The trial trip of the Lily was certainly a success so far, but her captain was not quite satisfied. She had made ten knots an hour; and he wanted to know if she was not equal to twelve, which was the ordinary speed of the Sylph. Above Split Rock the lake begins to widen, and the schooner had plenty of searoom. The sea had become tolerably smart, and the Lily pitched in a very oceanic style. The boys liked this sort of thing, though some of the new hands began to be seasick.
At the request of Captain Randolph, the principal consented to the setting of the gaff-topsails. It was blowing very fresh now; and it was not a very easy thing to get these sails aloft, especially with a crew not a half a dozen of whom had ever seen a gaff-topsail set. Even Dory had never seen this sail set, except at a distance; but he was perfectly familiar with theory.
The lake was now covered with white caps, and the sea seemed to be increasing. The principal was rather sorry that he had consented to the setting of the gaff-topsails. He was the only adult on board, for even Bates had been left on shore. He finally modified his consent, after the sails had been brought up from below, so as to require that the Lily should be anchored under the lee of Cannon's Point when the gaff-topsails were set.
The captain gave the order to brace her up, and run for the point indicated. The crew were astonished when the order came for them to take their stations to anchor the schooner. When she luffed up, the jib was hauled down; and, at the right time, the anchor was let go.
"Stations for setting the gaff-topsails!" called the mate, who had received the order for the work from the captain.
By this time the boys had studied their station-bills enough to know their duty, and they had been drilled in doing it. While waiting for a breeze, they had set both gaff-topsails at the same time; and off Cannon's Point it was done as well as it had been in the quiet of Beechwater.
"Stations for weighing anchor!" called the captain.
The students were happy again, and even happier than before; for the extra sails had been set, and they were to be under way again. In a few minutes more—for, with so many hands, very quick work was made of all the manœuvres,—the Lily was standing down the lake again. The gaff-topsails made a wonderful difference in the action of the schooner, for they took the wind from above the bluffs.
With the wind on the port-quarter, the schooner seemed to leap like a greyhound on her course. It was evident that she was an able sea-boat; for she lifted handsomely on the waves, and did not bury her bows in the water. She carried a strong weather-helm; though the power gained by the horizontal wheel made it easy to steer her, much easier than it would have been even with a long tiller.
Captain Gildrock measured the distance from Cannon's Point to Burlington, where he had directed the captain to put in, and found it was six miles to a certain spot near the breakwater. He was sorry he had forgotten to bring a log-line with him. He took the time of the departure, after the schooner was fairly under way.