archlight for he did not care to have his presence discovered by
curious persons. So he ran the ship at half speed.

"Where are we now?" asked Mark, who had entered the conning tower, where
the professor was steering.

"Somewhere's off the coast of South Carolina," replied the inventor.

The next instant there was a sudden shock and jar. The ship quivered
from stem to stern, and came to an abrupt stop.

"We've hit something!" exclaimed the professor, shutting down the
engines with a jerk of the lever.

CHAPTER IX

A PRICE ON THEIR HEADS

On board the _Porpoise_ there was great excitement. Washington, with
Andy, Tom, Bill and Jack came running from the engine room.

"What is it?" cried Jack.

"I don't know," answered the professor as calmly as he could. "We'll
soon see, however."

He switched on the searchlight and peered from the conning tower.

"Can you see anything?" asked Andy, anxiously.

"I can," announced the inventor.

"What?"

"Land," replied Mr. Henderson. "We've hit the coast."

"I hope we ain't done no damage," put in Washington.

"Do you mean to the coast or to us?" asked the professor, with a smile.
"I guess there isn't much danger in ramming the shore excepting to the
_Porpoise_. However, we do not seem to be in any immediate trouble."

He tested various wheels and levers, and announced that, aside from the
jar, which might have started some of the machinery, the _Porpoise_ was
unharmed.

The cover of the man-hole was loosened and, one after another, the
adventurers crawled out on the small deck or platform. It took them a
little while to become accustomed to the darkness, but soon they were
able to make out that they had run on the muddy bank of the ocean beach.
The tide was low and the _Porpoise_ had rammed her nose well into the
soft muck, which accounted for the lack of damage.

"Well, I guess there is nothing to do excepting to wait for morning,"
said Mr. Henderson. "It doesn't look like a very lively neighborhood
about here. I don't believe we'll be disturbed."

Save for the splash and lapping of the waves and the sound of the wind,
it was as quiet as the proverbial graveyard. Not a light showed on
shore, and the gleam from the search lamp of the _Porpoise_ cut the
darkness like a small moonbeam.

"If there's nothing to do I'm going to turn in," said Andy. "I'm tired."

The professor said this was a good suggestion, and, leaving instructions
that Washington and Bil