"Never mind that now. Can't you persuade Nellie to sail with me?" continued Laud, more gently. "If you will, I will give you a five-dollar bill."
Donald would have given double that sum rather than have had her go with him, and she would have given ten times the amount to avoid doing so.
"I can't persuade her, for I don't think it is best for her to go," replied Donald.
"No matter what you think. You are a good fellow, Don John: do this for me--won't you? It would be a great favor, and I shall never forget it."
"Why do you want her to go with you?" demanded Donald, rather petulantly. "A yacht in a race is no place for ladies. I can find some fellows on board here who will be glad to go with you."
"But I want her to go with me. The fact of it is, Don John, I rather like Nellie, and I want to be better acquainted with her."
"If you do, you must paddle your own canoe," replied Donald, indignantly, as he ascended the steps, and joined the other two judges on deck.
"We are waiting for you, Don John," said Sam Rodman, who was one of them.
"It isn't ten yet, and I have the papers all ready. Who is to be time-keeper?" asked the chairman.
"I have a watch with a second hand, and I will take that office," said Frank Norwood, who was the third.
Most of the yachts were already in line, and the captain of the fleet, in the tender of his yacht, was arranging them, the largest to windward. The first gun had been fired at half past nine which was the signal to get into line, and at the next, the yachts were to get under way. All sail except the jib was set, and at the signal each craft was to slip her cable, hoist her jib, if she had one, and get under way, as quickly as possible. The "rode" was simply to be cast off, for the end of it was made fast to the tender, which was used as a buoy for the anchor.
"Are they all ready?" asked Donald, as the time drew near.
"All but the Juno. Laud has picked up two live weights, and wants another man," replied Sam Rodman.
But Laud got into line in season. One of the seamen of the Penobscot stood at the lock-string of the gun forward, ready to fire when the chairman of the judges gave the word.
"Have your watch ready, Frank," said Donald.
Some of the ladies "squealed" when the gun went off, but all eyes were immediately directed to the yachts. The Christabel, with a reef in her fore and main sails, was next to the Penobscot; then came the Skylark, the Sea Foam, and the Phantom. Before the gun was fired, the captain had stationed a hand in each yacht at the cable, and others at the jib-halyards and down-hauls. The instant the gun was discharged, the jibs were run up, and the "rodes" thrown overboard. Some of the yachts, however, were unfortunate, and did not obtain a good start. In one the jib down-haul fouled, and another ran over her cable, and swamped her tender. The conflict was believed to be between the Skylark and the Sea Foam, for there was too much wind for the Christabel, which was the fastest light-weather craft in the line.