Phil’s eyes traveled excitedly over the scene; the forts, some thousands of yards away, were enshrouded in darkness; the island appeared ever more distinct, the deep shadow of its high vegetation rising ghastly from the water. “Round the point close,” Phil directed O’Neil, “and keep in to the shore-line.” Boldly the launch neared the dark land, now so near at hand that it seemed possible in the darkness to reach out and touch the long, overhanging reeds. The dry rustle of the wind among the rank growth seemed in the silence almost as loud as the footsteps of an army marching. So far all seemed to be progressing happily for the allies. The channel was an established fact and the midshipmen saw with relief that once behind the island the gunboats could not be seen by the soldiers in the forts. The island was narrow, but so long that when the vessels emerged from its protection above the city of Ku-Ling, they would be in the dead angle of the heavy batteries and well beyond the range of the lighter guns. The launch chugged steadily onward, the intention being to discover if possible any shoaling of the water in the channel, but the leadsman’s bamboo pole betrayed no change. “What’s that ahead, sir?” O’Neil exclaimed suddenly; “It’s a launch, I’m sure.” The lads strained their eyes in the direction indicated, but could see nothing; then a light shot into the air, followed by a shower of sparks and a bright flame, and again all was darkness. “What does it mean?” Phil gasped in sudden alarm. “It’s a launch, that’s sure. She’s carrying no lights, and the flame from her smoke-stack shows she has seen us and is making haste to escape.” “She’s going faster than we are, too,” O’Neil exclaimed, his keen eyes detecting what the midshipmen had failed to see. “Do you smell smoke?” Sydney questioned anxiously. A moment later there was no longer doubt of the presence of smoke; a light breeze from the direction of the island carried the pungent odor of burning brush down the wind to the nostrils of the surprised Americans. “There’s a fire on the island!” O’Neil suddenly exclaimed. CHAPTER XIX THE SECRET CHANNEL