faster than the steamship and hundreds of times as loud. It roared up the lake, passed the Swallow a hundred yards away, and had soon disappeared astern of her beyond Darien. Here and there, close to the shore, there were rowing boats with fishermen. But after all there was no need to notice any of these things if one did not want to, and the Swallow and her crew moved steadily southward over a desolate ocean sailed for the first time by white seamen.
They were getting near the island.
“Keep a lookout for a good landing-place,” said Captain John.
“And keep a lookout for savages,” said Titty. “We don’t know yet that it is uninhabited, and you can’t be too careful.”
“I’ll sail between the island and this shore and then beat up again on the other side, so that we can choose the best place,” said Captain John.
The island was covered with trees and among them there was one tall pine which stood out