by Roy Rockwood
CHAPTER XII
THE BIG HOLE
"Something has gone wrong!" exclaimed the professor as he jumped up. Hereached the engine room ahead of any one else, and when the two boys gotthere they found him busy twisting wheels and shifting levers.
"Anything serious?" asked Jack.
"It's the gas machine again," Mr. Henderson replied. "It broke where wefixed it. However it doesn't matter. I was going to lower the shipanyhow, as I want to approach the island from the water. We will go downa little sooner than I counted on."
The disabling of the gas machine caused the vapor to escape slowly fromthe tank, and this made the ship sink gradually. By means of theemergency stop-cock the descent could be controlled almost as well asthough the machinery was in working order. Half an hour later the_Mermaid_ rested on the water.
It was a little rough, as there was quite a swell on, and not sopleasant as floating in the air on an even keel, but they made the bestof it.
On account of the little accident, and not being certain of its extent,it was deemed best not to send the ship ahead. So they laid to untilmorning.
For the better part of two days all those on board the _Mermaid_ hadtheir hands full mending the break and making other repairs foundnecessary. In that time they lay to, floating idly with the currents, orblown by the wind, for the professor would not start any of the enginesor apparatus until the ship was in good condition.
In this time Mark had several times recalled the curious happenings inregard to the disappearing food, and the mystery of the storeroom. Butthere were no further manifestations, and no other signs that theremight be a strange visitor aboard.
"I couldn't have imagined it all," said Mark, "but I guess what didhappen may have been caused by natural means, only I can't discoverthem."
It was about two days after this, the ship having sailed scores of mileson the surface of the water, that Mark, who was in the conning towerexclaimed:
"That looks like a waterspout ahead of us."
"That's what it is!" Jack agreed. "What shall we do?"
"Call the professor!" said Mark. "He'll know."
When Mr. Henderson came, he looked for a long time at a cloud of blackvapor which hung low in the east.
"It may be a waterspout," he said. "We'll rise in the air and see if wecan avoid it."
The ship was sent up into the air. As it rose higher and higher, theprofessor, making frequent observations from his conning tower, criedout:
"That is no waterspout!"
"What is it?" asked Mark.
"It is the steam and vapor rising from the big hole in the earth! Boys,we are almost there!"
"Are you sure that's it?" asked Mark.
"Almost positive," Mr. Henderson replied. "You can see how much warmerit has become of late, as we approached the equator. We are almost dueat the island, and I have no doubt we have reached it."
As the ship flew forward the mass of dark vapor became more pronounced.Through the glasses it could be noticed to consist of rolling masses ofclouds. What lay beneath them no one knew. The adventurers were going totry to find out.
Now that they had arrived at the beginning of the main part of theirjourney, the travelers felt their spirits sink a little. It was onething to plan to go down into the depths of the earth, but it was quiteanother to make the actual attempt. Still, they were not going to giveup the project. The professor had confidence in his ship and believed itcould safely make the trip. Still it was with no little apprehensionthat Mr. Henderson watched the nearer approach of the craft to thatstrange island.
"Perfesser, are yo' really an' truly goin' t' depress this elongatedspheroid an' its human consignment int' that conglomerous convolutedmass of gaseous vapor regardless of th' consequences?" asked Washington,as he gazed with wide opened eyes at the sight before him.
"If you mean am I going to let the _Mermaid_ go down into that hole youare perfectly correct," the scientist answered, "though you could havesaid it in fewer words, Washington."
"I--I guess I'll get out an' walk," the colored man made reply.
"This isn't any trolley car," observed Mark. "Don't lose your nerve,Wash. Stay with us, and we'll discover a gold or diamond mine, maybe."
"Is there diamonds down there?" asked the colored man, his frightseeming to leave him.
"There are all sorts of things inside the earth," the professoranswered.
"Then I'm goin' along!" Washington declared. "I always did want adiamond ring, an' I knows a little colored gal that wants one, too. I'mgoin' all right! This suttenly am th' most kloslosterous conjunctivityof combativeness that I ever sagaciated!" and he began to do a sort ofimpromptu cake-walk.
