Ned, although progressing rapidly in other branches of his Spanish education, appeared abnormally dull to the explanations of the good father; while Tom's small stock of Spanish was quite insufficient to enable him to comprehend more than a word, here and there.
So matters might have remained, for months, had not an event occurred which disclosed the true nationality of the lads.

One day the ordinarily placid blue sky was over-clouded.

The wind rose rapidly and, in a few hours, a tremendous storm was blowing on the coast.

Most of the vessels in the harbor succeeded in running into shelter.

But, later in the day, a cry arose that a ship had just rounded the point of the bay, and that she would not be able to make the port.