r, the moon
glittered on the sea, the raft settled deeper and deeper, and there was
absolute silence on the ocean, except for a slight groan which came
regularly and gently from the nose of the Churchwarden.

CHAPTER XV

A FALL IN THE DARK

Freddie was the first to be awake in the morning. He was cramped and
stiff. He sat up straight, rubbed his eyes, and stretched his arms. He
looked abroad, and the sight which met him caused him to grasp Aunt
Amanda's hand in excitement.

"Land!" he cried, so loud that everyone awoke.

"Blamed if it ain't," said Toby, and put on his white derby hat,
considering that he had thereby dressed himself for the day.

All the others sat bolt upright, and stared across the smooth blue sea,
sparkling in the sunlight.

Not more than a quarter of a mile away rose a tall black cliff straight
up out of the water. It stretched away on either hand for miles and
miles, and came to an end in the ocean at the right hand and the left,
so that it was probably the side of an island. The sea rolled up and
down at the foot of the cliff, making a beautiful white splash against
the rocks.

"But how on earth," said Aunt Amanda, "are we ever to get ashore on such
a place as that?"

"We're moving towards it," said Freddie.

"Blamed if we ain't," said Toby. "We'll soon know whether we can get
ashore or not."

They moved very slowly, and it was a long time before they came close
enough to the cliff to see what their chances of a landing might be.
They floated at last within two or three hundred yards of the cliff. It
was very dangerous looking; the waves rolled over huge black rocks at
its foot and broke in white foam against its side; it seemed the last
place in the world for a landing.

A great swell rolled in from the sea and brought them nearer the
breakers.

"My word!" cried Mr. Punch, excitedly. "There's a harch!"

"A what?" said Toby.

"See!" said Aunt Amanda. "There's a little archway in the rock, like the
mouth of a cave, over there to the right! Don't you see? With the water
pouring in! Over there!"

It was true. There was an archway, like the mouth of a cave; and into
this the water was streaming in a strong current, making a kind of
passage-way, more or less smooth, through the breakers.

"Yes!" said Freddie. "And I believe we're headed towards it!"

Their course changed a little to the right, as if the fish who was
piloting them had now taken a correct bearing. They fou