where the boys went ashore for a brief visit, the steamer
dropped anchor in the excellent harbor of Colon, at the Atlantic
end of the great Panama Canal.

A storm was impending as the ship made her way up the harbor, but
as the boys and the other passengers looked at the great
break-water, constructed to be one of the protections to the
Canal, they realized what a stupendous undertaking the work was,
and they knew that no storm could affect them, now they were
within the Colon harbor.

"Well, we're here at last!" exclaimed Joe, as he looked over the
side and noticed many vessels lying about, most of them connected
in some manner with the canal construction.

"Yes, and now for some moving pictures--at least within a day or
so," went on Blake. "I'm tired of doing nothing. At last we are at
Panama!"

"And I shall soon be with you, taking pictures!" cried the
Spaniard. "How long do you think it will be before I can take some
views myself?" he asked eagerly.

"Oh, within a week or so we'll trust you with a camera," said
Blake.

"That is, if you can spare time from your alarm clock invention,"
added Joe, with a curious glance at his chum.

But if Mr. Alcando felt any suspicions at the words he did not
betray himself. He smiled genially, made some of his rapid Latin
gestures and exclaimed:

"Oh, the clock. He is safe asleep, and will be while I am here. I
work only on moving pictures now!"

In due season Blake, Joe and Mr. Alcando found themselves
quartered in the pleasant Washington Hotel, built by the Panama
Railroad for the Government, where they found, transported to a
Southern clime, most of the luxuries demanded by people of the
North.

"Well, this is something like living!" exclaimed Blake as their
baggage and moving picture cameras and accessories having been put
away, they sat on the veranda and watched breaker after breaker
sweep in from the Caribbean Sea.

"The only trouble is we won't be here long enough," complained
Joe, as he sipped a cooling lime drink, for the weather was quite
warm. "We'll have to leave it and take to the Canal or the jungle,
to say nothing of standing up to our knees in dirt taking slides."

"Do you--er--really have to get very close to get pictures of the
big slides?" asked Mr. Alcando, rather nervously, Blake thought.

"The nearer the better," Joe replied. "Remember that time, Blake,
when we were filming the volcano, and the ground opened right at
your feet?"

"I shou