d, there
was an awful howl.

Once, only once, Eric delayed the drill about two seconds and it was
weeks before he overcame his sense of shame at the occurrence. But,
before the winter finally closed down, Eric was as able a
coast-guardsman as any on the Great Lakes. It was well that he was, for
a day was coming which would test his fortitude to the full.

Navigation had been lessening rapidly, and the boy was beginning to
think about Thanksgiving Day. They were just sitting down to supper,
when one of the men came in with haste.

"Heard anything of a wreck round Au Sable way?" he asked breathlessly.

"No," said the keeper, "what did you hear?"

"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."

[Illustration: Fifth Second.]

[Illustration: Twelfth Second.]

[Illustration: Twenty-third Second]

[Illustration: Fiftieth Second.

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,