Katie made no reply. Instead she turned the boat about to guide it by slow, easy strokes straight away from the storm.
“It’s no good.” Her voice sounded tired when at last she spoke. “All the time the wind it grows stronger. Perhaps land is this way. Who knows? We cannot go against the wind. With the wind we can go far, far! It is a good boat.”
There was a note almost of affection in the big girl’s voice. “It is a Thompson boat.”
Florence did not know what a Thompson boat was. She did know that their boat was deep, straight across the top and strong. She was thankful for all this. But which way were they heading? In some directions it was two hundred miles to land. And who could tell how this storm would end?
“Waves, mountain high,” she murmured. “Lake Superior at its worst.”
CHAPTER XIX
A FLASH IN THE DARK
An hour later darkness lay like a black blanket over the waters of Superior. Every moment of that hour saw the gale increase and the waves mount higher, yet the strong arms of Katie never wavered. Heading straight away from the storm, she held their boat to a course.
Florence was obliged to admit that for once her steady nerves that had stood so much had now all but deserted her. What was the end to be? Would they drift on and on in the path of the storm until waves were strong enough to swamp their boat? As she listened she caught the low hiss of each wave and shuddered in spite of her courage.
Then, with a suddenness that was startling, a light that was fairly blinding flashed over their heads. Florence was thrown into consternation.
“Ka-Katie!” she cried. “What is it? Are we in the path of a steamer?” Through her mind there flashed a vision of some black bulk looming out of the night.