old. They were getting ready to land.

The news spread through the ship, and passengers immediately engaged in
a wild rush to put their things together and crowd for the steps. They
acted as though they expected to make a flying leap ashore as the ship
passed by. Charley was glad to help his father and Mr. Grigsby tie up
their belongings also, so as to be ready.

Here on the rolling Caribbean the sun was shining brightly, tinting the
choppy waves with a beautiful green. The storm ashore was moving on,
evidently, for the streaks of rain were drifting around to the left and
passing out to sea, leaving the mist thin and white. Suddenly voices
forward cried, excitedly: "Land ho! Land ho! There she is! Isthmus
in sight! Land ho!" The cries spread, with everybody on tiptoe,
peering. At one end of the mist line had been uncurtained a background
of rocky, surf-washed shore, with high green hills rising behind it.
Next was uncovered a lower shore, indented by a large bay, and fringed
with palm-trees. Next, as on sped the mist (like a swiftly rolling
curtain, indeed) there came into view a lofty headland, with trees on
its crest and the waves dashing against its base.

The _Georgia_ was swinging about in her course, and pointing up the
coast. This brought the lofty headland on her left. And now all the
deck was rife with questions.

"Where do we land?"

"What's that big point? Porto Bello?"

"The pirates captured it, didn't they, couple of hundred years ago?"

"Can you see the old fort on it?"

"How far's the Pacific Ocean, now?"

"Do we land in that big bay?"

"Don't think so. That's Limon Bay, isn't it? Where is Colon?"

"Colon is where the railroad's going to begin. We land at Chagres."

"Where is Chagres?"

"How far across to the Pacific at Panama?"

"About four days. Three by boat and one by mule, they say."

"Anything to eat at Chagres? Any sleeping place?"

"Don't know."

"Oh, Tom! How'll we engage a canoe? Ought to make up a party and send
a man ashore at once, oughtn't we?"

Accompanied by this babel of cries, the _Georgia_ steamed up along the
shore. She passed the lofty headland, which seemed to guard a fine
harbor; and she passed the big bay which people said was Limon. The
shore looked very tropical, with its beaches and palms and green hills
and thatched huts and glimpses of bright tinted towns, while behind
rose the mountain range. Charley gazed spellbound.

"Say, wh