All day long the wind kept its pace, and soon Captain Dacker announced that they had reached the lake proper. As night came on, they could see, off the starboard quarter, the lighthouse at Point aux Barques, and just beyond the twinkling lights of Grindstone City. Then the course of the _Elizabeth_ was changed, and they stood almost south for Port Huron. When the young lumbermen got up the next morning, they found that the wind had died down utterly, and the schooner was lying motionless on what looked for all the world like a sea of glass. The sun was coming up in the east like a great ball of fire, throwing a streak of golden yellow toward them. "It's going to be hot now," declared Owen, and his prediction proved true. As the sun mounted higher the thermometer rose steadily, until the young lumbermen were glad enough to keep in the shade. The _Elizabeth_ was doing her best to catch what air there was, but this was for the most part a failure, and ever and anon the sails would flop idly, showing there was nothing to fill them. Not a sound was stirring, and the young lumbermen thought of the big and silent forest in which they had worked so often. This silence was equally oppressive. Noon came and went, and still the calm continued. Then a dark streak appeared to the northwestward, followed by sudden and uncertain puffs of air. "We are going to catch a breeze now," said Captain Dacker grimly. "I only hope we don't get too much of it." Soon the sails were drawing once more, and away they sped, the wind sending up the whitecaps all around them. The bow of the _Elizabeth_ was covered with flying spray, so that the young lumbermen had to shift from this point of observation. The captain looked at his barometer and saw that it was falling rapidly. "We are up against it now," said one of the deck hands to Dale. "If I aint mistaken we'll be lucky if we don't lose some of the cargo." "Do you mean that we are going to have a storm?" "That's what--and a heavy one, too." The sky was growing dark rapidly, and when the sun went under the clouds the lake turned a deep green, ominous to look upon. Sails were trimmed with speed, and the chains holding the deck cargo were carefully inspected. Then came a sudden blow that sent the wind whirling through all parts of the schooner. "Better go below, you two!" shouted the captain. "'Taint safe up here for landsmen. You might be washed overboard." "I'll risk it," answered Owen. "And so will I," added Dale, and both held fast to the rail of the companionway. Not long after this the captain ordered everything but the mainsail taken in. The big sheet was reefed, just enough canvas being left up to give the schooner headway. The wind was now whistling a perfect gale. "This is worse than that storm in the forest!" cried Dale, as the spray flew all over the deck.