By this time the Goldwing had reached Lake Champlain.
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE RUNNING-RIGGING OF A SLOOP.
The lake still had a decidedly stormy look, and the white-caps were as plentiful as snowflakes at Christmas. The wind had hauled from the south to south-west; and off the mouth of Beaver River, it had a sweep of six miles. Only the mainsail of the Goldwing had been set, but Thad was a prudent skipper; and before the sloop reached the point, on which the spray was dashing at a furious rate, he put the helm down, and ordered Archie to throw over the anchor.
"What's that for?" demanded Hop impatiently.
"It is blowing very hard, and I am going to reef," replied Thad.
"What's the use of reefing? She? will carry the mainsail well enough."
"Perhaps she will, but she won't while I am skipper," replied Thad decidedly. "Besides, we are in no hurry, for we have the whole forenoon before us; and I want to finish the explanations I have to make before you get scared by the slop of the waves, so that you can't take an interest in the subject."
"But we want to see the fun when the robbers are hauled in," added Hop. "Dory is after them, and we want to see him do it."
"Dory won't do any thing that can be seen. If he takes the schooner, he will bring her down to the school. The principal told me not to go near her. The Sylph has not gone out of the river yet; and the fun, if there is to be any, will not come off till she is ready to take a hand in it," said the skipper, as the boat came up to her cable. "If you are to learn to sail a boat, you must know all about one."
Thad did not give Dory credit for all the enterprise he was manifesting in the capture of the robbers, though he certainly would not have helped matters if he had approached the La Motte. Some of the boys grumbled about the delay, but Thad did not abandon his plan.