THE FIGHT OFF CAPE NOME.
"Captain, are you dead?"
It was Gilson who uttered the cry, as he rushed forward through the
smoke, to where Oscar was leaning against a post, gasping for breath.
"No--no, Gilson," was the answer. "But we--we must have some fre-fresh
air!"
Gilson knew what to do and ran with might and main to where the air was
stored.
He turned several cocks and soon the foul air was being forced out of
the Holland XI. and fresh air began to circulate through the various
compartments.
This had hardly been done when Oscar heard a voice calling him. Then
the engineer appeared, as pale as death and with his forehead bandaged.
"Reckon I was knocked out," said George Dross. "What happened?"
"A good many things," answered Oscar. "How do you feel?"
"As weak as a half drowned cat, captain. But what is wrong? Did the
lightning knock us inside out?"
"Almost," answered the young commander, and told the engineer some of
the particulars.
"I'll do what I can with that engine," said Dross. "But it's a ticklish
job--with so much electricity flying around loose."
"Be careful," returned Oscar. "I don't want you to get knocked out for
good."
He followed the engineer to the doorway of the engine room and here a
long consultation took place.
Then it was decided that Dross should try to manage one part of the
engine while Oscar managed another, both at the same time.
In the meantime the Holland XI. continued to swing around in a circle
and once the craft came close to throwing herself completely over on
the starboard side.
"Now then, ready, George?"
"Yes, captain."
"Then let her go."
Both strained at their task and several sharp clicks followed. Then
Oscar sprang to a nearby lever and gave it a pull.
Instantly the power was shut off and in a moment more the Holland XI.
came to a standstill on the bosom of the ocean.
"Hurrah, we have stopped her at last!" cried Oscar, enthusiastically.
With the turning off of the electricity it became safe to walk all
over the submarine craft and both Oscar and the engineer, as well as
Gilson, set to work to repair damages.
While they were at work the most of the men who had been shocked by the
lightning came to their senses and wanted to know all about what had
happened.
But poor Andy still lay in a stupor and he did not recover until
several hours after.
It was no mean task to repair all the damage done to the intricate
machinery of the Holland XI. and for two days every man on board was
kept busy.
Fortunately, however, nothing had been destroyed but the burnt-out
switchboard, and luckily there was a duplicate switchboard in the
storeroom. Oscar himself put this into place and when tried it worked
perfectly.
"Now I reckon we are all right once more," said the young commander,
after a test had been made of all the working parts of the submarine
boat.
Yet to make certain that he was ready for active service, once again he
ran the Holland XI. out into the ocean and made her go through all the
movements of blowing up a warship.
Then the course was changed for Cape Nome and soon they were but a few
miles from that port.
An American warship was sighted, but Oscar got no opportunity to hail
her, for she was steaming along at full speed.
"Looks as if she was running from something," said Andy.
The American warship had scarcely sailed out of sight to the southeast
than the lookout announced a strange craft coming up from the southwest.
The new Holland was sunk almost to the level of the ocean, so that only
the trap deck was above the water.
At last they made out the newcomer to be a big Russian cruiser, the
Ivan II.
She was supposed to be the largest warship in the Russian navy, if not
in the world.
She carried a battery of over a hundred large guns and her muster roll
counted over two thousand men.
"By jove! but she's a wonder!" muttered Andy, as he gazed at her
through a glass.
"She is, and she's not alone," answered Oscar. "See two more warships
have come into view."
The young captain was right. The second and the third ships were also
Russian, and these were followed by a Chinese cruiser and a Japanese
frigate, and then came six other Russian vessels.
By this time the Ivan II. was so close that Oscar thought it best to
descend below the surface of the ocean, and coming down with Andy he
gave orders for the trap-door to be closed.
The button which communicated with the machinery of the Holland was
touched, but, much to the young commander's surprise, the trap-door
remained open.
"Hullo, something is wrong there again!" he cried, and ran to push the
button himself.
It worked all right, but he speedily discovered that the connection
with the power was broken in the engine room.
"We must shut the trap by hand!" he cried to Andy. "Quick, before that
Russian cruiser spots us!"
The chums ran up the ladder to move the door.
But the plate was heavy and ran in a tight groove which was
water-proof, and for the minute it refused to budge.
Suddenly a yell came from the deck of the Ivan II.
The Holland had been discovered.
"The accursed American sea-devil!" roared the Russian captain. "If she
gets the chance she will sink us as she has sunk the Tien-Tsin and
other ships."
He ordered that a bomb be brought on deck with all speed.
This was done, and a few seconds later the deadly thing was hurled
straight at the Holland XI.
It struck the open trap-door, bumped on the steps, and rolled at
Oscar's feet.
The fuse was burning briskly, and in a few seconds more the bomb would
go off, creating destruction and death upon every hand!