OUT OF THE ICE
Worn out with their encounter with the octupus, Andy and the boys were
glad to take to their bunks. The others, too, who were weary from
traveling under water, felt the need of rest, and so it was decided to
let the ship remain stationary down on the bottom of the ocean for
several hours before going on further.
"When we get rested up we'll have a good meal, and then try to gain the
surface of the ocean," said the professor.
There was quiet on board the _Porpoise_ for a long time. Washington was
the first to awake and he at once set about getting a meal. When it was
ready he called the professor, and, one after another all the
adventurers rose from their bunks and refreshed themselves with hot
coffee, bacon, eggs and preserves, all prepared from condensed foods, of
which a large supply had been brought.
"Now to see if we can make our way upward through the ice," announced
Mr. Henderson.
"We ought to be far enough south to strike the open polar sea which I
believe exists."
The engine was started after the small leaks in the bow, caused by the
ramming of the boat on the rocks, had been stopped up, and the
professor, entering the conning tower, turned her due south.
The screw vibrated in the tunnel, the water rushed out in a big stream,
the engines and dynamos hummed, and the hearts of all were lightened as
they knew they were nearing the goal of their journey.
Several hours passed and the professor, who was keeping watch of the
gages noted they had covered more than one hundred miles. As the supply
of compressed air was getting low Mr. Henderson, not wanting to run any
chances, decided to make an attempt to reach the surface and refill the
tanks.
Accordingly the water tanks were emptied of their ballast, the rudder
was set to force the ship to the surface, and soon the depth gage showed
a constantly decreasing amount of water over the heads of the
adventurers.
"Now, if we don't hit the ice above us we'll be all right," spoke Mr.
Henderson. "We are within fifteen feet of the surface."
Hardly had he ceased speaking when the _Porpoise_ brought up against
something with a bump that jarred everyone. Then the submarine went
scraping along, hitting the conning tower every now and then.
"Not clear of the ice yet," said Mr. Henderson. "We must go down a
little and try again."
The tanks were filled with enough water to keep the boat about fifty
feet under the surface, and at that depth she was sent ahead at full
speed. The professor's face wore an anxious look, and when Washington
asked him if it was not time to replenish the air supply of the boat the
inventor told the colored man to be very sparing of the contents of the
compressing tanks.
"I'm afraid we are not as near the open sea as I at first thought," Mr.
Henderson finished.
On and on rushed the _Porpoise_. The engines were kept at full speed,
and after two hours of this fast run another attempt was made to reach
the surface. Once more the thick ice intervened.
"Guess we'll have to blast our way out," observed Andy. "We seem to have
lots of trouble on this trip."
"Why not try to ram your way through," suggested Jack.
"How do you mean?" asked Mr. Henderson.
"I mean to sink the boat say two hundred feet. Then start her up
obliquely and perhaps the sharp prow will cut a hole through the ice."
"Hardly through ice fifteen feet or more thick," said the captain
despondently.
"But it may be thinner now," persisted Jack.
"At any rate it will do no harm to try," the inventor admitted. "We can
not last much longer down here."
Again the tanks were filled, and by the aid of the deflecting rudder the
_Porpoise_ went down into the depths. Then the ballast tanks were
quickly emptied, and the rudder turned so as to force the craft upward
on a slant. The engine was set going at top speed.
"Hold fast everybody!" called the professor. "It is kill or cure this
trip!"
Like an arrow from a bow the _Porpoise_ shot upward. On and on it sped,
gathering momentum with every foot she traveled.
Suddenly there came a terrible crash, a grinding sound and a rending and
tearing. The ship trembled from end to end. Every one was knocked from
his feet. There were bumpings and scrapings all along the sides of the
submarine. Then, with one final spurt of speed, the little ship tore her
way through the ice and emerged, with a splash and shower of foam into
the open sea!
Quickly the man hole was opened and, half dead from lack of fresh air,
the adventurers crawled out on deck. It was night and the stars
glittered in the sky above. They were just beyond the edge of the ice
field, and all about them was a wide open sea.
"I was right after all," said the professor, "but I miscalculated the
distance. Had we gone on a few feet farther it would not have been
necessary to break through the ice."
"I guess it's a lucky thing we didn't try it before either," remarked
Andy. "We never could have bored through fifteen feet of the frozen
stuff. Where we plowed up it is less than two feet," and he pointed to
where the immense floe came to an end.
It was decided to go no farther that night, however, as the professor
wanted to take some observations by daylight and ascertain his position.
So filling their lungs with the air, cold and piercing though it was,
the adventurers descended to their cabin, and lots were drawn to see who
would stand the two night watches. It fell to Mr. Henderson to take the
first, and Washington the second. The captain accordingly took up his
position in the conning tower and prepared to pass several hours.
He was busy thinking over the exciting times he and his companions had
passed through, and planning new trips to see more wonders of the world,
when his attention was attracted by slight noise near the man hole
leading to the amidship companionway.
The professor looked up, and was startled to see a tall white object,
with outstretched arms advancing toward him with slow and stealthy
tread.
"The ghost again!" exclaimed the inventor softly. "I must catch it now,
and see what foolishness it is," for the professor did not believe in
spirits.
He got down on his hands and knees the better to escape observation,
should the white thing prove to be a bodily substance, and started to
crawl toward it. He came within ten feet of the thing, and could make
out that it was a man, or at least the semblance of one, all clothed in
white.
Nearer and nearer the inventor crawled to the thing. It turned to face
him now and Mr. Henderson could not help feeling startled as he saw the
object had no head. The neck ended in a white stump.
In spite of a little feeling of qualmishness, which even his boasted
disbelief in ghosts did not save him from, Mr. Henderson was about to
spring upon the thing and solve the mystery.
At that instant, however, Washington, who was coming on deck to take up
his watch, appeared at the head of the companionway, and caught sight of
the terrible object.
The yells of the colored man as he dove downward and back into the
cabin, aroused the ship. Determined to solve the mystery, in spite of
everything, the professor made a leap forward. He slipped, and tumbled
down the iron stairway. At the same time, the ghost, with a blood
curdling yell, leaped over the professor's back, and disappeared down
the stairs of the conning tower.
In an instant the crew were rushing from their bunk rooms, seeking a
meaning for the disturbance.
"It was the ghost again," explained the professor as he picked himself
up, not much the worse for his tumble. "I tried to catch it, but I
didn't. Come, Washington, it is your turn to stand watch."
"Not to-night," said Washington firmly.
It was no use to urge him, so Jack good-naturedly stood Washington's
trick. Nothing further however occurred that night.
In the morning the professor made several observations and found that he
was within one hundred and fifty miles of the south pole.
"We'll make it to-morrow, if we have luck," he said.