The young inventor had seen and realized the awful risk which this entailed2, and muttered:
“My goodness! We are all lost!”
But the result of the serpent’s attack was indeed gratifying.
And he also saw what he believed to be his opportunity. Drawing his knife he darted3 after the monster.
It was lying half dormant4 on the floor of the cavern5 from the shock which it had received.
But as Frank ran toward the Dart he saw Barney coming toward him.
Barney fairly embraced his young master, as he cried, placing his helmet close to Frank’s:
“Och hone, Misther Frank, an’ I thought it was kilt entoirely ye was!”
“I had a close call,” replied Frank. “But where is the captain?”
“Shure, he’s safe aboard, sor.”
“Good! Now, Barney, we’ve got to kill that monster some way.”
The Celt looked at the dormant serpent a moment, and then swung his ax aloft, saying:
“Shure, an’ it’s wid yez I am, Misther Frank. Say the worrud an’ I’ll go up on this side of him an’ cut his head off.”
“Let me take your ax,” said Frank, resolutely6.
Barney complied and drew his knife. Frank made a motion for him to follow.
The serpent was quickly recovering from his stupor7.
Frank saw that there was no time to lose, and at once made a bold attack. When near the monster’s head he rushed forward.
The serpent reared its horrible jaws8 and seemed about to strike Frank; but the young inventor struck first.
The keen blade of the ax swung around and took the serpent full in the jaw9.
It was a telling blow.
It fairly sliced away a portion of the monster’s jaw and filled the water with blood. Again Frank swung the ax aloft.
Barney attacked the body of the serpent, trying to cut the huge coil in two.
The attack was a success.
Again Frank’s ax struck the serpent full in the neck, cutting a huge gash10.
Then the maddened reptile11 made a savage12 blow at Frank.
It just missed him by a narrow margin13 and proved the end of the struggle.
Frank saw his opportunity, and gave the reptile a blow which almost severed14 its head from its body.
The monster’s huge coils went writhing15 and twisting into the depths of the cavern.
The struggle was over.
Frank and Barney, somewhat exhausted16 by the struggle, climbed aboard the Dart.
They were joyfully17 welcomed by the others, and mutual18 congratulations were exchanged over the success of the fight.
“Begorra, I thought shure it was the ind av Misther Frank!” cried Barney. “Shure, it wud have been a sorry day for the loikes av us!”
“Golly, if I had jes’ been out dere I would hab been happy!” declared Pomp. “I was jes’ itching19 fo’ to git a crack at dat ar big rapscallion of a snake.”
“Well, as for me,” said Von Bulow, with a laugh, “I quite distinguished20 myself by running away. But I was never cut out for a fighting man anyway.”
“And I stayed at home,” rejoined Bell. “Frank, you and Barney are the heroes.”
All were intensely hungry, and Pomp served up a steaming repast.
There was lovely steak from the swordfish, crabs21 on toast, fresh and nice, and many other saline delicacies22, which were easily procured23 in the sea.
The explorers regaled themselves sumptuously24, and then all turned in for a sleep.
Frank had decided25 to spend some hours longer in the cavern.
When they awoke six hours later, Frank went into the pilot-house and started the Dart for the mouth of the immense ocean cavern.
In due time this was reached, and soon they were not so very far from the spot where Captain Bell’s treasure ship had sunk.
All were now eagerly on the lookout26 for the wreck27.
The searchlight’s rays were sent in every direction through the ocean depths.
Suddenly Captain Bell, who was forward on the lookout, shouted:
“Wreck ahoy!”
The announcement went through the boat with startling force.
Everybody was at once on the qui vive.
And now dead ahead was seen a huge black mass looming28 up through the water. It was a sunken ship.
Of course all believed it to be the Vestal Virgin29.
But the wreck was so covered with silt30 and seaweed that its character could not well be identified.
The submarine boat sailed around it twice, then Frank allowed it to come to a rest on the ocean floor of white sand.
“What do you make of it, skipper?” asked Captain Bell, as Frank came out of the pilot-house.
“I hardly know,” replied Frank. “It looks to me, though, like a ship of more modern build than the pirate vessel31.”
“It’s mighty32 hard to tell for the seaweed over it.”
“Yes.”
“But I think it’s the Virgin!”
“You do?”
“Yes; she’s in about the right location. It must be her.”
“I hope so.”
Preparations were now made to go out and inspect the submarine wreck. This fell to the lot of Frank, Von Bulow and the captain.
Barney and Pomp remained behind.
They were very quickly equipped for the expedition; armed with axes and saws and such tools as were deemed necessary, they left the Dart.
It was an easy matter to climb over the kelp-strewn rocks until the sunken vessel was reached.
It lay half upon its side, and its port rail was nearly on a level with a drift of hard, white sand.
This made it an easy matter for the explorers to reach the deck.
They simply walked up the sandy slope and climbed over the rail.
In the glare of the electric light, the deck was seen to be in a state of wild disorder33.
Rotting spars and heaps of debris34 covered it from stem to stern.
It was easy to see that the vessel had passed through a terrible experience at sea.
The storm which sent it to the bottom must have been a fearful one.
It required no further examination to satisfy the party that this was not the treasure ship.
Captain Bell saw at once that it was not the Vestal Virgin, and putting his helmet close to Frank’s, shouted:
“This is not the ship.”
“It looks like a merchantman,” replied Frank.
“It is.”
“Moreover, it was never sent to the bottom by shotted guns. It went down in a fearful storm.”
“Without a doubt. But the Virgin must have gone down in this vicinity.”
“Yes.”
“We will probably find her not far from here.”
“Well,” said Frank, doubtfully, “is it worth while to explore this hulk? She probably did not carry money.”
Von Bulow, however, was in favor of exploring the sunken merchantman.
“For curiosity, if nothing else,” he explained. “I’m quite anxious.”
“Very well,” agreed Frank. “It shall be so.”
With which the young inventor crossed the deck. He reached the companionway which led into the cabin.
This was closed, but a blow with an ax forced it in.
The stairs that led downward into the cabin were crumbling35 with decay.
Frank led the way down.
The light upon his helmet was sufficiently36 bright to reveal objects below quite plainly.
Von Bulow and the captain followed. All stood at the foot of the companion ladder.
The cabin was in a fearful state of dissolution.
The elegant furnishings were all rotten and in shreds37, and even the cabin table was shredded38 by sea worms.
But the explorers did not pause here long.
They passed through and into the forward cabin. Here was the long mess table, and upon it were dishes and eating utensils39, just as the men had been served, which was the last ever eaten on board the ship.
Frank took up one of the plates. In the china was the imperishable mark usually placed upon all ships’ ware40 with the name:
“Ship Tempest, Baltimore.”
This was all that could be learned of the identity of the vessel or of its mission. Yet it was reasonable to suppose that she was a merchantman.
Little more of interest was found aboard her.
A few skeletons of the members of the crew and some corroded41 coins. This was all of value.
The party retraced42 their steps to the deck. Frank was the first to spring up out of the companionway, and as he did so he was given a startling shock.
Until now the wreck had been flooded with a brilliant light from the searchlight of the Dart.
But this was no longer so.
All was the darkness of the ocean depths about. Nothing could be seen beyond the slight radius43 made by the light on their helmets.
The Dart had left them.
What did it mean?
For a moment the explorers were appalled44 with the most startling realization45.
Left at the bottom of the ocean, upon a sunken wreck.
There was no possible way of ever reaching the surface.
That is unless the Dart should return from where it had gone, and why it should have left them in this manner was a mystery.
Frank knew that Barney and Pomp would not leave the vicinity for any light reason.
“Something has happened!” he exclaimed in dismay.
“The Dart has met with a mishap46.”
“My goodness!” exclaimed Von Bulow; “then we are lost!”
“What could have happened?” asked Bell in horror.
Their three helmets were close together at this moment. The only logical conclusion that Frank could arrive at was that the Dart had received some fearful shock and had gone to the surface.
If this was the case it would perhaps shortly return.
But the one horrifying47 thought which oppressed Frank was that possibly Barney and Pomp would lose their bearings and would not be able to find the three divers48.
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1
dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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entailed
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| 使…成为必要( entail的过去式和过去分词 )； 需要； 限定继承； 使必需 | |
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darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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dormant
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| adj.暂停活动的；休眠的；潜伏的 | |
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cavern
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| n.洞穴，大山洞 | |
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resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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stupor
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| v.昏迷；不省人事 | |
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8
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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gash
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| v.深切，划开；n.(深长的)切(伤)口；裂缝 | |
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reptile
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| n.爬行动物；两栖动物 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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13
margin
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| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
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14
severed
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| v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂 | |
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15
writhing
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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16
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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joyfully
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| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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18
mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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19
itching
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| adj.贪得的，痒的，渴望的v.发痒( itch的现在分词 ) | |
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20
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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21
crabs
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| n.蟹( crab的名词复数 )；阴虱寄生病；蟹肉v.捕蟹( crab的第三人称单数 ) | |
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22
delicacies
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| n.棘手( delicacy的名词复数 )；精致；精美的食物；周到 | |
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23
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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sumptuously
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| 奢侈地，豪华地 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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27
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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28
looming
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| n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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29
virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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30
silt
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| n.淤泥，淤沙，粉砂层，泥沙层；vt.使淤塞；vi.被淤塞 | |
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31
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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34
debris
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| n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片 | |
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crumbling
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| adj.摇摇欲坠的 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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shreds
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| v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件） | |
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38
shredded
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| shred的过去式和过去分词 | |
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39
utensils
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| 器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物 | |
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40
ware
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| n.(常用复数)商品，货物 | |
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41
corroded
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| 已被腐蚀的 | |
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42
retraced
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| v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
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43
radius
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| n.半径，半径范围；有效航程，范围，界限 | |
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44
appalled
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的 | |
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45
realization
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| n.实现；认识到，深刻了解 | |
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46
mishap
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| n.不幸的事，不幸；灾祸 | |
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47
horrifying
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| a.令人震惊的，使人毛骨悚然的 | |
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48
divers
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| adj.不同的；种种的 | |
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