"The Sylph is hailing the schooner," said Ash Burton.
"She is getting out a boat," added Thad. "She wouldn't do that if something was not going on. As we can study this lesson just as well in the river, we will go and see what is up."
The Sylph lowered her starboard-quarter boat; and two men, in addition to the crew, took their places in it. The two vessels were too far off to permit the party on board of the Goldwing to see who the men were, for the sloop was now quite near the New-York shore. As soon as the boat returned to the steamer, she came about, and stood up the lake again. She kept quite near the La Motte, and therefore sailed at only half speed.
"We will go up to Beechwater, and find out what has happened," said Thad. "But we will attend to the lesson all the same. We are going to come about. Which way do I put the helm, Archie?"
"Put it either way, and she will come about," replied the student, who had earned the title of "Greenhorn," though no one was uncivil enough to apply it to him.
"If you were at the wheel, would you take the responsibility of putting the helm to port?"
"I shouldn't know any better than to do so."
"If you did, you might drown the crowd, in this breeze. But we will leave that subject to the proper time to consider it. Which way do I put the helm, Con?"
"Hard down, hard a-starboard, hard a-lee," replied Con.
"Right; and you have learned your lesson in full."
"Must a fellow say all that?" asked Archie.
"Not at all; though the expressions all mean the same thing, and Con used them all to prove that he knew what they mean. When we are going about, or going to tack, the proper way is to put the helm down, moving it slowly at first, and then hard down, which is down as far as you can get it. Ready about! That is the order to get ready to tack. Here we are!"
The skipper put the helm down, and in a moment the reefed mainsail began to shake and bang: then it went over on the other side, and filled there.
"What tack are we on now, Archie?" asked Thad.
"On the port-tack; but you did not explain the port-tack," replied the innocent youth.
"Didn't I, indeed! Then, how in the world do you happen to know that we are on the port-tack? for you are as correct as though you had been to sea all your life."