Part 13 (2/2)
After an hour spent in this ht itched off and the panels slid back into place
”I think ill rise now,” said the inventor; ”you boys had better hold on, for we o up,” muttered Tubby, rather nervously The stout youth was not particularly in love with the dark depths in which they were navigating In fact, all the lads, though they did not adht It was an awe-inspiring feeling--too awe-inspiring to be comfortable--to be in the depths of the ocean where no keel had ever before plowed
Mr Barr re tower Asound told that the puallons a minute The submarine could be felt to leap upward toward the surface The boys held on for dear life, exchanging rather alarlances
All at once the pace slackened, and the swishi+ng sound ceased Mr Barr had decided that the pace was too swift and had cut off the puasped Donald ”At the rate ere going up we'd have bounced clean out of the sea”
”I guess we're all right now,” remarked Merritt
The words had hardly left his lips when there came a jar and a bump that shook the submarine in her every frame and rivet
The boys were thrown from their feet and hurled about the cabin At the saan to back, but slowly, like a stricken ani!”
These and a hundred other exclamations came from the alarmed boys
Mr Barr poked his head down into the cabin
”Are you all right below?” he asked
”Yes; but what has happened?”
”Have we been badly da?”
The above questions were all shouted at once in the tense excitement
Barton, his face white as ashes, caine roohtened voice
”I don't know; but we struck so, possibly a sunken wreck, a hard bloas the inventor's reply Although his face was deadly pale, his voice ithout a tremor as he spoke
”We ins, and Ross,” addressing the three sailors who had appeared from forward, ”make an examination forward at once and see if any of the plates have started If you find a suspicion of a leak report to me at once”
The sailors, trained in naval discipline, saluted, and hastened off on their errand
”If we are leaking, what are we to do?” demanded Rob
”Meet death as bravely as we can,” was the reply in steady tones; ”subo to the bottom unless we can find some way to stop the leak”