they fell, while the flames leaped through the brushwood beneath them,
was clearly borne to them.

They were marooned on a floating island, and the island was in flames.

The dense smoke of the fire had by this time blotted out the sky and
all they could see above them was a thick canopy of smoke. It rose in
a huge pillar blotting out the sky and poisoning the air.

"What are we to do?" gasped Billy.

"I don't see what we can do," was Frank's reply, "our escape is cut
off. We shall burn to death."

Indeed it seemed as if the boys were doomed to death in the flames.
With incredible rapidity the fire, undoubtedly started by their
carelessness in not extinguishing their camp fire, came leaping and
roaring through the forest.

Suddenly out of the woods directly in front of them leaped a lithe
spotted form, and without glancing to right or left, the creature shot
into the sea. It swam quite a distance and then sank.

"A jaguar," exclaimed Ben; "a good thing it was too scared to attack
us."

"Yes, I haven't got a cartridge left," said Frank, gazing ruefully at
his empty revolver.

"I don't think that would do us much good if you had; we might as well