The principal had a smile on his face when he came on the deck of the schooner, though he did not abate one jot of his dignity. Dory did not expect to be censured, but he did not like the looks of that smile; and he was sure that it had been put on for his benefit. It was an indication that his uncle did not fully approve what he had done, though he would not condemn him till he knew all the facts in the case. He knew that Captain Gildrock never encouraged any thing like knight-errantry in the students. He liked manly boys, but he did not believe that they should be any older than their years would allow.
The sails of the schooner were lowered; and the Sylph went ahead, towing her up the river. The principal spoke very kindly to Dory, but the smile still played upon his face. He hardly looked at the prisoners on deck, and seated himself on the rail. At his request, Dory gave a minute account of every thing that happened since he heard the explosion early in the morning.
His uncle listened with deep interest, and occasionally asked a question. Once or twice they were disturbed by the racket made by the prisoners in the cabin. Possibly they had tapped another keg of beer, but nothing indicated that they were aware of the state of things on deck.
"I am not going to blame or condemn you for what you have done, Dory; but I wish you had come home when Mr. Brookbine did," said Captain Gildrock, with the smile somewhat intensified, when his nephew had finished his narrative, and the two vessels were just going into Beechwater. "And I should have liked it still better if you had kept entirely away from the robbers. You have endangered your life, and frightened your mother almost out of her wits."
"I thought I ought to do something, and I did the best I could," replied Dory. "You have got back all the money that was stolen; and all the robbers have been captured, and handed over to the officers."
"As a boy of seventeen, you have conducted your pursuit with remarkable skill; you have been courageous beyond your years; you have been persistent and persevering to a degree that could hardly have been expected of many men of mature age. I appreciate your skill, courage, and perseverance; and still, I wish you had not done these things, though they will add greatly to your reputation."
"Then, I ought to have turned in after the explosion, and let these fellows do the same thing over again in some other place?" added Dory, with a cheerful smile, for he did not consider himself at all damaged by what his uncle had said.
"The reason why I wish you had not done these things is a purely selfish one,--simply because you exposed yourself to a very great peril. If that revolver had not missed fire, you might have been killed."
"If one of the fellows fall overboard, I am to let him drown because my mother will be frightened, or because I take the risk of drowning myself," said Dory, laughing now.
His uncle bit his lip, and Dory felt that he had the best of the argument. At any rate, the uncle did not think it wise to say any thing more about the matter; and the schooner was made fast to the wharf. The Goldwing landed her crew a little later.