UNDER THE OCEAN TO THE SOUTH POLE

Or

The Strange Cruise of the Submarine Wonder

BYROY ROCKWOOD

 AUTHOR OF "THROUGH THE AIR TO THE NORTH POLE, " "THE RIVAL OCEAN DIVERS, " "A SCHOOLBOY'S PLUCK, " ETC. 

ILLUSTRATED

NEW YORK CUPPLES & LEON CO. 

GOOD BOOKS FOR BOYS

BY ROY ROCKWOOD

 * * * * *

=THE GREAT MARVEL SERIES=

 THROUGH THE AIR TO THE NORTH POLE Or The Wonderful Cruise of the Electric Monarch

 UNDER THE OCEAN TO THE SOUTH POLE Or The Strange Cruise of the Submarine Wonder

Cloth. Illustrated

 Copyright, 1907, by CUPPLES & LEON CO. 

 * * * * *

UNDER THE OCEAN TO THE SOUTH POLE

CONTENTS

 CHAPTER PAGE

 I. WILL THE SHIP WORK? 1

 II. A LAND OF ICE 10

 III. RUNNING DOWN A WAR SHIP 19

 IV. IN THE MIDST OF FIRE 27

 V. A GRAVE ACCUSATION 35

 VI. ON A RUNAWAY TROLLEY 43

 VII. OFF FOR THE SOUTH POLE 52

 VIII. ASHORE IN THE DARK 60

 IX. A PRICE ON THEIR HEADS 68

 X. ATTACKED BY A MONSTER 75

 XI. CAUGHT IN A SEA OF GRASS 84

 XII. FIRE ON BOARD 92

 XIII. THE GHOST OF THE SUBMARINE 100

 XIV. DIGGING OUT THE SHIP 108

 XV. THE STRANGE SHIPWRECK 117

 XVI. THE GHOST AGAIN 126

 XVII. ATTACKED BY SAVAGES 134

 XVIII. ON LAND 143

 XIX. REGAINING THE SHIP 152

 XX. ON A VOLCANIC ISLAND 160

 XXI. CAUGHT IN A WHIRLPOOL 169

 XXII. UNDER FIRE 177

 XXIII. CAUGHT IN AN ICE FLOE 185

 XXIV. THE SHIP GRAVEYARD 193

 XXV. CAUGHT BY SEA SUCKERS 201

 XXVI. LAND UNDER ICE 211

 XXVII. ATTACKED BY AN OCTUPUS 220

 XXVIII. OUT OF THE ICE 228

 XXIX. THE BOILING WATER 235

 XXX. THE SOUTH POLE--CONCLUSION 240

UNDER THE OCEAN TO THE SOUTH POLE

CHAPTER I

WILL THE SHIP WORK?

"Hand me that wrench, Mark, " called Professor Amos Henderson to a boywho stood near some complicated machinery over which the old man wasworking. The lad passed the tool over. 

"Do you think the ship will work, Professor?" he asked. 

"I hope so, Mark, I hope so, " muttered the scientist as he tightenedsome bolts on what was perhaps the strangest combination of apparatusthat had ever been put together. "There is no reason why she should not, and yet--"

The old man paused. Perhaps he feared that, after all, the submarineboat on which he had labored continuously for more than a year would bea failure. 

"Is there anything more I can do now?" asked Mark. 

"Not right away, " replied the professor, without looking up from thework he was doing. "But I wish you and Jack would be around in about anhour. I am going to start the engine then, and I'll need you. If you seeWashington outside send him to me. "

Mark left the big room where the submarine boat had been in process ofconstruction so long. Outside he met a boy about his own age, who wascleaning a rifle. 

"How's it going, Mark?" asked this second youth, who was rather fat, and, if one could judge by his face, of a jolly disposition. 

"The professor is going to try the engine in about an hour, " repliedMark. "We must be on hand. "

"I'll be there all right. But if there isn't anything else to do, let'sshoot at a target. I'll bet I can beat you. "

"Bet you can't. Wait 'till I get my gun. "

"Now don't yo' boys go to disportin' yo'seves in any disproportionableanticipation ob transposin' dem molecules of lead in a contigiousdirection to yo' humble servant!" exclaimed a colored man, coming frombehind the big shed at that moment, and seeing Mark and Jack with theirrifles. 

"I s'pose you mean to say, Washington, " remarked Jack, "that you don'tcare to be shot at. Is that it?"

"Neber said nuffin truer in all yo' born days!" exclaimed Washingtonearnestly. "De infliction ob distress to de exterior portion ob--"

"The professor wants you, " interrupted Mark, cutting off the coloredman's flow of language. 

"Yo' mind what I tole yo', " Washington muttered as he hurried into thework room. 

Soon the reports of rifles indicated that the boys were trying todiscover who was the best shot, a contest that waged with friendlyinterest for some time. 

The big shed, where the submarine ship was being built, was located at alonely spot on the coast of Maine. The nearest town was Easton, aboutten miles away, and Professor Henderson had fixed on this location asone best suited to give him a chance to work secretly and unobserved onhis wonderful invention. 

The professor was a man about sixty-five years old, and, while of simpleand kindly nature in many ways, yet, on the subjects of airships andsubmarines, he possessed a fund of knowledge. He was somewhat queer, asmany persons may be who devote all their thoughts to one object, yet hewas a man of fine character. 

Some time before this story opens he had invented an electric airship inwhich he, with Mark Sampson, Jack Darrow and the colored man, Washington White, had made a trip to the frozen north. 

Their adventures on that journey are told of in the first volume of thisseries, entitled, "Through the Air to the North Pole, or, The WonderfulCruise of the _Electric Monarch_. "

The two boys, Mark then being fifteen and Jack a year older, had met theprofessor under peculiar circumstances. They were orphans, and, afterknocking about the world a bit, had chanced to meet each other. Theyagreed to seek together such fortune as might chance to come to them. 

While in the town of Freeport, N. Y. , they were driven away by aconstable, who said tramps were not allowed in the village. The boysjumped on a freight train, which broke in two and ran away down themountain, and the lads were knocked senseless in the wreck thatfollowed. 

As it chanced Professor Henderson had erected nearby a big shop, wherehe was building his airship. He and Washington were on hand when thewreck occurred and they took the senseless boys to the airship shed. 

The boys, after their recovery, accepted the invitation of the professorto go on a search for the north pole. As the airship was about to startAndy Sudds, an old hunter, and two men, Tom Smith and Bill Jones, whohad been called in to assist at the flight, held on too long and werecarried aloft. 

Somewhat against their will the three latter made the trip, for theprofessor did not want to return to earth with them. 

The party had many adventures on the voyage, having to fight savageanimals and more savage Esquimaux. They reached the north pole, but inthe midst of such a violent storm that the ship was overturned, and thediscovery of the long-sought goal availed little. After many hardships, and a fierce fight to recover the possession of the ship, which had beenseized by natives, the adventurers reached home. 

Since then a little over a year had passed. The professor, having foundhe could successfully navigate the air, turned his attention to thewater, and began to plan a craft that would sail beneath the ocean. 

To this end he had moved his machine shop to this lonely spot on theMaine coast. The two boys, who had grown no less fond of the old manthan he of them, went with him, as did Washington White, the negro, whowas a genius in his way, though somewhat inclined to use big words, ofthe meaning of which he knew little and cared less. 

Andy Sudds, the old hunter, had also been induced to accompany theprofessor. 

"I hunted game up north and in the air, " said Andy, "and if there's achance to shoot something under the water I'm the one to do it. "

Needing more assistance than either the boys, Andy or Washington couldgive, the professor had engaged two young machinists, who, under astrict promise never to divulge any of the secrets of the submarine, hadlabored in its building. 

Now the queer craft was almost finished. As it rested on the ways in theshed, it looked exactly like a big cigar, excepting that the top partwas level, forming a platform. 

The ship, which had been named the _Porpoise_, was eighty feet long, andtwenty feet in diameter at the largest part. From that it taperedgradually, until the ends were reached. These consisted of flattenedplates about three feet in diameter, with a hole in the center one footin size. 

Weary months of labor had been spent on the _Porpoise_, until now it wasalmost ready for a trial. The professor had discovered a new method ofpropulsion. Instead of propellers or paddle-wheels, he intended to sendhis craft ahead or to the rear, by means of a water cable. 

Through the entire length of the ship ran a round hole or shaft, onefoot in diameter. Within this was an endless screw worked by powerfulengines. With a working model the professor had demonstrated that whenthe endless screw was revolved it acted on the water just as anothersort of screw does in wood. The water coming in through the shaft servedas a rope, so to speak, and the screw, acting on it, pulled the craftahead or to the rear, according to the direction in which the screw wasrevolved. 

The submarine was a wonderful craft. It contained a powerful engine, electric motors and dynamos, and machinery of all kinds. The engine wasa turbine, and steam was generated from heat furnished by the burning ofa powerful gas, manufactured from sea water and chemicals. So there wasno need to carry a supply of coal on the ship. 

The interior of the vessel was divided into an engine-room, a kitchen, combination dining-room and parlor, bunk rooms, and a conning tower, orplace for the steersman. 

While the boys had been shooting at the target the professor andWashington had been putting the finishing touches to the engine, tightening nuts here and screwed up bolts there. 

"I guess that will do, " remarked the old inventor. "Call the boys, Washington. "

The colored man went to the door and gave three blasts on a batteredhorn that hung from a string. 

"Coming!" called Mark, as he and Jack ceased their marksmanship contestand approached the shed. 

"Now boys, we'll see if she works so far, " said the professor. "If shedoes, we'll give her a trial under water. "

At the inventor's directions the boys started the gas to generating fromthe chemicals. Soon the hissing of steam told them that there was powerin the boiler. 

The professor entered the engine-room of the submarine. He looked overthe various wheels, levers, handles, gages and attachments, satisfyinghimself that all were in proper shape and position. 

"Three hundred pounds pressure, " he muttered, glancing at the steamindicator. "That ought to be enough. Are you all ready, boys?"

"All ready!" cried Jack. 

Of course the test was only one to see if the engine worked, for theboat could not move until in the water. 

The professor opened a valve. The steam filled the turbine with a hissand throb. The _Porpoise_ trembled. Then, with a cough and splutter ofthe exhaust pipes, the engine started. Slowly it went at first, but, asthe professor admitted more steam, it revolved the long screw until itfairly hummed in the shaft. 

"Hurrah! It works!" cried Mark. 

"It does!" chimed in Jack. 

"Gollyation! She suttinly am goin'!" yelled Washington. 

"I think we may say it is a success, " said the professor calmly, yetthere was a note of exultation in his voice. 

"Now that you've got her started, when are you goin' to put her in thewater an' scoot along under the waves?" asked Andy Sudds. 

"In about a week, " replied the professor. 

"And where are you goin' to head for?" went on the hunter. 

"We're going under the ocean to the south pole!" exclaimed the inventor, as he shut off the engine. 

CHAPTER II

A LAND OF ICE

"The south pole?" exclaimed Mark. 

"Way down dat way!" cried Washington. 

"Can you do it?" asked Jack. 

"That remains to be seen, " replied the professor, answering them all atonce. "I'm going to try, at any rate. "

"Hurrah!" yelled Mark. "It will be better than going to the north pole, for we will be in no danger of freezing to death. "

"Don't be so sure of that, " interrupted the professor. "There is moreice at the south pole than at the north, according to all accounts. Itis a place of great icebergs, immense floes and cold fogs. But there island beyond the ice, I believe, and I am going to try to find it. "

"It will be a longer voyage than to the north pole, " said Jack. 

"Jest de same, " argued Washington, "de poles am at each end ob deworld. "

"Yes, but we're quite a way north of the equator now, and we'll have tocross that before we will be half way to the south pole, " explainedJack. "But I guess the _Porpoise_ can make good time. "

"If the engine behaves under water as well as it did just now, we'llskim along, " said the professor. 

"And so you figure there's land down there to the south, do you?" askedold Andy. 

"I do, " replied the inventor. "I can't prove it, but I'm sure there is. I have read all the accounts of other explorers and from the signs theymention I am positive we shall find land if we ever get there. Land andan open sea. "

"And other things as well, " muttered Andy, yet neither he nor any ofthem dreamed of the terrible and strange adventures they were to have. 

The next few days were busy ones. Many little details remained toperfect in connection with the ship, and a lot of supplies andprovisions had to be purchased, for the professor was determined to getall in readiness for the trip under the water. He believed firmly thathis ship would work, though some of the others were not so positive. 

"We'll put her into the water to-morrow, " announced the inventor aftersupper one night. "Everything is complete as far as I can make it, andthe only thing remaining is to see if she will float, sink when I wanther to, and, what is most important, rise to the surface again. For, "he added with a twinkle in his eye, "anybody can make a ship that willsink, but it isn't every one who can make one that will come to thesurface again. "

"Golly! I hope dis chile ain't goin' to git in no subicecream shipwhat'll stay down under de water so de fishes gits him!" exclaimedWashington, opening his eyes wide. "Dat's worser dan freezin!"

"Can't you swim?" asked Mark with a wink at Jack. 

"Co'se I can swim, boy. I can swim like a starfish, but I can't wif tenthousand tons of a subicecream ship on my back. "

"A sub-ice-cream ship is a new one, " commented the professor with asmile. "It's a submarine, Washington. "

"I can't see no difference, " persisted the colored man. "Subicecream amgood enough for me. "

That night Mark and Jack were thinking so much of the proposed test ofthe ship the next day that they each dreamed they were sailing beneaththe waves, and Jack woke Mark up by grabbing him about the neck during aparticularly vivid part of the vision. 

"What's the matter?" inquired Mark, sleepily. 

"I thought the ship turned over and spilled me out and I was drowning, "explained Jack. "I grabbed the first thing I got hold of and it happenedto be you. "

"Well, as long as you're safe you can go to sleep again, " said Mark. "Idreamed I was chasing a whale with the _Porpoise_. "

The boys were up early the next morning, and found the professor andWashington before them. The inventor was inspecting the track which hadbeen built from the shed down to the water's edge to enable the_Porpoise_ to slide into the ocean. 

With him were the two machinists, Henry Watson and James Penson. Theyhad been busy since daylight making the ways secure. 

"She goes in after breakfast, " announced the professor, "and I'm goingto let you christen her, Washington. "

"Me? I neber christened a ship, " objected the colored man. 

"Nothing like learning, " remarked Mr. Henderson. 

"Has you got the bottle ob wine?" asked Washington. 

"I guess soda water will do, " said the inventor. "Now look sharp, boys. Get your breakfasts and we'll see if the ship will come up to ourexpectations. "

No one lingered over the meal. When it was finished the professor gaveWashington a few instructions about breaking the bottle over the nose ofthe _Porpoise_ as she slid down to the water, for there was no bow tosuch a queerly shaped vessel as the submarine. 

At last all was in readiness. The two machinists knocked away the lastof the retaining blocks and eased the ship slightly down thewell-greased timbers of the ways. 

"There she goes!" cried the professor. "Break the bottle, Washington!"

"In de name ob de Stars an' Stripes, in de name of liberty, de home ofthe free an' de land ob de brave, I names yo' _Mrs. Porpoise_!" criedthe colored man, but he was so long getting the words out, and so slowin swinging the bottle of soda, that the ship was quite beyond his reachwhen he had finished his oration. He was not to be outdone, however, and, with a quick movement he hurled the bottle at the moving ship. Itstruck the blunt nose squarely, and shivered to pieces. 

"Three cheers for de south pole!" yelled Washington, and the othersjoined in. 

The next instant the _Porpoise_ was riding the waves of the little bay, dancing about as lightly as a cork, though, from the nature of herconstruction, she was quite low in the water, only about three feet offreeboard showing where the platform was located. 

"Well, she floats, anyhow, " remarked the professor. "Row out and fastencables fore and aft, " he went on, turning to the two machinists. In afew minutes the _Porpoise_ was fastened to a small dock with strongropes the two young men had carried out to her in rowboats. 

"We will go aboard in a little while, " the professor said. "I am anxiousto see if she rides on an even keel and how the sinking tanks work. "

Aided by the boys, he and Washington carried on board a number of toolsand appliances. Then, with the two machinists, they all descended intothe interior of the craft through the small manhole in the middle of thedeck or platform. 

Inside the _Porpoise_, the greater part of which was below the surfaceof the waves and consequently in darkness, the professor switched on theelectric lights and then he proceeded to get up steam. 

The propelling power of the craft has already been described. In orderto make the ship sink beneath the water all that was necessary was toincline the rudder and open certain valves in the four tanks, when thewater, rushing in, would sink her. There was a tank on either side, andone each fore and aft. If it was desired to sink straight down all fourtanks were filled at once. If the professor wanted to descend slantingeither to the front or back, only one of the end tanks was filled, according to the direction desired. The deflecting rudder also aidedgreatly in this movement. 

To cause the ship to rise the tanks were emptied of the water by meansof powerful pumps. The filling of the tanks, as well as the emptying ofthem, the starting or stopping of the engine that moved the boat, aswell as the control of most of the important machinery on the craftcould be accomplished from the conning or steering tower, as well asfrom the engine-room. 

There were numerous gages to tell the depth to which the ship had sunk, the steam pressure, density of the water, and other necessary details. 

There were dynamos to make light, motors to run the pumps, and a greatstorage battery, so that in case of a breakdown to the turbine enginethe craft could be run entirely by electricity for a time. 

The cooking was all done by this useful current, and all that wasnecessary to make a cup of coffee or fry a beefsteak was to turn a smallswitch of the electric stove. 

The professor was busy over the machine for generating gas, thatfurnished the heat to create steam. Soon a hissing told that it wasworking. In a few minutes the hum and throb of the engine told that itwas ready to start. 

"We are only going down a little way, " the professor said, "and onlygoing to travel a short distance under water for the first time. I thinkthere is no danger, but if any of you want to back out, now is yourchance. "

No one seemed inclined to withdraw, though Mark said afterward hethought Washington got as pale as it is possible for a colored man toget. 

"We will all put on life preservers, " the inventor went on, "and one ofyou will be stationed near the emergency exit. In case anything goeswrong, and I cannot make the ship rise, by pulling the lever the top ofthe craft will be forced off, and, we can at least save our lives. Ithink we are all ready now. Mark, you clamp down the manhole cover, andJack, after you close the conning tower station yourself at theemergency lever after we have donned the life preservers. "

The cork jackets were adjusted and Mark clamped the manhole cover on. The professor took one last look at the various levers and handles, andthen turned the wheel that admitted water to all four tanks. There was ahissing sound as the sea water rushed in, and the _Porpoise_ gave asudden lurch. 

Then they could all feel the submarine sinking. Down and down she went. Would she ever stop? Would the professor be able to raise her again?There were questions that troubled everyone. 

Down and down the craft sunk, until by the gage it was indicated thatshe was twenty feet below the surface. Then the professor shut off theinrush of water and the _Porpoise_ floated away below the surface of thewaves. 

There was a clicking sound and all the lights went out. The boys andWashington gave a gasp of terror. What did the sudden blackness mean. 

"Open the side windows, " called the professor's voice, and the twomachinists obeyed. Heavy steel doors that covered plate glass windows ineither side of the craft were pulled back, and a cry of astonishmentbroke from the boys. 

They looked out and saw staring in at them, so close it seemed that theycould touch them, scores of fishes that looked in through the glassbull's-eyes. 

For the first time they realized that they were in the depths of theocean. 

CHAPTER III

RUNNING DOWN A WARSHIP

"How do you like it?" asked the professor. 

"Great!" exclaimed Jack. 

"Fine!" cried Mark. 

"It am simply coslostrousness!" exploded Washington. "'Nebber in all myborn days did I eber expansionate on such a sight!"

"Wish I had a fishing pole and line, " remarked Andy Sudds. "There's somepretty nice specimens out there. "

"You'll see better ones than those before we finish our trip to thepole, " remarked the professor. "Now we will try moving forward. I amgoing into the conning tower. "

He turned on the lights once more, but the boys begged him to shut themoff, as they could see out into the ocean when the interior of the shipwas in darkness. So the professor obliged them. 

In the tower he switched on the powerful searchlight that illuminatedthe path in front of him. Then he started the engine, slowly at first, and gradually increasing the speed. The _Porpoise_ forged ahead, ridingas evenly as an ordinary ship does on the surface. 

The professor steered her about in a large circle, bringing her back tothe starting point. She worked as smoothly as if she had been used tounder-water service for years. 

"Now, " said the inventor, "we will see if we can go up to the surfaceagain, " and there came a little note of anxiety into his voice. Heslowed down the engine and started the powerful pumps that were to emptythe tanks. For a moment there was a feeling of terror in the hearts ofall. Would the pumps work?

Then, slowly but surely, those aboard the _Porpoise_ felt her beginningto rise. Up and up she went as the tanks were emptied and the shiplightened. 

Then, with a bounce like a rubber ball, the submarine shot upward to thesurface and lay undulating on the waves caused by her emergence from thedepths. 

"Hurrah!" shouted Jack. "We're all right!"

"We shore am!" exclaimed Washington. 

"It's a success!" Professor Henderson almost whispered. "The pumpsworked. The _Porpoise_ has fulfilled my greatest expectations!"

Then he steered the ship back to the dock, where she was moored, and theadventurers disembarked. 

"One or two little details to attend to, and we'll be ready for thegreat trip, " remarked the professor. "I want to give her a little hardertrial before I trust her, though she seems to be first-rate. "

They all went back to the combined machine shop and cabin, where theyhad lived during the building of the submarine. Dinner was prepared and, after the meal the two machinists approached the professor. 

"I don't suppose you need us any more, " remarked Henry Watson. "The shipis finished as far as we can do anything, and we may as well leave now. We have an offer to go to work in an electrical shop. "

"I haven't said much to you about my plans, " the professor replied, "butif you would like to remain in my employ, I can promise you aninteresting trip. "

"Thank you, but I prefer to work above ground, " said James Pensen. "Youhave been very kind to us, and we would do anything we could for, but wedon't want to take any long under-ocean trips if we can help it. "

"Very well, " answered the professor, though he seemed disappointed. "Iwill pay you what I owe you and you can go. "

For some time after the departure of the two young machinists theinventor seemed worried. 

"Did you count on them staying with you?" asked Mark. 

"I rather hoped they would, " replied Mr. Henderson. "We need two morehands if we are to make the trip. They need not be machinists, but wewill have to have someone, and I don't like to get strangers. They mighttalk too much about the ship. "

At that instant there came a rap on the door. Washington answered it. 

"Yas sir, Perfesser Henderson done lib here, " he replied, in answer to aquestion from some one. "But he am bery busy jest at de presentoccasioness an' he'll be most extremely discommodated if yo' obtrude yo'presence on him at de conglomeration ob de statutory limitations, whicham to say right now. Come again!"

"It's the same old Washington!" said someone outside, laughing heartily. "Just you tell the professor we want to see him most particular. "

At the sound of the voice the professor started and Mark and Jackwondered where they had heard it before. 

"Show the gentlemen in, Washington, " called the inventor. 

"Dere's two ob 'em, " objected the colored man. 

"Show them both in, then. "

Washington opened the door of the cabin, and in came two men, whoseemed much amused over something. 

"What can I do for you?" asked the professor, in rather a sharp voice. 

"He don't know us either, Tom, " remarked the taller of the two. 

"If it ain't Bill Jones and Tom Smith!" exclaimed Andy Sudds. "Wa'alI'll be horn swoggled. Where'd ye come from?"

"Right from the farm, " replied Bill. "And we've had a hard job locatingyou. I guess Washington didn't know us since we raised beards, " and Billstroked his wealth of brown whiskers. 

"And I guess we sort of fooled the professor, " went on Bill, "eh, Tom?"

"Right!" said Tom. "You see, " he went on, "the farming business isalmost over, as its coming on fall now, so Bill and I thought it wouldbe a good time to hunt up the professor. We heard he was down in thisneighborhood so we come by easy stages. We didn't have any time to stopand make our toilets, hence our beards. "

"You've come at the right time, " remarked the inventor, as he cameforward to welcome the two young men. "Do you remember the trip you madewith me to the north pole?"

"I guess we'll not forget it in a hurry, " replied Bill. 

"That's what made us hunt you up, " put in Tom. "We hoped you might havesomething similar on foot. "

"I have, " answered the inventor. 

"What is it?"

"A trip under the ocean!"

For an instant the two young men hesitated. It was a new proposition tothem. Yet they recalled that they had come safely back from the journeythrough the air. 

"Do you want to go along as part of the crew?" asked the inventor, aftersome further conversation. 

"You can count on me!" cried Bill. 

"And if Bill goes I'll go too!" exclaimed Tom. 

"Under the seas or over the seas, it'll be all one to us if ProfessorHenderson sails the ship!" went on Bill. "We'll go!"

"Good!" ejaculated the professor. "You certainly came at just the righttime. "

As Tom Smith and Bill Jones were hungry a hasty meal was prepared forthem, during the eating of which they told of their experiences sincelanding from the airship. They had been on a farm until fired with adesire to go roving once more. 

For the next few days the professor, the boys, and the other four werebusy making some improvements to the _Porpoise_. Tom and Bill were muchastonished at their first sight of the queer craft, but they soon becameaccustomed to her, and said they preferred her to the airship. 

"To-morrow we are going on a little longer trip than our first trial, "announced the inventor one evening. "We will be gone all day if nothinghappens to make the stay more lengthy, " he added grimly. "So, Washington, put plenty to eat aboard. "

A little later, when supplies had been put on the _Porpoise_, and themachinery well overhauled, the professor explained that he intendedmaking a trip, entirely under water, from the dock in the cove to apoint off the Massachusetts coast and return. 

Early the next morning all were aboard. To each one was assigned aparticular station. Washington, with Mark as an assistant, was in theengine-room. Jack was to watch the various gages and registers to givewarning of any danger. The professor, of course, would be in the conningtower and operate the craft. Andy was to be with him, to watch out, withhis sharp eyes, for any danger that might loom up in the path of thesearchlight. Tom and Bill were to be ready to help where needed. 

With a hissing sound the water filled the tanks and the _Porpoise_ sunkbeneath the waves. The engine that worked the endless screw wasstarted, and the threads, working on the water cable, shot the boatahead. 

"We're off!" yelled Washington. 

About sixty feet below the surface the craft was sent along. Mile aftermile was covered as shown by the patent log. The lights were turned off, and through the thick plate glass windows the strange inhabitants of thesea were observed. 

"I think I'll go a little nearer the surface, " said the professor toAndy. The inventor started the pumps that emptied the tanks. The craftrose slightly. 

"Quick! Stop her!" shouted the old hunter, grasping the captain's arm. 

Something black, like a grim shadow, loomed up in the dull glare of thesearchlight. 

"What is it?" cried the professor. 

"We're goin' to hit somethin' hard!" yelled Andy. 

"It's the hull of a ship!" exclaimed the inventor as he jammed thereversing lever hard over. 

It was too late. The next instant the _Porpoise_, with a shock that madeher shiver from stem to stern, collided with the steel side of a smallwarship. 

CHAPTER IV

IN THE MIDST OF FIRE

"Pull the secondary emergency lever!" cried the professor through thespeaking tube to Washington. "We must reach the surface at once!"

"Are we damaged?" asked Andy, scrambling to his feet, for the shock hadknocked him down. The professor had not fallen because he clung to thesteering wheel. 

The ship gave a sudden lurch. 

"We're sinking!" cried Bill, rushing to the conning tower from theengine-room. 

"That's only the action of one of the emergency levers, " said theprofessor calmly. "It forces compressed air into the tanks the morequickly to empty them of water. I think we are safe. "

"What is it?" asked Mark, as, followed by Jack, he came forward. 

"We tried to do the torpedo act to one of Uncle Sam's ships, " explainedAndy. 

The electric lights had been switched on, and, with the _Porpoise_flooded with the bright beams, those on board waited anxiously for whatwas to happen next. 

Suddenly an upward motion was experienced. The next instant the craftbounced out of the water and fell back in a smother of foam, shaking andshivering, alongside a small armored warship that was anchored about twomiles and a half from shore. 

"Open the manhole, " commanded Mr. Henderson. 

Mark sprang up the iron ladder that led to the opening in the deck ofthe _Porpoise_ and threw back the cams that held the heavy iron inplace. Then he swung the cover back and stepped out on the smallplatform, followed by the professor, Andy and Jack. They looked up tofind themselves observed by a curious throng that crowded to the rail ofthe warship. 

[Illustration: A CURIOUS THRONG CROWDED TO THE RAIL OF THEWARSHIP. --_Page 28. _]

"What are you trying to do? Ram me with a new-fangled torpedo?" asked anangry voice, and a man in a gold laced uniform, who, from his importanceplainly showed himself to be the captain of the ship, shook his fist atMr. Henderson. 

"I might ask what right your ship has to get in my path, " replied theinventor. "It was all an accident. "

"Mighty queer, " muttered the naval commander. "Looks very suspicious. How do I know but what you're a torpedo from some foreign nation?"

"Because this is not a torpedo, " replied Mr. Henderson. "It is a newsubmarine boat of my invention, and I was giving it a trial spin. "

"I guess you'd better come aboard and do your explaining, " went on thecaptain. "I don't like the looks of things. Lower a boat!" he shouted, "and bring those chaps to my cabin. I want to question them. "

It did not suit Professor Henderson to have his plans upset in thisfashion. Nor did he care to give a detailed description of his ship toofficers of the war department. He had many valuable inventions thatwere not patented. So he determined to outwit the pompous commander ofthe cruiser. 

The noise made in preparing the small boat for lowering over the side ofthe big ship could be plainly heard. 

"Go below, all of you, and as quietly as you can, " whispered Mr. Henderson. 

Andy, Mark and Jack obeyed. At that instant the side of the warship wasalmost deserted, for the sailors who had gathered to observe the_Porpoise_ had gone to lower the small boat. 

No sooner had Jack, who was in the rear, disappeared through the manholethan the professor, with a quick jump, followed him. 

"Here! Come back!" shouted the warship's captain as he saw Mr. Henderson's head disappearing from view. "Come back I say!"

But with a quick movement the inventor pulled down the manhole cover andclamped it. Then he sprang to the conning tower, and, with a jerk, opened the levers that admitted water to the tanks. The _Porpoise_ beganto sink slowly, and then more suddenly, so that, in less than a minute, she was out of sight beneath the waves, and the angry, gold-lacedcaptain was staring in wonderment at the place where the submarine hadbeen. The spot was marked only by a few bubbles and some foam. 

"I guess he'll wait some time for an explanation, " spoke Mr. Henderson, as he started the big screw and sent the _Porpoise_ ahead at a swiftpace. 

"That was rather a narrow escape, " observed Jack, standing at the footof the conning tower stairs and talking to Andy and Mr. Henderson, whowas steering. 

"It certainly was, " agreed the professor. "I have not yet become used toseeing things very far ahead in the dimness caused by being under water. But we'll soon get used to it. Luckily, the _Porpoise_ was not damagedby the shock. "

For several hours the _Porpoise_ was kept on her course. She behavedhandsomely, and nothing excepting slight and easily remedied defectswere found. The professor steered well out to sea, increasing both theforward speed and the depth to which the vessel sank. Presently thecraft came to a stop with a little jolt. 

"What's the trouble?" asked Mark, somewhat alarmed. 

"Nothing at all, " replied the professor with a smile, as he stepped outof the conning tower and entered the engine-room. "I thought it was timefor dinner so I stopped the ship. We are now resting on the ocean bed, about half a mile below the surface. Look!"

As he spoke he slid back the slides covering the plate glass windows. The boys saw that the ship rested in the midst of an immense forest ofsea weed. Some of the stalks were as large around as trees. In and outamong the snake-like, waving branches swam big fishes. It was a weird, but beautiful sight. 

"Come, Washington, serve dinner, " ordered Mr. Henderson, and the coloredman soon had a good meal prepared. Few repasts have been eaten undersuch strange circumstances. 

Desiring to be back at his secluded dock by nightfall, Captain Hendersonsoon started the _Porpoise_ up again. Without any accidents the returntrip was made and by nine o'clock the _Porpoise_ rode safely at thedock where she had been launched. 

The night was spent in the cabin on shore. Early the next morning Mr. Henderson paid a visit to the ship, to make a thorough examination bydaylight, and see if the craft had suffered any damage. 

"I think you and Mark will have to make a trip to town, " he said to Jackat the breakfast table. "I need a new monkey wrench and some other toolsand some small pieces of machinery. I'll give you a list of them, andyou can bring them back in a valise, for they will be quite numerous. "

After the meal the inventor made a record of what he needed and the boysstarted off. 

"In case the machine shop does not have everything and you have to waitfor something, you had better stay in the town all night, " the captainof the _Porpoise_ said. "It is quite a long trip and I don't want youtraveling after dark. Put up at the hotel if you are delayed. "

Provided with money for their purchase, and a large valise in which tocarry them, the boys started off. They had to walk two miles to where atrolley line was built that ran to the town of Easton, where they wereto get the tools and parts of machinery. 

They made the trip safely and without incident. When they gave themachinist, to whom they had been directed by Mr. Henderson, the list ofthe things needed, the man looked puzzled. 

"I'll have to make one piece, " he said. "You'll have to wait for it. Can't promise it before to-morrow morning about eight o'clock. "

"That will be all right, " remarked Mark. "We'll call for it then. "

So, bearing in mind Mr. Henderson's instructions, the boys engaged aroom at the hotel, which was quite a large one, for Easton was afavorite summer resort and the town was filled with visitors. The ladsstrolled about the town, had their dinner, and then went for a bath inthe surf. They retired early, for they were tired. 

In the middle of the night Mark began to dream that he was on board the_Porpoise_ and that the submarine blew up. There was a loud noise, hesaw a bright flash of flame, and saw rolling clouds of smoke. So vividwas the vision that he thought he tried to leap out of the boat, andawoke with a jump, to find Jack shaking him. 

"What's the matter?" inquired Mark. 

"The hotel's on fire!" shouted Jack. 

Mark sprang out of bed and with Jack rushed to the window, for theirroom was filled with thick smoke. They could see the dull glare offlames, which every moment were becoming brighter. 

The next instant a loud explosion shook the building. It swayed andseemed likely to topple over. Outside the boys could hear excited shoutsand the puffing and whistling of fire engines. 

"Quick! Run!" yelled Mark. He opened the door leading into the corridor, but was driven back by a rush of flames and smoke that almost stifledhim. 

"We must try the fire escape!" shouted Mark. 

"Don't forget the valise with the tools;" exclaimed Jack, and Markhastened to where he had placed it under the bed. 

Then the two boys rushed to the balcony on which their front windowsopened, and whence the fire escapes led down to the streets. The ladshad only time to slip on their coats, trousers, shoes and caps. 

As they were preparing to clamber down the iron ladders they heardsomeone on the balcony next to them shout:

"Here, you boys! Stop! I want you!"

CHAPTER V

A GRAVE ACCUSATION

"We haven't time now!" yelled back Mark, looking in the direction of thevoice, and seeing a short, stout man, who appeared greatly excited. 

"Stop or I'll shoot!" the man exclaimed. 

"The fire must have made him crazy, " said Jack. "Go on, Mark, it'sgetting hot up above!"

Mark did not linger on the ladder and soon the two boys were in thestreet, surrounded by an excited crowd. 

"Are you hurt?" asked several. 

"I guess not, " replied Mark. "What caused the fire?"

"Some sort of an explosion, " answered a policeman. "Part of the hotelwas blown up. If you boys wish you can go to a station house whereyou'll be comfortable until morning. "

"I guess we will, " said Mark. 

They started to work their way through the crowd but did not notice thatthe strange man followed them. The fire was now burning fiercely, andonce they had gotten clear of the press the lads halted to look at thespectacle. 

The hotel was now a mass of flames and the firemen were kept busy. Whatwith the puffing of engines, the whistling of the steamers, the roar ofthe flames, and the shouts of the crowd, pandemonium reigned. 

The boys watched the fire for some time. Gradually the flames came underthe control of the men and the leaping tongues died out. 

"I guess we'd better go to the police station, " suggested Jack. 

Mark agreed this would be a good thing to do, as both of them feltrather chilly in the night air with only half of their clothes on. Theyinquired their way of the first policeman they saw, and he volunteeredto escort them. 

"Sure an' you'll have plenty of company, " he said. "The hotel was fullan' the people have no place to go except to the lock-up. Some swellswill be glad to take a place behind the bars to-night I'm thinkin'. Iwonder how some of those English aristocrats will like it?"

"English aristocrats?" repeated Jack. "Are any here?"

"Sure. There's a lot of them burned out. Lord Peckham was stoppin' atthe hotel with a big crowd of people, an' their apartments was alldestroyed. Some of 'em went to the police station. "

The boys followed their uniformed guide through the streets of Easton, and were soon at the station house. There they were received by thesergeant in charge, while the matron gave them each a cup of hot coffee, a large pot of the beverage having been brewed. 

"I'll have to give you boys one bed between you, " said the sergeant. "We're rather crowded for room to-night. "

"Anything will do us, " said Jack with a laugh. 

Just then there was some excitement at the entrance of the policestation. 

"I tell you they're in here! I will see them!" a voice exclaimed. "Iwant them arrested at once!"

"Go easy now, " counseled the doorman as he tried to hold back a short, stout, excited man who was pushing his way into the station. 

"There they are!" exclaimed the man, pointing to Jack and Mark. 

"Why those boys are from the burned hotel, " said the doorman. 

"I know it! They are the very ones I want!"

"What do you of us?" spoke up Mark. He recognized the man as the one whohad called to him as he and Jack were escaping. 

"I charge you with being sons of James Darrow, the notorious Englishanarchist!" cried the little man, pointing his finger at the boys, "andI accuse you of trying to kill Lord Peckham with a bomb, the explosionof which set fire to the hotel!"

For a moment the surprising charge so astonished every one that not aword was said. Then the little man, advancing toward the boys went on:

"I arrest you in the name of His Royal Highness, Edward VII, King ofEngland, Scotland and Wales. "

He threw back the lapel of his coat and showed a badge. 

"King of England, Scotland and Wales, is it!" exclaimed the doorman witha twinkle in his eye. "An' why didn't ye say Ireland into the bargain. "

"Ireland, of course, " went on the little man. "I'm an officer of HisMost Gracious Majesty, " he added, "and I demand the assistance of theUnited States authorities in general and the police of Easton inparticular in taking these desperate criminals into custody!"

"Hold your horses, " advised the desk-sergeant. "Those boys are notliable to run away. They're to stay here over night, and if you have anycharge to make against them why you'll have to come and see the judgein the morning. "

"But they are sons of an anarchist! They are anarchists themselves!"exclaimed the man, "I must arrest them!"

"You're not going to arrest anybody, " said the sergeant, "until you geta warrant from the judge. This isn't England. "

"Then I'm going to stay with these boys the rest of the night, " insistedthe man. "I can't take any chances on their giving me the slip. "

"This place is going to be crowded with people from the burned hotel, "objected the sergeant. "There will be no room for you. Besides, how do Iknow these boys are anarchists?"

"Look in their valise, " cried the stranger. "It is filled with bombs. "

"You can't look in this satchel, " exclaimed Jack, for he remembered thevalise contained parts of the professor's secret machines. 

"What did I tell you?" cried the Englishman with triumph in his tones. "They are the guilty ones. They are afraid to open their valise. "

"We are, but not because it has bombs in it, " said Mark. "It has partsof an unpatented machine and the owner does not want any one to seethem, " for Mark remembered Mr. Henderson's strict injunctions to let noone but the mechanist to whom they had gone catch a glimpse of theparts that were to be duplicated. The machinist was sworn to secrecy. 

"It's none of our affair, " said the sergeant, though he seemed a littleimpressed by the Englishman's words and the reluctance Mark and Jackshowed to letting the valise be opened. "The boys will be here untilmorning, and then you can see the judge. Now you'll have to get out. Youboys get to bed. "

Muttering threats, the stranger went from the station house, and Markand Jack, in response to a nod from the doorman, followed him upstairsto a part of the police station used to detain witnesses. They wereshown to a small room with a single bed. 

"Are ye really anarchists?" asked the doorman. 

"Not a bit, " replied Jack, and he told as much of their story as hedared. 

"I was kind-of hopin' ye was, " said the officer with a twinkle in hiseye. "It wouldn't do any harm to scare that uppish Englishman a bit. Sure he an' his kind have done enough to poor old Ireland. "

"I'm sorry we can't oblige you, " said Mark with a laugh. 

"I guess ye're all right, " went on the doorman. "I hope ye sleep goodthe rest of the night. "

Then he left them alone. What with the excitement of the fire and thestartling accusation against them, the boys' brains were too excited tolet them sleep much. They had a few fitful naps throughout the remainderof the night. 

It was just getting daylight when Mark was awakened by some one shakinghim. 

"What is it?" he asked. "Another fire?"

"Not this time, " replied a voice, and Mark, now that his eyes were fullyopened, saw the doorman bending over him. 

"What's the matter?" asked Jack waking up in his turn. 

"Easy!" exclaimed the doorman in a whisper. "I happened to think yemight want to be leavin'. "

"Leaving?" asked Mark in bewilderment. 

"Yes. Ye know that Englishman is liable to be back any minute, an' hemay make trouble for ye. I know ye're innocent lads, an' I'd hate to seeye mixed up in a mess with that fellow. So I slips up here early, an' yecan leave by the back door if ye want to, an' the officer of HisImperial Majesty, King Edward VII, will never know a thing about it. "

"It looks like running away, " objected Jack. 

"Sure there's no charge agin ye, " went on the doorman. "Ye're free tocome an' go as far as we're concerned, an' ye'd better go whilst ye havethe chance. "

Jack reflected. It was true that the charge of the Englishman, baselessas it was, might make trouble for them, and cause them endless delays ingetting back to Professor Henderson. Suddenly Jack made up his mind. 

"Come on Mark, " he said. 

CHAPTER VI

ON A RUNAWAY TROLLEY

"Are you going to leave?" asked Mark. 

"Certainly. There is no use staying here and getting mixed up insomething that Englishman thinks we have done. It's easier to go awayquietly and let him find out his mistake. "

"All right, " agreed Mark. "I wonder who he is, anyhow?"

"He thinks he owns the earth, whoever he is, " returned Jack. 

"He's some sort of a special detective traveling with Lord Peckham'sparty, " explained the doorman. "He told us a lot about himself lastnight after you boys went to bed. He came back to inquire how early thejudge would be here. 

"He went on to tell how some English anarchists have vowed to kill LordPeckham because he foreclosed a lot of mortgages on some poor people inIreland where he owned property, " added the doorman. "There was somesort of explosions in the hotel, near where Lord Peckham had his rooms. Maybe it was a bomb and, maybe ag'in it was only the boiler. Anyhow, this detective jumped to the conclusion that anarchists had done it, andhe thinks you are responsible. But you'd better be goin' now. It'sgettin' daylight. "

So Mark and Jack, with what scanty clothes they had, and carrying theirvalise, went quietly out of the back door of the police station. 

"We'd better go to the machine shop for the rest of the stuff, "suggested Mark, "and then we can take the first trolley we see and getback to the professor. "

Through quiet side streets the boys made their way toward the machineshop. They were somewhat amused to think how they had fooled thedetective, but they would not have felt so jolly had they seen theroughly dressed man who had darted after them as soon as they left thepolice station. 

"I'll get you yet, " the man muttered. "You needn't think to escape withthe aid of these bloomin' American police. "

The lads found the machinist just opening his shop though it was quiteearly. The pieces of apparatus were finished and, after paying for themMark put the parts in the valise. 

"Quite a fire in town, " observed the machinist. 

"Yes, " answered Mark, not wishing to get into a long conversation. 

"Heard the hotel was blowed up by anarchists and that the police areafter 'em, " proceeded the man. 

"I believe I did hear something like that, " admitted Mark. "I guesswe'll be going. "

He signalled to Jack, and the two hurried out of the shop. As they didso, the trampish-looking man glided from behind a tree where he had beenhiding and took after them. 

"Say, " exclaimed Jack, "I forgot we haven't had any breakfast yet. "

"That's so, " said Mark, rubbing his stomach and making a wry face. 

Near by was a bakery, and there the lads got some coffee and rolls whichtasted fine. When they finished their simple meal a trolley came pastand they ran to catch it. So did the man who had been following them, but this person bore no resemblance to the spruce little detective whohad wanted to arrest the boys. 

"A couple of hours now and we'll be back at the cabin, " spoke Mark. "My, but I must say we have had strenuous times since we started away!"

There were few passengers on the trolley so early in the morning and notmany stops to make, so the motorman turned on the power full and madethe vehicle speed along. 

Mile after mile was covered and finally the car reached the top of along hill. At the foot of this the line came to an end, and the boys hada two mile tramp before them to reach the lonely spot where the_Porpoise_ was docked. 

Down the hill the car started. The motorman shut off the electricity andlet the vehicle run by its weight. 

Faster and faster it ran, the dust flying in a cloud about it. 

"Better put the brakes on a bit, " called the conductor. "It's gettin'kinder speedy, Hank!"

The motorman twisted the handle. There was a grinding noise as the shoestook hold on the wheels. Then a chain snapped and the car seemed to leapahead. 

"The brake's busted! I can't stop the car!" yelled the motorman. 

Vainly he twisted at the handle. Then, seeing he could not stop thetrolley car he made a desperate jump off the vehicle and landed in aheap on the side of the road, rolling over and over. 

"Reverse the current!" cried one of the passengers, to the conductor. "That ought to stop her!"

The conductor made his way to the front platform and turned thereversing lever. Then he applied the current. But it was no use. With ablinding flash and a report like that of a gun a fuse blew out, and thatcrippled the car completely so far as the electric current wasconcerned. 

"Everybody jump!" cried the conductor. "There's a curve at the foot ofthe hill, and we'll all be killed if we stay on!"

One by one the passengers leaped from the car. Several were badly hurtby the falls they got. Meanwhile the trolley was tearing down the hillat a terrific rate of speed. 

"Shall we jump?" asked Mark of Jack. 

"We'll be killed if we do, " was Jack's answer. 

"And we'll be killed if we stay aboard, " said Mark. 

"Not if I can help it, " cried Jack as he started for the rear platform. 

"What are you going to do?" asked Mark. 

"Put on the other brake. They never thought to try this one! Maybe itwill work and stop the car!"

Then Mark saw what Jack was up to and went to help him. The shabbilydressed man seemed undecided what to do. He stood up, holding to thestraps to prevent himself from being tossed from side to side as therunaway trolley swayed. He watched the boys curiously. 

The lads, reaching the rear platform, twisted at the brake handle withall their strength. They could feel that the chain was still intact. Butwould the shoes grip the wheels with force sufficient to stop the car?

There was a shrill screech as the brakes were applied by the boys. Withall their might they turned the handle, winding the chain up tighter andtighter. At last they could not budge it another inch. Then they waitedanxiously. 

The car never slackened its speed. So great was the momentum that hadboth sets of brakes been in working order it is doubtful whether theywould have stopped the vehicle. The speed was so great now that one ofthe journals became hot and the oily waste that was packed in it caughtfire, making what railroad men term a "hot box". 

"I guess we're done for, " groaned Mark. 

"We certainly haven't checked the speed any, " Jack admitted. "But wait aminute. "

He began stamping on the floor of the platform. 

"What you doing?" cried Mark, for he had to shout to make his voiceheard above the roar and rattle of the car. 

"Putting on the sand, " replied Jack, as he kicked at the plunger which, being depressed, let a stream of fine gravel out on the rails. "Thewheels are gripped I think, and are slipping on the rails. This may helpsome. "

"Let me give you a hand, " exclaimed a voice, and the boys turned to seethe shabby man standing with them on the platform. He grasped the brakehandle, and gave it an additional turn. His strength seemed remarkablefor so small a man. 

The speed of the car was checked a little, but the vehicle was stillspeeding along at a rate that would soon bring it to destruction if nothalted before the curve was reached. 

"That's a little better, " observed Mark. "It's a good thing you werehere. "

"Good for me, not so good for you, " said the man with a peculiar smile. 

"What do you mean?" asked Mark. 

"I mean that I shall have to place you under arrest for attempting toassassinate Lord Peckham!" exclaimed the man. "I am Detective Ducket, ofScotland Yard!"

He stripped off a false beard he had donned, and threw back his coat, displaying his shield. He was the same man who had attempted to arrestthe boys in the police station at Easton. 

"I've got you just where I want you now, " Detective Ducket went on. "There are none of those blooming American police to interfere. "

The next instant the car gave a sudden lurch. Then it seemed to rise upin the air. Jack felt himself flying through space, and he observedMark, who was clinging to the valise, following him. 

There was a terrific crash, a ripping, tearing splintering sound, andthe runaway trolley smashed into a big oak tree at the foot of the hill. The vehicle had completely jumped the track at the sharp curve. 

Jack's eyes grew dim, and he seemed to be sinking down in some dark poolof water. He heard a splashing beside him and began to strike out, trying to swim. He seemed to be choking. Then the blessed air anddaylight came to him, and he found he was floating on the surface of apond. 

He dashed the water from his eyes and saw, over on the bank, the wreckof the trolley. Then he noticed that Mark was swimming beside him. 

"What happened?" asked Jack. 

"A little of everything, " panted Mark. "Lucky we weren't killed. We musthave been flung off the rear platform into this duck pond. "

The boys soon made their way to shore, unhurt except for the wetting. The fall into the water had saved their lives. 

"Where's the valise of machinery?" asked Jack. 

"There it is, " answered Mark pointing to where it had fallen at the backof the pond. 

"And what became of Detective Ducket?"

"He's here, at your service!" exclaimed a voice. "Consider yourselvesunder arrest and don't you dare to leave this place without me. "

The boys looked in the direction of the sound and saw the Englishofficer lying on the grass not far away. He seemed in pain, but hadraised himself on his elbow and was pointing his finger sternly at theboys. 

CHAPTER VII

OFF FOR THE SOUTH POLE

"Are you hurt?" asked Jack. 

"I think my leg is broken, but otherwise I'm not damaged, " replied thedetective. "Even if I am disabled, it makes no difference, you are myprisoners. I command you to stay here until help comes. "

The boys did not know what to do. They did not like to see even an enemysuffer, but, at the same time, they knew he had no right to arrest them. 

"Here comes a wagon, " said Mark, catching the sound of wheels. 

"Well, fo' de land sakes! Gollyation! What terrible catafterme haboccurred in dis unapproachable manner?" a voice demanded. 

"It's Washington!" cried Mark, as he saw Professor Henderson's coloredassistant driving along the road. 

"Dat's who it am!" exclaimed Washington as he noticed the boys. "My! My!But am you boff dead?"

"No, only one of us, " said Mark with a laugh, as he and Jack ran towardthe wagon. 

"Ha! Ha! Dat's one ob yo' jokes, " said Washington. "But hurry up, boys. De perfessor he done sent me to meet you. He reckoned you'd becomin'ober on an early trolley. He's in a hurry to git away. "

"Don't you boys dare to leave!" exclaimed Detective Ducket. 

"Who's dat?" asked Washington. 

"Never mind, " said Mark. "He was hurt in the trolley smash, but notbadly. We'll send help, from the first farm house we come to. Come on, Washington, we'll go with you. "

The boys jumped into the wagon, and Washington started off. He explainedthat the inventor was anxious to make a start that day, as there wouldbe an unusually high tide which would be followed a little later by alow one, and that would make it difficult to cross the harbor bar. 

"So I hired dis wagon an' come after you, " said the colored man. 

At the first house they came to the boys stopped and told about theaccident. The farmer agreed to go and get the detective and the otherswho were hurt and take them to a hospital. 

"I guess we're rid of that detective now, " observed Jack, as theystarted off again. 

"Yes, but we're getting away under a cloud on our characters, " saidMark. "I'd like to stay and see the thing through, if we had time. "

"But we can't, and there's no use worrying over it, " spoke Jack. 

In a short time they were at the inventor's cabin, and related to Mr. Henderson all that had occurred. 

"Well I guess your detective friend will have a hard time to find you ina few hours, " said the old man. "We start on our trip for the south polethis evening. "

There were busy times for the next few hours. Many supplies had to beplaced on board, and, while the boys, with Tom and Bill, saw to this, theprofessor and Washington were occupied with putting the last touches tothe submarine boat's machinery. 

Most of the supplies from the cabin were placed in the _Porpoise_, including food and clothing and a good quantity of minerals that, withsea water, generated the gas that made steam. 

An early supper was made on shore, as the professor said they might beso busy for the first few hours of the starting trip that they would getno chance to eat. Then the cabin and buildings where the submarine hadbeen built, were securely fastened. 

"I guess we're all ready, " announced the professor, taking a last lookaround. 

One by one they went aboard the _Porpoise_ crawling down through the manhole. The inventor was the last one to enter. He clamped the cover on bymeans of the cam levers and switched on the electric lights. Then hetook his place in the conning tower with Andy Sudds. 

"Forward, to the South Pole!" exclaimed Mr. Henderson. 

With a turn of his wrist the inventor started the engines. The big screwin the shaft revolved, pulling the water in at one end of the craft andsending it out in a swirling stream at the other. The trip was fairlybegun. 

For several miles the _Porpoise_ glided along on the surface of theocean. It was a calm evening, and the boys down in the cabin of thecraft could look into the reflecting mirrors on the wall, which wereconnected with observation magnifying glasses in the conning tower, andview what was going on, though their heads were below the surface of thesea. 

As it grew darker the view of shore and water faded away. The enginekept up its speed with Washington to see to it every now and then, oiling the bearings, some of which did not run quite smoothly because oftheir newness. 

"I'll send her down a bit now, " observed the professor. "I don't want torun into any more warships or scare the crews by making them think weare a foreign torpedo boat. "

He opened the sea cocks in the ballast tanks and soon the _Porpoise_sunk about two hundred feet beneath the waves. The craft, which had beenpitching and tossing under the influence of a ground swell, became moresteady and quiet once it left the surface. 

The searchlight in the conning tower was turned on, and in the glare ofit Andy and the professor were able to steer properly, aided by thecompass which gave them the true southern course. 

It was now quite dark. Additional electric lights were switched on inthe cabin, engine and dining room. Andy came out of the conning towerand announced that Captain Henderson wanted Washington to get supper. 

All the cooking was done by electricity, and, in addition to a supply ofthe usual and ordinary kinds of food, there was a big lot of patentcondensed victuals to draw on. Soup, broiled steak, potatoes, hotbiscuits, rice pudding and coffee made up the repast which was enjoyedby all. 

Toward the close of the meal Professor Henderson began to sniff the airof the cabin. 

"What's the matter? Do you smell a storm brewing?" asked Andy. 

"No, but the air is not as fresh as it should be, " replied the inventor. "Washington, release a little more of the supply from the compressiontanks. "

The ship, which had been left to steer itself automatically while theprofessor was absent from the conning tower, was moving along at abouthalf speed. The gage showed they were going at twenty miles an hour, andwere three hundred feet below the surface. 

"Washington and I will share the first night's watch between us, " saidthe inventor, after the supper things had been cleared away. "There willnot be much to do, as the ship will steer automatically in whateverdirection I set her. Still I want to see how she behaves. The rest ofyou might as well go to your bunks. "

The two boys were especially glad of a chance to go to bed, as they hadhad but little sleep the night before on account of the fire. So theylost no time in undressing and rolling up in the blankets, for it wasquite cool so far down under the water. 

"Well, we've slept on the earth, above the earth and now we're under thewaters, " observed Jack. 

"There's only one place more to spend your time taking a snooze, " saidMark. 

"Where's that?"

"Inside the earth. "

Then they fell asleep. During the night and the next day the _Porpoise_forged on underneath the waves. Washington relieved Mr. Henderson in theconning tower and reported the machinery to be working well. 

"Keep her headed due south, " was the order of the inventor, and thecolored man did so. 

It was about four o'clock one morning that Washington felt a slight jarto the submarine. 

"Hope we ain't goin' to hit no more battleships, " he said. 

He glanced at the speed-indicating gage. To his surprise it stood atzero. The craft was not moving forward a foot! Yet the engines weregoing at half speed!

In great alarm Washington shut off the power and ran to acquaintProfessor Henderson with the news. 

"Suffin's ketched us!" cried the colored man. 

"Nonsense!" said the inventor, yet he seemed alarmed as he slipped onhis clothes and hastened to the conning tower. 

He peered ahead along the path of water illuminated by the glare of thesearchlight, but nothing was to be seen. Then he started the engine, increasing the speed gradually until the big screw in the shaft revolvedmore than one thousand times a minute. Still the _Porpoise_ neverstirred. She remained in the same position, as if some giant handgrasped her. 

"Reverse the engine, " said the professor. 

Washington did so. To the surprise of both of them the ship shotbackward like a frightened crab. 

"Now forward!" exclaimed the old inventor. 

But this time the _Porpoise_ did not move. It was as if she was upagainst a stone wall. 

"What's the matter?" asked Mark, who had been awakened by the excitementon board. 

"I do not know, " replied Mr. Henderson gravely. "Something mysterioushas occurred. We can go no further!"

CHAPTER VIII

ASHORE IN THE DARK

"Stop the engine, " the captain commanded after he had peered through thelens in the conning tower for some time. "We must see what is thematter. "

He glanced at the depth gage and noted that they were now four hundredfeet below the surface. Then he consulted some charts. 

"There is a depth of one thousand feet about here, " he remarked. "Lowerthe ship, Washington. Let us see if by getting on the ocean bed we canget away from this obstruction. "

The colored man opened wider the sea cocks by which the tanks werefilled. The increased ballast sunk the _Porpoise_ still lower, and, in afew minutes a slight jar told the navigators that they were on thebottom of the ocean. 

"Now we will see if we have cleared the obstruction, " said theprofessor. 

He started the big screw to revolving, but the ship did not move. Itshivered and trembled throughout its length but remained stationary. 

"Maybe dar's a debil fish what hab circumulated dis ship in de exterorportion ob his anatomy, " suggested Washington, rolling his eyes untilonly the whites were visible. 

"I presume you mean that a giant squid or cuttle fish has attacked us, "spoke the professor. 

"Yas, sir, " replied Washington. 

"That's nonsense, " went on the inventor. "However, we must make aninvestigation. "

"How are you going to do it?" asked Mark. "You can't see the end of thetube from inside the ship, and, even if we went to the surface it wouldstill be under water. "

"We are going to look at it while here, under the ocean, " said theinventor. 

"Well, maybe you're a good swimmer, " put in Jack, "but I don't believeyou can stay under, in this depth of water, long enough to see what thetrouble is. "

"I think I can, " answered Mr. Henderson. 

"How?"

"I'll show you. Washington, bring out the diving suits. "

The colored man, his eyes growing bigger every minute, went to a lockerand brought out what seemed quite a complicated bit of apparatus. 

"With the aid of these, " said the professor, "I will be able to go out, walk along the ocean bed, and investigate the mystery. Do you boys wantto come along?"

"Is it safe?" asked Mark, who was inclined to be cautious. 

"As safe as any part of this under-sea voyage, " replied the professor. "These diving suits are something I have not told you about, " he wenton. "They are my own invention. Besides the regular rubber suits thereis an interlining of steel, --something like the ancient suits of chainmail--to withstand the great pressure of water. Then, instead of beingdependent on a supply of air, pumped into the helmet from an apparatusin a boat on the surface, each person carries his own air supply withhim. "

"How is that?" asked Jack, and Mark also asked the question. 

"Simply by attaching a little tank of the compressed gas to the shoulderpiece of the suit, " said the inventor. "There is enough air in the tankto last for nearly a day. It is admitted to the helmet as needed bymeans of automatic valves. In other respects the diving suit is the sameas the ordinary kind, except that there is a small searchlight, fed by astorage battery, on top of the helmet. "

In spite of their fears at venturing out under the great ocean, the twoboys were anxious to try the suits. So, after some hesitation, theydonned them. 

"Here, take these with you, " said the professor, before their helmetswere screwed on. He held out what looked like long sticks. 

"What are they?" asked Jack. 

"Electric guns, " replied the professor. "But come on now, we have notime to lose. "

Further conversation was impossible, for the boys had their heavy copperhelmets on, and they were as tightly enclosed as if inside a box. Theygrasped their weapons and waited for the next move. 

The professor led the way to the stern of the ship. The boys found ithard to walk, as they were weighted down by the heavy suits, and alsothe boots, the soles of which were of lead. 

They followed the inventor into what seemed a small room. Inside theyfound themselves in darkness. There was a clanking sound as Washingtonfastened and clamped the door shut. Then came a hissing. 

The boys felt water rising about them. They could experience itscoldness, even through the diving suits. They were much afraid, but theprofessor put a reassuring hand on their shoulders. 

They seemed to feel a great weight. It gradually lessened, however, and, in a few minutes, they saw something move in front of them. Theprofessor pushed them gently forward. 

In another instant they were walking on the bed of the ocean, havingstepped from the _Porpoise_. They had gone into a locked compartment, the inner door of which had been tightly closed, after which water fromoutside had been gradually admitted until the pressure was equal, andthen the boys and the professor had merely to emerge out into the bottomof the sea when the outer portal was swung aside by Washington, whoworked the lever from inside. 

The boys were in intense darkness, but, suddenly a light glowed aboutthem, and they saw that the professor had switched on his miniaturesearch lamp. They remembered how he had told them to work the apparatus, and soon tiny gleams shot out from their helmets. 

The professor pointed ahead, for not a sound could be heard, and theboys followed him. 

It was a new sensation, this walking along the bed of the ocean. Atfirst the great pressure of water, even though the steel lined divingsuits kept most of it off, was unpleasant. Gradually, however, the boysbecame used to it. They had to move slowly, for the water was denserthan the air and impeded their progress. 

In a few minutes they reached the forward end of the _Porpoise_. Nowthey were to solve the mystery of what had stopped the submarine. For afew moments they could distinguish nothing. 

Suddenly the boys felt the professor grasping their arms. They looked inthe direction he pointed. There in the diffused glare from the searchlight and the illumination of their helmet lamps they saw, wrapped aboutthe forward shaft opening a gigantic squid or devil fish. Its soft, jelly-like body completely covered the opening of the shaft preventingany water from entering, and thus stopping any forward motion to theship. 

This was what had caused all the trouble. The _Porpoise_ had run intothe monster, who feeling what it must have thought an enemy, had graspedthe submarine with its long sinuous arms. 

The professor hesitated a moment. Then he slowly raised his electricalgun, and took aim at the hideous mass. The boys followed his example. AtMr. Henderson's signal they all fired together. 

From the muzzles of the guns darted small barbs that carried with them astrong shock of electricity, from storage batteries in the shoulderpieces of the weapons. Three of them were enough to produce death in ananimal as large as a whale. 

The devil fish quivered. Then the water about it suddenly grew black, and the boys and the professor were in dense darkness, for the squid haddyed the ocean with a dark liquid from the sack it carried for thepurpose. 

The explorers groped their way to the left, having fortunately graspedhands after firing their guns, to prevent being separated in case theterrible fish began a death struggle. 

Luckily Professor Henderson went in the right direction and managed tolocate the _Porpoise_. Then, feeling along her steel sides, he led theboys through the inky blackness to the water chamber by which entrancecould be had to the interior. 

In a few minutes all three were safely inside and had removed theirdiving suits. The others crowded about, anxious to learn what hadhappened. The inventor related it briefly. 

Once more the engines were started. This time there was no hanging backon the part of the _Porpoise_. The big screw revolved, the water came inthe shaft and was thrust out of the rear end, making a current that sentthe craft ahead swiftly. The gigantic fish had been killed, and its bodyno longer obstructed progress. 

"Now we'll rise to the surface and see how it feels to sail along thatway for a while, " said the professor as he started the pumps thatemptied the tanks. In a little while the ship was floating on thewaves. 

It was now night, and the clouds overhead made it so dark that it washard to see ten feet in advance. The professor did not want to use thesearchlight for he did not care to have his presence discovered bycurious persons. So he ran the ship at half speed. 

"Where are we now?" asked Mark, who had entered the conning tower, wherethe professor was steering. 

"Somewhere's off the coast of South Carolina, " replied the inventor. 

The next instant there was a sudden shock and jar. The ship quiveredfrom stem to stern, and came to an abrupt stop. 

"We've hit something!" exclaimed the professor, shutting down theengines with a jerk of the lever. 

CHAPTER IX

A PRICE ON THEIR HEADS

On board the _Porpoise_ there was great excitement. Washington, withAndy, Tom, Bill and Jack came running from the engine room. 

"What is it?" cried Jack. 

"I don't know, " answered the professor as calmly as he could. "We'llsoon see, however. "

He switched on the searchlight and peered from the conning tower. 

"Can you see anything?" asked Andy, anxiously. 

"I can, " announced the inventor. 

"What?"

"Land, " replied Mr. Henderson. "We've hit the coast. "

"I hope we ain't done no damage, " put in Washington. 

"Do you mean to the coast or to us?" asked the professor, with a smile. "I guess there isn't much danger in ramming the shore excepting to the_Porpoise_. However, we do not seem to be in any immediate trouble. "

He tested various wheels and levers, and announced that, aside from thejar, which might have started some of the machinery, the _Porpoise_ wasunharmed. 

The cover of the man-hole was loosened and, one after another, theadventurers crawled out on the small deck or platform. It took them alittle while to become accustomed to the darkness, but soon they wereable to make out that they had run on the muddy bank of the ocean beach. The tide was low and the _Porpoise_ had rammed her nose well into thesoft muck, which accounted for the lack of damage. 

"Well, I guess there is nothing to do excepting to wait for morning, "said Mr. Henderson. "It doesn't look like a very lively neighborhoodabout here. I don't believe we'll be disturbed. "

Save for the splash and lapping of the waves and the sound of the wind, it was as quiet as the proverbial graveyard. Not a light showed onshore, and the gleam from the search lamp of the _Porpoise_ cut thedarkness like a small moonbeam. 

"If there's nothing to do I'm going to turn in, " said Andy. "I'm tired. "

The professor said this was a good suggestion, and, leaving instructionsthat Washington and Bill were to divide the night's watch between them, the inventor sought his bunk. 

The boys remained on deck a few minutes longer. 

"We certainly are getting our share of adventures, " remarked Jack. 

"I should say so, " answered Mark. 

"Gollyation yes!" exclaimed Washington. "You-uns done most been eat bydat air koslostrous specimen ob a parralleledon! I'm glad I didn't go. But I'se brave enough!"

"What's that?" asked Mark suddenly, pointing to an object floating onthe water. 

Washington turned to behold something white drifting along. 

"Oh my good land ob mercy! It's a ghost!" the colored man yelled. "It'sa ghost! Land a' massy! Hide me some where, quick!"

Washington fell on his knees and stretched up his clasped hands insupplication. The boys gazed curiously at the white object that wasslowly floating toward the stranded ship. 

It rose and fell on the waves, with an odd motion. 

"I wonder what it is, " said Mark. 

"We'll soon see, " spoke Jack. "It's coming this way. "

"Don't go near it! Don't touch it, boys!" pleaded Washington. "It'll putde evil eye on yo', suah! Turn yo' haids away!"

But the boys were not so easily frightened. The white thing did lookqueer, but Jack reasoned correctly that the darkness of the nightmagnified it, and made it appear stranger than it probably was. 

"I'm going to try to get it, " said Mark. 

The white thing was now quite close. It resembled a bundle of rags, floating on top of the water, and, as it came nearer, it seemed to takeon a curious form. 

"It's a baby! It's de ghost ob a little dead baby!" cried the coloredman. "Let it alone, I tell you!"

Indeed, now that Washington had suggested it, the boys could see aresemblance to a child in the white object. But this did not deter them. Jack secured a boat hook from where it was fastened to the platform. With it he gently poked at the white thing. The object seemed tocollapse and Jack was conscious of a strange feeling. Then, with slowmotions, he drew it close to the side of the ship. 

Lying on his face he was able to get a good look at the thing. Hemuttered an exclamation. 

"What is it?" cried Mark. 

"Nothing but a newspaper!" announced Jack with a laugh, as he threw iton the deck. "All our trouble for nothing. "

"I shore thought it were a ghost, " cried Washington as he got up fromhis knees. 

The boys went to their bunks. They were the first ones awake the nextmorning, and Jack followed Mark on deck. 

"There's the paper you rescued from drowning, " said Mark. 

"So it is, " came from Jack. "I wonder if there's any news in it. "

The sheet had dried out and Jack spread it open. No sooner had hescanned the first page than he uttered a whistle. 

"Something startling?" asked Mark. 

"Startling! I guess yes! Look here!"

Mark looked over Jack's shoulder. Staring at them, from amid a mass ofother news was the announcement in big black type:

 REWARD FOR BOY ANARCHISTS!

Then followed an account of the burning of the hotel at Easton, a vividdescription with pictures, of how it had been blown up in an attempt toassassinate Lord Peckham, and how the two boys, sons of an Englishanarchist, had escaped. 

The rest of the story was given over to a description which Jack andMark could see was meant for them though it was incorrect in severalparticulars. How the boys had escaped the detective, through the trolleycar mishap, was related, and then came the startling announcement thatthe hotel authorities had offered a reward of $1, 000 for the capture ofeither or both of the boy anarchists. To this Lord Peckham had added anequal sum. 

"Well, it looks as if we were of some importance in the world, " remarkedJack. 

"Rather, " agreed Mark. "Think of having a price on our heads! Well, thatdetective certainly is a hustler. When is that paper dated?"

Jack looked and saw that the sheet had been issued in Charleston the dayprevious. It had probably been thrown overboard from some steamer, andhad drifted toward shore. 

While the boys were speculating over the matter Professor Henderson cameon deck. He saw something was up, and soon had the whole story from theboys. 

"I shouldn't worry about it, " said the inventor. "They've got to catchyou first, and it isn't like running away when you know you are guilty. You boys had no more to do with the fire than the man in the moon. Andwe'll soon be beyond the reach of rewards and newspapers. "

Nevertheless, the boys brooded over the matter. It seemed that theywere still under a cloud, and they wished very much that it could becleared away. 

However there were soon busy times. The rising tide floated the boat, and soon it was riding safely at anchor. The professor needed some smallbits of machinery, and had decided to send the boys to the nearest townfor them. But the news in the paper changed his plans, and he sent Billand Washington, who soon returned with the needed articles. 

"Now we'll make another start, " said Mr. Henderson, as soon as all wereon board once more. "This time I hope we will keep on until we reach thesouth pole!"

He started the engine, the _Porpoise_ sank beneath the waves, and with ahum of the big screw that throbbed and vibrated, was away again. 

CHAPTER X

ATTACKED BY A MONSTER

For several days the _Porpoise_ plowed her way beneath the surface ofthe ocean. Obedient to the directing hand of Professor Henderson sherose or sank as the tanks were emptied or filled. He put the craftthrough several rather difficult movements to test her under allconditions. In each one she was a success. 

Dinner was sometimes eaten five hundred feet below the surface. Thenwhile Washington washed the dishes and cleaned up the galley, Jack andMark looked from the side windows at the strange life under water. 

They were getting farther south now and the water was warmer as theequator was approached. This produced a great variety of animal life, and the ocean fairly swarmed with fishes, big and little, strange andcurious that could be seen from the glass bull's-eyes. 

Great sharks swam up alongside of the _Porpoise_, keeping pace with herin spite of her speed. Their cruel tigerish eyes and ugly mouths madethe boys shudder as they looked at the creatures. Then came oddcreatures that seemed neither of the land or sea, but which swam alongwith their horrible bodies flapping up against the glass. One and all, the inhabitants of the ocean seemed to resent the intrusion of thesubmarine. 

One day the boys turned the light out in the cabin and sat in thedarkness the better to observe the fishes. The sea, in the vicinity ofthe ship, was illuminated with a sort of glow that diffused from thesearchlight. 

Suddenly, as the boys were watching, there came a thud on the glasswindow at the port side. They glanced in that direction to see somehorrible thing peering in at them through the window. 

At first they were greatly frightened. Two big eyes of green, with rimsof what looked like red fire, stared at them, and, there was an uglymouth lined with three rows of teeth. 

"It's only a fish, " said Mark. 

"Well, I wouldn't like to meet it outside, " said Jack. "I'd rather behere. My, but it's a nasty sight!"

"Let's give Washington a little scare, " suggested Mark. 

"How?"

"We'll go out and tell him some one in the cabin wants to see him. Thefish will stay there. See, it is fastened to the glass by some sort ofsuction arrangement, like the octupus fish have on their arms. Thenwe'll look in and see what Wash does. "

Jack agreed to the plan. The boys left the cabin, and Mark called to thecolored man, who was in the engine room. 

"I'll go right instanter this minute, " said Washington. "Don't no grassgrow under dis chile's feet!"

"Now listen, " said Mark as he and Jack tiptoed after the colored man. 

Washington had no sooner entered the darkened cabin, and caught sight ofthe horrible staring red and green eyes looking straight at him, than helet out a yell that could be heard all over the ship. Then the coloredman dropped on his knees and began to implore:

"Good please Mr. Satan fish, doan take Washington White, " he begged. "It's all a mistake. I didn't do nuffin. Good please Mr. Satan fish, take some one else. It's disproportionate to de circumulation ob deinteriorness ob dis subicecream ship, so kindly pass me by dis time!"

"What's the matter?" asked Amos Henderson, as he came hurrying into thecabin, seeking the cause for Washington's loud cry. 

Jack and Mark, who came in at that juncture, were a little bit ashamedof the trick they had played. 

"What is the trouble?" repeated Mr. Henderson. 

"We's all goin' to be devoured alibe!" cried Washington pointing to thefish, that still clung to the glass. 

"Ah, a sucker fish!" remarked the inventor. "A large specimen, too. Don't be afraid Washington, it can't hurt you. "

"He looks like he could, " said the colored man. "Look at dem teef!"

Indeed the creature's mouth was a horrible sight, as it opened and shut. 

"I'll show you how to get rid of him, " said the professor. 

He turned on the electric lights in the cabin, flooding the room with abright glow. The big fish darted off, and, when the lights were turnedout again, the terrible eyes did not reappear, much to theirsatisfaction. 

"The lights scared it away, " remarked the inventor. "But you mustn't getfrightened so easily, Washington. You'll see stranger sights than thatbefore you're through with this voyage. "

"Oh I wasn't 'fraid, " spoke up Washington. "I were jest 'stonished, dat's all. "

"What did you get down on your knees for?" asked Mark with a grin. 

"I might hab been lookin' for my collar button, for all you knows, "replied Washington, with an air of great dignity, and went back to theengine room. 

For several days after this the _Porpoise_ continued on her way south. Now and then appearing on the surface to renew the supply of fresh air, and again skimming along under the surface, or deep down, the strangecraft kept on. It grew much warmer, and even when some distance belowthe surface the heat could be felt in an uncomfortable manner. 

"We're getting near the equator, " explained the professor. 

One afternoon, when dinner had just been finished, and the ship, underthe direction of Washington, was gliding along well under the sea, therecame a sudden shock. 

"We've hit something!" exclaimed Mr. Henderson as he jumped for theconning tower. The shock was repeated. 

"What was it?" asked someone. 

"Shut down the engine!" yelled the inventor to the colored man. "What doyou want to go on ramming an object after you've once hit it? Slow downthe engine!"

"Power's shut off!" cried Washington. "We didn't hit nothin'! Somethinghit us!"

"What do you mean?" asked Mr. Henderson. 

"Somethin's rammin' us, " went on Washington. 

"It must be a big monster. I was sterrin' along an' there was nothin' inde road, when all of a suddint, ker-plunk! We's hit. Look ahead, an' youcan't see nothin'!"

The professor, and the boys, who had followed him, gazed out of theconning tower window. There was nothing forward but a vast expanse ofwater. 

The next instant the ship careened as something struck her a violentblow on the port side. Everyone almost toppled over from the force ofthe impact. 

"Dar he goes agin!" cried Washington. 

"We're attacked by a whale!" said the professor. "We must rise to thesurface or it may damage the ship. "

"If it's a whale I'd like to get a shot at it, " put in Andy Sudds, fromthe foot of the companion ladder leading into the tower. 

"I don't know that it is a whale, " went on the inventor. "But it must besomething very big and strong. "

"It's a monster of some sort, " put in Andy, "and I want a chance athim. "

"It's too risky, " murmured the professor. "We couldn't get down tobottom here, as the water is several miles deep, and the pressure wouldcrush the _Porpoise_, strong as she is. "

Once more came a terrible blow and the ship rocked in a swirl of foambeneath the waves. In quick succession two more fierce onslaughts weremade by the unseen monster. 

"We'll have to do something, " muttered Andy. 

"You're right, " agreed the professor. "Our only chance is to rise to thesurface, for I do not believe the creature will follow us there. Emptythe tanks, Washington. "

The colored man started the pumps, and the professor watched the gagesthat told the depth of the craft. The pointer should have begun to swingaround in a few seconds after the tanks began to empty. Instead itremained stationary. 

"Strange, " said Mr. Henderson. "I wonder if anything is wrong with themachinery. "

"More like the whale, or whatever it is, is on top of the boat, holdingher down, " suggested Andy. 

There was no doubt of this a moment later, for there were severalviolent blows on the upper part of the _Porpoise_. 

The crew of the submarine were held prisoners below the surface by theunknown monster!

For a few minutes the thought of the awful fate that would be theirs ifthe ship should be wrecked under the water made each one speechless. Asthey stood looking at each other, not knowing what to do, the attack wasrenewed on the port side. 

The big fish, whale or whatever it was, kept pounding away. 

"I have an idea!" cried Andy suddenly. 

"What is it?" asked the professor quickly. 

"Let me put a diving dress on, " began the old hunter. 

"I tell you we can't sink to the bottom in this depth of water, "interrupted the professor. 

"We don't need to, " put in Andy. "All I want is a diving suit and achance to stand out in the diving chamber. I guess I can fix Mr. Whale, if I have one of those electric guns. "

"Quick! Get a diving suit, Washington!" cried Mr. Henderson. He saw whatthe old hunter planned to do. 

In a few minutes Andy was dressed in the suit. The attacks of themonster had redoubled in frequency, and the ship rocked as in a storm. 

Andy stepped into the diving chamber, clasping the electric gun. Theinner door was tightly closed and then the sea cocks that admitted waterfrom the outside were opened. When the pressure inside the chamber wasequal to that of the ocean outside some one pulled the lever thatopened the outer door. 

Andy knew better than to step outside. He remained in the chamber, likea sentinel hid in the embrasure of a wall, for the chamber was a sort ofbig dent in the side of the _Porpoise_. 

Once more the ship rocked from a terrific blow, and the old hunter wasnearly thrown out and into the fathomless depths below. 

He clung to the door lever and peered out. Through the big glass eyes ofhis copper helmet he saw headed straight at him a whale that seemedlarger than the submarine. 

CHAPTER XI

CAUGHT IN A SEA OF GRASS

"It's all up with me and the ship, too, " thought Andy as he stood in thesmall chamber and watched the oncoming of the monster. 

However, he was not going to die without a fight, so he raised theelectric gun. Yet he knew it was a most forlorn chance. 

He aimed straight down the big open mouth and pulled the trigger. Thenext instant the water all about him was a mass of foam, through whichhe could dimly see that the whale had halted. 

And, as the old hunter watched, in awe and fear at what he saw, he notedthat instead of one monster there seemed to be a pair. Together theywere threshing the sea into a bloody foam. 

Then, turning on the searchlight in his helmet, Andy beheld a terriblesight. The whale had been attacked by a gigantic swordfish at the momentthe hunter had fired the shot, and it was that, and not the electricbullet, that had stopped the infuriated animal's rush at the ship. 

Ancient enemies, the whale and swordfish, had met in mortal combat. Theswordfish had engaged the whale just as it was about to strike whatwould probably have been a blow that would have disabled the submarine, for with the door of the diving chamber open, the onslaught might nothave been withstood. 

Rushing here and there, the whale seeking to destroy his enemy with asweep of the enormous flukes, and the swordfish plunging his bony weaponagain and again into the whale, the two monsters fought until the waterabout the ship was a mass of foam and blood. 

Much as he wanted to see the end of the fight, Andy knew it wasdangerous to remain longer with the door open. 

He closed it, pressed the lever which started the pumps, forcing thewater from the chamber and, in a few minutes, emerged into the interiorof the ship. 

Mr. Henderson, realizing that something out of the ordinary was goingon, had opened the slides of the bull's-eye windows, and those in thesubmarine saw part of the fight between the whale and swordfish. 

As soon as Andy had removed his diving suit he advised that the ship besent to the surface, as there might be danger should the monsters gettoo close in their struggles. 

Accordingly the pumps, which had been stopped when it was foundimpossible to raise the ship, because of the weight of the whale, werestarted and the _Porpoise_ was soon on the surface. 

The manhole cover was opened and Andy, with Jack and Mark, went out ondeck. They had no sooner stepped out on the platform than there was acommotion in the water. 

"They're going to fight up here!" exclaimed Mark. 

A big body shot upward and fell back with a splash, rocking thesubmarine. 

"There's the whale, " observed Andy. "But I reckon he won't fight anymore. He's dead. "

It was so. The swordfish had conquered, and the lifeless body of thewhale floated on top of the water, only to sink a little later. 

"It was a great battle, " said Jack. "I'm glad I was inside the ship. "

The course was due south, and every minute it seemed to the boys that itwas getting warmer, for they were approaching the equator. Every hourbrought them nearer the south pole, though they were still severalthousand miles from it. 

After a while quite a wind sprang up, and as the sea roughened theprofessor decided to go down under the surface. The _Porpoise_ sunk asthe tanks filled and, in a little while, the submarine was in calmwater, and was forging ahead at three-quarter speed. 

It was three days after the adventure with the whale when, as the shipwas going along at a good rate, that there seemed to be a gradualslacking in the progress. 

"I wonder what Washington is slowing down for, " said the professorrising from the dinner table at which all save the colored man had beensitting. "I told him to keep right on. He must have seen somethingahead. I'll take a look. "

The inventor went to the conning tower, where Washington was steering. 

"What are you stopping for?" he asked. 

"I'm not slowin' down, " replied the colored man. "Guess another ob demdebil fishes has grabbed holt ob de ship. Dey suttinly am de mostkoslostrous conglomerations ob inconsequence dat I eber see. "

"You must keep your big words for another time, " remarked Mr. Henderson, who seemed worried. "Hurry to the engine-room and see if the machineryis all right. We certainly are slowing down, from some cause or other. "

The _Porpoise_ was now scarcely moving, though from the vibration it wasevident that the engines were working almost at top speed. Washingtoncame back and reported that the big screw was revolving properly andthat all the machinery was working well. 

"Then we're caught in something, " said the professor. "Shut off thepower, Washington, I don't want to strain things. "

The ship was now scarcely making a foot a minute, and, a little later, when the colored man had turned off the engine, the submarine becamestationary, merely undulating with the roll and heave of the ocean. 

Hurrying to the cabin, Captain Henderson opened the side windowshutters, turned off the electric lights and peered out. 

"I can't see anything, " he said. "Yet I should be able to, as we are notvery deep. "

The gage showed that the ship was submerged only thirty feet, and atthat depth there should have been no difficulty in seeing, at leastdimly, objects under water. But the windows showed as black as night. 

"Bring me one of the portable searchlights, " called Mr. Henderson. 

Washington brought one, operated by a storage battery. Holding it so thereflector cast the beams out of the bull's-eye and into the water on theopposite side, the inventor peered forth. 

"I was afraid of this!" he murmured. 

"What is it?" asked Jack. 

"We are caught in the Sargasso Sea, " replied Mr. Henderson. 

"The Sargasso Sea?" repeated Mark, in a questioning tone. "What isthat?"

"It is a great sea of grass, " replied the captain. "An immense ocean ofsea weed, that sometimes floats on the surface and sometimes a littlebelow. The stalks or blades of the grass are very long and closelymatted together. "

"Is there any danger?" asked Andy in some alarm. 

"Very much, " answered the professor quietly. "A ship, once fairlyentangled in the grass or sea weed, seldom gets out. If it is a sailingship the weed clings to the rudder, making steerage impossible, and evenin a strong wind the ship cannot get free of the mass. The grass windsabout the propellers of steamships, and holds them as tight as in avise. 

"Sometimes a great storm may tear the mass of weed loose from the bottomof the ocean, and then the ship is free. But the Sargasso Sea is thegraveyard of many a fine vessel. "

The pumps were set going. Anxiously everyone watched the gage. Thepointer never moved, but remained at thirty feet. The _Porpoise_ wascaught. 

"Well, since we can't go up, let us see if we can go down, " said theinventor. "Perhaps we can dive under the sea weed. "

The cocks of the tanks were opened and the water rushed in. Under theweight of it the ship should have sunk to the bottom. Instead itremained just where it was, thirty feet below the surface. 

"Try the screw again, " suggested Andy, "Maybe we can back out. "

The big propeller in the tube was started going in a reverse direction, but the _Porpoise_ only moved a few feet and then stopped. To go forwardwas equally impossible. 

The submarine was held fast in the grip of the long, sinuous, snake-likefingers of the terrible sea grass. Weak as one strand was, the thousandscombined served to fasten the ship as securely as wire cables would havedone. The weeds had entangled themselves all around the craft andrefused to let go. 

"Well, " remarked Mr. Henderson when all efforts had failed. "We mustthink of a new plan. "

He spoke cheerfully, for he did not want the boys and other members ofthe crew to know how worried he was. This was a danger he had nevercounted on when he planned to go to the south pole. 

"There is no great hurry, " Mr. Henderson went on in a few minutes. "Wecan stay here for several days if need be, and by that time a storm maytear the grass loose. "

"If we had our old hay sythes here, " spoke Bill, "me an' Tom could puton divin' suits an' go out an' cut the sea weed. "

"I'm afraid that wouldn't work, " answered Mr. Henderson. "I'll think upsome plan, soon. "

He started toward the engine room to look over the machinery. He was metby Washington, who seemed much alarmed. 

"What's the matter?" asked the inventor. 

"De air tank hab busted an' all de air is escapin' out!" cried thecolored man. "We'll all smothercate!"

CHAPTER XII

FIRE ON BOARD

The professor jumped past Washington and hurried into the room where thetanks were kept, carrying the reserve supply of air for breathing whenthe ship was under water. A loud hissing told that the leak was a largeone. 

"Quick! Bring me some tools and a steel plug, " shouted the captain. 

Mark hurried in with the things the professor wanted. But before theplug could be put in the hole the air stopped hissing. 

"The leak is fixed!" cried Jack. 

"No, " said the professor in a strange voice. 

"But the air no longer rushes out. "

"For a good reason, there is no longer any air to rush out. It is allgone!"

"Do you mean to say that all the reserve stock has been lost?" exclaimedAndy. 

"I fear so. The leak must have been a bad one. The air was stored intanks under pressure, and, as you know, we released it as we needed it. Now it is all gone. "

"All? Then we shall smother, " said Jack, and his voice trembled. 

"Not at once, " went on Mr. Henderson in a calm voice. "There is enoughair in the entire ship, including that which has leaked from the tanksto last us five hours. After that----" he paused and looked at hiswatch. 

"Well?" asked Andy. "After that?"

"There is enough stored in the small tanks of the diving suits to lastanother two hours, perhaps. Seven hours in all. "

"Then what?" asked Mark. 

"We shall smother to death, " said the professor in a low tone. "Thatis, " he went on, "unless before that time we can raise the _Porpoise_ tothe surface of the sea and get a fresh supply of air. "

"Then we must work to raise the ship, " put in Bill. "Let' get out andsee if we can't cut through the sea weed. "

"It would be useless, " said Mr. Henderson. "We can only depend on thepower of the ship herself. But do not be discouraged. We may escape. Come, Washington, start the engine again. By keeping it going constantlywe can, perhaps, break loose from the grass. It is our only hope. "

Steadily the machinery worked. It might as well have remainedstationary, however, as far as any noticeable effect was made on theboat's progress. The grass of the Sargasso Sea held the _Porpoise_ in afirm grasp. 

Four hours passed. There was nothing to do but wait and see what wouldhappen. It all depended on the engines. Silently the navigators of therealms under the ocean sat and hoped. Now and then the professor wouldgo to the engine room to adjust the machines. 

The atmosphere in the cabin was growing noticeably heavier. The boys'heads began to ring with strange noises, and there was a tightnessacross their chests. The lack of fresh air was beginning to tell. 

"We might as well use that in the diving suit reservoirs, " remarked theprofessor. "We will feel better, at least for a little while. "

The helmets of the suits were brought in, and the vapor released fromthe small tanks. A change was at once noticed. The old stale air in thecabin was forced out of the exhaust pipes, and the fresh took its place. Every one felt better. 

Faster and faster revolved the big screw. The ship vibrated more andmore. Yet it did not move, nor did it rise. The crew were stillprisoners beneath the water. 

For an hour or so conditions were fairly comfortable. Then the sameunpleasantness was experienced as was noticed before. 

"If we could only open a window, " sighed Mark, "and let in a lot offresh air, how nice it would be. "

The air rapidly became more foul. Soon Washington was gasping forbreath. Tom and Bill showed signs of uneasiness. 

"Lie down on the floor, " counseled the professor. "You will find the aira little fresher down there. "

They all did as he advised, the inventor himself stretching out at fulllength. A little relief was experienced. 

They knew it could not last long. Even the professor seemed to havegiven up hope. The engine was not going to free the ship in time to savethe lives of those on board. 

Washington crawled to the engine room, as some of the bearings neededoiling. The professor seemed in despair. He opened one of the slidesthat covered the glass bulls eye windows. Then he turned off theelectric lights. The opening was black, showing that the sea of grassstill surrounded them. With a groan Mr. Henderson turned aside. The lasthope was gone. He sank down on the floor of the darkened cabin. 

Just then Mark happened to look at the bull's-eye. He saw a glimmer oflight. Then he noticed several fishes swimming about. The water wasclear. The grass had disappeared from the vicinity of the window. 

"Look!" cried Mark to the professor. 

The inventor peered forth. As he did so he uttered a cry. Then hestaggered rather than ran to the engine room. 

"What are you doing?" he called to Washington. 

"I jest let some ob de sulphuric acid out ob de storage battery tank, "replied the colored man. 

"That's it! That's it!" exclaimed the professor. "Quick, let some moreout, Washington. Let out all there is in that tank. It will save ourlives. "

Wonderingly Washington obeyed. The air in the ship was growing more foulevery second. It was hard to breathe even on the floor, and all weregasping for breath. A few minutes more and they would all becomeunconscious and death would come in a little while if the air was notfreshened. 

The professor staggered back to the main cabin. He looked out of thebull's-eye windows. Then he exclaimed:

"See, it is getting lighter! Thank Heaven we are saved!"

The next instant the ship began to move backward. Then with increasingspeed it pulled out of the grip of the long grass, and in another minutewas floating on top of the water, at the edge of the Sargasso Sea. 

"Quick! Open the man hole cover!" said Amos Henderson. 

Washington threw back the lever cams, and in rushed the fresh air. Itwas a blessed relief from the terrible oppressiveness of the foulatmosphere of the boat. They all breathed deeply, and, in a few minutesthe effects of their long imprisonment had passed off. 

They went out on the small deck. It was getting dusk, and the reflectionof the red sunset shone brightly on the heaving water. 

"I 'spected I'd neber see dis again, " said Washington. "Thought suah Iwas a gone chicken!"

"We had a most fortunate escape, " said the professor. "You did the trickfor us when you let the acid run from that tank into the sea. It mingledwith the water and burned or ate through the stems of the grass so theyno longer held the ship. I saw what had happened as soon as I looked outof the bull's-eye, and that's why I had you turn out all the acid youcould. It was just as if liquid fire had touched the sea weed and burntit off. "

"Golly!" exclaimed Washington. "Fust I know I'll be a perfessor myself!"

Supper was eaten with the ship on the surface of the ocean, for it wasimpossible to go below until the leak in the air tanks had beenrepaired. Work was begun on this the next day, and though it proved adifficult job it was accomplished by Mr. Henderson and the boys. 

There were several minor repairs to be made to the machinery, and it wasa week before all was in readiness for another descent beneath thewaves. In the meanwhile the craft had moved slowly southward on thesurface, where no very great speed was possible. 

Toward evening, on the seventh day after their adventure with theSargasso Sea, the travelers closed the man hole, and with air tanks wellfilled slowly sank beneath the waves. Supper was eaten at a depth ofsixty feet, and after the meal, while Washington was washing the dishes, the others sat and looked out through the bull's-eyes at the big fisheswhich floated past. 

"I wouldn't like to catch one of them air things on my hook an' line, "observed Bill, as a particularly large fish went past. "I reckon I'dhave trouble landin' him. "

"More likely he'd pull you in, " said Mark. 

For several minutes they watched the strange procession of deep-sealife. Presently Jack, who was sitting near the engine room door, sprangup. At the same instant there was the sound of an explosion. 

"What's the matter?" cried the professor. 

"Come quick!" yelled Washington. 

"It's a fire!" yelled Jack. "One of the electrical fuses has blown out, and the ship is on fire!"

CHAPTER XIII

THE GHOST OF THE SUBMARINE

They all rushed toward the engine room. It was dark, because the lightshad gone out all over the ship, and they could see only by the glare ofthe flames, which were increasing. 

"Light one of the oil lanterns!" called the professor, and Bill did so. 

"Unreel the hose, " the inventor continued, and Mark and Jack ran to dothis. 

In a few minutes the line was stretched into the engine room, and waterwas being thrown on the flames, for Washington had started the pump assoon as he saw the conflagration. 

The fire was in one corner, near the electrical switch board, and hadbeen caused by the blowing out of one of the fuses, which occasioned thelittle explosion. The wood work near the switches was blazing fiercely, and soon the ship was filled with smoke. 

"Empty the ballast tanks!" called the professor. "We must rise to thesurface!"

"We'll all be burned up!" cried Tom. "First we nearly smother and thenwe get on fire. Neber saw such luck!"

With a rush the _Porpoise_ began to rise, as her tanks were lightened. With steady hands, though with fear in their hearts, Jack and Markcontinued to play the water on the flames, while the professor andWashington got out a second line and aided them. 

"The fire is dying out!" exclaimed Mr. Henderson. "We'll soon get thebest of it. "

In five minutes the worst was over, though it had been an anxious time, and one of danger. The ship came to the surface, and the open man-holelet out the thick smoke that had nearly suffocated the travelers. 

As soon as it was cool enough in the engine room an examination was madeof the damage done. It was not as bad as the professor had feared, andthe running part of the ship was not harmed. A new fuse was put in andthe electric lights turned on. 

The night was spent with the ship floating on the surface of the ocean, only enough speed being kept up to give her steerage way. The professordid not want to go below the waves until he had repaired the switchboard. 

Watch was kept, for, though they were out of the regular line of oceantravel, there was no telling when a vessel might come along and runthem down, for the _Porpoise_ did not show above the waves more than afew feet, and carried no lights. 

Mark had the watch just after midnight, and was sitting in the conningtower, the door of which opened out on the small deck. He had swept thesurface of the water with powerful glasses and was sure there were noships in sight. So, feeling that he would like to stretch his legs, hewalked up and down on the platform. 

He had reached the after end, and was about to turn and go back, when hewas startled to see between him and the conning tower a white object. Atfirst Mark thought it was a cloud of mist, or something the matter withhis eyes. He rubbed them, but the object did not disappear. 

Then it moved, and, to his horror Mark saw that it had the shape of aman, tall and thin. The two arms were outstretched, and to Mark'simagination seemed to be pointed toward him. 

In spite of trying not to be, Mark was frightened. 

He did not believe in ghosts, and had always felt that all stories aboutthem were due to persons' imaginations. Now he saw something that washard to explain. 

As he watched it, the white object turned and glided without making theslightest noise, toward the conning tower. It entered and Mark breatheda sigh of relief. 

Perhaps, after all, it was some one from down in the cabin, maybe theprofessor himself in his night shirt, who had come up to see that allwas right. 

"I'll go and look, " said Mark to himself. 

He had to nerve himself for the ordeal, as, in spite of assuring himselfthat there were no such things as ghosts, he was frightened. 

It was absolutely quiet. The only sound was the gentle swish of thewater against the sides of the ship. The engine was running so slowlythat it caused no noise. 

Half way on his journey to the conning tower Mark paused. There, advancing toward him, was the white object. With outstretched arms itglided nearer and nearer until Mark's heart was beating as if it wouldburst through his ribs. His mouth was dry and he could not have criedout had he tried. 

There was a splash in the water off to the left as some big fish sprangout and dropped back again. Involuntarily Mark turned in that direction. Then he thought of the ghost and looked for it again. To his surprisethe white object was nowhere to be seen!

The boy waited a few minutes, and then, screwing up his courage, he wentto the tower. There was no one inside, and, along the length of decknothing was to be seen of the ghost. 

"I wonder if I have been asleep and dreaming, " the boy asked himself. Hegave his leg a pinch, and the sensation of pain told him he was notslumbering. 

"Well, I'll say nothing about it, " Mark went on to himself. "They'llonly laugh at me. "

Entering the tower Mark looked for the glasses in order to make anotherobservation. He could not find them, yet he was sure he had left them ona shelf in the tower. 

"I wonder if the ghost took them, " he said. 

He heard some one coming up the iron stairs of the small companionwaythat led down into the interior of the ship through the man-hole. Atfirst he thought it was his queer midnight visitor returning. Then thehead and shoulders of Jack appeared. 

"I've come to relieve you, " said Jack. "Your watch is up; it's twoo'clock. Here are the night glasses. I found them on the cabin table. Ithought you had them with you. "

"I did, " replied Mark. 

"Then how did they get below?"

"I--I don't know, " said Mark. 

The mystery was deepening, yet he did not want to tell Jack just yet. 

"Well, that's queer, " remarked Jack. "Maybe the captain came up and gotthem while you were asleep. "

"I didn't go to sleep, " answered Mark rather crossly. 

Jack said nothing more, but took his place in the conning tower, whileMark went below. Thinking to discover if the ghost might by any chancehave been one of the persons on the _Porpoise_, Mark looked into eachbunk. From the captain to Washington, all the inmates were peacefullyslumbering. 

"Queer, " murmured Jack, as he took a look into the engine room beforeturning in. The engine needed no attention, as it worked automatically, and all there was to do was to steer the ship. Even this needed littlecare as the course was a straight one, and the wheel could be locked, leaving the lookout little to do. 

"Did you see anything during your watch?" asked Mark of Jack the nextmorning. 

"See anything? What do you mean?"

"I mean anything unusual. "

"Nothing, only a school of porpoises went past and gave me a littlescare. They were like a lot of water kittens at play. "

Mark concluded he would say nothing of the white visitor until heascertained whether any one else had seen it. 

It was several nights later, when the ship was once more proceedingslowly along the surface of the water, that the ghost again appeared. This time Washington had the midnight watch. 

But the colored man was not one to remain quiet when he had such a scaryvisitor, and his yells aroused the ship. 

"It's a ghostess! A big white ghostess!" yelled Washington. "I don seenit wid my eyes, an' it waved his arms at me. I's goin' to die suah!"

"What's all this nonsense?" demanded the professor sternly. ThenWashington, more or less excitedly, told of what he had seen. It wasjust as it had happened to Mark. 

"You were dreaming, " said the professor to Washington. "There are nosuch things as ghosts. "

Every one, from old Andy to Tom and Bill, had been roused byWashington's cries, and listened to his story. At the close of therecital of how the white thing had suddenly disappeared, Washingtonrefused to continue his watch, unless some one stayed with him. 

Mark volunteered to do this. He was anxious to see if the ghost wouldreappear to him. But nothing happened; and the rest of the night passedoff quietly. 

The next day the _Porpoise_ was taken below the surface, in order toallow of better speed being made. She was running along, submerged to adepth of two hundred feet, when there came a sudden jar, and the shipstopped. 

"More trouble!" exclaimed the professor. 

He opened the slide covering the bull's-eye windows and looked out. Allabout was swirling muddy water. 

"Can you see anything?" the inventor called to Jack, who was in theconning tower. 

"We've run into a mud-bank, and are stuck fast, " called back the boy. 

CHAPTER XIV

DIGGING OUT THE SHIP

"Reverse the engine!" called the professor. "Maybe we can back the shipout. "

Washington set the big screw to revolving in the opposite direction. The_Porpoise_ shook and shivered but the mud held her fast. 

"We must have gone in pretty deep, " commented Amos Henderson. "Luckilyit was soft mud instead of a rocky reef or we'd have damaged the shipbeyond repair. "

For several minutes the engines were kept on the reverse, but all to nopurpose. The sticky mud was like glue in its holding power and the shiphad buried her prow deep into it. 

"I guess we'll have to dig our way out, " said the professor, aftertaking a careful view of the big mud bank from the conning tower. "Washington, get out the diving suits and the spades. "

"Are we really going out in the water to dig?" asked Tom. 

"Of course, " said Mr. Henderson. "You'll be as safe as in the ship, wearing one of my diving suits. We'll all have to help, for it will bequite a task. "

The queer suits were brought out, and the reservoirs in the helmets werefilled with compressed air. It was decided to have Washington remainwithin the _Porpoise_, to watch the machinery and start the engine whenthe digging was partly done, in order to see if the ship would not pullherself free when some of the mud had been removed from the prow. 

"And we may need Washington for another purpose, " said the professor. 

"What for?" asked Mark. 

"Well, he'll have to stay by the diving tank, to let us in quickly incase of emergency. "

"Do you think there'll be an emergency?" asked Jack. 

"You never can tell, " was the answer. "We are in deep water, and I don'twant any accidents to happen. "

In a few minutes all save Washington were in their diving suits andready to go out and walk on the bottom of the sea. They entered thetank, the door was closed, and then water was slowly admitted from theocean. When the tank was full, led by the professor, they stepped out onthe muddy floor of the ocean. 

At first the pressure of the water at so great a depth bothered them. But, as we know, the diving suits were reinforced with plates of steel, and so strong that little more than an extra weight of water wasnoticed. They soon became used to it. Each one carried a spade, whilethe professor, Andy and the boys each had, slung about their necks bystraps, one of the electric guns. 

Cautiously they walked toward the big mud bank. They had to go slowlybecause of the weight of the water above them, and because they might atany minute step into some muck hole and sink down. Fortunately, however, they found there was a firm bottom right up to where the bank of mudreared upward. 

Turning on the electric lights in their helmets, the voyagers were ableto see quite distinctly. The _Porpoise_ had rammed her nose into theunder-water hill for a distance of about ten feet. It was going to be noeasy matter to get her free, but the divers lost no time. 

Vigorously they attacked the big hill of mud. They dug their spades inand tossed the earth to one side. It was a strange place to work. Atfirst the weight of water hampered every one, but they soon became usedto it and were able to proceed more rapidly. 

From the conning tower Washington kept watch of their progress. Whenthey had gone in about five feet he started the engines, hoping the_Porpoise_ might now pull herself free. But the mud still held. 

By signs, for it was of course impossible for any one to hear or speak, attired as they were in helmets and suits, the professor motioned thatthey must dig deeper. 

Once more they attacked the big mud bank with their shovels. Farther andfarther they went into the muck until it seemed that the nose of thesubmarine must be free. But when Washington started the engines it wasobvious that the ship was still held. 

Again the digging was resumed. All at once, while every one was wieldinghis spade to best advantage, a shadow seemed to cover the water. Itloomed up large and black, and the professor stopped and gazed upward. What he saw made him drop his spade and grab the gun that was about hisneck. 

Floating in the water above the diggers, were three immense sharks. Their cruel mouths were partly open, showing three rows of big teeth, and they were slowly turning over on their backs to make a sudden rushand devour the men and boys. Owing to the peculiar shape of its maw ashark can not bite until it turns over. 

The professor motioned for Bill and Tom to move behind him, andsignalled for Jack, Mark and Andy to stand close with their weaponsready. 

The sharks floated lazily downward as if they knew they had the diggersat their mercy. To run and escape was impossible, for no one could runhampered by the weight of water and his diving suit. 

One of the terrible fish opened its mouth wider and, with a flirt of itstail aimed straight for the professor. Mr. Henderson raised his gun, andtook careful aim at the middle of the fish, half turned over. Unerringlythe electric bullet sped on its way. It entered the soft under part ofthe shark, and immediately the thing struggled in its death agony. 

The water was dyed with blood. At the same instant the other sharksrushed forward in a swirl of foam. The boys and Andy fired as best theycould, and must have hit one of the creatures for there was a greatercommotion. 

But the fight was not over. Instantly the ocean seemed alive with thegiant fish. Attracted by the blood of the killed ones, scores of thetigers of the seas rushed toward the scene of combat making matterslivelier than ever. 

The professor, the boys and Andy fired their guns at random. Redder andmore red became the water until their helmet lamps barely glowed in thecrimson sea. It seemed that a whole army of the voracious sharks hadattacked them. 

The professor realized that to stay and attempt to fight all the sharksin that part of the ocean was impossible. He motioned for the boys andAndy to follow him. Then he slowly led the way back to the ship. 

But the sharks were not to be gotten rid of so easily. Several of thelargest followed the diggers, their horrible eyes, and big mouths withrows of cruel teeth, striking terror to the hearts of all. 

One of the creatures made a rush for Bill and Tom who were closetogether. Either or both of the men would have been bitten in twain, inspite of the protection of their diving suits, had not Mark, with a snapshot, killed the fierce fish. 

It was now a running fight, and yet not so much that, because to run wasimpossible. However, they hurried all they could, and, by dint of quickfiring kept the ugly creatures at bay until the side of the ship, wherethe diving tank was placed, was reached. 

The professor stepped to one side, and motioned for the others toproceed him in entering. Little time was lost. As Bill, the last one in, stepped past the steel door the inventor attempted to enter. To do so hehad to let go of his gun. 

Instantly one of the sharks made a rush for the old man. But Andy wason the watch. He leaned forward, and, from his weapon sent a bulletstraight down the throat of the monster. The electric missile did itswork well, and the lifeless body of the shark was devoured by the othersof its tribe. 

The professor pulled the door shut behind him. Then he set the pump towork to empty the tank. As he did so there was a tremor to the ship. What could it mean?

In a few minutes the tank was empty and the divers stepped out into theship, freed from the oppressive weight of water. The ship continued tovibrate and seemed to be in motion. 

"What is it?" asked Mark as soon as he had his helmet off. 

"De ship am free! We've got off de mud bank!" exclaimed Washington, running in from the engine room. 

It was true. Enough had been dug so that, with the power of the screwworking backward, there was sufficient force to pull the _Porpoise_ fromher perilous position. 

"Empty the tanks and rise to the surface, " said the professor. 

In a few minutes the ship was on top of the waves, the adventurers freedfrom the double danger of the mud and sharks. They congratulated eachother on the good outcome of the fight with the monster fishes. 

Wearied with their labors and the battle under the waves, the travelerssat up on the deck breathing in the fresh breeze. Then, after a while, supper was made ready and eaten with good appetites. 

It was decided hereafter to sail along near the surface at night, andnot to submerge the ship deeply save during daylight, when it was easierto distinguish objects under the water. 

Following this plan the _Porpoise_ steamed along just awash that night, and the next day was sent down about fifty feet below the surface. 

One afternoon, when the travelers were resting, having partaken of afine meal, the professor went on deck to make some observations, theship having been raised for that purpose. He came down, somewhatexcited. 

"Well, we're half way to the pole, " he announced. 

"How can you tell?" asked Mark. 

"Because we have just crossed the equator. We went over the imaginaryline three minutes ago. "

"I was wondering what made it so warm, " said Jack. 

"I guess you dreamed it was hotter, " spoke the professor. "It has beenjust as hot as this for the last few days. Crossing the line makes nodifference. "

"Then we are really in the southern hemisphere now, " said Mark. 

"That's where we are, " replied Mr. Henderson. 

He put his instruments away. 

"Well, we may as well go below the surface again, " he remarked. 

"Come quick! Hurry up!" yelled Washington from the deck. "Dar's ashipwreck up heah! Somebody's on it!"

CHAPTER XV

THE STRANGE SHIPWRECK

The professor, followed by the boys and Tom, Bill and Andy hastened ondeck. They saw Washington pointing excitedly off to the west. There, rising and falling on the easy swell, was the wreck of a large vessel. 

She had been a three masted schooner, but now only the stumps of themasts remained and the craft was rolling to and fro. It had settled lowin the water, and was quite deep by the head, so that, at times, thewaves broke over the bow in a shower of spray. 

But what attracted the attention of the adventurers more than anythingelse was the sight of two figures near what had been the after cabin ofthe ship. 

There they stood, frantically waving their hands toward those on thesubmarine. Across the water that separated the two craft, there came afaint hail. 

"I suppose they are nearly dead, " exclaimed the inventor. "We must savethem. "

He ordered the _Porpoise_ sent ahead slowly toward the wreck. Thedistance was about half a mile, and was soon covered. As the submarineapproached closer those on the schooner could be observed more plainly. 

"One of 'em is a woman!" exclaimed Jack, who was using the glasses. 

"Let me see, " spoke the professor. 

"You're right, " he added. "The other is a little girl. "

A few minutes later the _Porpoise_ was alongside. The woman and childcame to the rail of the schooner, which was barely five feet above thewaves. 

"Can you jump down, or shall I come aboard and get you?" asked Mr. Henderson seeing the woman hesitate. 

"I can jump down, if you will catch the child, " said the woman. "Oh I amso glad you came, " she added. "We are almost dead from hunger andthirst, and the wreck is ready to sink and cannot last many hourslonger. "

"Pass the little girl down to me, " spoke Andy. "Then you jump. We'llsave you all right. "

The little girl reached the deck in safety, and the woman, who proved tobe her mother, followed. 

"Now take us to your ship, " said the woman. 

"You must be a long way from her, as she is not in sight. "

"Our ship is right here, " spoke Mr. Henderson with a smile. 

"Where, I don't see her, " and the woman looked in all directions. 

"Allow me to introduce you to Profess Amos Henderson's famous submarine, the _Porpoise_, " spoke the inventor with a bow. "But come, let us gobelow. You must be suffering, and here I am making speeches. "

"Indeed I am hungry, and thirsty too, " said the woman. "So is Nellie. But I thought this was merely a small boat, sent from some large ship toget us. "

The woman and girl descended to the cabin of the submarine, whereWashington set before them a fine meal. Under the advice of theprofessor they partook sparingly of food and drink at first, as, havingeaten nothing in many hours, the inventor said they must begin by takinga little at a time. 

As soon as they had finished and become somewhat rested, the woman toldher story. She was Mrs. Johnson, a widow, her husband having once ownedand been captain of the schooner that was wrecked. After his death sheand her daughter, having become part owners of the craft, disposing ofa third interest to the former mate of the ship, had set out on one ofthe voyages to South American ports. 

They had had good weather going, and took on a valuable cargo of lumberand rare woods. But the return trip was more perilous. Heavy storms hadbuffeted the craft almost from the time of leaving port, and in oneheavy blow, ten days before, the ship had been wrecked. 

"What became of the crew?" asked Mr. Henderson. 

"They took to the boats, " replied Mrs. Johnson. "My little girl andmyself were to go with the mate and his men. The waves were fearfullyhigh, and, as they held the boat close to the schooner so we could getin, a big roller smashed the little craft. The men must have all beendrowned for I never afterwards caught sight of one of them. "

"But the other boats?" asked the inventor. 

"They had gotten too far away to hail, supposing that I would be takencare of by the mate. There was nothing for Nellie and I to do but stayon board, expecting the ship to sink every minute. "

"And you have been there ever since?" inquired Andy. 

"Ever since. That was ten days ago. Every day I thought it would be ourlast. The storm passed away and the sea became calm but the ship keptsettling lower and lower. Only the fact that part of the cargo was woodkept her afloat so long. I managed to get some provisions and water upon deck, but the sea had spoiled most of the stuff. We had to eat only alittle at a time, as I knew it would be some days before we could berescued, if we ever were. Two days ago we ate the last of the food anddrank almost the last of the water. "

"Then you had nothing since then, " spoke Jack. 

"Only a few drops of rain that I caught on a piece of sail, " answeredMrs. Johnson. 

"Never mind, you can have all you want now, mother, " said Nellie, comingover to pat her parent's cheek. "Oh, " the child went on, "I was sothirsty I could just cry when I thought of such things as ice creamsodas. "

"I guess you could, " agreed Mark. "Well, we can't give you any sodawater, but we have plenty of the other kind. "

Mrs. Johnson was much interested in the _Porpoise_ and ProfessorHenderson showed her all about the craft. Though the quarters wererather cramped, a small cabin was fitted up for the lady and herdaughter. 

"We will travel a bit under the water so you can get used to it, " saidthe captain after a tour of the ship had been made. The tanks werefilled, and the _Porpoise_ sank beneath the waves. At first Mrs. Johnsonwas much frightened, and Nellie cried. But when they saw how skillfullythe ship was managed, and how easy it was to rise again, they lost theirfears. 

For several days the voyage was continued. Mrs. Johnson and Nellieremained aboard as there was no place to land them, and they said theywished to stay until they met some ship sailing north. 

One day, just at dusk, when the _Porpoise_, after a long run under thewater had come to the surface, the professor, came up on deck to take alook around. Washington and Andy accompanied him. 

"Looks like land, off there to the left, " remarked the old hunter. 

"Get the glasses, Washington, " said Mr. Henderson. "It may be a ship. "

He took a long and careful look through the binoculars. 

"It's some sort of land, " he announced. "We'll go over in the morningand see what it is. Probably it's an island, for there's no main land inthese parts. We are in the middle of the southern Atlantic now. "

The next morning, after breakfast, the _Porpoise_ was headed toward thedark spot on the surface of the water that the professor had gazed atthe evening before. As they came nearer it was seen that the place was alarge island. 

"But it's a mighty queer one, " spoke Mr. Henderson. "It looks more likea big volcano than anything else. "

As the ship came nearer it was seen that this was true. The island roseabruptly from the surface of the sea in a big ridge, slightly rounded. There appeared to be no signs of life on the land, but in the airoverhead hovered several big birds. These circled about and thenfluttered down, seemingly about the middle of the island. 

"We'll sail around and see if there's a place to land, " spoke theinventor. "There doesn't seem to be a good harbor on this side. "

Slowly the _Porpoise_ made the circuit. The island appeared to be almostround. When they had gone about half way around Andy, who was staringahead, cried out:

"Look out Professor! Don't go any nearer or we'll be sucked into thewhirlpool!"

The inventor looked where the hunter pointed. Then he beheld thestrangest sight he had ever seen. The island was low toward where Andypointed and they beheld the waters of the ocean pouring over the edgeof it, and falling down into an immense hole with a roar like that ofNiagara Falls. 

"Reverse the ship!" cried Professor Henderson. "Send her back quickly, Washington, or we'll be sucked down!"

The colored man lost no time, and the big screw was sent whirling in theopposite direction. And it was high time, for already the onward rush ofthe falling waters was slowly drawing the ship toward the big cavern. 

"That was a lucky escape, " commented Amos Henderson. "Well, as we can'tland there we'll try the other way around. "

The ship was headed in the opposite direction, and, after an hour'ssailing, a good harbor was discovered. The _Porpoise_ was anchored inshallow water close to the shore and in a small boat the professor, Andyand the two boys went to the strange island. 

They found it merely an immense circle of land with the middle parttaken up by the big hole. And such a hole as it was! It was so wideacross that they could not see the farther side, and the depth theycould only guess at. Looking down they could only see great rollingmasses of clouds or vapor. 

"Perhaps it's steam, " suggested Jack. 

"Maybe it is, " agreed the professor. "If this is a volcano, with lava init, the water of the ocean, pouring in on the other side, may be changedto steam. "

"Do you suppose this hole leads to the centre of the earth?" asked Mark. "I've read somewhere, that the earth is hollow. "

"Some scientists believe it, " commented the professor. "This looks likea big enough hole to lead clear through to China. Hark, you can hear theroar of the water now. "

They listened, and the wind brought to them the sound of the sea pouringdown into the unfathomable depths. 

"Let's throw a big rock down, " suggested Jack. "Maybe we can hear itstrike bottom. "

With the aid of Mark he cast a big boulder down into the depths. Theylistened intently, but not the slightest sound echoed back. 

"I guess the bottom is too far away for you to hear the stone land, "said the professor. 

CHAPTER XVI

THE GHOST AGAIN

They spent some time looking down into the hole. The masses of vapor, orclouds, rolled and swirled hundreds of feet below them, but never brokesufficiently to allow of a clear sight. 

"Well, we had better go back to the ship, " remarked the professor. "Wemust continue our voyage. "

They were soon on the _Porpoise_ and steaming away from the strangeisland, the inventor deciding to get far off out of the influence of theterrible waterfall. 

The night was, as usual, spent with the ship slowly steaming ahead onthe surface of the water. It was getting on toward twelve o'clock andWashington had the watch. He was to be relieved by Jack. 

The latter had been awakened by the alarm clock at the head of his bed, which time-piece he had set to arouse him so that he might takeWashington's place. Jack was just getting the sleep from his eyes by avigorous rubbing when he heard a loud yell. 

"Land a' Massy!" cried Washington from the deck above. "I's goin' t' diesuah! De ghostess am after me ag'in!"

Without waiting to dress, Jack sprang up the ladder and was soon out onthe deck. He saw Washington kneeling down in front of the conning towerdoor while, at the after end of the deck, was a mysterious white object;the same strange shape that had been observed before. 

"I'm going to solve this puzzle!" exclaimed Jack to himself as he made adive toward the object in white. "This ghost business will have tostop!"

But, unfortunately for his plans, his foot slipped on the smooth steeldeck, and he went down in a heap. When he got up the ghost was nowhereto be seen. 

Washington, however, was still kneeling down and praying to be sparedfrom the attack of the midnight visitor. Jack limped over to the coloredman. 

"Keep still, " said the boy. "It's gone now. What was it, anyhow?"

"Some ghost from de grabeyard, " replied Washington. 

"When did you see it first?" went on Jack. 

"'Bout ten minutes ago, " replied Washington. 

"Well it's gone now, " said Jack, though he had to admit to himself thatthe affair was somewhat puzzling. Professor Henderson had been awakenedby the yells of the colored man and came on deck to see what the troublewas. He appeared somewhat annoyed when Washington told him what hadhappened. 

"There are no ghosts!" declared the inventor in positive tones. 

"You wouldn't say so, Perfessor, if you'd seen him, " spoke Washington. "He were all in white, tall an' slim, an' big red eyes, an' a greennose, an' fire comin' from his mouth an'--"

"Nonsense, " interrupted Jack. "It was nothing but a white object, Professor Henderson. I saw it. "

"And what do you think it was?" asked the inventor. 

"I--I can hardly say, " replied Jack. "Of course I don't believe inghosts, but this--"

"It was probably a mist from the ocean, " interrupted the professor. "Don't let me hear any more of it. Washington, go below. Your watch isup and Jack will take charge. I don't believe there will be any moreghosts. "

Nor were there that night. The _Porpoise_ glided along, requiring littleattention, and when morning broke was several miles nearer the southernpole. 

The journey was continued beneath the waves and it was found much coolerunder them than upon the surface, for the ship was in the midst of theequatorial heat. 

About four o'clock in the afternoon, when all was quiet aboard, therecame a sudden yell from the engine room. Washington's voice could beheard calling for help. Then it died away in a groan. 

"Something has happened!" called Jack. "Washington is in trouble. "

He hurried toward where the machinery could be heard buzzing. Theprofessor, with Andy and Mark followed. They expected to see the coloredman caught in some shaft or belt, but he was nowhere in sight. 

"Perhaps he has fallen into the ocean, " suggested Mark. 

"The engine room does not open into the sea, " answered the professor. 

A deep groan came from some corner of the engine room. 

"There he is!" cried Jack. 

But a careful search failed to reveal Washington. Still he could beheard to groan at intervals. Bill and Tom came and aided in the search, while Mrs. Johnson, who was worried at the unusual activity, asked whatthe trouble was. 

Captain Henderson did not tell her, for, as he said afterward, he didnot want any women fainting away on his ship. At his request Mrs. Johnson went back to her cabin, and the hunt for Washington continued. 

"Here he is!" cried Jack at last. 

The boy had climbed up on a small ladder that led to the big storagebattery tanks. He had looked down, and there, in the large metal box hadspied the colored man on the bottom. Washington was unconscious andbreathing heavily. 

"He has been overcome by the fumes of the sulphuric acid!" exclaimed theprofessor. "We must get him out quickly or he will die!"

"I'll get him!" cried Andy. 

The old hunter grabbed a small step ladder that stood against the wallof the engine room. With this on his shoulder he climbed up the stepswhich led to the top of the storage battery tank. Then, by means of hisladder, he descended inside. 

He had to work quickly as the fumes were very strong, but he managed tohoist Washington up so that Bill and Tom, from outside, could take holdof him. Then the colored man was carried out on the deck, where thefresh air and some restoratives the professor used soon revived him. 

"Is I dead, " were Washington's first words, as he sat up and lookedabout him. 

"Not this time, " replied the professor. "You had a close call, though. How did it happen?"

Washington explained that he started to clean the battery tank, when helost his balance and fell in. He cried as he felt himself falling, butas soon as he struck the bottom of the tank the fumes of the chemicalsmade him unconscious. His deep breathing, which had sounded like groans, alone served to attract attention to his location. 

In a little while Washington was all right save for a slight weakness. Captain Henderson made him go to his bunk, and ordered him to remainthere until morning. 

During the excitement over Washington's mishap all thought of steeringthe ship had been forgotten, and when Mr. Henderson went to the conningtower about five o'clock he found that the _Porpoise_ was several pointsoff her course and was headed to the east instead of to the south. Howmany miles out of her way the craft had steamed could only be guessed, but as she had been going wrong for nearly an hour, it must be quite afew the inventor calculated. 

However, he said, no great harm had been done. Even this slight accidentwould not have happened had not Bill, who was in the conning towersteering, forgotten to put the automatic device in operation when heleft the wheel to join in the search for Washington. 

"We'll soon make up the lost ground, " said Mr. Henderson. "Another weekor ten days ought to see us at the end of our journey. "

"And what will we do when we get there?" asked Jack. 

"We will make some important geographical and scientific observations, "said the professor. "Not only that, but we will have done something thatno living person has ever accomplished. We reached the north pole, though we could not land on the exact spot. Let us hope we will be moresuccessful regarding the south pole. "

The professor set the ship on her course again. Bill and Tom got supperin place of Washington, while Mrs. Johnson helped set the table. 

The meal was eaten, and then the inventor started the ship toward thesurface, following the plan of not sailing beneath the waves after dark, in order to avoid accidents. 

The craft was making good speed ahead, with the big screw revolving inthe tunnel and spurting the water from the rear, when there came asudden jar, and everyone nearly toppled over from the quick stopping ofthe _Porpoise_. At the same time the forward end seemed to go up in theair. 

"What has happened? Are we sinking?" cried Mrs. Johnson. 

"I think we are going up, " spoke the professor in cool tones. 

"In the air?" asked the lady. 

"On the land, " answered the inventor. "I think we have struck shore andslid up on a beach. "

He ordered the engine stopped and hurried to the conning tower to makean observation. He turned on the searchlight and looked carefully atwhat 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 therising tide will probably float her safely, and we can continue ourtrip. 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 wasconfirmed. The _Porpoise_, in emerging from the waves, had slid well upon a sandy shore, where she was held fast because the tide was rapidlyfalling. It would be twelve hours before there would be a chance of herfloating again. 

The mishap had occurred because the ship had gotten off her course whenWashington'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, whichmight 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 thecraft became exposed until the whole steel body rested on the slopingbeach. 

Jack was the first to awaken. He was up with the sun, and went out onthe deck to take a view of the country he had often heard about. Astretch of wild landscape met his eyes, and to the left and right of theship 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 astrange 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 SouthAmerica 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 havejumped 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 forgottenhow to walk on dry land. "

"Go ahead, " answered Jack. "I'm with you. "

"All right. "

The boys lost no time in getting down to the beach. They found it hardand firm, and made their way to the strip of grass-covered land lyingbeyond. Up and down they wandered, finding many curious and beautifullymarked shells where the waves had washed them. 

Suddenly Jack gave a big jump and let out a yell. 

"What's the matter?" asked Mark. 

"I thought I saw one of those cocoanuts move, " answered Jack, pointingto where several of the big shaggy fruits lay under a tree from whichthey had fallen. 

"I guess you're right, " spoke Mark. "I certainly saw one of them take alittle side step. I wonder what does it. "

As the boys watched they were surprised, to see one of the cocoanutscome toward them, apparently advancing without any visible means oflocomotion. 

"This is a queer country, " remarked Jack, getting ready to run in casethe strangely moving cocoanut might be a warning of danger. 

"Look! There's a whole lot of them moving, " cried Mark. 

Sure enough a dozen or more of the nuts began to advance toward thelads. The boys were not so much afraid as they were surprised. But a fewseconds later the reason for the strange sight was made plain. 

As they looked they saw one of the nuts roll down a little mound ofsand. Then they noticed that a big land crab was on the tiny hill and itwas evident that the nut had fallen from his claws. 

"It's the crabs!" exclaimed Mark. "I remember reading about them now. They come ashore from the water where they live part of the time and getthe cocoanuts. Then they smash the shells by pounding the nuts on astone and eat the white meat inside. They are called cocoanut crabs. "

"I was beginning to think we were in some enchanted land, " spoke Jack. 

"Well, it certainly looked queer, " agreed Mark. 

For some time the boys watched the strange sight. Then they walked alongthe beach, seeing several large star fish, and some big horse-shoe crabsthat had been stranded by the tide. 

"Look at that immense turtle!" exclaimed Mark, as one of the creaturesscuttled over the sand toward the sea. "I'll bet she's been layingeggs!"

"Perhaps so. "

They made a rush for the tortoise but were not quick enough, for sheslid into the water and made off. 

"Here's her nest, anyhow, " called Jack, as he pointed to some eggs, thinly covered with sand. "Let's go back and take them with us. I'veheard they are good eating. "

Jack and Mark started to gather up as many of the eggs as they could intheir hats. While they were thus engaged they heard a call from the shipand looked up to see coming toward them, all of the ship's companyexcept Washington. 

"I wonder if anything could have happened, " spoke Mark. 

He and Jack dropped the eggs and started on a run toward the strandedship. They were reassured, however, when they saw the professor wavinghis hand at them. When he got within hailing distance the inventorcalled:

"It's all right, boys. We're just taking a little walk, beforebreakfast, for an appetizer. It's been some time since we were on land. Washington says he'll have some fine fried ham for us in a littlewhile. "

"And here are the eggs to go with it, " spoke Jack. 

"Have you found a hen house?" asked Mr. Henderson in some wonder. 

"No, but we discovered a turtle, which is just as good, " replied Mark. The professor agreed with him, and called for Washington to come and getthe eggs. 

"Wall I 'clare to goodness!" exclaimed the colored man as he gatheredthe product of the turtle up in his cook's apron. "Dis suttinly am aqueer contraption of a country to find eggs growin' in de sand. "

He shuffled back to the ship, while the others walked up and down on thebeach. In about half an hour the professor suggested that they return. 

"Washington must have breakfast ready by now, " he said, "and I, for one, am hungry enough to enjoy it. "

They turned toward the stranded _Porpoise_ but no sooner had their eyestaken in the sweep of the ocean that lay before them than they utteredcries of fear. 

Spreading out from the beach in a big half circle that enclosed withinits curve the submarine, were three score of canoes, each one filledwith half naked savages. 

"The natives are going to attack the ship!" cried the professor. "Wemust hurry back or we are lost!"

He started on the run, accompanied by the boys and men. Mrs. Johnson andher daughter brought up the rear. The adventurers had gone from onemisfortune into another. 

At the top of their speed they approached the stranded ship. The nativessaw them coming and the next instant hundreds of paddles broke the wavesinto a mass of sparkling water as the wily savages urged their canoesswiftly toward the submarine. 

"If we can only reach it first we can hold them off until the tidefloats us, and then we can escape, " said the professor. 

He increased his pace though the run was beginning to tell on his agedframe. The adventurers were now within an eighth of a mile of the ship, but the savages were closer, and had the advantage of being able to makegreater speed. The two forces approached nearer and nearer. Finally thefirst of the canoes reached the submerged end of the _Porpoise_. 

With wild shouts a score of the brown men leaped from the boats andscrambled up the steel sides. An instant later they were joined byseveral canoe loads of their companions. They swarmed up on the deck, and some peered down the winding stairs that led to the interior of theship. 

"Too late!" cried the professor. "They have captured the _Porpoise_!"

"But Washington is aboard!" shouted Jack. 

As he spoke the colored man was seen clambering up out of the companionway. He gave one look at the wild natives who swarmed over the ship, andthen, with a yell to be heard a long way off, disappeared below. 

The shouts and cries of the savages grew louder and they seemed to bedoing a sort of war dance. 

"We must make one effort to drive them away, " said the professor indesperation. 

"We haven't even a revolver, " spoke Andy. 

"Let's use stones, " suggested Jack, grabbing up a handful from thebeach. 

"Look out!" yelled Mark. "They are going to shoot some arrows!"

A second later a flight of the weapons filled the air. Fortunately thenatives were too far away to permit the shots taking effect, but itshowed that they intend to fight and take possession of the ship. 

Even this did not frighten Mr. Henderson. His vessel was more than lifeto him and he kept on. Several arrows fell dangerously close and hemight have been hurt had not old Andy run after him and induced him togo farther up the beach and out of harm's way. 

"They will kill Washington!" cried Jack as he thought of the colored manat the mercy of the savages. 

"There he comes!" yelled Mark. 

He pointed toward the ship and as they all looked in that direction theysaw the colored man climbing out on the deck. Under one arm he bore along narrow box, and in the other hand he carried one of the electricguns. 

"He's goin' to fight 'em!" exclaimed Andy. "He's got a gun and he willshow 'em what's what!"

But Washington did not seem to have any such intentions. With a yellthat equalled the savage cries of the natives, he sprang over the sideof the ship, onto the sand and ran toward the group of adventurers. Aflight of arrows followed him, but he was not hit. 

CHAPTER XVIII

ON LAND

"Why don't he shoot his gun at 'em?" demanded Andy, capering about onthe sand. "He could soon scare 'em off!"

"I'm afraid Washington is too frightened to do anything like that, "answered Professor Henderson. "He is lucky to have escaped alive. "

"Wait until he gets here with that gun, an' I'll do some huntin' thatwill make them savages skip!" exclaimed Andy. 

In a little while Washington came up to where the others from the_Porpoise_ stood on the beach. The colored man was panting from his run. 

"De most monstrous disproportionately extradition ob circumstantialoccurrances dat ever transpositioned on my optical vasionariness!" heexclaimed as he laid his gun and the black box carefully down on thesand. "Ten thousand naked imps of darkness swarmin' ober de ship an' nota pusson to say what dey ought to do an' where dey ought t' go! It amsuttinly terrible!"

"Why didn't you shoot some of 'em?" demanded Andy. 

"Me?" exclaimed Washington. "What for I want t' shoot 'em? S'pose I want'em t' git mad at me?"

"Well, you're a great one, " went on Andy, picking up the gun. "I guessI'll have to take a few shots myself. "

"Yes, sah. "

From Washington the adventurers learned how the savages had silentlycome up in their canoes and surrounded the ship, gaining possession ofit before he could make any effort at defense, even had he so desired. 

"What are we to do now?" asked Mrs. Johnson, when they had retreated outof sight of the savages. "The natives have possession of the boat, andhow are we to regain her when there are so many of them?"

"It certainly is a hard nut to crack, " admitted the professor. "We willhave to camp out on the beach for a while and see what happens. Perhapsthey may leave the vessel when they find it will do them no good. Theycan't run her. "

"But they can tear her all apart and damage the machinery, " said Jack. "Then we would be in a pickle. "

"Well, we won't hope for any such bad luck as that, " interrupted theprofessor. "We will look for the best. "

"When are we going to have breakfast?" asked the little girl, after along wait. "I'm hungry, mother. "

"We will have it pretty soon, " replied Mrs. Johnson in order to quiether daughter's mind. 

"But I want it now, " continued Nellie. "I'm very hungry. "

"Hush!" said Mrs. Johnson. 

"An' I had de finest brekfust what was ever invented, " said Washington, rolling his big eyes. "Mud turkle eggs, ham, preserves, coffee--"

"That will do, Washington, " said the professor. "It only makes ourmouths water to think about such things. "

At the mention of the turtle eggs Jack nudged Mark, and signalled him towalk to one side. When they were out of earshot of the others Jack said:

"What's the matter with cooking some of the eggs that are left on thesand? There are plenty of them, and there is no sense in our goinghungry. "

"How you going to cook 'em?" asked Mark. 

"I'll show you, " replied Jack. 

He scooped a hollow place out in the sand until he had quite a hole. This he banked up with stones until he had a small oven. By arching thestones over toward the top there was left a sort of circular opening. Over this Jack fitted a monster clam shell, with the concave sideuppermost. 

This made an improvised stew pan. Underneath was piled small bits of drydrift-wood, which a match soon set on fire. In a little while the waterin the big shell was boiling. 

"Now get some other shells for dishes, " said Jack to Mark. 

Soon Mark had piled up a lot of smaller shells. 

"Help me gather some eggs now, " said Jack, "and we'll put them in toboil. Then we'll invite the rest of the folks to breakfast. "

The two boys soon uncovered from the sand a pile of the eggs, and in alittle while they were steaming in the hot water. Then Jack arranged theshell-dishes on the sand. He went over to where the others were gloomilyconsidering their plight. 

"Breakfast is ready, " he announced. 

"This isn't any time for joking, " spoke Professor Henderson, rathersternly. 

"But I mean it, " went on Jack. "Just come over and see. I'm not foolingyou. "

Wondering what he had done they all followed him. 

"Welcome to Hotel Terra del Fuego!" cried Mark. "We haven't much of avariety, but what there is we can recommend. "

He began to dip the eggs out of the water with a bit of shell and placedthem on the improvised dishes. 

"Everyone sit down, " commanded Jack. "The bill of fare is ready. "

They all joined in the short laugh that followed, and soon were seatedin a circle about the beach-oven. The eggs proved to be very good, eventhough there was no pepper. The salt of the sea water they were boiledin was more than sufficient. 

"Now if there was only bread in that ammunition bag Washington broughtwith the gun, " said Andy, "we wouldn't want a better meal. "

"He'p yo'se'f!" exclaimed the colored man with a grin as he extended acanvas bag that was tied to the stock of the electric gun. 

The old hunter opened it and found it filled with ship biscuits. 

"Well I am stumped!" he exclaimed. 

"I grabbed up de wrong thing in my haste, " Washington explained. "Ithought I had de electrical lightning bullets, but I didn't. Howsomeverde gun's got some in de chamber. "

"It's a lucky mistake, " commented the professor as he munched a biscuitand an egg. "Bullets are good but these are better, when one ishungry. "

They managed to make a fairly good meal, so that even hungry Nellie wassatisfied. The boys found a spring of fresh water up on shore, and thisfurnished something to drink, for which they were grateful. 

They sat about on the beach, after the breakfast and discussed what theyhad better do. It was evident that an attempt to regain possession ofthe ship, with their small force and only one weapon, was out of thequestion. 

"We've got to use strategy, " said Andy. "If we could play some trick onthe savages we might scare them away. Otherwise I don't see what we areto do. "

"It's a bad state of affairs, " replied professor Henderson. "Even if wegot the ship we might find it so badly damaged that it would beimpossible to run it. It is a terrible thing, " and he heaved a deepsigh. 

The hours passed with no change in the situation. The savages remainedin possession of the submarine, and did not seem inclined to quit thevessel. Most of them were inside, but quite a number paddled about thestranded craft in their canoes. 

There was nothing for the adventurers to do but to await developments. With no chance of attacking the force of natives, they might considerthemselves lucky if the savages did not come ashore to give battle. 

The sun was high in the heavens when, in the shade of a big tree wherethey had all taken refuge from the heat, Nellie again announced that shewas hungry. 

"I guess the boys will have to provide another meal, " said Mr. Henderson. 

Jack and Mark said they guessed they could find some more turtle eggs, and Washington volunteered to accompany them. As they were looking for anest in the sand they saw one of the tortoises scurrying down to theocean. 

"Git her, quick!" cried the colored man. "Turn her ober on her back!"

The boys did so, though they did not know what Washington's object was. The big animal lay bottom side up, vainly moving its flippers. In a fewminutes Washington had killed the turtle and cut it out of the shell. 

"Now we'll hab turtle soup!" he exclaimed. 

Soon the fire was again blazing in the improvised stove, and a littlelater an appetizing smell filled the air. Washington had made the soup, and, in addition, had cooked a number of the turtle eggs. 

Big clam shells again served for dishes and a better meal than thebreakfast was served. 

"Now if we only had some dessert, " spoke Mr. Henderson in a jokingtone, "we wouldn't want much more. But I suppose dessert is out of thequestion. "

Jack and Mark looked at each other and, without a word went off towardthe woods. In a little while they came back, their arms filled withcocoanuts. 

"How will these do for dessert?" asked Jack. 

"Fine!" cried Mr. Henderson. 

The fruit was broken open with stones and the delicious milk and softpulp eaten with much relish. Then the adventurers stretched out beneaththe trees and rested. The thoughts of each one were busy with plans forrecovering the submarine, though no one seemed to be able to suggest anything. 

It was getting dusk, when, somewhat discouraged over the result of thevisit of the savages, they were all seated on the beach. They werebeginning to think again of something to eat when Andy Sudds, discoveredthe long black box which Washington had brought with him in his flightfrom the _Porpoise_, and dropped in a hollow. 

"I suppose you've got something very fine in there, Washington?"

"I declare to goodness I don't know what dat air contraption amconglomerated with, " said the colored man. "I jest grabbed it up andrun. "

The old hunter had, in the meanwhile, taken the cover off. 

"What in the world have we struck, " he exclaimed. 

"Sky rockets!" cried Jack, with a glance at the contents of the box. 

"Yes, " said Professor Henderson. "I took some aboard in case we mighthave to signal for help on the water. "

"Hurrah!" yelled Andy. 

"What's the matter?" asked Jack. 

"We'll use the sky rockets as weapons against the natives!" shouted theold hunter, capering about on the sand. 

CHAPTER XIX

REGAINING THE SHIP

At first the others did not know what he meant. Andy seemed muchexcited, and for a time the professor thought the heat and worry mighthave affected the hunter's mind. 

"We'll show 'em a thing or two!" cried Andy. "I once scared a lot ofIndians this way so they didn't know whether they were on their head ortheir feet. Hurrah!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Mr. Henderson. "Hadn't you bettersit down and rest a bit?"

"I'm all right, " replied Andy. "I'm talking about those sky rockets. They'll be better than bullets. You see, " he went on, "after it getsdark we'll shoot the rockets over the ship. The savages will think theyare in the midst of a lot of falling stars, and if they don't take totheir boats and leave us the ship I'll miss my guess, that's all. "

"Good!" exclaimed the inventor. "We'll try it. "

The rockets were taken out and examined. They were big affairs ofseveral pound weight and were intended for far-off signalling at sea. 

Andy, with the aid of the boys, Tom and Bill, soon constructed a roughsort of support from which to set off the fire-works. As soon as it grewdark, which it did about seven o'clock, preparations were made to trythe experiment. 

With a whizz and roar the first rocket went sailing skyward. Up throughthe black night it went, trailing behind it a shower of fire and sparks. Then, with a loud report like that of a gun it burst directly over theship and a rain of brilliantly colored globes of flame descended. 

"Shot number one!" cried Andy, who was setting off the rockets. 

For a few seconds after the first flight there came no sound from thenatives at the ship. Then, just as the second rocket was set off thereissued a long-drawn howl, which was succeeded by cries of fear. 

"We've waked 'em up!" shouted Jack. 

In rapid succession several more rockets were sent over the _Porpoise_. By the light of them could be seen a mass of natives crowded out on thesmall deck, while others were in their canoes. 

"I think I'll try it a little lower this time, " remarked Andy. "Maybe Ican hit some of 'em!"

He slanted the support closer to the ground and set off two rockets atonce. Straight across the sandy beach they flew, directly toward thecrowd of natives on the ship. Right into the midst of the savages thetrailing comet of fire shot, with a hiss, roar and sputter that wasenough to strike terror into the bravest heart. 

There was a long piercing howl of fear. Then, as the natives felt thehot sparks scatter over their half-naked bodies, they broke into a wildstampede. Over the side of the ship they plunged, into the sea, and swamoff. Those in boats paddled quickly away. 

For good measure Andy sent another rocket into the midst of the fleeingones, and this served to quicken their departure. By the light of thelast one it could be seen that the ship was deserted, though the waterall about her was black with the swimming savages, and the canoes. 

"I guess they won't come back in a hurry!" cried Andy. "Come on! We'llboard the ship now, and get the electric guns to ward off any furtherattacks!"

"That's the talk!" cried Mark. 

Toward the _Porpoise_ all started on a run. As they neared her theyfound that the rising tide had floated her. 

"We must see if the natives damaged her, " spoke Mr. Henderson as soon ashe set foot on deck. "If they have it will be a hard matter to makerepairs so far from civilization. "

A hasty examination, however, showed that the savages had disturbedlittle. The engine was soon set in motion, and, in ten minutes the shipwas steaming away from the coast, headed toward the south, the goal theywere so eagerly seeking. 

As soon as they were well out to sea, and all sight of the canoes of thesavages had been lost, supper was served, and all brought good appetitesto the table. For, though the improvised meals on shore had tasted good, there had not been much to them. 

For several days the _Porpoise_ was kept on her course, sailing alongunder the water by day, and upon the surface at night. It was onepleasant afternoon, while Nellie, Jack and Mark were sitting out on thedeck, during one of the times when the boat had risen to the surface torenew the air supply, that a strange commotion was observed off theirlee. The ocean seemed to be boiling. 

"What is that?" asked the little girl. 

The two boys looked to where she pointed. Indeed the ocean seemed to bebubbling up and down in a strange manner. 

"It's a school of porpoises, " said Jack. 

Just then the water became alive with big fish. They leaped over eachother, springing high into the air and falling back into the sea withresounding splashes. 

"They're not porpoises! They're whales! Baby whales!" yelled Mark. "Lookout or some of the big ones may ram the boat!"

As he spoke the water all about the submarine was seen to be fairlyswarming with the small whales. There were scores of them, and, attimes, they were so thick that it appeared possible to walk out uponthem without getting very deep into the water. 

Suddenly the ship careened to one side and the sea rushed over the deck. It was evident that one of the big whales, which were deeper down in thewater, had struck the vessel. 

Nellie screamed and tried to grab the hand rail that was about theplatform. She missed her grip. The next instant she was floundering inthe ocean, in the midst of the school of whales. 

"Man overboard!" yelled Jack, remembering vaguely that he had read thiswas the proper call to make in case of accident. 

His cry brought Washington and the professor up the companionway on thejump. 

"Launch the boat!" cried the inventor as he saw what had happened. 

Mark was already in action. At the first sight of Nellie slipping overthe side he had thrown off his coat, broken the laces of his shoes inorder the more quickly to remove the foot coverings, and had dived intothe swirling water which surrounded the submarine. 

He struck out in the direction where the little girl had disappeared, and as her golden head appeared above the mass of foam he yelled inencouragement. 

By this time the small boat was launched and the colored man and Jackwere pulling toward him. Mark succeeded in reaching Nellie as she wasgoing down the second time. He grabbed her long locks and managed tokeep her up until the little craft was alongside of him. 

"Git in quick, 'fore dem whales eat yo' up!" cried Washington. 

He hauled the unconscious child in first, and then Jack gave Mark ahand. As if by magic all the whales had disappeared and the sea wasquiet again. In a few minutes the rescuers and the rescued one went backagain on the _Porpoise_, where Professor Henderson soon brought Nelliearound again. Beyond the shock and wetting neither she nor Mark washarmed. 

It was Jack's watch on deck that night. He had the tour from eight untiltwelve o'clock and when, about ten, every one but himself had retired, he took his position in the door of the conning tower and prepared topass the time as best he could. 

The ship was moving along at half speed, and, as the automatic steeringattachment was working Jack had little to do. He sat looking at thestars that twinkled in the sky, the blazing Southern Cross showing amongthe constellations, when he heard a slight noise near the companionway. 

He looked in that direction and, to his horror, he saw the ghostly whiteshape that had, on previous occasions, caused him and the others fright. 

At first the boy resolved to shut himself up in the tower and wait untilthe uncanny thing had disappeared. Then his courage came back and hethought he would try to solve the mystery. 

He argued that if the weird white object was human and could witness hismovements the best thing to do would be to try and creep upon itunobserved. On the contrary, if the ghost was some natural phenomenon, or a supernatural agent, all he could do would be of no avail. 

So he decided the best thing to do would be to crawl upon the thing, keeping as near to the deck as possible and trying to hide himself. Withthis in view he put on a long rain coat that hung in the conning tower, and then, like a snake, commenced to wiggle his way toward the middle ofthe platform where the white object still stood. 

Nearer and nearer to it Jack came. His heart was beating fast and he wasmuch frightened, but he nerved himself to continue. As he came closer hecould see that the object looked more and more like a man, completelyrobed in white garments. 

Jack was now within ten feet of the strange object. It was a man, he wassure of it, but whether a present or former inhabitant of the earth hecould not decide. Jack's hair was beginning to raise. A cold shiver randown his spine as the white thing lifted an arm and seemed to pointdirectly at him. At the same time it groaned in a deep tone. 

Jack let out a yell that could be heard all over the ship. He made aspring for the object, determined to discover what it was or die. 

At that instant the whole ship seemed to rise in the air. It left thewater and began moving skyward. Right out of the waves the _Porpoise_was lifted until the big screw was clear of the water and it waschurning around in the tunnel without any resistance, racing at topspeed now that it had no water to thrust against. 

Then the ghost seemed to vanish into thin air, and Jack felt himselffalling down the hatchway. 

CHAPTER XX

ON A VOLCANIC ISLAND

In an instant the ship was in confusion. The professor, followed by oldAndy, Washington, Mark, Bill and Tom, came rushing from their berths, all in their night clothing, to see what the trouble was. They met in atangled mass, stumbling over Jack at the foot of the steps. 

"Is the ship on fire?" called Mrs. Johnson from her cabin. 

"I hope not!" called the professor. "But something has happened. Don'tbe frightened!"

By this time Jack, who had been somewhat stunned, recovered his sensesand worked his way out of the mass of bodies. 

"The ghost! The ghost!" he cried. "I saw him again!"

"Land a' massy!" yelled Washington. 

"What has happened to the ship?" cried the professor. "Is it a tidalwave?"

"I was on deck, " panted Jack. "I saw the white thing! I crept up on it!All at once the ship rose in the air!"

"And it's still rising!" shouted the inventor. "I must see what thismeans!"

He made his way to the deck, and his loud shout soon brought the othersup to him. 

"Shut off the engine!" Mr. Henderson called down to Washington, whohurried to obey. 

"What has happened?" asked Andy, rushing towards him. 

"We have run upon an island, " answered the professor. "This is the worstthing that has yet happened to us. "

"What sort of an island is it that shoots you up in the air?" asked theold hunter. 

"It's hard to say, " replied Mr. Henderson. "We will have to wait untilmorning to find out. "

The boys and men went up on deck and there beheld a curious sight. The_Porpoise_ had been lifted bodily from the surface of the ocean whereshe had been sailing and was now raised about ten feet above the crestof the billows. It was too dark to see the extent of the island sherested on, but, from the circle of foam around the outer edge it did notappear to be very big. 

The excitement occasioned by the appearance of the ghost, Jack's yellsand fall, and the rising of the ship, had subsided somewhat. Mrs. Johnson and her daughter, who were much frightened, were assured therewas no immediate danger, and the men and boys put on more substantialclothing than that of their night robes. 

It seemed as if morning would never come, but at length there was a palelight in the east and soon it changed to a rosy glow, showing that thesun was coming. 

The professor was early on deck, and Mark and Jack were not far behind. As soon as it was light enough they could see that the ship was heldfast on top of a small rocky isle, about one hundred feet in diameter, which rose abruptly from the water. 

"It's a volcanic island, " decided the professor. "We are in the midst ofsubterranean disturbances and this is probably one of the effects ofsome under-sea eruption. The pinnacle of rock rose from the ocean, forced up by some power underneath, just as our ship came over it. Thataccounts for the sudden rising into the air of the _Porpoise_. No wonderwe were all scared. "

"The next question, " began old Andy, "is how are we to get off?"

"That's the point, " agreed Mr. Henderson. "Here we are, high and dry, and we might as well be a broken flying machine as a submarine for allthe power we have. "

"Will we have to stay here forever?" asked Nellie, who had come up ondeck. 

"I hope not, " answered the professor, smiling for the first time sincethe accident. "We will find a way to get down, never fear, little girl. "

"I suppose we might dig some sort of a canal down to the water, "remarked Jack. "If we could we might float the ship. "

"I'm afraid you'd find it slow digging through this volcanic rock, "answered Andy. "It's like flint. "

"Well, there's no use worrying over it, " went on the professor in ascalm a tone as he could muster. "It's time for breakfast, and we have toeat whether we're on the top of an island that shoots out of the waterwhen you least expect it, or sailing along as we ought to. "

Accordingly Washington prepared the morning meal, and they all foundthey had appetites for it, in spite of their fright. Afterward they allcame on deck again and looked about them. 

They were in the midst of a wild waste of water. Not a sign of landcould be seen in any direction, and there was no evidence of a sail orsteamship as far as the horizon showed. 

The little island which held the _Porpoise_ so close a prisoner was amere speck in the vast ocean, but it was large enough to put an end, temporarily at least, to the progress of the powerful submarine. 

The professor and the boys went over the side and climbed down to therock. Then the inventor verified his surmise that the rocky point was ofvolcanic origin. It was also seen that there was little chance to getthe craft back into the ocean. 

"I guess we're doomed to stick here for some time, " remarked Mr. Henderson, with a grim smile. "The rock has caught us squarely andnothing short of dynamite will free us. To use the explosive might meanthe destruction of the ship, and I dare not risk it. "

Gloom settled over the party in spite of the efforts the professor madeto be cheerful. Washington, after the first few minutes of fright, regained his usual good spirits, but, no matter how he laughed andjoked, there was a feeling of terror in every heart. 

They realized their helplessness, and knew that unless another upheavalof nature occurred there was small likelihood of their release. 

On the third day of their strange adventure Professor Henderson resolvedon a bold step. 

"We must use dynamite, " he declared. "If we stay here on this desolaterock we are bound to perish sooner or later, for our food cannot lastmany months, though we have a large supply. We are out of the path ofsteamers and only by chance would one pass here. With care we may beable to blast the rock so that the ship will not be permanentlydamaged. What do you all say? I would like your advice, for thisconcerns all of us. "

One after the other all said they were willing to abide by whatever theinventor did. Accordingly he made his preparations. Washington, with ahammer and chisel, was set to cutting a fair sized hole in the big rock, as far away from the ship as possible. 

He was two days at the job, and, during this time those on the stranded_Porpoise_ watched in vain for the sight of a vessel. 

"I am going to put the dynamite in, " announced Mr. Henderson onemorning. "We must all get into the small boat and row some distanceaway, as there is no telling what the result of the explosion may be. "

"Suppose the submarine is destroyed?" asked Mrs. Johnson. 

"Then we will have to sail for the nearest land in the small boat, "replied the captain. "I will provision it and we will take all theprecautions we can. "

It was with anxious hearts that the little party embarked in the littlecraft that was carried on the _Porpoise_. It was barely large enough tohold them. The professor was the last in, and he lighted a long fusethat led to the dynamite before taking his seat. Then with Tom and Billat the oars the little craft moved away. 

"How long before the explosion will take place?" asked Jack. 

"I timed the fuse for ten minutes, " answered Mr. Henderson. "That willenable us to get far enough away so we will not be swamped by a wave. "

Five minutes later Mark, who was intently watching the volcanic rock, gave a loud cry. 

"There she goes!" he shouted. 

They all looked to behold a wonderful thing. As easily as though it wassome conjuring trick the rock began to settle down in the water. Lowerand lower it went until only the tallest jagged points showed above thewaves, whose crested tops the keel of the ship now almost touched. 

"That isn't the explosion!" exclaimed the professor. "The fuse has nothad time to get to the powder yet. "

"But the rock is disappearing!" yelled Andy. 

As he spoke the big pile of volcanic stone vanished completely and the_Porpoise_ floated easily on the surface of the sea. 

"Hurrah!" cried Mark. 

"It am de most kloslostrous occurranceness dat eber transpositioneditself!" exploded Washington. 

"Let's row back to the ship now!" cried Mark. 

"Not yet!" said the professor quickly. "The dynamite has not gone offyet. "

"There it goes now, " remarked Jack. 

At that instant a big column of water shot upward and a dull rumblingcould be heard. A few seconds later the little boat rocked violentlyfrom the effects of the waves. Then the sea became calm, and the_Porpoise_ could be seen dancing up and down on the heaving billows. 

"Now we can go back in safety, " spoke Mr. Henderson, and Tom and Billbent to the oars. 

"What happened?" asked Mrs. Johnson. "The rock seemed to disappearbefore the explosion occurred. "

"That's exactly what it was, " explained the inventor. "By some strangefreak of nature the volcanic mass dropped back into the ocean a littlebefore I was ready to blow it to pieces. In settling down it lowered theship. Then the explosion occurred beneath the waves. If I had waited alittle while I need not have risked the dynamite. "

"Well, there was no guarantee that the rock would go back where it camefrom, " remarked Jack. 

"No, we had to act, " agreed the professor. "But now let us go aboard. "

They rowed back to the _Porpoise_, which they found had sustained nodamage from the queer experience it had been through. 

The motors were set in motion and in a little while the craft was againmoving through the water out of the dangerous vicinity of the volcanicarea. 

"Who has the two watches to-night?" asked Mr. Henderson after supper hadbeen served. 

"Washington and Andy, " answered Jack, who kept track of the matter. 

"I guess we'll change it, and have you and Mark take them, " went on thecaptain. He gave Jack a peculiar look, and made a sign to him not to sayanything. Wondering what was to come Jack went up on deck to watch thesunset. 

CHAPTER XXI

CAUGHT IN A WHIRLPOOL

The boy was joined a little later by the captain, who, coming close tohim whispered:

"I am going to try to discover the ghost to-night. That is why I wantedyou boys on hand to help me. This thing must be stopped if it is a joke, and, if it isn't--"

"Do you think it is some one playing tricks?" asked Jack. 

"I don't know what to think, " answered Mr. Henderson. "We will see whathappens to-night. "

Mark came on deck a little while, and the three talked of the strangeappearances of the mysterious white object. The boys told of theirexperiences, and Jack related more fully his on the night the ship wentup on the big rock upheaval. 

"I don't believe in ghosts, " said Mr. Henderson, "I'm going to lay thisone, " and he smiled grimly. 

Night settled down. Jack, who had the first tour under the newarrangement, had made himself comfortable in the conning tower, and Mr. Henderson had hidden himself in the companionway. His idea was to thusguard both openings into the ship and ascertain whether the ghost camefrom within or without the craft. 

Up to a short time before twelve o'clock nothing out of the ordinaryhappened. The only sound was the lapping of the waves on the steel sidesof the _Porpoise_, and now and then a splash as a big fish leaped out ofthe water. There was only the slightest breeze. 

Jack who, somehow or other, felt much sleepier than usual, caughthimself nodding several times. Once he awoke with a start and realizedthat he had been dozing. 

"Come, come, " he remarked to himself, "this will not do at all. This isa fine way to watch for a ghost. "

He remained wide awake for perhaps five minutes. Then he was off to theland of nod again. He was just dreaming that he was skating on a pondand was playing snap the whip with a lot of boys, when he awoke with astart. 

He felt something pressing on his chest and to his horror, as he lookedup, he saw a big towering white object standing over him. A secondglance showed him it was a man, or the semblance of one, and the thing'sfoot was on his chest. 

With a terrified scream Jack sprang up, upsetting the ghost, which, theboy thought at the time, seemed rather heavy for an unearthly spirit. 

"Did you catch it?" cried the professor. 

"No! Yes! I don't know!" yelled Jack, struggling to his feet in time tosee the white object glide down the stairs that led from the conningtower into the forward cabin. 

"Run after it! We must solve the mystery!" cried Mr. Henderson springingfrom the companionway up on deck. 

But at that moment the ship began to whirl about in a circle slowly atfirst, but with increasing speed until Jack and the professor felt sickand dizzy. All about the water seemed to be bubbling and boiling, while, at the same time, there arose on the air a mournful howl. 

The professor jumped to the rail and looked over the side. What he sawmade him recoil with horror. 

"Quick! Close the man-hole hatch!" he cried. "Shut the door of theconning tower!"

"What is it?" Jack managed to ask. 

"We are caught in a whirlpool!" Mr. Henderson yelled as he leaped downthe companionway and pulled the heavy steel cover after him. 

Stricken with a nameless dread, Jack closed the water-tight door of theconning tower and made his way to the cabin. He could hardly get downthe stairs, so swiftly was the ship whirling about. 

He found the captain busy in the engine room and, in response to calls, Washington and Mark came hurrying in. They had been awakened by thecommotion and the strange movements of the _Porpoise_. 

"Turn on all the lights, " ordered the inventor. "We must prepare for theworst. "

The incandescents were soon glowing and in the glare the frightenedadventurers gathered about Mr. Henderson, wondering what new terror hadbefallen them. 

"See!" exclaimed the inventor. "We are going comparatively slow now, butwe are on the outer edge. Wait until we reach the centre. "

He pointed to a compass and, as the needle pointed steadily to the norththe card seemed to be going around like the hands of a clock that haslost the balance and escapement wheels. The ship made three completecircles a minute. 

Pale and frightened, Mrs. Johnson came from her cabin, whence theterrified cries of Nellie could be heard. 

"Are we sinking?" she asked. 

"Sinking will never harm the _Porpoise_, " replied Mr. Henderson. "Thisis something decidedly worse. "

"I know! It is a whirlpool!" exclaimed the lady. 

"I'm dizzy; I'm so dizzy!" wailed Nellie. "Please stop the ship fromgoing round, Mr. Henderson. "

She came from her bed crying, and all her mother could do did not quiether. 

Meanwhile the submarine continued to whirl about faster and faster inthe swirling waters. Five times each minute now it made the circuit, and, like the coils of a boa constrictor that is enfolding its victim, the circles continually grew smaller. 

"We are being sucked down, " said Jack in a low tone as he glanced at thedepth gage, and noted that it showed them to be thirty feet under water. 

"That is so, " remarked Mr. Henderson quietly. 

"What will be the result?" asked Mrs. Johnson. 

"I do not know, " was the answer, and the captain turned aside. He seemedto have lost all courage in the face of the new disaster. 

"Can't we empty the tanks and rise to the surface?" asked Andy. 

"The tanks are not filled, " replied Mr. Henderson. "What is taking usdown is the force of the whirlpool and not the weight of water. "

"Then you fear for the worst?" asked Andy. 

"I do, " said the captain simply. 

"Don't give up the ship!" exclaimed the old hunter suddenly. "Never saydie! It's a long lane that has no turns! Hip! Hip! Hurrah!"

They all turned to stare at the old man. 

"Never mind, " said Mr. Henderson in a soothing tone, that one would usetoward a baby, or a person not right in their head. "Never mind. We maybe saved. "

"Oh I'm not crazy!" exclaimed Andy. He tried to caper about but themotion of the ship made him dizzy and he had to sit down. "I'm allright! I just happened to think of something!"

"What is it?" asked the captain eagerly. 

"Send the ship ahead!" exclaimed Andy. "Speed her as fast as she willgo. Try her strength against the force of the whirlpool! We may win!"

"Good!" exclaimed Mr. Henderson. "I was too much depressed to think ofthat! The ship has powerful engines. Queer you should remember thatinstead of me. Come, Washington, start the screw going! We will try tobeat the whirlpool!"

The submarine was now whirling around so rapidly that it was difficultfor any one to stand without leaning against the sides or holding on tosomething. It was going lower and lower down, as the gage showed. 

Soon a throb that was felt through the length of the craft told that theengine had started. The vibration increased until it seemed that theship would be torn apart. Never had the big screw revolved at greaterspeed. 

For a while the struggle between the force of man represented by theengine, and the power of nature, embodied in the whirlpool, seemedequal. Neither could gain the mastery. The ship continued to slidearound in ever narrowing circles while the big cable of water, forcedthrough the tunnel by the screw, was like a cataract. 

"Which will win?" asked the professor softly to himself. 

He crawled to the gages and watched them. Only by their needles could itbe told when the battle had turned in favor of the adventurers. 

The circular motion, that was now terrible in its speed and power, seemed to culminate in a rush that almost overturned the ship. In theengine room Washington was laboring to keep the machine at top speed. Heput on the last ounce of power. 

"Hurrah!" yelled the professor suddenly. "I think we shall win!"

He pointed to the depth gage. The needle, which had showed a constantlyincreasing record, until it was now at two hundred feet, had stopped. Itshowed they were going no lower. 

Then Mr. Henderson looked at the indicator which showed the progressstraight ahead. The needle was beginning to tremble. As he watched hesaw it move, slowly at first, until, as the powerful screw won a victoryover the terrible whirlpool. The gage marked one, two and then threemiles an hour. 

"We are leaving the swirling waters!" cried Mr. Henderson. 

Then, all at once, as though it was an arrow shot from a gigantic bow, the _Porpoise_ cleft the under-billows and shot ahead, free at last fromthe grip of the whirlpool. 

Man had triumphed over nature!

On rushed the ship like a race horse, for the engine was working as itnever had before, and it did not have the pool to contend against. 

"Slow down, " said Mr. Henderson, "and we will go to the surface. "

Two minutes later, under the buoyancy of her empty tanks, the _Porpoise_lay floating on the top of the waves, under the shining stars. 

CHAPTER XXII

UNDER FIRE

"I shouldn't want to go through that experience again, " remarked Mr. Henderson, as he, with all of the ship's company except Mrs. Johnson andNellie went on deck. "I thought we were lost, sure. "

"Lucky our engine didn't go disproportionatin' herself at de mostesscriticless moment, " put in Washington. "Golly, but she suttinly didhum!"

"And you deserve credit for making her do the humming, " went on theprofessor with a smile. 

"Well, we didn't catch the ghost, " remarked Jack, "though I certainlysaw him, it or her, whatever the thing is. I felt it too. "

"It's rather strange, " spoke the professor. "Every time, or nearly everytime the ghost, as I suppose we must call it for the present, makes itsappearance, something terrible happens to the ship. I hope it doesn'tshow up too often. "

It was three o'clock in the morning, and they had battled with thewhirlpool over two hours. They talked of little else, and each one toldhow he or she felt. 

"It was just like twisting yourself up tight in the swing, and thenletting the rope unwind, " said Nellie, and they all agreed that she haddescribed the sensation perfectly. They laughed, also, a thing they hadfelt little like doing a short time previous. 

The engine had run so hard, and some of the bearings had become so warm, that for the rest of the night the professor decided to let themachinery remain stationary. This would give it time to cool down hesaid, and they could make up the time lost the next day. 

Tired out with the night's worry and labors they all slept late the nextmorning, and it was nearly ten o'clock before breakfast was over. Theship was started on her course once more, and Jack, who was steering, made the engine hum as the submarine scudded along, submerged aboutfifty feet. 

"When you have time I would like to talk to you, " said Mrs. Johnson toCaptain Henderson. 

"I'm at your service now, " replied the inventor. 

"What are you going to do with Nellie and me?" the lady went on. 

"Take you to the south pole with us, " was the answer, with a smile. 

"It's very kind of you, and I don't want to put you to any trouble, "went on Mrs. Johnson. "But I would like to go back north. "

"I'd like to oblige you, " returned the inventor, "but I hate to turnback now. We are well on our voyage, and I may never get another chanceto locate the pole. Don't you want to accompany us? Think of theglorious achievement!"

"I'd rather go back north, " persisted the lady. "But I wouldn't ask youto turn the ship around. What I was going to suggest was to sail alongon the surface for a few days and see if you cannot sight a homewardbound steamer or sailing vessel. Then you could put me and Nellie aboardher. "

"Of course!" exclaimed Mr. Henderson. "I never thought of that. Thoughwe will be sorry to lose your company, and that of your little girl, Iwill do anything to oblige you. We will at once go to the surface. "

He called the necessary order to Jack through a speaking tube which ledto the conning tower. In a few minutes the ship shot upward, and emergedfrom the ocean in a little shower of foam and spray. 

She lay undulating on the surface, and was just beginning to moveforward again, under the influence of the screw, when a dull boom echoedoff to the left. 

Jack looked from the observation windows in the conning tower and saw, about a mile away a big steamer. From her side a white cloud of smokefloated, and then the water splashed about fifty feet from the bluntnose of the submarine. 

Once more came the boom, the white cloud of smoke and this time thewater splashed only twenty-five feet away from the bow of the_Porpoise_. A third time came the sound, and the splash was even nearer. 

"They're firing on us!" yelled Jack. 

At his cry the professor ran on deck. He was just in time to see thefourth shot made, and this time the shell dropped into the water justastern of the _Porpoise_ and so close that when it exploded it sent ashower of spray all over the deck. 

"Here! Stop that!" yelled Mr. Henderson, shaking his fist in thedirection of the steamer. "You nearly hit us that time. Do yourpracticing in some other direction!"

"I don't think they can hear you, " said Jack. "And besides, I don'tbelieve they are practicing. "

"Then what in the world are they doing?"

"Shooting at us I guess. "

"Why do they want to shoot at us? We haven't done them any damage. "

"Perhaps they think we are a torpedo boat, " suggested Jack. "Maybe thatvessel's nation is at war with some other one and wants to sink us ifit can. "

"I believe you're right!" exclaimed Mr. Henderson. "But this will neverdo. They must stop!"

Once more the big gun on the ship was fired and the shell camedangerously close. At the same time several other reports, less involume were heard, and the water all about the submarine began to bubbleas the missiles from the machine guns cut the waves. 

"Maybe it's an English vessel sent to capture Mark and me because ofthat anarchist trouble at the hotel, " Jack went on. 

"Nonsense!" exclaimed the captain. "But whatever it is, we must stop it, or they will sink my ship. Wave your handkerchief, Jack. "

The boy sprang to the top of the conning tower, in order to permit thoseon the vessel to see him more plainly, and vigorously shook the whiterag. That it was observed was evident when some one on the steamerwig-wagged back a reply. In a few minutes a boat was seen to put offfrom the ship, and soon a little launch, in command of a lieutenant inuniform, drew up alongside the _Porpoise_. 

"Who is captain of this craft?" asked the lieutenant as he came aboard. 

"I am, " replied Mr. Henderson. "What do you mean by firing on me?"

"I am Lieutenant Muchmore, " said the other, saluting. "Captain Wackford, of the _Sylph_, in His Britannic Majesty's service, presents hiscompliments, and asks you to pardon the occurrence. You see we took youfor a derelict and were trying to sink you. "

"I thought perhaps war had broken out between some country and theUnited States since we left port, " went on Mr. Henderson, "and that youwere trying to make a capture. "

"No, it was only that we thought you a waterlogged craft, and a dangerto navigation, " repeated the lieutenant. "But what sort of a ship haveyou?"

"Come below and I'll show you the finest submarine that ever was built, "answered the inventor with pardonable pride. "If you don't mind, giveyour launch orders to go back to the ship, and I'll show something thatwill make you open your eyes. "

Anxious to see what the strange little craft could do LieutenantMuchmore sent his launch back, and went below with Captain Henderson. Hewas astonished at what he saw, and unlike most Englishmen was willing tosay so. 

Mr. Henderson then went to the conning tower. He directed the man-holecover to be clamped on, and then filled the tanks. The ship sank fiftyfeet below the surface and then shot forward. 

Seated in the cabin the lieutenant was observing with wonder showing onhis face at the accomplishment of sailing along under water. Suddenlythe lights were shut off, and the shutters moved back from thebull's-eye windows. The sea, glowing in the beams of the search light, was alive with fish, large and small, beautiful and hideous. 

"Wonderful!" exclaimed the Englishman. 

The bull's-eyes were closed, the lights switched on, and then, speedingthe engine almost to the top notch the captain steered the submarinestraight for the war-ship. 

He had carefully noted her direction before starting his own craft, andhe resolved to do a little manoeuvering that would still furtherastonish the visitor. By careful reading of the different gages Mr. Henderson was able to come to the surface right in front of the _Sylph_, to the no small astonishment of the men on the deck of the vessel. 

Then, just to show what the _Porpoise_ could do, the inventor dartedaround the war-ship in a circle. He sunk below the surface, went underthe keel of the _Sylph_ and came up on the other side. Then he went thewhole length of her, under water, starting at the stern and ending atthe bow, where he brought the submarine to a rest in a smother of foam. 

"Great! Wonderful! Surprising!" were some of the adjectives LieutenantMuchmore used as he stepped from the conning tower, with CaptainHenderson, onto the deck. 

At the appearance of the officer and the inventor a group of those onthe _Sylph_ gave three cheers for the little vessel. 

"Is she for sale?" asked Captain Wackford. 

"No, thank you, " replied Mr. Henderson with a laugh. 

"Because if she is I'll give you free passage to England with her, on myship, " went on the commander. "My government would give a fortune for aboat that can do what yours does. "

"It is not for sale, " repeated Mr. Henderson, "but I have some one onboard who would appreciate a free passage to England, or any northernport. "

"Who is it?" asked Captain Wackford. 

"A Mrs. Johnson and her daughter. "

CHAPTER XXIII

CAUGHT IN AN ICE FLOE

Mr. Henderson soon explained the finding of the lady and the littlegirl, and Captain Wackford readily agreed to give them passage to NewYork, as the _Sylph_ was to call at that port. 

So Nellie and her mother were put aboard the warship, after biddingfarewell to the captain and crew of the submarine. Mr. Henderson and theboys promised to write to them as soon as they got back from theirvoyage to the south pole, and, amid a chorus of good-byes the _Porpoise_resumed her journey. 

For several days the submarine forged to the south, and the weatherbecame noticeably cooler. Some of the nights were chilly, and those onwatch were glad of the heavy coats they had brought along. 

One morning, after a week of travel, when no interruptions had occurredby reason of accidents, old Andy came up on deck, and sniffing the air, said:

"We'll sight ice before night, or I'm a Dutchman. "

"What makes you think so?" asked Jack. 

"I can smell it, " replied the hunter, whereat Jack, and Mark who hadjoined him, laughed. 

"That is no joke, " put in Professor Henderson, who, coming up thecompanionway heard what was said. "Old sea captains will tell you theycan smell an iceberg long before they can see it. "

"I don't claim to be a sea captain, " said Andy, "but I once was on awhaling voyage and I learned to sniff ice in the air. I saved the shipfrom collision with a berg once. "

"Let me see, " began the inventor as the adventurers sat about the suppertable after the meal was finished, "who have the watches on deckto-night?"

"Washington first and Bill second, " replied Jack looking at the chart. 

"Keep a sharp watch for the icebergs, " advised the captain. "If you feela sudden chill in the air, and see something white, stop the engine atonce and call for me. "

When the _Porpoise_ had been put in shape for the night, and thecompany, tired out from their labors over a general "house cleaning"which Captain Henderson had insisted on, went to bed, Washington tookhis place in the conning tower. 

It was quite cold, but as the temperature for several days past had beensteadily falling, nothing was thought of it. 

"I guess I'll git out my fur-lined sealskin coat, " said the colored manto himself as he felt the chill night air, that seemed to increase infrigidity along about eleven o'clock. He went to the cabin to get hisovercoat, and, returning on deck prepared to spend the rest of his hourof watch in ease and comfort. He stretched out on the bench in theconning tower, noted that the machinery was working right and that theproper course was being steered, and then he let his thoughts drift tothe many adventures he and his employer had gone through of late, andalso while on the trip "Through the Air to the North Pole. "

Washington gave one frightened, startled look, in a few minutes, socomfortable had he fixed himself, but happening to look forward throughthe glass-covered porthole of the tower, he saw something that made thecold chills run down his back. 

There, right in front of the _Porpoise_, and not a cable-length away wasa tall, mysterious, white thing which was shimmering in the pale lightof the moon that had lately risen. 

Washington gave one frightened, startled look, and then, with a tonguethat could hardly move, he yelled out:

"De ghost! De ghost! He'll git me suah!"

Then the colored man made a dive for the stairway leading to the cabin, but missed it and brought up with a crash on the steel floor of theconning tower. 

"What is it?" called Professor Henderson, springing out of his bunk. 

"De ghost!" wailed Washington from the huddled up heap he was in. 

"Catch him!" yelled the captain. 

"I dasn't, " moaned Washington. 

The next instant the ship quivered from stem to stern. There was aterrible shock, followed by a grinding, crashing sound. Then the craftseemed to be pressed down by some great weight. It heeled over to oneside, and the water began to pour down the open man-hole. 

"Quick! Clamp on the covers!" shouted Mr. Henderson as he felt the seadashing into the interior of the boat. 

Jack and Mark sprang to obey. It took all their strength, for the waterwas running in like a mill-race. 

"What has happened?" asked Andy, as he tried to climb up thecompanionway ladder, that was tilted backward. 

"I guess we've hit your iceberg!" cried Mr. Henderson. 

"I knew I smelled the frozen stuff, " replied the old hunter. 

They got the covers on the manhole only just in time and they allcrowded into the cabin, while Jack switched on the electric lights. 

"Is the ship damaged?" asked Mark. 

"I think not, " replied Mr. Henderson. "But we are sinking. Look at thedepth gage. "

The hand on the clock-face was moving slowly around. From ten it went totwenty feet, then to thirty and kept going until it stood at seventy. 

"Look to the air tanks, " ordered Mr. Henderson to Washington, who, bythis time had recovered from his fright. "See if they are all right. "

The colored man came back in a few minutes and reported that the supplyof compressed atmosphere was safe and that there was plenty of it. 

"That's good, " remarked Mr. Henderson. "Whatever else happens we canbreathe for a while. "

"But what has happened?" asked Andy. 

"I think the top part of an iceberg toppled down on us, " was the reply. "You know about nine-tenths of a berg is under water. Sometimes there isa warm current of the ocean underneath the ice, and it melts. Then itbecomes top-heavy and tilts over. One of that sort must have caught us, and has shoved us down into the sea. "

"But why don't we rise again when the ice floe slips off us?" askedMark. 

"Because, in all probability the ice will not slip off us, " answered theprofessor grimly. "It may be so large that it has caught us like a bugunder a barn door. "

"Then we are fast in the ice under water, " spoke Andy after a pause. 

"It looks like it, " came from the inventor. "However we will not give upyet. We may be able to make our way out. Start the engine at full speed, Washington. "

The machinery which the professor had shut down at the first cry ofalarm was set going. Soon the throb and hum told that the big screw wasrevolving. 

Meanwhile the _Porpoise_ had regained an even keel, and had stoppedsinking, remaining at the depth of seventy feet below the surface. 

"We will first try to go straight ahead, " said the captain. 

He turned on more power and they all waited in anxiety. The test wouldtell whether they could escape in that direction or not. 

But, though the powerful screw churned the water to foam in the tunnel, the _Porpoise_ never budged. It was as if she was held in a vice. 

"It's of no use, " remarked Mr. Henderson with a shake of his head as hewatched the speed gage and noted that it remained stationary. "We mustnow try the other way. "

Once more the big screw was set going, this time in the oppositedirection, so as to pull the ship out of the ice if it was possible. Butthis, too, was of no avail. 

"It looks as if the ice had us, " said Andy, trying to speak in acheerful tone. "But there's one way more to try. "

"What is that?" asked Mr. Henderson. 

"If we were in the air ship we could go up, " replied the old hunter. "But, as it is, we had better go down. Why don't you fill all the watertanks, and try to sink beneath the iceberg? It can't go down so very farinto the water, and I reckon we could slip under it. "

"The very thing!" exclaimed the professor, whose mind was too sorelytroubled over the happening to enable him to think of plans of escape. "That's the best thing to do. "

Under the inventor's direction Washington filled the tanks and then, erethe pumps had ceased working, the screw was started and the deflectingrudder inclined to cause the ship to dive. 

One, two, three minutes passed, and still the _Porpoise_ did not movetoward the bottom of the sea. She remained submerged and stationary. Anxious eyes gazed at the dials. The indicating hands trembled under thethrobbing of the engines, but did not move. 

"It will not work!" exclaimed Mr. Henderson in sorrowful tones. 

"What does it mean?" asked Bill, who had come up to where the othersstood. 

"It means that we are prisoners in the ice; caught between the upper andlower parts of a gigantic berg, and held here under the water. "

"Can't we ever get out?" asked Jack, a tremor coming into his voice. "Can't we escape when the ice melts?"

"The ice of the southern polar sea seldom melts in this latitude, "replied the professor. 

An ominous silence followed his words. 

CHAPTER XXIV

THE SHIP GRAVEYARD

Truly the adventurers were in a position that might well cause thestoutest heart to quail. With hundreds of tons of ice above, below, andon every side of them, their chances of escaping alive from this frozentomb were very small. 

"Can't we make an attempt to get out of this prison?" asked Jack. 

"Indeed we will, " said the professor. "We will try all the means at ourcommand. If they all fail--"

He dared not finish the sentence, but they all knew what he meant. Itwas now about one o'clock in the morning. The ship had become stationaryafter the uneasy motion caused by the oscillation of the big berg. 

"We may as well turn in and get a little sleep, " remarked Mr. Henderson. "We can all work better if we get some rest. "

It is doubtful whether any of them slept, for the horror of theirposition was too fresh in their minds. Still, lying down in the bunksrested them. 

It was six o'clock when Washington awoke. In spite of the dangers of theicy grave, he had managed to get a little sleep. He prepared breakfastand called the others. 

"Make a good meal, " advised Mr. Henderson. "We have plenty of work aheadof us. "

"Are you going to free the ship?" asked Mark. 

"I am going to try, " was the answer. 

A little later the inventor was busy in one of the small store rooms aftwhen Jack came up. The professor was carefully taking out a boxlabelled:

 DYNAMITE! DANGEROUS!

"What are you going to do?" asked the boy. 

"I am going to try the same experiment we attempted on the volcanicisland, " was the reply. "Only, this time, I am afraid we shall have tocomplete it to the end. There is little likelihood of the ice fallingapart. "

"Then you are going to blow it up?" went on Jack. 

"That's what I hope to do, " the inventor went on. "I see no other way, and, though there is a risk, it is not so great a one as to wait to becrushed in the ice as it freezes more solidly. "

Under the directions of Mr. Henderson they got out the diving suits. Theprofessor, the two boys and Andy put them on. The dynamite, inspecially prepared water-proof packages, with long fuses was laid inreadiness close to the door of the diving chamber. 

Into the cell, the four who were to make the perilous journey under theice, took their places. The water was slowly admitted, and then, withthe electric lights in their helmets throwing out powerful gleams, theystarted forward as the outer door swung open. 

It was well they had all taken the precautions to don thickundergarments and clothing, for, even through the heavy rubber divingsuits, the terrible cold of the southern polar sea struck a chill totheir very bones. 

As the professor had said, the ship was caught between the upper andlower parts of the iceberg. On either side, ahead and to the rear therewas open water. Beneath their feet there was a floor of ice. It was asif they and the ship had been placed between two great sheets of thefrozen matter. 

Their progress was slow, for the water hampered their movements and eachone had some of the dynamite to carry. The footing, too, was insecure, for the icy bed of the ocean was slippery. 

As they were huddled together, the professor in the lead, and theirlamps making a faint illumination in the darkness, they suddenly becameaware of a great shadow over them. They looked up, and their heartsnearly ceased beating as they saw a gigantic sperm whale right overthem, and between the ice. The terrible animal had observed them also, and, food being scarce in those frigid regions, had evidently made upits mind to dine on some choice morsels. 

The whale was nearly as large again as the submarine, and to thefrightened voyagers seemed more immense than a house. With slow motionsof the flukes the animal placed itself right over the boys and men, ready to rush at and take them into its terrible maw. 

Old Andy, who alone seemed to retain his presence of mind, stepped tothe front. The professor and the boys wondered what he was going to do. Then Andy held up one of the electric guns. 

Always thinking of his chosen calling, the old hunter had picked up theweapon as he was leaving the _Porpoise_. He waited until the whale waswithin a short distance, so close in fact that the small eyes, out ofall seeming proportion to the rest of the big body, could be seen. ThenAndy fired one of the explosive bullets straight into the open mouththat was fringed with rows of the springy bone that is a part of awhale's eating apparatus. 

The shot took effect, and made a vital wound. In its death struggles thebeast lashed the ocean to foam, and, but for the fact that Andy as soonas he fired the shot crouched down, pulling the others toward the floorof ice, they might all have been killed. 

The whale turned and made a rush in the opposite direction to that ofthe divers. This was a welcome sign to the professor, for he knew theanimal was seeking open water and this told him it must be somewhere inthe vicinity. 

Their hearts still beating loudly from the closeness of death, theadventurers continued their way. On every side were fish, big andlittle, and, though some of the larger ones thrust themselves to the menand boys, as if wondering what strange creatures they were, none of themoffered to attack. 

Led by the professor they made a complete circuit of the ship that washeld fast in the ice. As the inventor had surmised, the _Porpoise_ wasnipped only above and below. If she could be freed at either of thosepoints she could rise to the surface, or sink down under the ice. 

After making a careful examination of the position of the craft, Mr. Henderson motioned to have the dynamite placed on the ice, in front of, and about two hundred feet away from the nose of the ship. 

He connected the cartridges with the fuse and wires that were to explodethem, and then, taking the free end, he started back toward the ship. Washington was on the watch for them, and operated the diving chamber. Soon the four were back in the _Porpoise_. 

"Now to see if our plan will work, " said Mr. Henderson. "I am relying onthe well known downward force of dynamite to blow a hole in the bottompart of the ice, so that we can drop below. "

"Why not make a hole above so we can rise and escape?" asked Bill. 

"Because, " replied the professor, "we are now in the region of perpetualice. The ocean above us is one fast floe, or a number of smaller ones, so that, in any event our progress would be impossible. But we can sailfar enough down under water to escape all the ice. That is the purposeof the _Porpoise_. That is why I built her. We will now begin on thelast part of our voyage; that is if we can get free of the fearful gripof this sea of ice. "

There was little they could do to protect themselves. They would eitherescape or be blown to pieces in case the explosive exerted too great aforce. They all put on life preservers to guard against the contingencyof the _Porpoise_ being ripped apart and themselves cast into the water, yet they realized that without their ship, they could live but a littlewhile in the ice-filled water near the south pole. 

The professor saw that everything was in readiness. He hesitated amoment and looked at the electric button in his hand, for this time thedynamite was to be detonated by a battery. How much might depend on onepush of the finger!

There was a slight movement to the muscles of the professor's hand. Thenit seemed as if a thunderbolt had fallen into the midst of the oceanabout them. 

There was a dull rumble, but the confined space and the thick walls ofthe ship shut most of it out. It was followed by a sickening dizzymotion to the submarine. She seemed about to roll over and those in hergrabbed frantically at the sides. The next instant the craft plungeddown, down, down, into the water which was filled with broken cakes ofice, that rattled against the steel sides, like peas in a pan. 

Down and down the _Porpoise_ went, for her tanks were full. More andmore rapidly she continued to sink, until it seemed she would fetch upin the deepest cavern of the ocean. 

"We's gwine t' Mars Davy Jones's locker, suah!" Washington exclaimed ashe looked at the depth gages. 

[Illustration: THEY WERE IN THE MIDST OF A GRAVEYARD OF WRECKEDSHIPS. --_Page 200. _]

"Has the experiment succeeded?" asked Andy of Mr. Henderson. 

"I think so, " was the answer. "At any rate we are free from the ice, temporarily at least. We are sinking down through the hole the dynamitemade, just as I hoped we would. "

"Where will we end up?" asked Jack. 

"No one knows, " replied the captain. "But I would say--"

At that instant the ship stopped sinking and brought up with a bump. 

"I should say we were at the end of this part of our journey, " finishedthe inventor. 

He turned off the cabin lights and lighted the search lamps that threw agleam so the water could be looked at from the bull's-eyes windows. Thesight that met their gaze was an astonishing one. 

They were in the midst of a graveyard of wrecked ships, and, on everyside, scattered over the ocean bed, were the broken hulks that had oncebeen stately vessels. 

CHAPTER XXV

CAUGHT BY SEA SUCKERS

"What sort of a place is this?" asked Andy, as he gazed at the lastresting spot of the big ships. 

"They have probably drifted here with the ocean currents, become caughtin the ice and have remained here hundreds of years, " said Mr. Henderson. "Some of the ships are very old, and, by their build musthave sailed the waters centuries ago. "

"Maybe some of them are treasure ships, " suggested Jack. 

"They might be, " admitted the professor. 

"Then we'll go aboard and get the gold, " spoke Mark. 

"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed, " went on the inventor. "In the firstplace most treasure ships are looted before they sink. And it would bevery dangerous for any of us to venture to explore those hulks. "

"Why?" asked Jack. 

"Because they are rotten, and liable to fall to pieces any minute. Ifyou happened to be in one at the time you would be caught in thewreckage and eventually drowned even though you had on a diving suit. Then, again, the ice here is constantly shifting about, and a suddenmotion of the under-water floe might carry you hundreds of miles away. So we will not try to hunt for any fortunes on the sunken ships. "

With this the boys were forced to be content. They stood at the smallwindows looking at the skeletons of ships that lay on every side of the_Porpoise_. Some of the craft were big steamers, and others were smallsailing vessels. A few had jagged holes in the hulls, showing how theyhad been damaged. A few stood upright, with sails all set, as ifdisaster had suddenly come upon them. 

"Well, what is the next move?" asked Andy after a pause. "Are we goingto stay here?"

"We are going to find the South Pole, " spoke Mr. Henderson suddenly. "That is what I set out to do, and I am going to accomplish it ifpossible. We have had many accidents and a harder time in some respectsthan when we made our trip to the north in the air ship. But I am surewe shall succeed. Start the ship to the south, Washington. "

"But we may run into an iceberg, " objected the old hunter, who wasinclined to be cautious. 

"I think not, " answered Mr. Henderson. "I believe we are on a sort oflevel plane between two vast upper and lower fields of ice. We can gofreely in any direction excepting up or down. "

"How is that?" asked Mark. "I don't quite understand. "

"Because there is, I believe, a big sheet of ice above us, one, sayseveral hundred feet thick. The same thing is below us, between us andthe real bed of the ocean. "

"But suppose we have to go up to renew our air supply?" asked Jack. 

"We can't go, " replied the inventor. 

"Then we will die. "

"Not necessarily. We will steam along until we come to a place wherethere is no ice above us. "

"But I thought you said there was nothing but ice above us now. "

"So there is, but I intend to head due south and there, I believe, wewill find an open polar sea. If we do my theory will be proved and wewill have made a great discovery. "

"Forward then!" exclaimed Jack. "Let us strike for the open sea. "

The _Porpoise_ began to move ahead. She steamed slowly, for Mr. Henderson realized that he was in dangerous waters. He took his positionin the conning tower, and had Jack with him to assist in looking forany obstructions that they might unexpectedly meet. 

The big searchlight gave a fine illumination, for the ice above andbelow reflected back the beams, and what would otherwise have been a seaof darkness was made one of daylight. 

The water swarmed with fish, but they were like none that theadventurers had ever seen or dreamed of before. There were monsters withhideous heads, and eyes so large that they occupied nearly half of theugly bodies. 

Then there were serpent-like forms, fish with long slender bodies andwhip-fashioned tails, with jaws that extended before them for ten feetor more. Others there were, great lumbering monsters that crawled alongon the ice, somewhat as seals do. 

After several hours' travel the submarine ran into a school of fish thathad shapes like those of polar bears, while their heads were like thoseof sharks. The creatures swarmed up to the side of the vessel, and somescratched with their claw-like fins on the glass windows of the conningtower and the side bull's-eyes. 

A meal was prepared by Washington, and all the adventurers brought goodappetites to the table. On and on rushed the ship, every hour comingnearer and nearer to the pole. 

Professor Henderson had turned the steering of the craft over to Mark, who, with Jack as an assistant was sending her along at a good speed, when suddenly the submarine seemed to slacken in her progress. 

"What's the matter now I wonder?" asked Mark. 

"Maybe the engine bearings got hot, and Washington had to slow up tocool them, " suggested Jack. 

He looked through one of the side windows in the conning tower, a momentlater, and uttered a cry of fear. 

"What is it?" asked Mark. 

Jack pointed with a hand that trembled from fright. Staring at themthrough the thick glass of the bull's-eye the boys beheld the mosthideous sea monster they had yet encountered. 

It seemed to be a vast circular mass of flesh, twenty feet in diameter, and, in the middle were two openings each three feet across. They werelike big holes, and, at the farther end of them could be seen twounblinking eyes. In the centre was a horrible mouth, armed with a triplerow of teeth. 

Down below there was a short body, at the end of which was a smallerdisk, armed with a sharp horny point. 

"What is it?" asked Jack in a whisper. 

"I don't know, " replied Mark. 

A moment later Mr. Henderson came up the companionway into the tower. Hecaught one glimpse of the monster. 

"It is the great sucker of the polar seas!" he exclaimed. "Quick! Speedup the engine! If that one, and the mates of it, fasten on to us we willhave trouble!"

He pressed the signal that connected with the engine room, and toldWashington to start the engine at its greatest power. The next instantthe ship throbbed and trembled under the vibrations of the big screw. 

"We may escape!" cried the professor. 

As he spoke the ship seemed to come to a sudden stop. The engine couldstill be felt moving, and the big screw still churned the water to foamin the tunnel, but the craft was stationary. 

"We are caught!" exclaimed the professor. 

"So we are!"

The windows in the conning tower were darkened. The big sucker hadthrown itself forward and spread itself over the glass, clasping itshorrible form half way about the submarine. 

"Let's look at the other windows! There may be only one of thecreatures!" Mr. Henderson exclaimed, as he hurried down the companionway and into the main cabin. He threw back the slides covering theglass. 

The sight that met his eyes caused him to recoil in horror. There, pressing their shapes against the steel sides, and over the bull's-eyesof the ship were two more of the gigantic suckers!

The ship had now ceased to move, and Washington, in the engine room, feeling that something was wrong, had shut off the power. Theadventurers were caught in a trap more terrible than that of the ice, the volcanic mountain, or the Sargasso Sea. It was a trap from whichthey might never escape. 

The suckers, thinking the submarine was perhaps a species of fish, likethemselves, and one of their enemies, had fastened on it their fatalvice-like grip. To move through the water, with the weight of all thatclinging flesh was impossible. 

"What sort of creatures are they?" asked Jack, speaking in a whisper, sogreat was the terror inspired by the presence of the gigantic seasuckers. 

"I never saw any of them before, " replied the professor, "but I haveread about them. They live only in the polar regions and are a speciesof octupus, only more terrible. Their powers of suction are enormous, and once they fasten on a fish or animal they never let go until theyhave absorbed it completely. They act in the same way that a star fishdoes on an oyster. "

"But they can't eat the ship, " said Jack. 

"No, I fancy the steel and iron sides will prevent them from making ameal of us. "

"Then where is the danger?"

"They will not let go until they discover that they cannot devour us, and it may take days. We can only remain under water a comparativelyshort time at the most. So you see where the danger is. "

"But can't we go out and kill them? Then they would let go. "

"It would be most risky to venture out, protected even with a divingsuit, and carrying the electric guns, " the professor went on. "No, Imust think of some other plan to free ourselves from the creatures. "

"Blow 'em up wif dynamite an' send 'em inter disproportionatelycontrastedable circumferences!" exclaimed Washington, who had beenlistening to the conversation. 

"This isn't any time to joke, " Mr. Henderson said sternly. 

"I wasn't joking, " replied the colored man. "Can't we squirt acid on 'emor chop 'em up, or--or--"

"We can do nothing for the time being, " said the professor. "Come, wewill have a consultation on the subject. Perhaps some one may be able tothink of a plan of rescue. "

"Let us hope so. "

They all gathered in the cabin. The professor explained the nature ofthe creatures, as far as he knew them from what he had read or heard. Hepointed out, through the glass windows, over which the suckers werestill clinging, how they maintained their grip, by exhausting, throughtheir big mouths, the air between their saucer-like surfaces and theship to which they were clinging. 

"Can't we go out and fight 'em?" asked Andy, who was always ready to usea gun. 

"I doubt if we could get out, " replied the professor. "Though we can notsee them, I believe the creatures cover every part of the ship from stemto stern. We could never open the door of the diving chamber with thatterrible sucker covering the iron portal. "

"Maybe if we wait long enough a lot of sharks will come along and eat'em up, " put in Jack. 

"I am afraid sharks will not come to these frozen waters, " said theprofessor. "They like a warm climate. "

"And you don't think it would be feasible to use dynamite, " asked Mark. 

"We can't get out to place it where it would blow up the fish and notus, " answered Mr. Henderson. "If we could it might serve. "

A silence fell on the group. They were in sore straits and there seemedno hope of rescue. The big disk-like bodies that covered the windows didnot move, but remained there, staring with horrible persistency into theinterior of the ship. 

CHAPTER XXVI

LAND UNDER ICE

Suddenly the craft began to move. Slowly at first, then, with more speedit forged ahead through the water. 

"Are we free?" asked Andy, starting up. 

"Who started the machinery?" demanded the professor. 

"No one, " replied Jack. "We are all here. There is no one in the engineroom. "

"But we are moving, " said Mark. 

"It's dem sucker-fish!" exclaimed Washington. "Dey is takin' us off toder dens an' dere we'll all be eat up!"

"I'm afraid part of it is true, " said Mr. Henderson. "The creatures arecertainly making off with us. How powerful they must be!"

"Will dey take us to a cave?" faltered Washington. "Will dey eat us up?"

"I don't think they'll eat us up, " spoke the inventor. "It would defyeven their powerful sucking apparatus to bore through the steel sides ofthe _Porpoise_. What I am afraid of is that they may move us to somehidden depth where we will be caught under the rocks or in the ice, andso lose what little chance there is of getting free. "

"And the worst of it is we can't do a thing to help ourselves!"exclaimed Andy. "This is the worst game I was ever up against!"

The adventurers were indeed helpless. They could not get out of theirship to attack the monsters, even had they dared to. Their engine, powerful as it was, had proved no match for the creatures, and now theywere being carried away, ship and all, to some unknown place. 

The ship did not go through the water fast. Though the suckers seemed tobe working in union their bodies were too unwieldly, and the ship solarge, that their pace was slow. Nevertheless they kept steadily on. 

Several times, in their desperation, the adventurers tried the force ofthe big screw against that of the suckers. It was of no avail. Neitherwas the device of emptying the tanks, and trying to force the craft upas far as the roof of ice would permit it to go. 

"It's of no use, " announced Mr. Henderson with something that soundedlike a groan. "We must prepare for the worst. "

"How long can we live here without going to the surface after a freshsupply of air?" asked Bill. 

"About three days, " was the answer. "I took the precaution to put adouble supply into the tanks, in readiness for an emergency, but I neverthought of such a terrible situation as this. "

The submarine seemed to be moving more rapidly now. It was useless totry to see through either the windows in the side or in the conningtower, for all the glass was covered by the horrible bodies. 

"What will they do with us when they get us where they want us?" askedAndy. 

"What can they do except hold us prisoners until--until--" The professorbroke off the sentence he dared not finish. 

For an hour or more the craft was moved through the water at moderatespeed. Then it came to a stop. Those on board were alert for what mighthappen next. 

"I guess dey done got us in der cave, " said Washington with chatteringteeth. "Now dey'll begin to devour us wid dem terrible big mouths!Golly, I wish I was home!"

"Stop that nonsense!" exclaimed Mr. Henderson. "Be a man! There is nodanger yet. The sides of the _Porpoise_ will defy worse enemies thanthose attacking us!"

At that instant the ship began to move again. It was hauled slowlythrough the water. 

"They are pulling us backward!" said Andy, as he watched the needle ofthe compass. 

Once more the submarine was stopped. Then it moved forward at a morerapid pace than at any time since the suckers had seized it. An instantlater it brought up against some solid object with such a jar that thoseinside were thrown off their feet. 

"Something has hit us!" cried Jack. 

"More likely we've struck something, " said the professor. 

Again the ship forged to the rear, and once again it was sent swiftlyahead. Then came the second shock, harder than the first, which sentsome of the party headlong. 

"They are banging us against a rock!" cried Mr. Henderson. 

"Do you mean those sea suckers?"

"Yes. They have probably found that the shell of the _Porpoise_ is toohard even for their powerful jaws. So they have taken us to some placewhere the rocks show and are banging us against them in order to breakthe ship, so they can get at what is inside. "

Once more the ship was drawn backward and again dashed against thestone. The shock was a hard one and toppled over all who were notclinging to something. 

"They are ramming us bow on against the rocks, " cried Andy. "It willbreak us apart if they hit us many more times!"

Washington hurried forward. He came back with his eyes showing terror. 

"There's a lot of rocks right ahead ob us!" he exclaimed. "I see 'emthrough th' little window jest above th' screw. There's land under thishere water!"

"Land under this ice do you mean?" asked the professor. 

"That's what I mean, an' we's bein' rammed agin th' rocks!"

"There it goes again!" cried Jack, as the ship shivered from stem tostern against the impact of the blow. 

"This can not last long, " said Mr. Henderson. "If they strike us manymore times some of the places will start, the water will come in, and wewill drown!"

"But what can we do?" asked Jack. 

"Let's go out now and see if we can't kill some of the beasts with theguns, " suggested Andy. 

"I cannot permit it, " answered the inventor. "Our position is bad enoughas it is, but to go out would be to lose our lives for a certainty. Thesuckers would swallow us up in a moment. I must find some other way. "

There was a period of silence, while all waited anxiously for what wasto happen next. It was not long in coming. The next impact of the shipagainst the rocks was the hardest yet, and it seemed that more of thesuckers must have gripped the craft. 

"She's leakin' a little!" exclaimed Washington coming back from aninspection forward. "De water am tricklin' in!"

"We must fight them!" exclaimed Andy. He ran to get a gun and his divingsuit. 

"Don't try to go out!" warned the professor. "You will surely bekilled. "

"I'd rather be killed out there than die shut up in the ship!" cried theold hunter. "I'm going out!"

"Wait!" exclaimed Jack suddenly. "I have a plan that may save us!"

"What is it? Speak quickly!" said Mr. Henderson. "We are in desperatestraits!"

As he spoke there came another crash against the rocks. 

"We must electrocute the suckers!" cried the boy. 

"Electrocute them? What do you mean?"

"Take the wires from the electric light circuit, attach one to each endof the ship, and start the dynamo at full speed!" answered Jack. 

"What good will that do?"

"The ship is steel, " went on the boy. "It will become charged with apowerful current. We can insulate ourselves by putting on rubber boots, but the shock of the electricity will kill the creatures!"

"Good for you!" exclaimed Mr. Henderson. "Quick boys, everybody lend ahand! Washington, detach the wires and run one to the bow and the otherto the stern of the ship. Then get out the boots. "

In a few minutes the dynamo was ready to send a death-dealing currentthrough the entire ship. The professor and all the others put on theboots, that were a part of the diving equipment. The dynamo was startedat full speed and the purring hum told that electricity of great powerwas being developed. 

The professor stood with his hand on a switch, ready to close thecircuit as soon as sufficient power had accumulated. Once more thesuckers backed the ship in order to give it impetus for another impacton the stones. 

Click! The professor snapped the switch shut. There was a burst ofbluish-green flame, and the movement of the boat suddenly ceased. 

"I guess that does for 'em!" shouted Andy. 

"Wait a few minutes, " advised the professor. "The suckers may not all bedead yet!"

He kept the current flowing throughout the length of the ship forseveral minutes, and then turned it off. 

"Now to see if the plan worked, " he said. The windows in the cabin wereeagerly scanned. 

"Hurrah!" cried Mark. "The suckers have gone!"

"I guess the electricity killed them, " spoke Mr. Henderson. "We willventure out now in our diving suits and see what sort of a place we arein. "

Soon the adventurers were arrayed in the heavy suits. Under them theywore thick clothing, and in each suit was placed a small flat heater, operated by a storage battery. The heaters were made of coils of finewires, and the electric current, meeting with much resistance in passingthrough them, heated the coils, so there was considerable warmth. 

It was all needed as they found when they felt the water entering thediving chamber, for the fluid was as cold as an ocean full of icebergscould make it. Protected however by the heavy suits, warm clothing andthe heaters the divers were fairly comfortable. 

The outer door was opened and they all started back in amazement at thesight which met their eyes. Before them lay a forest of real trees, withbushes growing among them, while the ground, instead of being like theusual ocean bed was covered with grass. 

As Washington had said, on getting a small view of the place from thelittle window, it was real land under water. 

Their first surprise at the strange spectacle over, the adventurersglanced about for a sight of the terrible sea suckers. But they need nothave feared. Lying in a huddled up mass toward the rear of the_Porpoise_ were the dead bodies of the ugly creatures. The electricityhad finished them. 

CHAPTER XXVII

ATTACKED BY AN OCTUPUS

They walked some distance away from the ship, for the land under thewater was easy to travel on. It looked exactly as if some beautifulvalley had suddenly been submerged in the middle of summer, wheneverything was fresh and green. 

They had gone perhaps a quarter of a mile from the _Porpoise_ whenProfessor Henderson motioned to them that they had better return. Ontheir way back they passed what looked to be a large cave in the side ofa hill. Wondering what could be in it, Mark and Jack paused to peer intothe black opening. 

The next instant two long white things, like slender serpents shot out. With the rapidity of lightning they wrapped themselves, one about eachboy, and, before the horrified companions of the lads could do anythingthe unfortunate youths were whisked out of sight into the cavern. 

For a few seconds no one knew what to do. To rush in to the rescue ofthe boys would have been foolhardy, as the terrible octupus, which theyknew had grabbed the lads, would have been a match for all of theadventurers, unarmed as they were. 

It would be necessary to return to the ship and come back with some ofthe electric guns, which they had neglected to bring with them. In themeanwhile the beast might, and probably would, kill Mark and Jack. Butthere was nothing else to do. 

The professor motioned for Andy to remain on the watch at the mouth ofthe cavern, so as to be on hand in case he could help the boys, whilethe others were hurrying toward the ship. Then, leading the way, theProfessor signalled for Tom and Bill to follow him. 

They could not hurry much for the heavy suits and the resistance of thewater impeded their progress. But they made all the speed they could, urged on by a terrible fear. 

Meanwhile old Andy stood in front of the cave, hoping against hope thatthere might be some way of aiding the boys. If it had happened abovewater he would not have hesitated to rush in and give battle to thebeast, even though he was unarmed. If he had his knife now he wouldventure in, at the risk of his life. 

"Oh, why didn't I bring my gun along!" thought Andy regretfully. 

His hand dropped to his side and his fingers came in contact with a bigknife in the belt of the diving suit. Here was a weapon he had forgottenall about. 

He drew forth the blade. It seemed a small one with which to attack solarge and terrible a creature as the octupus. Yet to remain there, knowing the boys were being killed was more than old Andy could stand. Grasping the handle with a firm grip he started toward the cave. Hisfoot caught in something, and he nearly fell. 

Looking down to see what had tripped him he saw a long thin pole, straight as a lance. It had once been a tree limb, but all the brancheswere stripped off. 

"Now if I only had an iron point for that, " Andy thought. Then herecollected the knife in his hand. 

"The very thing, " he remarked aloud, the words sounding startlingly loudin the confinement of the copper helmet. "If I only had something tofasten the knife on the pole I could make a spear to attack theoctupus. "

Then he saw long streamers of sea weed growing up from the ocean bed. They were very tough, a kind of wirey grass that was as strong as rope. Andy cut several streamers and, with a hunter's skill bound the knife tothe end of the staff. 

Now he had a weapon formidable enough to venture in and give battle tothe monster. He hesitated no longer, fearing that even the short delaymight have been too much and that the boys were dead. He entered thecave. At first he could perceive nothing for it was quite dark. Then, ashis eyes became used to the gloom, which the lamp in his helmet faintlyilluminated, he saw, far back in the rear, the horrible octupus. 

Two dark objects, around which were wrapped several folds of theterrible arms, Andy guessed to be Mark and Jack, and when he was a faintglow coming from them he was sure they were the boys, the gleams comingfrom the lamps in their helmets. 

Warily the hunter approached the creature. If he had hoped to take itunawares he was disappointed, for, when he had come within ten feet, holding his improvised lance outstretched ready for a deadly thrust, thecreature shot out two long arms toward Andy. 

Now the battle began. The snake-like feelers, armed with big saucershaped suckers, lashed about in the water, seeking to clasp the hunterin their deadly embrace. But Andy, who had fought many kinds of wildanimals on land, did not lose his presence of mind in confronting thisbeast of the sea. 

Nimbly, in spite of the handicap of the heavy diving suit, Andy dodgedthe arms. Watching his chance he thrust at one, and the sharp knifesevered the end. But another arm shot out, while the wounded one wasdrawn in, and the battle was as much against the old hunter as before. 

Once more he thrust his lance, and this time he severed one of the armsclose to the ugly body. The creature, in its rage and pain, redoubledits efforts to clasp Andy. 

The hunter decided to try to get to closer quarters where he could usehis spear on the body of the beast. He stooped down and wiggled along onthe bottom of the cave. But the creature saw him, and darted an arm outto pull the old man in. Andy squirmed to one side, and then, being asclose as he desired, he rose to his feet and, drawing back the polethrust it with all his force straight at the centre of thewhitish-yellow body that was like a horrible lump of soft fat directlyin front of him. 

At the first touch of the knife the creature squirted out an inkysubstance that made the water about it as black as night. Andy could notsee, but he could feel that the lance was still in the body. He pulledit back a little and thrust again and again, turning it around toenlarge the wound he had made. 

Then, what he had feared all along happened. Two of the creatures armsfound him, and he felt the terrible pressure as they wound themselvesabout him, the sucker-plates clinging fast. Yet in it all he did notlose his presence of mind, nor did he let go of the pole. 

Tighter and tighter the arms clasped him. He struggled with all hisstrength but he was in a grip more powerful than that of a boaconstrictor. Suddenly the pole he was holding snapped off. He let go theuseless end and pulled the shorter part, to which the knife was bound, toward him. Andy felt his senses beginning to leave him, but hedetermined to make one more effort. 

One hand was free, that holding the knife. With his last remainingstrength he cut and slashed at the arms of the creature that wereclasped about him. 

Again and again he stuck the blade into the gristle like substance. Could he win? Could he save his own life, to say nothing of that of thetwo boys?

The creature was lashing about now so that the water was a mass of blackfoam. The ink-color was beginning to fade away. Andy could dimly observethe horrible front of the octupus, and see the wound his lance had made. Then all seemed to grow dark again. He dimly remembered trying tothrust the knife into one of the saucer-shaped eyes, and then of asudden his senses left him. 

When Andy came to his senses he found himself lying on the ocean bedjust outside the cave. About him stood the professor, Washington, Tomand Bill. His head buzzed and he felt weak, but he knew he wasuninjured, and that his diving suit had not been punctured in the fightwith the octupus, for he could feel the fresh air entering from the tankat the back of his helmet. 

Were the boys killed, Andy wondered. Had his fight to save them been invain? He managed to stand up, and then, to his relief he saw Mark andJack standing behind Tom and Bill. The boys seemed weak but otherwiseuninjured. 

The professor motioned to know if Andy could walk and the old huntersoon demonstrated that he could by stepping forward. Then the partyproceeded slowly to the ship. 

Little time was lost by each one in divesting himself of his diving suitas soon as they had left the water chamber. The first thing Andy askedwhen his helmet was off, was:

"Did I kill the beast?"

"Indeed you did, " replied the professor. "And just in time, too. Youwere about done for when we came back with the guns, but they were notneeded. My! But you must have had a terrible fight!"

"I did, while it lasted, " said the hunter. "But were the boys hurt?"

"They can speak for themselves, " replied Mr. Henderson. "I guess not, though. "

"Having the wind almost squeezed out of us was the worst that happened, "said Mark. "The octupus must have recently dined when it grabbed us, forit didn't offer to eat us. And it didn't grip us as tightly as it mighthave or I reckon we wouldn't have come out alive. I thought sure we weregoing to be killed, however. "

"So did I, " put in Jack. 

"I don't want any more such fights this trip, " said Andy with a weaksmile. 

CHAPTER XXVIII

OUT OF THE ICE

Worn out with their encounter with the octupus, Andy and the boys wereglad to take to their bunks. The others, too, who were weary fromtraveling under water, felt the need of rest, and so it was decided tolet the ship remain stationary down on the bottom of the ocean forseveral hours before going on further. 

"When we get rested up we'll have a good meal, and then try to gain thesurface of the ocean, " said the professor. 

There was quiet on board the _Porpoise_ for a long time. Washington wasthe first to awake and he at once set about getting a meal. When it wasready he called the professor, and, one after another all theadventurers rose from their bunks and refreshed themselves with hotcoffee, bacon, eggs and preserves, all prepared from condensed foods, ofwhich a large supply had been brought. 

"Now to see if we can make our way upward through the ice, " announcedMr. Henderson. 

"We ought to be far enough south to strike the open polar sea which Ibelieve exists. "

The engine was started after the small leaks in the bow, caused by theramming of the boat on the rocks, had been stopped up, and theprofessor, entering the conning tower, turned her due south. 

The screw vibrated in the tunnel, the water rushed out in a big stream, the engines and dynamos hummed, and the hearts of all were lightened asthey knew they were nearing the goal of their journey. 

Several hours passed and the professor, who was keeping watch of thegages noted they had covered more than one hundred miles. As the supplyof compressed air was getting low Mr. Henderson, not wanting to run anychances, decided to make an attempt to reach the surface and refill thetanks. 

Accordingly the water tanks were emptied of their ballast, the rudderwas set to force the ship to the surface, and soon the depth gage showeda constantly decreasing amount of water over the heads of theadventurers. 

"Now, if we don't hit the ice above us we'll be all right, " spoke Mr. Henderson. "We are within fifteen feet of the surface. "

Hardly had he ceased speaking when the _Porpoise_ brought up againstsomething with a bump that jarred everyone. Then the submarine wentscraping along, hitting the conning tower every now and then. 

"Not clear of the ice yet, " said Mr. Henderson. "We must go down alittle and try again. "

The tanks were filled with enough water to keep the boat about fiftyfeet under the surface, and at that depth she was sent ahead at fullspeed. The professor's face wore an anxious look, and when Washingtonasked him if it was not time to replenish the air supply of the boat theinventor told the colored man to be very sparing of the contents of thecompressing tanks. 

"I'm afraid we are not as near the open sea as I at first thought, " Mr. Henderson finished. 

On and on rushed the _Porpoise_. The engines were kept at full speed, and after two hours of this fast run another attempt was made to reachthe surface. Once more the thick ice intervened. 

"Guess we'll have to blast our way out, " observed Andy. "We seem to havelots of trouble on this trip. "

"Why not try to ram your way through, " suggested Jack. 

"How do you mean?" asked Mr. Henderson. 

"I mean to sink the boat say two hundred feet. Then start her upobliquely and perhaps the sharp prow will cut a hole through the ice. "

"Hardly through ice fifteen feet or more thick, " said the captaindespondently. 

"But it may be thinner now, " persisted Jack. 

"At any rate it will do no harm to try, " the inventor admitted. "We cannot last much longer down here. "

Again the tanks were filled, and by the aid of the deflecting rudder the_Porpoise_ went down into the depths. Then the ballast tanks werequickly emptied, and the rudder turned so as to force the craft upwardon a slant. The engine was set going at top speed. 

"Hold fast everybody!" called the professor. "It is kill or cure thistrip!"

Like an arrow from a bow the _Porpoise_ shot upward. On and on it sped, gathering momentum with every foot she traveled. 

Suddenly there came a terrible crash, a grinding sound and a rending andtearing. The ship trembled from end to end. Every one was knocked fromhis feet. There were bumpings and scrapings all along the sides of thesubmarine. Then, with one final spurt of speed, the little ship tore herway through the ice and emerged, with a splash and shower of foam intothe open sea!

Quickly the man hole was opened and, half dead from lack of fresh air, the adventurers crawled out on deck. It was night and the starsglittered in the sky above. They were just beyond the edge of the icefield, and all about them was a wide open sea. 

"I was right after all, " said the professor, "but I miscalculated thedistance. Had we gone on a few feet farther it would not have beennecessary to break through the ice. "

"I guess it's a lucky thing we didn't try it before either, " remarkedAndy. "We never could have bored through fifteen feet of the frozenstuff. Where we plowed up it is less than two feet, " and he pointed towhere the immense floe came to an end. 

It was decided to go no farther that night, however, as the professorwanted to take some observations by daylight and ascertain his position. So filling their lungs with the air, cold and piercing though it was, the adventurers descended to their cabin, and lots were drawn to see whowould stand the two night watches. It fell to Mr. Henderson to take thefirst, and Washington the second. The captain accordingly took up hisposition in the conning tower and prepared to pass several hours. 

He was busy thinking over the exciting times he and his companions hadpassed through, and planning new trips to see more wonders of the world, when his attention was attracted by slight noise near the man holeleading to the amidship companionway. 

The professor looked up, and was startled to see a tall white object, with outstretched arms advancing toward him with slow and stealthytread. 

"The ghost again!" exclaimed the inventor softly. "I must catch it now, and see what foolishness it is, " for the professor did not believe inspirits. 

He got down on his hands and knees the better to escape observation, should the white thing prove to be a bodily substance, and started tocrawl toward it. He came within ten feet of the thing, and could makeout that it was a man, or at least the semblance of one, all clothed inwhite. 

Nearer and nearer the inventor crawled to the thing. It turned to facehim now and Mr. Henderson could not help feeling startled as he saw theobject had no head. The neck ended in a white stump. 

In spite of a little feeling of qualmishness, which even his boasteddisbelief in ghosts did not save him from, Mr. Henderson was about tospring upon the thing and solve the mystery. 

At that instant, however, Washington, who was coming on deck to take uphis watch, appeared at the head of the companionway, and caught sight ofthe terrible object. 

The yells of the colored man as he dove downward and back into thecabin, aroused the ship. Determined to solve the mystery, in spite ofeverything, the professor made a leap forward. He slipped, and tumbleddown the iron stairway. At the same time, the ghost, with a bloodcurdling yell, leaped over the professor's back, and disappeared downthe stairs of the conning tower. 

In an instant the crew were rushing from their bunk rooms, seeking ameaning for the disturbance. 

"It was the ghost again, " explained the professor as he picked himselfup, not much the worse for his tumble. "I tried to catch it, but Ididn't. Come, Washington, it is your turn to stand watch. "

"Not to-night, " said Washington firmly. 

It was no use to urge him, so Jack good-naturedly stood Washington'strick. Nothing further however occurred that night. 

In the morning the professor made several observations and found that hewas within one hundred and fifty miles of the south pole. 

"We'll make it to-morrow, if we have luck, " he said. 

CHAPTER XXIX

THE BOILING WATER

The hours passed and the strange voyage continued. 

The _Porpoise_ traveled along at good speed, and the professor devotedmost of his time to looking after the different scientific instrumentsand gages, for they were nearing the south pole. The deflecting compass, which when it came directly over the place corresponding to the pole, would point straight up and down, was assuming more and more of aperpendicular position. 

"We are getting there!" exclaimed the professor with delight. "A fewhours more and we will have won the goal!"

There was considerable excitement on board when the professor'sannouncement was made. Though few of the adventurers cared as much forthe scientific achievement as did Mr. Henderson, they were all glad hewas about to succeed. To most of them the locating of the south pole wasno different from visiting some new country, excepting that there weremore adventures than on most voyages. 

At dusk the _Porpoise_ went to the surface and during the night traveledalong atop of the billows. In the morning she dived below again. Theengine was started at high speed and the deflecting needle dipped stillmore. 

"We's gittin' dar!" exclaimed Washington as he oiled the variousbearings of the machinery. 

Breakfast was served and hurriedly eaten, for the excitement was tellingon every one. After the meal had been cleared away they all sat in thedarkened cabin looking out at the water as it slipped past the glasswindows. Big and little fish swam up and peered into the bull's-eyes andthen darted away. 

"That's sort of queer, " remarked Jack a little later. 

"What is?" asked Mark, who was sitting near his chum. 

"All the fish seem to have suddenly disappeared, " replied Jack. "Therewere hundreds a little while ago, and now I haven't seen one looking inthe windows for some time. "

"Perhaps there's a big fish on their trail, " observed Mark. "That's whatmakes 'em take to the deep sea weed. "

"Maybe so, " replied Jack. 

A little later Professor Henderson entered the room. He went over, looked at the thermometer, and then called to Washington:

"Have you got the heat turned on?"

"No, sah! I ain't done truned on no superheated vapor into deradiators, " replied the colored man. "I were jest thinkin' dat we'd hitde south pole by de feel of it. "

"It is getting strangely warm, " admitted Mr. Henderson. 

"Ain't that what you expected at the south pole?" asked Andy. "I thoughtit was hot at the south pole and cold at the north. "

"That's what lots of people imagine, " said the professor, "but exceptfor the open sea, which I have proved does exist, I guess it's just ascold at the south as at the north, especially in the winter. We havestruck the summer season. "

"And a mighty warm one at that, " observed Jack. "Whew! I've got to takeoff my coat. "

Indeed it was getting uncomfortably warm in the ship, and theadventurers who had dressed in thick clothing to guard against therigors of the icy climate, soon had to lay aside many of their garments. 

"No wonder!" exclaimed Mr. Henderson, as he looked at a thermometer. "Itis eighty degrees in here!"

"Worse than workin' in a hay field, " observed Bill, as he wiped thebeads of perspiration from his forehead. 

"Let us see what sort of water we are traveling through, " suggested theprofessor, as he again turned off the lights in the cabin so that a viewcould be had from the bull's-eyes. 

Wondering what would meet their gaze the adventurers peered out of thesmall circular windows. At first they could hardly believe their eyes. 

There, right before them, the sea was bubbling as if it was an immensetea kettle. Steam formed on the glass, and big clouds of vapor could beseen. The atmosphere of the cabin became almost unbearable. 

"We are in the midst of a boiling hot ocean!" cried the professor. 

"Are we sailing through hot water?" asked Andy. 

"I should say so, from the feel of it, " answered Mr. Henderson. "Putyour hand on the side of the cabin. "

Andy laid his fingers against the steel plates. He drew back. 

"I burned myself!" he exclaimed. 

"What are we to do?" cried Jack. 

"Get out of this by all means!" exclaimed the inventor. "If we stay inthis hot ocean we will be boiled alive like fishes in a pot. Send theship up, Washington!"

Indeed it was high time. The thermometer marked one hundred and tendegrees, and was rising. The interior of the _Porpoise_ was like that ofa steam laundry three times heated. Stripped to their undergarments theadventurers were obliged to lie down on the floor of the cabin where itwas a little cooler. 

It was all Washington could do, used as colored people are to the heat, to go into the engine room, and start the machinery that emptied thetanks, so as to allow the ship to mount to the surface. 

The _Porpoise_ began to rise slowly, and to the suffering men and boysit seemed that she never went up so reluctantly. The heat was becomingunbearable. They could hear the water bubbling even through the steelsides of the submarine. 

CHAPTER XXX

CONCLUSION

Could they live to reach the surface? was the thought in the mind ofevery one. The heat was terrific. They were breathing in gasps. Professor Henderson went to the water tank, thinking to throw some ofthe fluid over himself and his companions, but he found it so warm thatit almost burned his hand. 

"Keep up your courage!" exclaimed the inventor. "We will soon be at thetop!"

Almost as he spoke the _Porpoise_ bounded from the waves, and fell backin a splash of foam on the surface of the billows. They were at thesurface. 

The professor rushed for the manhole and soon opened it. He crawled outon the deck, followed by the others. They breathed in deep breaths ofthe fresh air. 

The submarine continued to sail on. Every minute the sea seemed to boilmore violently, until at last the waves were covered with a cloud ofsteam, through which it was difficult to observe where they were going. 

"Hadn't we better turn back, " suggested Mark. 

"Our only hope is to press on, " replied Mr. Henderson. "We may crossthis zone of boiling water soon. "

He went into the conning tower to make an observation. He came on thedeck the next minute, very much excited. 

"What's the matter? Are we sinking?" asked Andy. 

"We are directly over the south pole!" exclaimed the professor. "We havereached the goal! We have come to the spot hundreds of men have tried toreach! It has been left for us to succeed. Look at the deflectingneedle!"

They crowded into the conning tower to note it. The slender hand ofsteel stood straight up and down, indicating that the ship was over thesouth pole, one of the two chief centres of magnetism of the earth. 

"If we only dared stop to make some scientific notes and observations, "said the professor, "we could render much valuable aid to the seekersafter truth. But it would be sure death to stay in the boiling water!"

"I guess we'd better be getting out of this if we want to reach homealive, " spoke Andy. 

Indeed they were all suffering very much, for the heat from the waterwas awful. 

"Speed her up, Washington!" called the professor. "We must get out ofhere!"

"Which way shall I steer?" asked the colored man. 

"Straight ahead. We are now bound north!"

"Bound north!" cried Jack. 

"Certainly, " answered the professor. "We have passed over the exact spotwhere the south pole is. The deflecting needle is beginning to tiltagain. The compass is indicating a northerly direction. You know thatafter you go as far south as you can, you have to begin to go backnorth. Well, we have gone as far south as we can. Now we are goingnorth. We have turned the southern end of the globe, and are on our wayback. "

For several hours the _Porpoise_ continued along on top of the water. Bydegrees, as they left the vicinity of the boiling ocean, it becamecooler. The water ceased to seethe and bubble, and Jack found, onexperiment, that he could bear his hand in it. 

"Hurrah!" he cried, "we are safe now. "

"Next we'll have to prepare to freeze to death, " spoke Mark. "It'seither one extreme or the other this trip. But we've had lots of fun andexcitement. "

"Plenty of the last, " agreed Jack. 

On and on went the submarine. Once it was out of the range of theterrible heated zone, the atmosphere rapidly cooled, until theadventurers were glad to don their heavy garments again. 

"This marks the ending of the first half of the voyage, " announced theprofessor. "Now we are going back. We have accomplished something noother living man has done and I am proud of it. Proud of all of you, andproud of the ship!"

Several hours later, when it was deemed safe, the _Porpoise_ was sunkbeneath the waves, and once more she speeded along through the water ata fast speed. The ship seemed to know she was going home, for never hadshe made better time. 

"We have solved every problem that we met, " said the professor while he, with Jack and Mark, were in the conning tower, as Washington waspreparing a meal. 

"Except two, " said Jack. 

"What are they?"

"The ghost of the submarine, and the identity of the anarchists who blewup the Easton hotel. "

"Perhaps both riddles may be solved before we get back to Maine, "answered Mr. Henderson. 

They both were, sooner, and in stranger ways than either of the boysexpected. That night it was Jack's first watch on deck. The ship wasspeeding on, and by the air the boy knew they were approaching icebergs. At midnight a strange and sudden chill in the air made him look up. 

Almost dead ahead was a big berg. He quickly shut off the engine, andnarrowly avoided a collision. Then happening to glance back he saw, standing near the companionway leading down into the man-hole a ghostlywhite shape. 

"I'll find out what you are this time, or go overboard with you, " saidJack to himself, clenching his teeth. He crawled along the deck until hethought he was within leaping distance of the weird white thing. Then hemade a leap. 

He landed on something soft, which, the moment he struck it, let out ayell that sounded loud on the quiet night. Then the thing began tofight. But Jack fought back and held on bravely. 

"Here! What are you tryin' to do?" exclaimed a voice in his ear. 

"What are you trying to do?" asked Jack indignantly, finding that thewords came from the "ghost. "

"Nice way to treat a man! Half kill him!" the white thing went on. "Justwhen I'm trying to get a little sleep you come along and pull me out ofbed!"

"Why, it's Bill Jones, " exclaimed Jack, as the light from the conningtower lamp fell on the face of the "ghost. "

"Of course it is; who did you think it was?" asked Bill. 

"What are you doing on deck in your night shirt?" asked the boy, lettingthe helper rise. 

"Me? On deck? Ain't I in my bunk?"

"I should say not, " replied Jack. "What are you doing on deck?"

"Well! well!" remarked Bill, rubbing his eyes. "I've gone and done itagain. "

"Done what?"

"Walked in my sleep. I'm a great sleep walker. Greatest you ever knew. Once I climbed to the top of our barn when I was asleep. "

"So you're the ghost of the submarine, " exclaimed Jack. "That explainsit. "

"I guess you're right, " admitted Bill, as the others came on deck to seewhat all the row was about. "I never thought of it when I heard aboutthe ghost, but I can account for it now. I'd get out of my bunk, wanderout on deck, and then crawl back again. Of course, being barefoot, or infur slippers, I made no sounds. I don't wonder you thought I was aspirit. Queer I didn't wake up after some of the things I went through. "

"And you always managed to get back to your bunk in time so that wenever caught you at it, " said Jack. "However, it's all over now. "

And so it was, for after that Bill tied a chair in front of his bunk, and if he did get out in his sleep he stumbled against it and awokebefore he had gone far. 

Northward the _Porpoise_ continued on her journey. She entered a vastfield of ice, and only her ability to sink below the surface enabled herto get through it unharmed. There were few adventures going home. Once abig whale rammed the ship, as had happened on the going voyage, andseveral times they were surrounded by hordes of wild polar fish andwalrusses, but there were no accidents, and in a couple of weeks theship entered the temperate zone. 

Then came lazy happy days of sailing through the tropical region. Theylanded at several islands and renewed their supply of food. 

"I'm coming back this way some day, " observed Mr. Henderson oneafternoon as the ship was sailing along on top of the waves. 

"What for?" asked Jack. 

"To investigate that strange island with a big hole in the middle thatseems to lead to the centre of the earth, " was the answer. "I have afancy we can explore that by means of a balloon. I'm going to try. "

"Will you take us along?" asked the two boys. 

"I'll see, " replied the professor. 

And later on he did take them on a trip, a thousand milesunderground, --but that is another story to tell. 

It was about a week later that the voyagers came within sight of KeyWest. 

"Off there lies the United States, " said Mr. Henderson. 

"Hurrah for home!" cried Mark. 

Three days later they landed at a small Florida town. The sight of the_Porpoise_ attracted throngs of people to the dock where she tied up. Among them was a newsboy. 

"Get me all the papers for the past month, " said Jack. "I want to seewhat the news is. "

"Same here, " put in Mark, and the papers were soon brought. 

"Hurrah!" exclaimed Jack, as soon as he had looked at several of thesheets. 

"What is it?" asked Mark, who was unfolding a paper. 

"Anarchists Confess, " read Jack. "Two Englishmen Admit They Blew UpHotel Where Lord Peckham Was Stopping. No Suspicion Attaches to TwoYouths Who So Mysteriously Disappeared!"

"Hurrah!" joined in Mark. 

"Those are only the head lines, " went on Jack. "There's a long story, and I guess it lets us out. "

The two boys were completely cleared of the slightest shade of suspicionof the outrage, and there was even an interview with the Englishdetective in which he admitted that he was wrong. 

A week later the _Porpoise_ tied up at her own dock, whence she waslaunched. 

"Back again, " remarked the professor as he stepped ashore. "I've been tothe south pole, and to the north pole. I wonder where I shall go next?"

"To the big hole and underground, " suggested Jack. 

"We shall see, " said Mr. Henderson with a twinkle in his eyes. 

THE END

The Dave Dashaway Series

By ROY ROCKWOOD

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Transcriber's Notes:

Obvious punctuation errors repaired. 

Page 3, "Main" changed to "Maine". (coast of Maine)

Page 7, "stearsman" changed to "steersman". (for the steersman)

Page 16, "stearing" changed to "steering". (or steering tower)

Page 16, "beeksteak" changed to "beefsteak". (fry a beefsteak)

Page 19, "speciments" changed to "specimens". (pretty nice specimens)

Page 20, "steared" changed to "steered". (professor steered her)

Page 24, word "be" added to the text. (it'll be all)

Page 32, "lauched" changed to "launched". (she had been launched)

Page 36, "reined" changed to "reigned". (pandemonium reigned)

Page 56, "stear" changed to "steer". (to steer properly)

Page 57, "stear" changed to "steer". (ship will steer)

Page 63, "helmet" changed to "helmets". (their helmets were)

Page 67, "stearing" changed to "steering". (professor was steering)

Page 72, "assasinate" changed to "assassinate". (to assassinate Lord)

Page 76, "want's" changed to "wants". (cabin wants to)

Page 82, "innner" changed to "inner". (inner door was)

Page 87, "stearing" changed to "steering". (Washington was steering)

Page 89, "propellors" changed to "propellers". (about the propellers)

Page 90, "propellor" changed to "propeller". (big propeller in)

Page 140, "begining" changed to "beginning". (run was beginning)

Page 158, "wierd" changed to "weird". (weird white object)

Page 162, "subterreanean" changed to "subterranean". (of subterraneandisturbances)

Page 182, "Britanic" changed to "Britannic". (His Britannic Majesty's)

Page 182, word "was" removed from text. (show something that) Originalread "show was something that". 

Page 187, "beeing" changed to "being". (was being steered)

Page 187, "firghtened" changed to "frightened". (gave one frightened)

Page 192, "folowed" changed to "followed". (silence followed his)

Page 193, "oscilation" changed to "oscillation". (oscillation of thebig)

Page 195, "preparel" changed to "prepared". (prepared water-proof)

Page 215, "impossile" changed to "impossible". (flesh was impossible)

Page 226, "hemlet" changed to "helmet". (his helmet was off)

Page 229, "see" changed to "sea". (polar sea which)

Page 236, "hurridly" changed to "hurriedly". (and hurriedly eaten)

Page 239, "degress" changed to "degrees". (and ten degrees)

Page 242, "seeth" changed to "seethe". (to seethe and bubble)

Page 243, extraneous word "more" removed. (once more she) Original read"once more more she". 

Seven instances of "manhole" and nine of "man-hole" were retained. 

"Octopus" is spelled "octupus" in this volume. This was changed in thetable of contents and a chapter header to reflect text usage. 

One instance each of Penson/Pensen was retained.