The Return on Board

           FORtwohourstheOMBUnavigatedtheimmenselakewithoutreachingterrafirma.Theflameswhichweredevouringithadgraduallydiedout.Thechiefdangeroftheirfrightfulpassagewasthusremoved,andtheMajorwentthelengthofsaying,thatheshouldnotbesurprisediftheyweresavedafterall.

           Thedirectionofthecurrentremainedunchanged,alwaysrunningfromsouthwesttonortheast.Profounddarknesshadagainsetin,onlyilluminedhereandtherebyapartingflashoflightning.Thestormwasnearlyover.Therainhadgivenplacetolightmists,whichabreathofwinddispersed,andtheheavymassesofcloudhadseparated,andnowstreakedtheskyinlongbands.

           TheOMBUwasborneonwardsorapidlybytheimpetuoustorrent,thatanyonemighthavesupposedsomepowerfullocomotiveenginewashiddeninitstrunk.Itseemedlikelyenoughtheymightcontinuedriftinginthiswayfordays.Aboutthreeo’clockinthemorning,however,theMajornoticedthattherootswerebeginningtograzethegroundoccasionally,andbysoundingthedepthofthewaterwithalongbranch,TomAustinfoundthattheyweregettingonrisingground.Twentyminutesafterward,theOMBUstoppedshortwithaviolentjolt.

           "Land!land!"shoutedPaganel,inaringingtone.

           Theextremityofthecalcinedboughhadstrucksomehillock,andneverweresailorsmoreglad;therocktothemwastheport.

           AlreadyRobertandWilsonhadleapedontothesolidplateauwithaloud,joyfulhurrah!whenawell-knownwhistlewasheard.