Part 19 (1/2)

”Nothin' definite,” said the other, ”but as I was comin' along a chap stopped me and asked me if I were goin' out to the wreck off Au Sable.

He said he really didn't know anything about it, except there was a report that the _City of Nipigon_ was on the rocks near Grand Point.”

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LIFE-BOAT CAPSIZE-DRILL.

Courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard.]

The keeper jumped up and went to the telephone.

”Anything doing?” he asked, when the Au Sable operator got on the wire.

The chat in the station stopped to hear what the reply might be. Au Sable was the most exposed point on the coast and there was a gale beating in from the northwest.

”You'll let us know, then,” said the keeper, and hung up the receiver.

”Says he's heard something about a wreck, but nothin' definite,” he added, turning to the crew. ”Says a boy ran in with the news, but the kid was too excited to give much information.”

”Think there's anything in it?” queried one of the men.

”Hope not,” said another, ”I was out that way day before yesterday an'

there's an ice wall there about twenty feet high. I don't know how we'd ever get a boat over it.”

”We'd get it over, all right.”

”How?” asked Eric interestedly.

”Aeroplane, if necessary,” said the keeper laughing.

”No, but really,” the boy protested.

”Brute strength and luck, I guess,” the other said, ”but I'm hopin' that we don't have to go out to-night.”

”Me too,” added the boy. ”I've got some 'trig'”--

The telephone bell rang.

”That's it, likely enough,” said one of the men, getting up resignedly and going over to the locker for his oilskins.

”Well,” said the keeper, as he took off the receiver. Then, a minute later turning to the men, he repeated to the crew, ”'Steamer, _City of Nipigon_, seven men aboard, burnin' distress signals, on rocks north and by west of Au Sable light, quarter of a mile from land.' Right you are, boys, we're off!”

There was a transformation scene. When the keeper began the sentence, the Coast Guard station had been a scene of peace and comfort with a group of men lounging around a hot fire, some reading, some playing dominoes and others plying needle and thread. But, before the sentence was over, almost every man was in his oilskins, some were just pulling on their long boots, while others, even more nimble, had reached the boat and the apparatus-cart. They were standing by for orders when the keeper joined them.