nt out.

When they flared up again the vessel seemed to be at anchor, and the boys
said to each other:

"What is the matter, have we struck on a rock, are we sinking, what is the
matter anyhow?"

There was no confusion on deck, as there would have been if what the boys
feared had really happened, and presently one of the officers came below
and said reassuringly:

"Well, we are all right as far as I can see, but where we are is another
story. In some landlocked bay, apparently, but where it is or how we
reached it I can't tell."

"We were struck by a cyclone, weren't we, Officer?" asked young Smith,
with a wise air.

"That's just what it was, and when those things strike you they strike
hard. Lucky for us that we happened to be going ahead of it, for if we had
been head on to it we might not have survived."

"But there is no danger, we have not struck a rock or anything, we have no
holes in our hull?"

"None that we can see. We are beached somewhere, and we may slide into
deeper water, but as far as we can tell now we are safe enough. Where we
are, however, will have to be determined when the sun comes out."

The boys were reassured by this news, and after a time some of them went
out on deck, the yacht being now almost motionless, the waves just lapping
their sides, and running lazily up a beach, which they could now just make
out at a little distance.

It grew lighter and lighter quite rapidly, and at length the sun appeared,
and they found themselves in a landlocked bay with a white beach in front
of them, beyond that a thick grove of palms of various kinds, green hills
on all sides and in the distance, straight ahead, a hill of considerable
size crowned with a thick growth of trees.

As the sun grew brighter the scene increased in attractiveness, and the
greater part of the boys were charmed by it, making many exclamations of
delight, as they turned from one object to another.

"It's a fine place wherever it is," said Jack. "I suppose they will locate
it to-morrow, and perhaps some one will come out to the yacht, and tell us
where we are."

"I don't see any sign of dwellings," murmured Percival. "Perhaps there are
no people on it. Not all of these little islands are inhabited, and I
suppose it is an island?"

"Probably, for I do not think we are near the South American coast. Some
one will know after a bit, doubtless. At any rate, we are safe and that is
a good deal."

One of the officers came al