ATTACKED BY A MONSTER
For several days the _Porpoise_ plowed her way beneath the surface of
the ocean. Obedient to the directing hand of Professor Henderson she
rose or sank as the tanks were emptied or filled. He put the craft
through several rather difficult movements to test her under all
conditions. In each one she was a success.
Dinner was sometimes eaten five hundred feet below the surface. Then
while Washington washed the dishes and cleaned up the galley, Jack and
Mark looked from the side windows at the strange life under water.
They were getting farther south now and the water was warmer as the
equator was approached. This produced a great variety of animal life,
and the ocean fairly swarmed with fishes, big and little, strange and
curious that could be seen from the glass bull's-eyes.
Great sharks swam up alongside of the _Porpoise_, keeping pace with her
in spite of her speed. Their cruel tigerish eyes and ugly mouths made
the boys shudder as they looked at the creatures. Then came odd
creatures that seemed neither of the land or sea, but which swam along
with their horrible bodies flapping up against the glass. One and all,
the inhabitants of the ocean seemed to resent the intrusion of the
submarine.
One day the boys turned the light out in the cabin and sat in the
darkness the better to observe the fishes. The sea, in the vicinity of
the ship, was illuminated with a sort of glow that diffused from the
searchlight.
Suddenly, as the boys were watching, there came a thud on the glass
window at the port side. They glanced in that direction to see some
horrible thing peering in at them through the window.
At first they were greatly frightened. Two big eyes of green, with rims
of what looked like red fire, stared at them, and, there was an ugly
mouth lined with three rows of teeth.
"It's only a fish," said Mark.
"Well, I wouldn't like to meet it outside," said Jack. "I'd rather be
here. My, but it's a nasty sight!"
"Let's give Washington a little scare," suggested Mark.
"How?"
"We'll go out and tell him some one in the cabin wants to see him. The
fish will stay there. See, it is fastened to the glass by some sort of
suction arrangement, like the octupus fish have on their arms. Then
we'll look in and see what Wash does."
Jack agreed to the plan. The boys left the cabin, and Mark called to the
colored man, who was in the engine room.
"I'll go right instanter this minute," said Washington. "Don't no grass
grow under dis chile's feet!"
"Now listen," said Mark as he and Jack tiptoed after the colored man.
Washington had no sooner entered the darkened cabin, and caught sight of
the horrible staring red and green eyes looking straight at him, than he
let out a yell that could be heard all over the ship. Then the colored
man dropped on his knees and began to implore:
"Good please Mr. Satan fish, doan take Washington White," he begged.
"It's all a mistake. I didn't do nuffin. Good please Mr. Satan fish,
take some one else. It's disproportionate to de circumulation ob de
interiorness ob dis subicecream ship, so kindly pass me by dis time!"
"What's the matter?" asked Amos Henderson, as he came hurrying into the
cabin, seeking the cause for Washington's loud cry.
Jack and Mark, who came in at that juncture, were a little bit ashamed
of the trick they had played.
"What is the trouble?" repeated Mr. Henderson.
"We's all goin' to be devoured alibe!" cried Washington pointing to the
fish, that still clung to the glass.
"Ah, a sucker fish!" remarked the inventor. "A large specimen, too.
Don't be afraid Washington, it can't hurt you."
"He looks like he could," said the colored man. "Look at dem teef!"
Indeed the creature's mouth was a horrible sight, as it opened and shut.
"I'll show you how to get rid of him," said the professor.
He turned on the electric lights in the cabin, flooding the room with a
bright glow. The big fish darted off, and, when the lights were turned
out again, the terrible eyes did not reappear, much to their
satisfaction.
"The lights scared it away," remarked the inventor. "But you mustn't get
frightened so easily, Washington. You'll see stranger sights than that
before you're through with this voyage."
"Oh I wasn't 'fraid," spoke up Washington. "I were jest 'stonished,
dat's all."
"What did you get down on your knees for?" asked Mark with a grin.
"I might hab been lookin' for my collar button, for all you knows,"
replied Washington, with an air of great dignity, and went back to the
engine room.
For several days after this the _Porpoise_ continued on her way south.
Now and then appearing on the surface to renew the supply of fresh air,
and again skimming along under the surface, or deep down, the strange
craft kept on. It grew much warmer, and even when some distance below
the surface the heat could be felt in an uncomfortable manner.
"We're getting near the equator," explained the professor.
One afternoon, when dinner had just been finished, and the ship, under
the direction of Washington, was gliding along well under the sea, there
came a sudden shock.
"We've hit something!" exclaimed Mr. Henderson as he jumped for the
conning tower. The shock was repeated.
"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 Washington. "We didn't hit nothin'! Something
hit us!"
"What do you mean?" asked Mr. Henderson.
"Somethin's rammin' us," went on Washington.
"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 hit. 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 ship 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 Washington.
"We're attacked by a whale!" said the professor. "We must rise to the
surface or it may damage the ship."
"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 ship 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, Washington."
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 ship 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.
"What is it?" asked the professor quickly.
"Let me put a diving dress on," began the old hunter.
"I tell you we can't sink to the bottom in this depth of water,"
interrupted the professor.
"We don't need to," put in Andy. "All I want is a diving suit and a
chance to stand out in the diving chamber. I guess I can fix Mr. Whale,
if I have one of those electric guns."
"Quick! Get a diving suit, Washington!" cried Mr. Henderson. He saw what
the old hunter planned to do.
In a few minutes Andy was dressed in the suit. The attacks of the
monster had redoubled in frequency, and the ship rocked as in a storm.
Andy stepped into the diving chamber, clasping the electric gun. The
inner door was tightly closed and then the sea cocks that admitted water
from the outside were opened. When the pressure inside the chamber was
equal to that of the ocean outside some one pulled the lever that
opened the outer door.
Andy knew better than to step outside. He remained in the chamber, like
a sentinel hid in the embrasure of a wall, for the chamber was a sort of
big dent in the side of the _Porpoise_.
Once more the ship rocked from a terrific blow, and the old hunter was
nearly thrown out and into the fathomless depths below.
He clung to the door lever and peered out. Through the big glass eyes of
his copper helmet he saw headed straight at him a whale that seemed
larger than the submarine.