“A red and a green light,” answered Marjorie, promptly; “but I don’t know which side they are on.”
“You show the red light on the port or left side and a green light on the starboard or right side,” the captain informed them. “And these lights should show only towards the front and sides. In order to tell which way a boat is heading they carry a low white light on the bow which shines straight ahead, and another white light higher up in the stern which shows on all four sides. If you see a green light on the left and a red one on the right, with two white lights in the centre, one above the other, you will know that the boat is heading towards you. If you are coming up behind it, you will see only the white stern light.”
“Which side do they pass on?” asked Lily. “Do they observe traffic rules, like automobiles, and pass to the right?”
“Whenever possible. But if your course should lie to the left you could signal two blasts of the whistle, which would mean that you were going to the left. One whistle means to the right. The first boat which signals is the one which lays the course to be followed, and the other boat should always answer with the same signal to show that they understand. If you don’t understand the signals, then blow four short blasts, which means danger, and the signals can be given and returned over again.
“Always watch the sky, so that you can be prepared in time to reach shore before a storm comes. You can easily tell rain clouds when you see them.”
“Well, we’ve had one storm; let’s hope that we won’t have another,” said Doris.
“Still, that didn’t hurt us much,” said Miss Phillips. “Listen,” she continued, “here’s a good one for Ruth and Lily: Why is it dangerous to move about or stand in a canoe?”
“We weren’t standing!” protested Lily—“or even moving much! We were only talking.”
“They must use their arms and hands like foreigners do when they talk!” said Ethel. “Maybe they stamped their feet for emphasis!”
“We didn’t either!” denied Ruth. “We struck a rock, and that was all there was to it!” she concluded.