"That will depend upon circumstances," replied Dory, who suddenly appeared to be disposed to keep his own counsel. As soon as the schooner was up with the light-house, the skipper hauled in his sheets again, and headed the Goldwing to the north-east. This course seemed to bother the steamer, for it made it evident that the boat did not intend to go near Champion Rock. "She's after you again," said Corny a few minutes later. "She has altered her course, and is coming down this way to head you off." "All right! Let her come," replied Dory. "But we are getting pretty close together," added Thad. "She is going to catch us this time. At least, I am afraid she is." "Don't worry about it, Thad. She isn't going to catch us on this tack." The Missisquoi was coming in between Hog's Back Island and the reef of the same name. She kept the red buoy on her starboard, and the black on her port hand. She was hardly more than a quarter of a mile from the Goldwing, and running for a point ahead of her. It began to be very exciting for the boys, for they believed she would overtake the schooner in a few minutes more. But the Goldwing came out just a little ahead; and the steamer was astern of the boat, but not more than a hundred yards. She gained on her every minute, until suddenly the Missisquoi stopped. CHAPTER XVI. A GRAVE CHARGE AGAINST THE SKIPPER. The Missisquoi was aground. This result was exactly what the skipper of the Goldwing intended and expected, if the pilots of the steamer followed the schooner. Colchester Light is about west of a point having the same name. Extending north from Colchester Point is a shoal, on which, at the present low stage of the water, there was a depth of from two to eight feet. It was two miles and a half long from its northern extremity to the point. Dory struck the shoal not more than a quarter of a mile north of Law Island, where the water was only about four feet deep. The Goldwing went over it without any difficulty; but there was not water enough for the steamer. Ordinarily a small steamer could have crossed any part of the shoal, but the lake had not been so low before for years. The skipper of the schooner had calculated upon using this shoal in the same manner that he had used Champion Rock and Stave Island Ledge. If he had not depended upon this shallow water, he would not have left the ledges. But he did not expect that Captain Vesey would attempt to follow him where there was not more than four feet of water. It was evident enough that neither the captain nor Pearl was a competent pilot. "Here we are," said Dory quietly, as he put the helm down, and came up into the wind. "What's the matter now?" asked Corny. "Nothing the matter; but the Missisquoi has concluded not to come any farther in this direction just now," replied Dory, as he headed the schooner to the north-west. "She has stopped!" exclaimed Thad. "That is just what she has done," added the skipper.