could obtain of the most celebrated modeller in New York. She had been built in strict conformity to the plans and specifications, both in respect to the spars and sails as well as the hull.
It had been unanimously agreed that she ought to be a fast sailer, by all who had seen her, including some experts who had visited Captain Gildrock. It remained still to be proved whether or not she was all that had been hoped and expected of her. Though she did not wear racing-sails, she was liberally supplied with canvas. But the wind in Beechwater was too light to give her a fair test, and it came in light puffs and squalls.
For the amount of breeze she had, she did very well; and there was quite a bone in her teeth as she approached the wharf. The cheers and signals of the ladies were promptly answered; for Captain Gildrock was a naval officer of the old school, and insisted that every compliment paid to the craft should receive a proper response. There was no steam-whistle, as on board of the steamer; and the only way, except with cheers, to reply, was by dipping the ensign. This was done several times by Quartermaster Minkfield.
Off the old wharf it was necessary to brace her up, and she was headed for the mouth of the creek; but there was no one at the cottage to salute the new craft, its occupants having joined the other spectators. The water was deep at the entrance of the stream; and the captain ran the schooner a short distance into it, as far as he could and have room to come about.
"Ready, about!" he called to the mate rather sharply, when she had gone as far as he deemed it prudent to proceed up the creek.