Part 12 (1/2)

The story of their first mutiny leaked out and they were properly punished.

It required several days travel before the airs.h.i.+p regained the distance she had lost because of the plans of the pirates. Also, there were a number of minor repairs to make, and the professor and his friends were kept busy.

”How much longer before we come to the big hole?” asked Jack, one day.

”I think we ought to be near it in about two weeks,” the professor replied. ”I only hope we shall not be disappointed, and will be able to explore it.”

”'Tain't goin' t' be no fun t' be decimated an' expurgitated inter a conglomerous aggregation of elements const.i.tuting th' exterior portion of human anatomy,” said Was.h.i.+ngton in dubious tones.

”You mean you're afraid of being boiled in the steam from the big hole?” asked Mark.

”Jest so,” replied the colored man.

”You don't need to worry about that,” put in the professor. ”I will not take the s.h.i.+p down if there is any danger, though of course there will be some risk.”

The s.h.i.+p, having been fully repaired, was now able to be speeded up, and was sent scudding along toward her destination. Rodgers proved a valuable acquisition toward the crew, for he had sailed many years in the waters over which they were flying, and was able to give the professor many valuable hints. He had heard vague stories of the island with the big hole, but had never been near it. He did not make the trip however, as, at his request, he was put off at an inhabited island one night.

It was about a week after the sailors were frightened from the s.h.i.+p, that a curious experience befell Mark. Was.h.i.+ngton was on duty in the conning tower, attending to the apparatus as the s.h.i.+p flew through the air, and all the others had gone to bed. Mark had remained up, later than the others as he was interested in reading a book on science.

About ten o'clock he became hungry, and going to the pantry got some bread and cold meat. He set these on a table, and then, remembering he would need some water to drink, started after some in the cooler, which was in a little room near the tower.

Was.h.i.+ngton heard the boy as he turned the faucet to draw the liquid, and spoke to him, as the colored man was rather lonesome at his post.

Mark did not linger more than a minute or two, but when he returned to where he had left the food he was much surprised.

There was not a trace of it to be seen. The dishes were on the table, but every vestige of bread and meat had disappeared.

”I wonder if a cat or dog has been here,” was Mark's first thought.

Then he remembered that no such animals were aboard the Mermaid.

Something on the floor caught his eye. He stooped and picked it up. It was a slice of bread, but in such shape that the boy stared at it, puzzled as to how it could have become so.

It was flattened out quite thin, but the strangest part of it was that it bore what seemed to be the marks of thumb and fingers from a very large hand. So big, in fact, was the print, that Mark's hand scarce covered half of it, and, where the bread had been squeezed into a putty like ma.s.s (for it was quite fresh) the peculiar markings on the skin of the tips of the fingers were visible.

”It looks as if a giant grabbed this slice of bread,” Mark observed.

”There are strange happenings aboard this s.h.i.+p. I wish I knew what they meant.”

He looked all around for the food, thinking perhaps a rat had dragged it off, but there was no trace of it.

Suddenly the boy thought he heard a sound from the big storeroom. He was almost sure he heard something moving in there. He started toward the door when he was stopped by hearing the professor's voice call:

”Don't open that door, Mark. Have I not told you that place must not be entered?”

”I thought I heard some one in there,” Mark replied.

”There is nothing in there but some apparatus of mine,” Mr. Henderson said. ”I want no one to see it. What is the matter?”

Mark explained matters to the scientist, who had, as he said later, arisen on hearing the boy, moving about.