At first he had an unreasoning terror that it might be a big fish--a whale or a shark--that had come up under him.

Then he felt whatever it was under his feet to be firm and hard.

A dim shape loomed up before him.
"It's land!" exclaimed Bob.

"I've struck land! It must be one of those islands the captain told about and that is the sandy beach my feet are touching." He swam on a little further, and again let down his feet.

To his delight he could stand upright, the water coming to his chest.
Then, as it grew lighter, he could make out a low, sandy shore lying stretched out before him.
"Land! Land!" exclaimed the boy.