rly escape; and
the two lads were now standing just by the break of the poop, looking
across the blue water towards the fair city, aptly named the "Valley of
Paradise."

This was not the first time that the boys had been there, and both knew
the place fairly well; but this morning they seemed to notice some
indefinable change in the appearance of the city, and tried to discover
in what it consisted.

Presently Douglas started up with the remark: "I know what it is, Terry,
old boy; there's some tremendous excitement or other ashore there. If
you will take a squint through this glass you will see that the shops
are all shut, and that a good many of the streets are barricaded. Up
there at the back of the town there is a body of Chilian soldiers busily
throwing up earthworks or constructing a fort of some kind. Take my
word for it, lad, there's a revolution in progress there, or something
akin to it. What luck, Terry! We shall be able to get right into the
thick of it; and I shall be much mistaken if we don't find plenty of
employment ready for us when we get ashore. But what on earth's all
this? This looks as though something more serious than a mere
revolution were in progress!"

Douglas's exclamation of astonishment had been drawn from him by the
sight of a squadron of warships which had just put in their appearance
round the point, and which were slowly steaming in column of line ahead,
and were evidently making their way toward the warship anchorage in the
roads. There were five of them altogether, two large and three small
ships, all flying the Chilian ensign. By means of the glass the lads
made out that the first two craft were the _Almirante Cochrane_ and the
_Blanco Encalada_, both battleships. Then came the corvettes
_O'Higgins_ and _Chacabuco_; and, lastly, the sloop _Esmeralda_.
Presently they all slowed up and anchored; and as they did so there came
the sound of tumultuous cheering from the city, to which the ships
replied by dipping their ensigns.

"As you say, Jim, this is no revolution," answered Terry. "War has
probably broken out between Chili and some other country--I wonder
which. Peru, I expect. And it seems to me, my lad, that we have just
arrived in the very nick of time. Here is the chance of our lives, and
we shall be foolish if we don't make the most of it."

"What do you mean?" replied Jim; "I don't quite follow--"

"Why, simply this," answered Terry. "We want to get away fro