CHAPTER IV.

THE SUNKEN WRECK—THE SHARK.

The crash had for an instant broken the current, but the light quickly flashed up again.

The electric engines were whirring like a top, and seemed likely to go to smash. But Frank Reade, Jr., was almost instantly upon his feet.

He rushed into the engine-room and checked them. The screw ceased its mad and useless revolutions.

The Dolphin had struck something.

This was certain. But fortunately no breakage or puncture of the hull had occurred, so there was no danger of death by drowning like rats in a trap.

The Dolphin was motionless in her position.

Barney pulled himself out of a corner. Pomp crawled out of a heap of furniture, and Stanhope emerged from a closet into which he had crashed.

Nobody was hurt, but there were bruises and scratches galore.

However, no one but was anxious to know the cause of the catastrophe.

Accordingly all rushed into the pilot-house where Frank was focusing the searchlight. This revealed the true state of affairs at once.

The obstruction into which the Dolphin had crashed was nothing more nor less than the sunken frame of a decayed vessel, half buried in the sands.

The nose of the Dolphin had become so firmly wedged in the timbers that it was held fast.

“Begorra, it’s stuck fast we are!” cried Barney, rubbing a bruised shin. “Shure, Misther Frank, we’ll niver pull out av that!”

“That is so, Frank!” cried Stanhope; “how can we ever extricate ourselves?”

“We can try,” said Frank, laconically.

The young inventor carefully examined the position of the submarine boat. To his great joy he saw that she was unhurt.

Though she was tightly wedged in the debris of the wreck, there was no visible damage done her.

Frank hardly believed it possible to withdraw her from the wreck with the aid of the screw alone.

Yet he was constrained to make the attempt.

So he went into the engine-room and started the motor upon the reverse. The screw revolved furiously; the engines were exerted to their utmost.

But all in vain.

The electric boat could not be drawn from her position by hook or by crook. The situation was dubious.

Stanhope looked grave.

“How is it, Frank?” he asked. “Are we done for?”

The young inventor laughed.

“I think not,” he said. “We shall find a way out of the scrape.”

“But how?”

“I cannot explain now.”

All but Frank looked serious. The young inventor did not seem in the least perturbed.

He went forward again and more closely studied the position of the Dolphin. Then he returned.

“Barney,” he said, “bring me that case from the forward cabin in which are the diving suits.”

“All roight, sor.”

Away, went the Celt upon his errand. He presently returned with a heavy box upon his shoulders.

This was deposited upon the cabin floor and opened.

From it Frank took a diving suit, helmet and all.

He proceeded at once to don it.

“You are going to leave the boat, Frank?” asked Stanhope.

“Yes.”

“May I ask the privilege of accompanying you?”

“If you wish,” replied Frank; “but my purpose is to saw away the timbers which hold the Dolphin’s nose.”

“I can help you.”

“Yes.”

At once Stanhope proceeded to don another suit. Soon both were attired, ready to leave the boat.

Frank armed himself with a pike and saw, as did Stanhope.

Then they entered the vestibule. It quickly filled with water, and a moment later they were able to emerge and walk upon the bed of the ocean.

Frank walked around the Dolphin and inspected its position. Stanhope remained upon the opposite side.

Then Frank mounted the timbers over the Dolphin’s bow, and began work with his saw. He worked away with all his might to sever the heaviest timber which held the head of the Dolphin.

It was no light task, for the timber was of stoutest oak, but Frank kept steadily at work.

As soon as he was able to accustom himself to the pressure of the water, Stanhope joined him.

Both labored for fully an hour, and then the last timber was sawed, and there was no doubt but that the boat could easily float away from the wreck.

The Dolphin was saved, and the party could once more go forward upon its submarine journey.

Stanhope endeavored to speak to Frank. But of course the young inventor could not hear him.

However, Frank guessed from his actions that he was endeavoring to do this, so he advanced and placing his helmet close to Stanhope’s, shouted:

“Do you wish to speak to me?”

The words sounded to Stanhope far, far distant, but he understood them, and replied:

“Is this the only way we can make ourselves understood?”

“Yes.”

“You think that the Dolphin is now able to be removed?”

“Oh, yes.”

“I am glad of that. Shall we return to the cabin now?”

“Unless you wish to conduct some research. If so, this is your chance.”

But Stanhope replied:

“I think I will defer it until another time.”

“Very well.”

Frank turned to clamber down from the wreck, but even as he did so he caught sight of a deadly peril.

This was in the form of a huge body which he saw suddenly loom up in the water not far distant.

It was, as he saw at once, a species of shark, and a monster in size. The creature had seen them and was moving toward them.

Frank saw that there was not time to reach the cabin before the monster would be upon them.

For that he meant to attack them was a moral certainty.

The young inventor gripped his companion’s arm in warning. Stanhope saw the terrible peril.

Instinctively he drew the pike from his belt and stood on his guard. The shark, with a lightning-like movement, described a parabola about them.

Frank knew that they might expect a downward attack from the monster.

As it would have to turn upon its back to seize them, the opportunity to strike a defensive blow would be good.

And now came the attack.

The shark came down from above like a thunderbolt. Those on board the Dolphin saw this and were powerless to act.

“Be me sowl! It’s a divil av a shark afther thim!” cried Barney. “An’ shure there’s no way to help thim at all, at all!”

“Golly, but dey jes’ be all killed!” screamed Pomp. “Don’ yo’ fink dar be nuffin’ we kin do?”

“Divil a bit!”

Frank and Stanhope were ready to take care of themselves.

As the shark descended upon them both crouched low.

The creature’s open jaws were not four feet from Frank when he buried the pike in the shark’s body.

The shock knocked him over, and he rolled upon the deck of the sunken ship. Stanhope made a blow at the fish, but missed it.

The monster flashed by like a meteor, and once again shot up to make a fresh attack.

But the blow given it had told.

The water was full of blood, and the shark writhed as if in pain.

But once more it came down.

Over upon its back it rolled. The horrid jaws were wide open.

This time it had not the strength to come as swiftly as before. Its movements were sluggish.

And this gave Stanhope his chance to deal the monster a blow.

Also Frank thrust his pike into the shark’s body. It was the finishing stroke.

The monster made a convulsive leap upward, beat the water furiously, and then sank quivering but dying to the ocean bed.

The struggle was over. Man had triumphed over brute. The divers were the victors in this terrible battle.

No time was wasted in returning to the cabin of the Dolphin.

Frank and Stanhope were both much exhausted with the struggle, and both were glad to get their diving suits off.

Barney and Pomp welcomed them effusively.

“Begorra, Misther Frank!” cried the Celt, “shure I was shakin’ in me skin fer yez! But I niver yit seen yez outdone!”

Frank laughed at this.

“It was a close call, Barney,” he declared; “but we were lucky enough to pull out of the scrape.”

The Dolphin’s engines now were reversed, and she easily pulled out of her predicament.

So far as could be seen, she was not seriously injured.

The spirits of the voyagers revived greatly, and the boat now went on its way rapidly.

But some one was constantly at the wheel. No chances were taken now.

The searchlight threw its radiance for a full mile ahead. This enabled all obstructions to be seen and avoided.

The Dolphin proved wonderfully stanch and seaworthy. But at times her sides would creak and groan, which was an indication that she was at too great a depth. Then it would become necessary to raise her to a point where the pressure would not be so tremendous.

To attempt to describe in detail the wonders witnessed by the crew of the Dolphin each day would require many volumes.

Northward she kept for weeks, and then all became conscious of the fact that they were getting into Arctic waters.

Frank repeatedly studied his chart, and took note of the formation of the ocean’s bed.

One day he declared:

“We are in the upper waters of Baffins Bay and under the ice. Above us it must be twenty feet in thickness. If any accident should happen to the Dolphin now we could never hope to reach the surface. We should be buried forever in these lonely depths.”

It was an appalling thought, and the voyagers exchanged glances.

The words had barely left Frank’s lips when, as if to emphasize his declaration, there came a stunning crash and the Dolphin seemed likely to turn completely over.