assumed giant proportions.

The gallant little boat behaved splendidly, although there were times
when it seemed to Will that his heart jumped into his throat with agony
as he imagined that the whirling propeller, exposed to view by the rapid
sweep of a billow, might be twisted from its shaft, and ruin come upon
them.

And the little dinghy floated astern like a duck, riding the rollers with
ease. Again was that valuable glass brought into use, this time searching
for a haven, rather than to discover lost balloonists.

"Frank," said Jerry presently, "let me take the wheel while you look
through the glasses here. I believe I sighted a key just over yonder,
where you see that high palmetto. It seems closer than others just
behind."

One look Frank gave.

"Boys, there's a chance for us!" he cried, "for that is certainly an
island, and if there only happens to be deep water back of it we can make
a harbor."

"Then you're going to risk it?" demanded Bluff.

"There's nothing else to be done. If we head straight on we must go
ashore perhaps half a mile from the land itself. If we try to run down
the coast we will be capsized, because we present our broadside to the
seas, and they're getting worse and worse every minute," declared Frank
firmly.

"Frank is right. It is our only hope," said Jerry.

There were some white faces in the little anxious group as the motor-boat
swept resistlessly onward. If all went well, they would find shelter
behind the friendly key before many minutes. Should it shoal up rapidly,
they must be hopelessly wrecked, and perhaps drowned, in the whirl of
foamy water.

The sky was by this time covered with black clouds, and the wind
increasing to almost hurricane force. Frank knew that they were sweeping
onward at more than twenty miles an hour. Once they struck a reef, while
going at this pace, and it meant an end to Cousin Archie's pretty boat,
and imminent peril concerning themselves.

Now he could see that he had made no mistake about the key. They swept
around the northern end of the jutting land, and Jerry, who was clinging
in the bow, trying to gain new confidence by thrusting the pole downward
from time to time, kept on announcing that he could not strike bottom.

Gradually Frank steered in such fashion that they gained the protection
of a point. Then the boys broke out into a shout that voiced their
sentiments of thanksgiving at an almost miraculous escape.

It was not difficult