HOMEWARD BOUND
Trembling, blinking in the strong light, which must have hurt their
eyes after spending so much time in the dimness of their cabins, the
two old Germans were again summoned to the deck. Jerry gently explained
to them what had happened. The old men seemed greatly startled, and
spoke rapidly together in their strange language. Then, at Jerry’s
request, they called in the direction of the island.
There was no response. A megaphone was made of some cardboard, and that
was given to them. But though they shouted again and again the name of
the unfortunate commander, adding what was assumed to be assurances
that he would be well cared for, there was no answer.
“I guess he doesn’t want to come back,” remarked Jerry.
“But what are we to do?” asked Ned. “This is his boat and----”
“It’s going to be ours long enough for us to get back to Boston,”
declared Jerry, firmly. “Then Dr. Klauss can claim it--if he likes.”
“I almost wish we could keep it,” sighed Ned. “I’m beginning to like
this under-water travel.”
“Do you mean to go off and leave him on the island?” asked Bob.
“What else can we do?” responded his tall chum. “He won’t come when we
call. And, as a matter of fact, it looks as though one could live on
that island for some time. There is plenty of fruit, and probably birds
he can snare. Besides, he can make some sort of a signal, and a passing
ship will take him off. We owe it to ourselves, and to our friends and
families, not to stay here any longer than we have to.”
“I think that is so,” assented Mr. Sheldon, after some thought.
They explained matters to the old Germans, who agreed that Dr. Klauss
was not entitled to further consideration. On their part, they said,
they had had enough of him, and wanted to go back to their Fatherland.
They related briefly that they had been fellow scientific workers with
Dr. Klauss, who had asked them to make the submarine trip with him to
get valuable data. But they had had enough.
“Then we’ll start for home!” decided Jerry.
They remained at the surface for some hours, to allow a few repairs
to be made, to get rid of the last of the chlorine gas, and with the
faint hope that Dr. Klauss might consent to be rescued. But he did not
show himself. Everything was in readiness for the start.
Slowly the _Sonderbaar_, with her crazed commander absent, sank beneath
the waves.
“Homeward bound!” exclaimed Jerry with a sigh of relief.
“And I’m going to cook a dandy meal!” cried Bob, whereat the others
laughed. It was really the first meal they expected to eat with calm
minds, for even with Dr. Klauss in chains there was a constant worry.
Now he was gone.
“I say, Uncle Nelson, can’t you tell us that secret now?” asked Bob
that evening, when they were speeding homeward a short distance below
the surface. “What was it you were bringing from Germany?”
Mr. Sheldon opened a case that he took from his pocket. There was a
flash of light, and he held up to view a magnificent diamond necklace.
“This!” exclaimed Bob’s uncle. “It is an heirloom that our family has
long been trying to get. It has been stolen several times, and there
was a legal tangle as to the real owner. Finally I came into possession
of facts that proved my right to it--or, rather the right of myself and
your mother, Bob, and I went to Germany to prosecute the case.
“The odd part of it was that a German family also claimed the necklace,
and, had the case gone against me, Dr. Klauss would have had a share in
these jewels.”
“Dr. Klauss!” cried Jerry.
“Yes. And when I won the suit, and the necklace was awarded to me, the
doctor vowed to get it back. He did not know that I actually had it,
being only told that it had gone to an American. That is why I did not
want to mention it while he was aboard. He would have had a double
reason for hating me--and all of us. But it is safe now, and I hope
soon to be at home with this fortune in diamonds.”
“Well, that’s one mystery cleared up,” remarked Bob, while, Grace, with
shining eyes, tried on the gorgeous necklace.
“Yes, and if we could get back our _Comet_, and rescue the old sailor
on the _Hassen_, we’d clear up the other two,” spoke Ned.
“Well, I’m afraid we’ll have to build another _Comet_,” came from Jerry.
I will not tire you with a description of the voyage home. Sufficient
to say that it was made, without accident, though once, when in deep
water, a gigantic shark tried to ram the boat. But it was killed with
the electric bomb gun, as the whale had been.
The boys and the three machinists were able to run the submarine to
their entire satisfaction. After the first few days Jerry and his chums
ran it alone, to get the experience. They also halted once, went to the
bottom, and donned diving suits, for the professor wanted to get a few
more specimens. He secured some rare ones.
“Oh, this has been a most fortunate trip for me!” he cried, with
enthusiasm.
And finally the _Sonderbaar_ entered Boston Harbor, creating no end of
excitement. Great crowds watched her, and when her story was known the
excitement increased. The boys were overwhelmed by reporters.
“But before we tell anything let them tell us if the old sailor was
saved, and whether our airship was picked up,” stipulated Jerry.
“I can tell you about that,” volunteered an old reporter. “I had the
story of both. Your airship was picked up, badly damaged, but in the
main intact. Everyone supposed you were all drowned.”
“No wonder!” cried Bob. “We must send off telegrams at once to our
folks.”
After this was done, and the safety of Mr. Sheldon and Grace told of
to Bob’s mother, the newspaper men again begged for particulars of the
remarkable voyage.
“First tell us--was that old sailor saved?” asked Ned.
“You mean the one on the _Hassen_?” queried a reporter. “He was--a few
days after you left him. He was picked up, the vessel towed to this
harbor, and he got big salvage money. Most of the passengers and crew
were also saved.”
“Good!” cried Jerry. “Now give ’em our yarn, boys.”
And that it was a “yarn” well worth telling may well be believed.
Columns of it were printed.
“Oh! what a time we’ve had!” cried Jerry, when he and his chums finally
reached home, and were received by their tearful parents, who had
almost given up hope.
“Yes, it was tough part of the time, but I’m not sorry we went through
it,” spoke Ned. “I only wish we could get that submarine--or one like
it--and make other trips.”
“Well, we’ll be sure to do something more--soon,” said Bob. “We’ve got
to keep active!”
“Indeed--you’ll do nothing more for a long while!” cried his mother.
But the boys were destined for other adventures, and what they were
will be related in the next volume of this series, to be called “The
Motor Boys on Road and River; Or, Racing to Save a Life.”
The two elderly Germans left the submarine as soon as it was docked in
Boston Harbor. They said they were going back to their native land.
They had had enough of under-water life, they declared.
The boys watched the papers eagerly for news of Dr. Klauss, nor was
it long in coming. A small steamer, passing near the lonely island,
stopped for water. There they found the body of the unfortunate man.
He had died from natural causes, it seemed--probably from some ailment
that may have affected his mind. He was decently buried, and a stone
cairn marked his grave.
“Poor Dr. Klauss,” murmured Jerry. “I wonder who will get his submarine
now?”
“Why can’t we make a bid for it?” asked Ned, eagerly. “Probably his
family--if he has one--will be glad to sell it. And it’s over here now.
Let’s see if we can’t buy her.”
“Say, if we only could!” cried Bob, all enthusiasm now. “I never saw a
better place for cooking meals!”
“Or for having things happen!” added Jerry. And so, thus planning for
more thrilling adventures, we will take leave of the Motor Boys.
THE END
[Illustration: Polly says “JELL-O for me”]
If cast upon a desert isle
Like Crusoe long ago,
How dull the diet soon would be
How jaded you would grow!
Your gun would get you meat enough,
Your line would catch your fish,
But what a hunger you would have
For some nice snappy dish.
Then just suppose one sunny day,
While striding on the beach,
You’d hear your jolly Polly give
A most delightful screech.
And this is what old Pol would say--
For he’s a jolly fellow--
“I don’t want crackers, no-sir-ee,
When I can feast on Jell-O.
“We’ve lots of nuts on this here isle;
Go pick ’em, Mr. Crusoe,
We’d like to eat a good dessert,
Get busy and we’ll do so.”
There are six pure fruit flavors of Jell-O: Strawberry, Raspberry,
Lemon, Orange, Cherry, Chocolate. Every child wants the little book,
“Miss Jell-O Gives a Party,” and we will send it free upon request, but
be sure your name and address are plainly written.
_America’s most famous dessert_
[Illustration:
JELL-O
THE JELL-O COMPANY. Inc.
Le Roy, N. Y.
Bridgeburg, Ont.
_Reprinted by
permission of
John Martin’s Book,
the Child’s Magazine_
]
THE MOTOR BOYS SERIES
BY CLARENCE YOUNG
_12mo. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.00, postpaid_
[Illustration]
THE MOTOR BOYS
_or Chums Through Thick and Thin_
THE MOTOR BOYS OVERLAND
_or A Long Trip for Fun and Fortune_
THE MOTOR BOYS IN MEXICO
_or The Secret of the Buried City_
THE MOTOR BOYS ACROSS THE PLAINS
_or The Hermit of Lost Lake_
THE MOTOR BOYS AFLOAT
_or The Cruise of the Dartaway_
THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE ATLANTIC
_or The Mystery of the Lighthouse_
THE MOTOR BOYS IN STRANGE WATERS
_or Lost in a Floating Forest_
THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE PACIFIC
_or The Young Derelict Hunters_
THE MOTOR BOYS IN THE CLOUDS
_or A Trip for Fame and Fortune_
THE MOTOR BOYS OVER THE ROCKIES
_or A Mystery of the Air_
THE MOTOR BOYS OVER THE OCEAN
_or A Marvelous Rescue in Mid-Air_
THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE WING
_or Seeking the Airship Treasure_
THE MOTOR BOYS AFTER A FORTUNE
_or The Hut on Snake Island_
THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE BORDER
_or Sixty Nuggets of Gold_
THE MOTOR BOYS UNDER THE SEA
_or From Airship to Submarine_
THE MOTOR BOYS ON ROAD AND RIVER
_or Racing to Save a Life_
THE MOTOR BOYS AT BOXWOOD HALL
_or Ned, Bob and Jerry as Freshmen_
THE MOTOR BOYS ON A RANCH
_or Ned, Bob and Jerry Among the Cowboys_
THE MOTOR BOYS IN THE ARMY
_or Ned, Bob and Jerry as Volunteers_
THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE FIRING LINE
_or Ned, Bob and Jerry Fighting for Uncle Sam_
THE MOTOR BOYS BOUND FOR HOME
_or Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Wrecked Troopship_
THE MOTOR BOYS ON THUNDER MOUNTAIN
_or The Treasure Box of Blue Rock_
CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, Publishers New York
THE BOB DEXTER SERIES
BY WILLARD F. BAKER
_12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Jacket in Colors_
_=Price per volume, $1.00, postpaid=_
[Illustration]
_This is a new line of stories for boys, by the author of the Boy
Ranchers series. The Bob Dexter books are of the character that may
be called detective stories, yet they are without the objectionable
features of the impossible characters and absurd situations that
mark so many of the books in that class. These stories deal with the
up-to-date adventures of a normal, healthy lad who has a great desire
to solve mysteries._
1. BOB DEXTER AND THE CLUB-HOUSE MYSTERY
_or The Missing Golden Eagle_
This story tells how the Boys’ Athletic Club was despoiled of its
trophies in a strange manner, and how, among other things stolen, was
the Golden Eagle mascot. How Bob Dexter turned himself into an amateur
detective and found not only the mascot, but who had taken it, makes
interesting and exciting reading.
2. BOB DEXTER AND THE BEACON BEACH MYSTERY
_or The Wreck of the Sea Hawk_
When Bob and his chum went to Beacon Beach for their summer vacation,
they were plunged, almost at once, into a strange series of events, not
the least of which was the sinking of the Sea Hawk. How some men tried
to get the treasure off the sunken vessel, and how Bob and his chum
foiled them, and learned the secret of the lighthouse, form a great
story.
3. BOB DEXTER AND THE STORM MOUNTAIN MYSTERY
_or The Secret of the Log Cabin_
Bob Dexter came upon a man mysteriously injured and befriended him.
This led the young detective into the swirling midst of a series of
strange events and into the companionship of strange persons, not
the least of whom was the man with the wooden leg. But Bob got the
best of this vindictive individual, and solved the mystery of the log
cabin, showing his friends how the secret entrance to the house was
accomplished.
_Send For Our Free Illustrated Catalogue_
CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, PUBLISHERS New York
THE BASEBALL JOE SERIES
BY LESTER CHADWICK
_12mo. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.00, postpaid_
[Illustration]
1. BASEBALL JOE OF THE SILVER STARS
_or The Rivals of Riverside_
Joe is an everyday country boy who loves to play baseball and
particularly to pitch.
2. BASEBALL JOE ON THE SCHOOL NINE
_or Pitching for the Blue Banner_
Joe’s great ambition was to go to boarding school and play on the
school team.
3. BASEBALL JOE AT YALE
_or Pitching for the College Championship_
In his second year at Yale Joe becomes a varsity pitcher.
4. BASEBALL JOE IN THE CENTRAL LEAGUE
_or Making Good as a Professional Pitcher_
From Yale College to a baseball league of our Central States.
5. BASEBALL JOE IN THE BIG LEAGUE
_or A Young Pitcher’s Hardest Struggles_
From the Central League Joe goes to the St. Louis Nationals.
6. BASEBALL JOE ON THE GIANTS
_or Making Good as a Twirler in the Metropolis_
Joe was traded to the Giants and became their mainstay.
7. BASEBALL JOE IN THE WORLD SERIES
_or Pitching for the Championship_
What Joe did to win the series will thrill the most jaded reader.
8. BASEBALL JOE AROUND THE WORLD
_or Pitching on a Grand Tour_
The Giants and the All-Americans tour the world.
9. BASEBALL JOE: HOME RUN KING
_or The Greatest Pitcher and Batter on Record_
Joe becomes the greatest batter in the game.
10. BASEBALL JOE SAVING THE LEAGUE
_or Breaking Up a Great Conspiracy_
Throwing the game meant a fortune but also dishonor.
11. BASEBALL JOE CAPTAIN OF THE TEAM
_or Bitter Struggles on the Diamond_
Joe is elevated to the position of captain.
12. BASEBALL JOE CHAMPION OF THE LEAGUE
_or The Record that was Worth While_
A plot is hatched to put Joe’s pitching arm out of commission.
13. BASEBALL JOE CLUB OWNER
_or Putting the Home Town on the Map_
Joe developes muscle weakness and is ordered off the field for a year.
_Send For Our Free Illustrated Catalogue_
CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, Publishers New York
Transcriber’s Notes:
--Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_); text in bold
by “equal” signs (=bold=).
--Punctuation and spelling inaccuracies were silently corrected.
--Archaic and variable spelling has been preserved.
--Variations in hyphenation and compound words have been preserved.
End of Project Gutenberg's The Motor Boys Under the Sea, by Clarence Young