e quivering, and she seemed
on the verge of tears. Alice was bearing up better, but she, too, showed
the effects of the strain.

Mrs. Maguire was a pillar of strength and courage.

"Whist! And it's laughin' we'll be at ourselves in a little while--to
think we were scared!" she cried, with a forced Irish brogue. "We'll be
soon aboard the steamer tellin' what good times we had, an' the others
will be wishin' they'd been along."

"I--I wish I could believe so," faltered Ruth.

The boys rowed on, and they were glad of the exertion, for it kept them
from brooding over the troubles of their situation, and a troublesome
situation it was--they admitted that.

The afternoon was half gone, and in spite of having traveled several
miles, twisting this way and that, there were no signs of the steamer.

The boat made a turn in a stream that seemed more sluggish and lonely
than any of the others. But it was broader and this gave the boys hope.

"We may get somewhere on this creek," observed Russ, pulling hard at the
oars.

Alice gave a startled cry, pointed toward the shore and said:

"Look!"

They all gazed to where she indicated, and there, on the bank of the
stream, was a small hut, made of palm leaves, while in front of it, tied
to an overhanging tree, was a large motor boat!

CHAPTER XXIV

THE LOST ARE FOUND

"What does it mean?"

"A boat at last!"

"Human beings, anyhow!"

Thus came the excited calls from those in the rowing craft, as it drifted
toward the hut on shore--a palm leaf hut that seemed crudely made. Russ
and Paul had ceased rowing at the sight of the motor boat, and now their
own craft was merely drifting.

"Hurry up, there!" begged Alice. "There must be someone on shore who can
put us on the right path. Oh, what a relief!"

"Isn't it!" agreed Ruth, with tears in her eyes. But they were tears of
joy, now.

"This came in the nick of time," murmured Russ to Paul. "I was about
ready to give up."

"Yes?" agreed Paul, half-questioningly. "And yet isn't it queer we don't
see some sign of life?" he asked, in a low voice. "We have made noise
enough, but no one has come out of that hut. And the hut itself doesn't
seem like a very permanent sort of residence; does it?"

"Indeed it doesn't," spoke Russ. "But it may be one just put up for a
night or two by a hunter. Anyhow, we'll soon find out what it means, and
if anyone is there who can tell us which way to go."

He and Paul resumed their