Part 12 (1/2)

”We'll go out and tell him some one in the cabin wants to see him. The fish will stay there. See, it is fastened to the gla.s.s by some sort of suction arrangement, like the octupus fish have on their arms. Then we'll look in and see what Wash does.”

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

”I'll go right instanter this minute,” said Was.h.i.+ngton. ”Don't no gra.s.s grow under dis chile's feet!”

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

Was.h.i.+ngton had no sooner entered the darkened cabin, and caught sight of the horrible staring red and green eyes looking straight at him, than he let out a yell that could be heard all over the s.h.i.+p. Then the colored man dropped on his knees and began to implore:

”Good please Mr. Satan fish, doan take Was.h.i.+ngton 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 circ.u.mulation ob de interiorness ob dis subicecream s.h.i.+p, so kindly pa.s.s me by dis time!”

”What's the matter?” asked Amos Henderson, as he came hurrying into the cabin, seeking the cause for Was.h.i.+ngton's loud cry.

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

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

”We's all goin' to be devoured alibe!” cried Was.h.i.+ngton pointing to the fish, that still clung to the gla.s.s.

”Ah, a sucker fis.h.!.+” remarked the inventor. ”A large specimen, too.

Don't be afraid Was.h.i.+ngton, 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 a bright glow. The big fish darted off, and, when the lights were turned out again, the terrible eyes did not reappear, much to their satisfaction.

”The lights scared it away,” remarked the inventor. ”But you mustn't get frightened so easily, Was.h.i.+ngton. You'll see stranger sights than that before you're through with this voyage.”

”Oh I wasn't 'fraid,” spoke up Was.h.i.+ngton. ”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 b.u.t.ton, for all you knows,”

replied Was.h.i.+ngton, with an air of great dignity, and went back to the engine 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 strange craft kept on. It grew much warmer, and even when some distance below the 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 s.h.i.+p, under the direction of Was.h.i.+ngton, was gliding along well under the sea, there came a sudden shock.

”We've hit something!” exclaimed Mr. Henderson as he jumped for the conning tower. The shock was repeated.