OUT OF ONE DANGER INTO ANOTHER.
Entombed alive!
Such was the agonizing thought which came to the mind of everybody on
board of the Holland XI.
The submarine craft was caught in the cave under the ocean, and there
seemed no way of escape.
The darkness outside was intense, and the water still boiled and foamed
upon every side.
Once a huge rock came squarely down upon the upper side of the new
Holland with a shock that made those inside fear the craft would be
smashed flat.
But at last all became quiet as a tomb.
The searchlight was brought into play and they looked eagerly for some
way out of the cave.
But rear and front entrances were blocked by rocks almost as large as
the Holland herself and could not be budged.
An hour passed--a time full of awful anxiety.
What if the whole top of the sea-cave should give way?
It would prove the end of the new Holland and all on board!
"We must do something," said Oscar. "I am going outside.
"You may be killed," said Andy.
"And I may be killed staying here."
"If you go I shall go with you," returned the lieutenant.
Together the chums put on diving suits.
Then the torpedo trap was opened and they glided out on the bottom of
the sea-cave.
It was of sand, with sharp rocks scattered here and there.
Oscar took with him a powerful electric hand light, and also a small
dynamite shell.
The pair walked to the front end of the cave and made a thorough
examination of the rocks.
"No way out of here," muttered Oscar, and then shook his head at Andy,
who also replied in the negative.
The next movement was toward the rear end of the cave.
They had just passed the stern of the Holland XI. when Oscar grabbed
Andy by the arm and pointed ahead.
A huge mound of sand was moving, as if it were alive!
With anxious eyes they gazed on the sand pile, until of a sudden it
was scattered in all directions and from underneath a huge sea serpent
showed itself.
The monster was all of thirty feet long and as thick around as a
good-sized stovepipe.
It had a broad, flat head, from out of which shone two hideous eyes of
bright yellow.
Its color was green and white, and its tail was shaped like that of a
fish.
In a twinkle it curled itself into a number of loops and raised its
slimy head.
Those piercing eyes were turned first upon Andy and then upon Oscar.
They moved from one to the other with the steadiness of a clock
pendulum, and each young man was fairly fascinated.
Andy tried to move, but found himself rooted to the spot, for those
yellow eyes had burnt themselves into his very brain.
Oscar, too, was almost transfixed.
Then slowly, but surely, the huge serpent moved closer to the two,
intending to embrace the pair as one and crush them.
But the movement broke the spell so far as Oscar was concerned, and
hardly knowing what he was doing the young captain hurled the dynamite
shell at the water reptile.
It struck the serpent on the head, and with a strange hiss the monster
set its teeth into the shell.
Oscar was pulling Andy with him.
There was a dull explosion, and the water was filled with bits of the
serpent's head and neck and also with the sand which was stirred up.
When Oscar got up again he found the serpent's harmless body whipping
itself furiously against the rocks.
Andy was so weak he could hardly stand, and Oscar had to support him
back to the submarine craft.
All on board shivered when they heard of the sea serpent, and by
turning the searchlight in that direction they saw the body still
coiling and uncoiling on the sand.
"I wouldn't go out there for a million dollars," said Marney, the air
man.
"Nor I," said Walton, the fellow in charge of the ammunition room.
"Well, I'm going out again," said Oscar. "But this time I shall go
armed with a rifle as well as with the dynamite."
The new Holland boasted of several electric rifles, which could readily
be discharged under water.
"I'll go along in place of Andy, if you'll have me," said old George
Dross.
"All right," said Oscar.
The pair were soon outside, each with a rifle and each carrying a
dynamite bomb.
They made a thorough examination of the cave and during that time
nothing but a few curious, but harmless, fish came to disturb them.
At one point they discovered a small opening through which came a faint
light.
Some small rocks were in the way and these pulled aside they saw that
only one large stone lay between them and the outside ocean.
Oscar pointed to the rock and to his dynamite shell and George Dross
nodded, to show that he understood.
The two shells which they carried were placed in proper position and
they hurried back to the Holland.
They had scarcely re-entered the submarine craft when the dynamite
shells went off.
The water was filled with the shattered rocks and as these cleared away
they saw a good-sized opening ahead.
"Hurrah, for our imprisonment is at an end!" cried Andy.
The new Holland was sent forward at full speed through the opening, and
once she was free those on board lost no time in quitting the vicinity
of the islands.
"No more ocean cave for me," said Oscar. "One such experience is enough
for me."
"And that serpent!" said Andy, with a shudder. "I imagine I'll dream
of him for many a night to come." And he did, getting such a nightmare
that Oscar often had to wake him up.
Four days later they came up to a point within twenty-two miles of Cape
Nome.
The weather was now fine and a constant lookout was kept for foreign
ships.
Once they passed an American warship bound for Seattle, and hailed her
for news.
The Americans knew nothing about the Russian fleet, but said the people
at Cape Nome were daily in fear of attack.
"Well, I can't say that I blame them," said Oscar. "That gold must be a
great temptation."
"Right you are," returned Andy.
For several hours the sky had been overcast, showing that a heavy storm
was at hand.
It was so hot on board of the Holland XI. that the young captain hated
to order the submarine craft below the surface of the ocean.
"I don't believe that storm can do us much damage," he said.
"Unless we get struck by the lightning," replied Andy.
Presently it began to rain, but this did not matter, for what little
water came into the new Holland ran into the well and was promptly
pumped out by the electric pump.
Oscar was tired, for he had been working hard for several hours,
helping to repair some wires which had broken.
He laid down to rest, and was just in a doze when a report like a
cannon close to his ears almost stunned him.
The air was full of electricity, and as soon as he recovered he
realized that what Andy had mentioned had happened. The Holland XI. had
been struck by lightning.
Staggering to his feet he made his way toward the engine room.
He had scarcely entered the compartment when he stumbled over the body
of George Dross.
"Dross!" he murmured. "Are you dead?"
No reply came back and the engineer lay like a log where he had fallen.
Oscar had scarcely made his unwelcome discovery when he noticed that
something was wrong with the engines of the new Holland.
The submarine craft was running at a furious rate of speed, the
indicator showing several points beyond the danger limit.
"My graciolus! This won't do!" he ejaculated, and leaped to the
controlling lever.
As his hand touched the lever a spark of fire flew from the end of it
to a wheel close at hand.
Oscar received a shock, but not such a one as he would have gotten had
his hand remained on the bar of steel.
"Oh!" he gasped. "That was a close shave. I might have been
electrocuted!"
By this time he heard Andy calling to him.
"Here I am, in the engine room," he called back.
"Stop the boat! We are shipping water fast!" came from Andy.
"I can't stop her!" replied Oscar. "Shut the trap-door at once."
Without delay Andy tried to follow out the order given.
No sooner had he touched the steel plate than he gave a gasp and fell
down the companionway and lay like one dead.
The fall reached Oscar's ears and he came out to see what was the
matter.
Then the terrible truth burst upon him.
The bolt of lightning had disarranged the electric machinery on board
of the Holland XI. and the submarine craft was now at the mercy of the
powerful current which seemed to be beyond control.