Part 26 (1/2)

”Guide lights,” spoke up Steve quickly. ”They are the lights on sh.o.r.e, either lighthouses or buoys, to show you how to lay your course.”

”That is the idea,” agreed Captain Simms. ”Let's hear you box the compa.s.s while we are here alone, Jarvis.”

Bob went over, taking a look at the compa.s.s.

”Why do you do that?”

”I wanted to see whether we were at the north pole or the south pole.”

”I guess you would know it if you were--that is, you would be pretty certain that you weren't navigating the Great Lakes. Go ahead now.”

Jarvis shut his eyes and began reading off the points of the compa.s.s, making only one error in his reading.

”That is fine,” announced the skipper. ”I'll guarantee there isn't a man in the s.h.i.+p's crew, outside of the first mate, who can do it so well. Of course, I am excepting Rush and myself. Rush does everything well.”

That night Steve took his regular trick at the wheel at eight o'clock.

Of course, Jarvis was there, too, as were the captain and the first mate. They were nearing the Soo, as they could see from the lights.

”Let's see, you boys have not been through here, have you?”

”We were below decks the other time, sir.”

”Oh, yes, I remember. We will take the Canadian locks this time. The Canadian locks are on the left and the American locks on the right, but the latter are too short to hold a boat as long as this one, so we are obliged to take the Canadian side.”

”Why do we have to lock through?” questioned Jarvis.

”To get around the rapids, and for the further reason that Huron lies lower than Superior. This is Whitefish Bay. The light that we have just dropped to starboard is Whitefish Point Lighthouse. Rush, do you see that red light yonder?”

”Yes, sir.”

”Point on it.”

”I can't see the bow of our boat so as to tell whether I am pointing on the light or not.”

”I'll fix that.”

The captain pressed a b.u.t.ton and a ray of dull, ghostly light appeared just beyond and over the bow.

The lads uttered exclamations of amazement.

”What is it? How did you do it, sir?”

”That, lads, is a guide light on the end of the pole that answers for the bowsprit. The light is there for the purpose of giving you a guide to steer by in narrow places.”

Lights began to spring up ahead, until there was such a confusion of them that neither boy could make anything out of them, but the steady eyes of the captain picked out the lights that he wished to find without the least difficulty.

”Do you hear the roar of the rapids in the St. Mary's River?”

”Yes; we hear them.”