"On the land," answered the inventor. "I think we have struck shore and slid up on a beach." He ordered the engine stopped and hurried to the conning tower to make an observation. He turned on the searchlight and looked carefully at what the beams showed. Then he came back to the cabin. "Well, what is it?" asked Mrs. Johnson. "We have gone ashore, just as I supposed," said Mr. Henderson. "And whereabouts are we?" "On the coast of South America." "Near where?" "Near Terra Del Fuego, the land of fire!" CHAPTER XVII ATTACKED BY SAVAGES "Are we in any danger?" asked Mrs. Johnson. "I hope not," replied the captain. "If the ship is not strained the rising tide will probably float her safely, and we can continue our trip. We will have to wait until morning to see, however." "And if the ship is damaged?" "We will have to do what we can. We will hope for the best, madam." The professor went on deck. His first opinion of the accident was confirmed. The _Porpoise_, in emerging from the waves, had slid well up on a sandy shore, where she was held fast because the tide was rapidly falling. It would be twelve hours before there would be a chance of her floating again. The mishap had occurred because the ship had gotten off her course when Washington's accident occurred, and had not been set right in time. However, as Mr. Henderson had said, there was no particular danger, unless it was found that some of the plates had been strained, which might cause a leak. The night was passed with the nose of the _Porpoise_ well up on shore, and before morning, as the tide continued to fall, more and more of the craft became exposed until the whole steel body rested on the sloping beach. Jack was the first to awaken. He was up with the sun, and went out on the deck to take a view of the country he had often heard about. A stretch of wild landscape met his eyes, and to the left and right of the ship the waves were breaking on jagged rocks. "It's a good thing we didn't hit the rocks," thought the youth. Mark came up on deck, and the two boys looked over the scene. It was a strange one. Beyond the beach was a low level country, green in places, with now and then a patch of what looked like trees. "And what are those brown spots moving about?" asked Mark. "I guess they are herds of cattle," replied Jack. "You know South America is a great place for them." For half an hour the two lads gazed about. Except for the stern of the _Porpoise_ all of the craft was now out of water, and one could have jumped from the low deck down to a mound of white sand of the beach. "Let's go ashore and take a run," suggested Mark. "I've almost forgotten how to walk on dry land." "Go ahead," answered Jack. "I'm with you." "All right."