CHAPTER XI

ON LAKE HURON

"Somebody's hurt!" cried Fenn.

"Shouldn't wonder," replied Captain Wiggs, coolly. "There generally is when an explosion occurs in a boiler room."

"Aren't we going to help them?" inquired Frank.

"I'll give them any aid they need," said the commander. "We'll see how much the damage amounts to. I'll steam back toward 'em."

He gave the necessary orders, and soon the _Modoc_ was slowly approaching the disabled craft. The clouds of steam had somewhat dispersed, but that something was wrong was evident from the manner in which men were hurrying about the deck of the recent pursuing yacht.

"I guess it wasn't as bad as I thought," remarked Mr. Wiggs. "They seem to have stopped the leak in the pipe. I hope none of the men are badly scalded. I'll offer 'em help, and they can take it or leave it. They've made enough trouble for me as it is."

But the strange craft evidently did not desire any aid, nor did the commanders of it seem to court any investigation of what had happened. As the _Modoc_ approached the other boat's whistle sounded, and then it slowly started off, like a lame dog running away from a fight with a superior antagonist.

"Had enough, eh?" remarked the captain. "I thought so. Well, I'm not sorry that I don't have to get to close quarters with them. It looks as if it was coming on to blow, and it's no joke to have to tow a disabled boat on Lake Erie in a storm."

Seeing that his proffered offer of help was declined Captain Wiggs changed the course back to his original one. As the other craft turned about, and steamed slowly away, Fenn watched through the glass, and the last thing he could see was the man with the ugly face, standing at the stern, gazing at the _Modoc_ through a telescope.

"He'll know me next time, anyhow," thought Fenn, as he joined his chums, who were talking of the strange finish of the chase.

Discuss the recent happenings as they did, from all sides, the boys could not get at the bottom of them. No more could Captain Wiggs. But he soon found he had other things to think about than the chase which had ended so abruptly, for the weather changed suddenly, and there were indications of a heavy storm.

"I'd like to make the Detroit River before the blow comes on hard," he remarked. "I've got a pretty heavy load aboard, and the _Modoc_, while she's a stanch craft, doesn't behave as well in a sea as she might. I've lost considerable time through that elevator fire, and stopping on account of those men chasing us, so I must make it up."

The steamer was sent ahead at full speed, but the storm developed faster than the captain had calculated so that, when still several miles from a good harbor, the wind suddenly swooped out of the west and soon there was a heavy sea running.

"Why, it's almost like the ocean," remarked Ned as, standing well forward, near the port rail, he looked across the lake and saw the big waves.

"You'll think so, if this keeps up," responded Captain Wiggs. "Lake Erie can kick up as pretty a storm as I ever want to see, and I've been through some hard ones, I can tell you. This is nothing to what it will be if the wind increases."

And that the wind intended increasing was evident from the way it howled over the big expanse of water, which was dotted with white-caps. Through the waves the _Modoc_ labored, her powerful engines and screw sending her ahead gallantly, though she rolled and pitched in a way to make the boys think they were on an ocean liner instead of a lake steamer.

It grew quite dark, partly because of the clouds that gathered, and because evening was approaching. Then the rain, which had held off for a while, came down with a suddenness that was almost like a cloud burst. Fortunately the boys, on the advice of the captain, had donned oil-skins, and they were protected, though sometimes it seemed as if the wind would drive the rain drops right through their garments.

"This is a terrible storm!" exclaimed Ned, as he held on to the rail and tried to peer ahead through the mist and blackness.

"Wait!" fairly shouted the captain. "You haven't seen any more than the beginning."

"That's enough for me!" cried Fenn, as he made his way to the companionway and went below. The other boys followed, as the commander said it was hardly safe on deck. The _Modoc_ was now laboring amid the big waves. The lookout, scanning the waste of waters for a sight of land, could see nothing but blackness ahead.

It did not seem quite so bad to the boys, after they were in the cabin, though they had to sit braced in chairs to avoid tumbling out when the vessel pitched and tossed, and it was quite a task to move about, for there was danger of bringing up against some piece of furniture, or the cabin partitions.

"An ocean voyage isn't in it with this," declared Ned. "It's great!"

"It may be, but it makes me feel sick," declared Fenn. "I'm going to lie down in my bunk."

This he did, saying he felt better when stretched out. The other boys followed his example, as the pitching was a little too much for them. They soon grew accustomed to it, however, and presently they noticed that the motion seemed less violent.

"We must have come to anchor," said Bart.

"More likely we're inside some harbor," declared Ned.

They went up on deck and found that, though it was still raining hard, the wind had died down a little, which made the boat ride easier.

"Where are we?" called Fenn, to Captain Wiggs, who was pacing the deck.

"Just entering the Detroit River," was the reply. "We'll tie up at Detroit for the night. How are you, boys?"

"Better now," replied Ned.

As soon as the _Modoc_ was well within the river the effects of the blow were no longer noticeable. In a short time the steamer was tied up at a dock and the boys turned in for the night.

Captain Wiggs had some business to transact in Detroit, and spent nearly all of the next day there, giving the boys a chance to go ashore and see some of the sights. They resumed their trip that evening, through Lake St. Clair, and proceeding without stop to Lake Huron.

Emerging well out upon this vast body of inland water, the boys, one bright morning, got a fine view of it.

"Isn't it--isn't it big!" exclaimed Fenn. "It's--it's simply--"

"Help him out, Ned," suggested Bart. "You ought to have some big adjectives on hand, left over from that last French history lesson. This is too much for Stumpy."

"It certainly is a lot of water," commented Frank. "I thought Lake Erie was big, but this seems to beat it."

The boys stood at the rail, absorbed in the contemplation of the beautiful scene before them. Captain Wiggs too, though he had viewed the lake many times, could not but admire the beauty of it as it sparkled in the morning sun.

One of the men from the engine room suddenly appeared on deck, and, standing behind the commander, who was explaining something to the boys, waited until the captain had finished.

"Did you wish to see me?" asked Mr. Wiggs, turning to the man.

"Yes, sir. Mr. McDougall told me to ask you to step below, sir."

"What's the trouble?" for the man seemed a little uneasy.

"I don't know exactly, sir, but I think it's a leak."

"A leak?"

"Yes, sir. Mr. McDougall thinks some of the forward plates have started."

"It must have been the storm," commented Captain Wiggs, as he hastened below. "Yet it's a good while taking effect. I hope it isn't serious."