All the crew gazed in silence at the sailboat; but no one of them ventured to give an opinion, if he had any, in relation to the disaster. Dory had more experience in sailing a boat than any other student, and perhaps they were not inclined to speak in the presence of an expert. But Dick Short was an excellent boatman, and he deferred only to the skipper of the Goldwing.
"She must be rolling the water into her all the time, and she may go to the bottom at any moment," added the coxswain, whose opinion coincided with that of Dory. "We must go to their assistance at once."
Dory indicated his assent to this proposition only by a nod of his head, for he did not like to appear before the crew to be even an adviser of the coxswain.
"Ready!" called Dick; at which every member of the crew at the oars fixed his eyes upon the officer.
"Let fall!" and all the blades dropped into the water. "Give way!" and the rowers bent to their oars.
The Marian was headed towards the disabled sailboat, and in a few moments she was going at full speed. The coxswain did not hurry the oarsmen, for he knew better than to exhaust them before the hard work came on. The lake was comparatively smooth under the lee of the land, but in a few minutes they would be in the boiling waves of the broad bay.
"Have you seen anything of the Sylph?" asked Dory of the coxswain.
"She went up the lake when we crossed to the west shore," replied Dick. "The last I saw of her she was off Scotch Bonnet. I think the principal has gone up to Port Henry to order a barge-load of coal, for I heard him tell Mr. Jepson he should do so soon."
"Then by this time he is too far off to see that sailboat," added Dory.
"He couldn't do much if he did see it, for he has not hands enough to handle the steamer and man a boat," said Dick.