Part 28 (1/2)
Rob shook his head
”Not a bitat her utmost now”
”Then we're stuck?”
”It looks that way”
”And we're dooot out of that cliff!”
”Never say, 'die,' Merritt We've done the best we can, and ren said that he had a plan if all else failed”
”Yes, 'a forlorn hope' he called it”
”In a case like this we can endure anything Desperate situations require desperateScout leader spoke, Ensign Hargreaves burst into the engine roo, and the hull of the _Peace under their powerful stress
”Have you developed every ounce of power they are capable of?” asked the naval officer
”Yes, sir,” responded Rob respectfully; ”they can't do another revolution”
The officer looked anxious
”In that case, we shall have to resort to my forlorn hope,” he said
”And what is that, sir?” asked Rob, his heart beating uncomfortably fast
”Con turned and swung out of the engine roo waited only to shut off the engines
In the main cabin Mr Barr, his face white and strained, sat on one of the leather divans
He looked up as the boys and the naval officer entered
”The engines won't back her out?” he asked in a voice harsh and rough frohty bad fix This submarine cliff must be of a sort of blue clay formation that is common off this coast We have apparently driven into it so far that nothing short of an earthquake would dislodge us”
”An earthquake?”
”Yes; such a spasm of nature alone can set us free”
”Then we are doomed to remain here”
”Not of necessity; we have still a chance of escape”
”What do you mean?”