The Rover Boys on the Great Lakes | Page 3

outing upon the Great Lakes previous to their returning to
Putnam Hall for the fall and winter term. Their thrilling adventures in
Colorado, as told in "The Rover Boys Out West," had taxed them
severely, and their father, Mr. Anderson Rover, felt that they needed
the recreation. At first he had wished them to remain at the farm, and so
had their Uncle Randolph Rover and their motherly Aunt Martha, but
this had been voted "too slow" by the three brothers, and it was decided
that they should go to Buffalo, charter a small yacht, and do as they
pleased until the opening of school.
"Only please keep out of danger," had been Mr. Rover's pleading words.
"You have been in peril enough." And the boys had promised to do
their best, little dreaming of the many adventures and dangers ahead.
The boys knew very little about the lakes, and at the last moment had
invited Larry Colby, an old schoolmate, to accompany them on the
outing. Larry had spent two summers on Lake Huron and Lake
Superior, and knew both bodies of water fairly well. But the lad could
not come on at once, and so had sent word that he would join the party

at Sandusky, some time later. Larry's father was rich, so the expense of
traveling counted for nothing.
With the boys, however, went one individual with whom all our old
readers are well acquainted. This was Alexander Pop, the colored man
who had once been a waiter at Putnam Hall, and who was now a
servant to the Rovers in general and the three boys in particular. The
boys had done much in the past for Aleck, as they called him, and Pop
was so greatly attached to the youths that he was ready at all times to
do anything they desired.
"I dun lub dem Rober boys, aint no ust ter talk," Pop would say. "Dem
is de most up-to-date boys in de world, dat's wot, and da did dis yeah
niggah a good turn wot he aint forgittin' in a hurry, too." What that
good turn was has already been related in full in "The Rover Boys in
the Jungle." Pop was now installed on board the Swallow as cook and
general helper, a position he was well fitted to fill.
The boys had laid out a grand trip, and one which certainly promised a
good deal of pleasure. The first stop was to be at Cleveland, and from
that city they were to go to Sandusky, and then up the lake and through
the Detroit River to Detroit. Here a short stay was to be made, and then
the journey was to be resumed through Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair
River to Lake Huron. Once on Lake Huron they expected to skirt the
eastern coast of Michigan, stopping whenever they pleased, and thus
gradually make their way to Whitefish Bay and Lake Superior. What
they would do when Lake Superior was reached would depend upon
how much time was left for the outing.
The Swallow was a well-built, sturdy craft, fifty feet long and
correspondingly broad of beam. She had been constructed for a
pleasure boat and had all of the latest improvements. She belonged to a
rich man of Buffalo, who had known the Rovers for years. The rich
man was now traveling in Europe, and had been only too glad to
charter the yacht for a period of six weeks. When the Rover boys were
through with her she was to be placed in charge of the rich man's
boatman, who was to take her back to Buffalo.

The start on Lake Erie had been full of pleasure. The yacht had a good
supply of provisions on board, and everybody was in the best of spirits.
Aleck Pop had brought along his banjo, and on the first evening out had
given them half a dozen plantation songs, for he was a good singer as
well as player. On the day following the breeze had died away and they
had all gone fishing, with fair success. This was the third day out, and
since noon the wind had been blowing at a lively rate, helping them to
make good time on their course toward Cleveland. Now the wind was
blowing little short of a gale, and the sky was growing blacker each
instant.
"We are in for it, beyond a doubt," said Dick, with a serious shake of
his head.
Every inch of canvas had been taken in, yet the Swallow spun along
before the wind rapidly, ever and anon dipping her bow deeply into the
white-caps, which now showed themselves upon all sides.
"Here she comes!" burst out Tom suddenly. "Hold hard, everybody!"
And then the storm burst upon them