Part 12 (2/2)

”What was it?” asked someone.

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

”Power's shut off!” cried Was.h.i.+ngton. ”We didn't hit nothin'! Something hit us!”

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

”Somethin's rammin' us,” went on Was.h.i.+ngton.

”It must be a big monster. I was sterrin' along an' there was nothin' in de road, when all of a suddint, ker-plunk! We's. .h.i.t. Look ahead, an' you can't see nothin'!”

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

The next instant the s.h.i.+p careened as something struck her a violent blow on the port side. Everyone almost toppled over from the force of the impact.

”Dar he goes agin!” cried Was.h.i.+ngton.

”We're attacked by a whale!” said the professor. ”We must rise to the surface or it may damage the s.h.i.+p.”

”If it's a whale I'd like to get a shot at it,” put in Andy Sudds, from the 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 be something very big and strong.”

”It's a monster of some sort,” put in Andy, ”and I want a chance at him.”

”It's too risky,” murmured the professor. ”We couldn't get down to bottom here, as the water is several miles deep, and the pressure would crush the _Porpoise_, strong as she is.”

Once more came a terrible blow and the s.h.i.+p rocked in a swirl of foam beneath the waves. In quick succession two more fierce onslaughts were made 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 the surface, for I do not believe the creature will follow us there. Empty the tanks, Was.h.i.+ngton.”

The colored man started the pumps, and the professor watched the gages that told the depth of the craft. The pointer should have begun to swing around in a few seconds after the tanks began to empty. Instead it remained stationary.

”Strange,” said Mr. Henderson. ”I wonder if anything is wrong with the machinery.”

”More like the whale, or whatever it is, is on top of the boat, holding her down,” suggested Andy.

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

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

For a few minutes the thought of the awful fate that would be theirs if the s.h.i.+p should be wrecked under the water made each one speechless. As they stood looking at each other, not knowing what to do, the attack was renewed on the port side.

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

”I have an idea!” cried Andy suddenly.

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