Meanwhile the sun had risen and like a huge ball of fire was casting its beams across the smooth waters of Lake Huron. Scarcely a ripple was to be seen as the boat sped forward. The day promised to be unusually warm, but as yet the air was cool, and the spirits of the boys, after their early breakfast, were all high. "We've got to get some of these fish to-day," broke in George Sanders. "We didn't get many the other day." "We weren't far enough away from Mackinac," said Fred. "I've usually noticed," suggested Grant, "that the best fishing grounds are always a good ways away from where you're staying. The further away they are, the better they are." "I've noticed that too," laughed George. "In fact there are a good many funny things in this world. I wonder what people speak of a family jar for." "What do you mean?" inquired Fred. "I mean just what I say. I heard a family jar this morning." "I don't understand you," persisted Fred. "Why, there was a family having a jar in the room next to mine. Only I think it was a little more than a family jar, it was more of a family churn, it was such a big one. There seemed to be such a very decided difference of opinion that the jar wouldn't hold all that they were saying." "You shouldn't listen to such things," said Fred. "'Listen'! 'Listen'! Why that was the very thing I was trying not to do, but I guess anybody on Mackinac Island could have heard them, if he had stopped." "Who were the people?" inquired George. "I don't know their names. The man is the one that wears that ice-cream suit when he goes fishing." "Oh, yes, I know him," laughed Grant. "I have observed several times that the immaculateness of his manipulators has not been extremely noticeable." "That's right," laughed John. "There seems to be a superincrustation of unnecessary geological deposits that doubtless are due to his transcontinental pedestrianism." "Why, did he have to tramp across the continent to get here?" laughed George. "I guess so. I know more about them than I wish I did, but I don't know enough to know that." "I noticed," said Fred, "yesterday afternoon when he came in that his lips looked like Alkali Pete's." "What was the matter with Alkali Pete's lips?" demanded George. "They were seldom closed and there were great crevasses in them, cracked by the alkali." "I am taking your word for it," said John, "but I confess I don't know what you're talking about. I'm a good deal more interested in the fish we're going to get." "'We're going to get.' I like that. Does String really think he is going to catch any fish?" said George, turning to his companions as he spoke. "His attenuated form doesn't look to me as if it would be able to stand the strain of landing the fish some of us are going to catch to-day. About the only thing I think String will ever catch will be a crab." "String, how old are you?" demanded Grant abruptly. "I'm eighteen in October." "When will you be ten?"