ine-driven car--delicate as though a jeweler had made
it--was waiting for them under the canopy beside the house, when they
went out. She delayed a moment to ask Alan to let down the windows;
the sky was still clear, and the sunshine had become almost warm,
though the breeze was sharp and cold. As the car rolled down the
drive, and he turned for a long look past her toward the lake, she
watched his expression.

"It's like a great shuttle, the ice there," she commented, "a monster
shuttle nearly three hundred miles long. All winter it moves back and
forth across the lake, from east to west and from west to east as the
winds change, blocking each shore half the time and forcing the winter
boats to fight it always."

"The gulls go opposite to it, I suppose, sticking to open water."

"The gulls? That depends upon the weather. 'Sea-gull, sea-gull,'" she
quoted, "'sit on the sand; It's never fair weather when you're on the
land.'"

Alan started a little. "What was that?" he asked.

"That rhyme? One which the wives of the lake men teach their children.
Did you remember that too?"

"After you said it."

"Can you remember the rest of it?"

"'Green to Green--Red to Red,'" Alan repeated to himself. "'Green to
green' and then something about--how is it, 'Back her--back and
stopper.'"

"That's from a lake rhyme too, but another one!" she cried. "And
that's quite a good one. It's one of the pilot rules that every lake
person knows. Some skipper and wheelsman set them to rhyme years ago,
and the lake men teach the rhymes to their children so that they'll
never go wrong with a ship. It keeps them clearer in their heads than
any amount of government printing. Uncle Benny used to say they've
saved any number of collisions.

"Meeting steamers do not dread,"

she recited,

"When you see three lights ahead!
Port your helm and show your red.
For passing steamers you should try
To keep this maxim in your eye,
Green to Green--or Red to Red--
Perfect safety--go ahead.
Both in safety and in doubt,
Always keep a good lookout;
Should there be no room to turn,
Stop your ship and go astern."

"Now we're coming to your 'back and stopper':

"If to starboard Red appear,
'Tis your duty to keep clear;
Act as judgment says is proper.
Port or starboard--back or stop her!
But when on your port is seen
A steamer with a light of Green,
There's not much for you to do--
The Green l