第31章

The ballast tanks were emptied, the rising rudder set, and the M.N.1 began to ascend.She was still several fathoms from the surface when all on board became aware of a violent pitching and tossing motion.

"Bless my postage stamp, Tom!" exclaimed Mr.Damon, "what's the matter now?""Has anything gone wrong?" demanded Mr.Hardley.

"Nothing, except that we are coming up into a storm," answered theyoung inventor."The wind is blowing hard up above and the waves are high.The swell makes itself felt even down here."Tom's explanation of the cause of the pitching and rolling of the submarine proved correct.When they reached the surface and an observation was taken from the conning tower, it was seen that a terrific storm was raging.It was out of the question to open the hatches, or the M.

N.1 would have been swamped.The waves were high, it was raining hard and the wind blowing a hurricane.

"Well, here's where we demonstrate the advantage of traveling in a submarine," announced Tom, when it was seen that journeying on the surface was out of the question."The disturbance does not go far below the top.We'll submerge and be in quiet waters."He gave the orders, and soon the craft was sinking again.The deeper she went the more untroubled the sea became, until, when half way to the bottom, there was no vestige of the storm.

"Are we going to lie here on the bottom all day, or make some progress toward our destination?" asked the gold-seeker, when Tom came into the main cabin after a visit to the engine room."It seems to me," went on Mr.Hardley, "that we've wasted enough time! I'd like to get to the wreck, and begin taking out the gold.""That is my plan," said Tom quietly."We will proceed presently--just as soon as navigating calculations can be made and checked up.If we travel under water we want to go in the right direction."His manner toward the gold-seeker was cool and distant.It was easy to see that relations were strained.But Tom would fulfill his part of the contract.

A little later, after having floated quietly for half an hour or so, the craft was put in motion, traveling under water by means of her electric motors.All that day she surged on through the salty sea, no more disturbed by the storm above than was some mollusk on the sandy bottom.

It was toward evening, as they could tell by the clocks and not by any change in daylight or darkness, that, as the submarine traveled on, there came a sudden violent concussion.

"What's that?" cried Mr.Damon.

"We've struck something!" replied Tom, who was with the others in the cabin, the navigation of the craft having been entrusted to one of the officers."Keep cool, there's no danger!""Perhaps we have struck the wreck!" exclaimed Mr.Hardley.

"We aren't near her," answered the young inventor."But it may be some other half-submerged derelict.I'll go to see, and--"Tom's words were choked off by a sudden swirl of the craft.She seemed about to turn completely over, and then, twisted to an uncomfortable angle, so that those within her slid to the side walls of the cabin, the M.N.1 came to an abrupt stop.At the same time she seemed to vibrate and tremble as if in terror of some unknown fate.

"Something has gone wrong!" exclaimed Tom, and he hurried to the engine room, walking, as best he could with the craft at that grotesque angle.The others followed him.

"What's the matter, Earle?" asked Tom of his chief assistant.

"One of the rudders has broken, sir," was the answer."It's thrown us off our even keel.I'll start the gyroscope, and that ought to stabilize us.""The gyroscope!" cried Tom."I didn't bring it.I didn't think we'd needit!"

For a moment Earle looked at his commander.Then he said:

"Well, perhaps we can make a shift if we can repair the broken rudder.

We must have struck a powerful cross current, or maybe a whirlpool, that tore the main rudder loose.We've rammed a sand bank, or stuck her nose into the bottom in some shallow place, I'm afraid.We can't go ahead or back up.""Do you mean we're stuck, as we were in the mud bank?" asked Mr.Hardley.

"Yes," answered Tom, and Earle nodded to confirm that version of it."But we'll get out!" declared Tom."This is only a slight accident.Itdoesn't amount to anything, though I'm sorry now I didn't take my father's advice and bring the gyroscope rudder along.It would have acted automatically to have prevented this.Now, Mr.Earle, we'll see what's to be done."All night long they worked, but when morning came, as told by theclocks, they were still in jeopardy.

And then a new peril confronted them!

Earle, coming from the crew's quarters, spoke to Tom quietly in the main cabin.

"We'll have to turn on one of the auxiliary air tanks," he said."We've consumed more than the usual amount on account of the men working so hard, and we used one of the compressed air motors to aid the electrics.We'll have to open up the reserve tank.""Very well, do so," ordered Tom.

But a grim look came to his face when Earle, returning a little later, reported with blanched cheeks:

"The extra tank hasn't an atom of air in it, sir!" "What do you mean?" asked Tom, in fear and alarm.

"I mean that the valve has been opened in some way--broken perhaps by accident--and all the air we have is what's in the submarine now.Not an atom in reserve, sir!""Whew!" whistled Tom, and then he stood up and began breathing quickly.

Already the atmosphere was beginning to be tainted, as it always becomes in a closed place when no fresh oxygen can enter.Without more fresh air the lives of all in the submarine were in imminent peril.And even as Tom listened to the report of his officer, he and the others began gasping for breath.