PLOTTING
With fear in their hearts the refugees stared at one another. Grace
Sheldon shrank close to her father, who silently patted her shoulder.
“There, there, Grace,” he said, soothingly, “I dare say we shall find a
way out of this. Don’t worry.”
“But, Papa, I can’t help it,” she replied in tremulous tones. “He--I’m
afraid--yes, I’m sure he’s insane--Dr. Klauss is certainly insane.”
Mr. Sheldon looked at Jerry and his chums.
“What is your opinion, boys?” he asked. “You heard what he said; what
do you think?”
“I think as Grace does,” declared Bob. “We are in a submarine with a
madman!”
Jerry nodded his head slowly.
“That is my view,” he stated, in a low voice. “Either his imaginary
wrongs, or his labors over this craft have turned his brain. He is
certainly insane.” Ned indicated his acquiescence.
“Then, since we are agreed on that--and I may say I came to this
conclusion some time ago,” went on Mr. Sheldon, “the next question
is--what can we do?”
“We’ve got to do something,” declared Jerry, firmly. “It is risking our
lives to stay here.”
“But how can we get away?” asked Ned. “If we were on an ordinary ship
we would have some chance. We could drop overboard, if worse came to
worst, and swim. Or we might lower a boat some dark night, and get away
in that.
“But here we are, five hundred feet, more or less, under water. We
don’t even know how to get out of this boat, save by the hatchway, and
to open that under water would mean the death of all of us.”
“Of course!” exclaimed Jerry. “That is not to be thought of. But there
must be some other way of getting out of this boat while under water,
if what Dr. Klauss told Professor Snodgrass is true. You remember he
spoke of going out in diving suits on the bottom of the sea. There must
be some arrangement of double doors, and a water chamber in the side of
the boat.”
“But, even if we did get out, what good would that do?” asked Ned. “We
couldn’t swim home, and we couldn’t all live in diving suits. There
must be some other way.”
“There is but one way that I can see,” spoke Mr. Sheldon.
“And that is----” began Jerry.
“To compel this madman, by some means, to put us ashore or on some
vessel.”
“But how can we?” asked Bob.
“That’s what we’ve got to plan,” said Jerry, who seemed to fall in with
Mr. Sheldon’s plan. “That’s what we’ve got to talk over.”
“And if he refuses again, as he most likely will?”
Jerry looked around the cabin before answering. Then, in a low voice he
said:
“There’s but one course left--mutiny!”
“Mutiny!” gasped Grace.
“I mean that we shall have to try to influence the crew against their
captain. I know that is considered contrary to marine law, but in
dealing with a maniac there is no law. We have to save our lives, and
that is the first law of nature.”
“But will the crew help us?” queried Ned.
“That’s what we’ve got to find out,” returned Jerry. “I fancy they
haven’t any love for their captain, and they can hardly refuse to help
us--especially when we tell them what he said. Why, their own case is
as bad as ours.”
“But there are two other Germans aboard,” spoke Bob. “They would
doubtless side with Dr. Klauss.”
“That would only make three,” remarked Jerry, “and if we can get the
crew to side with us we’d have nine on our side. That ought to answer.
Even if the crew won’t help us, we three fellows, and Mr. Sheldon and
the professor, ought to be able to hold our own against the six. Those
two Germans are likely to be old men.”
“But Rowland and his mates are probably husky chaps,” objected Bob.
“I don’t believe Ted Rowland will be against us when he hears what has
happened,” said Mr. Sheldon. “At worst we can but try, and really we
must do something.
“When Dr. Klauss first rescued Grace and me,” he went on, “I suspected
that all was not right with him. He had a most peculiar air. But it
was not until I spoke of wanting to get to my friends that opposition
developed. Even then it was not very strong. Dr. Klauss merely made
various excuses, and I thought perhaps he wanted to complete some
experimental tests before turning back to shore.
“But as a day or so passed his actions became more peculiar. Then he
flatly refused to let Grace and me go. I then feared I had to do with a
madman, though I did not disclose my apprehension. I did not know what
to do.
“When you boys so unexpectedly and providentially arrived I took
heart. It was a trick of fate. We had been traveling all that day,
and at night went to the surface for air. We could hear the storm
raging. Suddenly something struck the submarine, and Dr. Klauss
grew much excited. He seemed to think he was being attacked. Then he
investigated, turned on the light and--well, you know the rest, for you
boys came in.”
“Yes, we came in,” spoke Bob, with grim humor, “and now the puzzle is
how to get out again. It’s like a trap.”
“Oh, we’ll get out somehow,” declared Jerry, with more confidence than
he felt.
“One thing we might do,” said Mr. Sheldon. “And that is to wait one
more day. Then we can renew our request.”
“Why wait?” asked Bob.
“Because,” answered his uncle, “the mind of an insane person changes.
At one time he may refuse to do something, and later he will grant your
request. Dr. Klauss is no doubt crazy on only one subject. That is
his fancied grievance against our country. That has made him insane.
We will make another request, to-morrow, to be set ashore, and if he
refuses--why, we will see what we can do with the crew. Fortunately we
have our freedom on board, and that means a lot. If he locked us up we
would have hard work to perfect our plot.”
“And now, Uncle Nelson,” said Bob, “while we are having this
conference, won’t you tell me what it is that you were bringing from
Germany that was so valuable?”
“It is valuable yet, Bob,” was the reply. “I still have it, for I saved
it from the shipwreck. But, if it’s all the same to you, I had rather
not mention it here. We can’t tell who may be listening, and if Dr.
Klauss knew I had this he might take such precautions to prevent me
from ever getting away that it would spoil all our plans.”
“Why, is it his?”
“Well, he claims it, but it is not his. Some time later I will tell
you,” and with this Bob and his chums had to be content.
As there was nothing that could be done for the present the little
party sat about the cabin, talking. Mr. Sheldon had been shown by
Dr. Klauss how to open the shutters of the side windows, and how to
illuminate the water so that the fishes might be observed.
“It will give us something to do--something to take our minds off our
troubles--to watch the denizens of the deep,” he said as he opened the
slides.
The _Sonderbaar_ was plowing along far below the surface, but in what
direction, or in what locality, the boys could not tell. Nor could
they say whither they were eventually going, save perhaps back toward
Germany.
But the wonderful sight that greeted their eyes--the illuminated waters
swarming with ocean life--so interested them that, for the time, they
forgot their troubles.
“Oh, if I could but go out there, and get some specimens!” sighed
Professor Snodgrass. “I must make notes of what I see, at least,” and
he busied himself with pencil and paper.
“I wouldn’t want to go out with that fellow around,” observed Bob, with
a shudder, as an immense tiger shark swam into view. “He could bite a
man in twain at one clip.”
“And see that octopus!” cried Ned, pointing.
For some time the boys, Grace and Mr. Sheldon watched the marvelous
sight. Then Jerry suggested:
“I wonder if we would be stopped if we went to the pilot house or
engine room? I should like to see how the ship is navigated.”
“Yes, and it might come in useful if we carry out our mutiny,” added
Ned.
“Hush!” spoke Jerry quickly. “Not so loud. Dr. Klauss may come upon us
at any time.”
Ned looked around apprehensively, but the fanatical captain had not
entered the darkened cabin.
“Well, I’m going to make a try, anyhow,” went on Jerry. “He can’t do
more than order me out. Besides, I may get a chance to sound the crew.”
“I think it would be a good idea,” agreed Mr. Sheldon. “We have no time
to lose. While we are fairly comfortable here, think of the anxiety of
our friends and relatives--of the parents of you boys. We simply _must_
get away from this madman!”
So far as the boys could tell they had the run of the ship. No
restrictions had been placed on them, and they felt free to go where
they liked. Especially were they anxious to observe how the strange
craft was operated. It was knowledge that might be of vital necessity
soon.
If their next request to be set free was met with a refusal, then it
would be time to put their plot into execution.
Jerry, Ned and Bob had risen to go to the engine room, when Grace, who
was standing near one of the glass windows in the side of the cabin
gave a startled cry:
“What is it?” asked her father.
“Look!” she gasped. “A whale--a great whale, and he seems about to hit
us! Oh, tell Dr. Klauss--quick!”
She pointed to the window where could be seen, keeping pace with the
submarine, a monster whale that was fairly rubbing against the side of
the boat.