Part 32 (1/2)

”How is that?” asked Mark. ”I don't quite understand.”

”Because there is, I believe, a big sheet of ice above us, one, say several hundred feet thick. The same thing is below us, between us and the 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 where there 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, we will find an open polar sea. If we do my theory will be proved and we will 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 position in the conning tower, and had Jack with him to a.s.sist in looking for any obstructions that they might unexpectedly meet.

The big searchlight gave a fine illumination, for the ice above and below reflected back the beams, and what would otherwise have been a sea of darkness was made one of daylight.

The water swarmed with fish, but they were like none that the adventurers had ever seen or dreamed of before. There were monsters with hideous heads, and eyes so large that they occupied nearly half of the ugly bodies.

Then there were serpent-like forms, fish with long slender bodies and whip-fas.h.i.+oned tails, with jaws that extended before them for ten feet or more. Others there were, great lumbering monsters that crawled along on the ice, somewhat as seals do.

After several hours' travel the submarine ran into a school of fish that had shapes like those of polar bears, while their heads were like those of sharks. The creatures swarmed up to the side of the vessel, and some scratched with their claw-like fins on the gla.s.s windows of the conning tower and the side bull's-eyes.

A meal was prepared by Was.h.i.+ngton, and all the adventurers brought good appet.i.tes to the table. On and on rushed the s.h.i.+p, every hour coming nearer and nearer to the pole.

Professor Henderson had turned the steering of the craft over to Mark, who, with Jack as an a.s.sistant 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 Was.h.i.+ngton had to slow up to cool them,” suggested Jack.

He looked through one of the side windows in the conning tower, a moment later, and uttered a cry of fear.

”What is it?” asked Mark.

Jack pointed with a hand that trembled from fright. Staring at them through the thick gla.s.s of the bull's-eye the boys beheld the most hideous sea monster they had yet encountered.

It seemed to be a vast circular ma.s.s of flesh, twenty feet in diameter, and, in the middle were two openings each three feet across. They were like big holes, and, at the farther end of them could be seen two unblinking eyes. In the centre was a horrible mouth, armed with a triple row of teeth.

Down below there was a short body, at the end of which was a smaller disk, armed with a sharp h.o.r.n.y point.

”What is it?” asked Jack in a whisper.

”I don't know,” replied Mark.