They had in many cases become decomposed2, but many of them floated and, attracted by the current caused by the entrance of the divers3, came straight toward them.
Then Barney made a dash for the next cabin.
Bell followed him.
And then the bodies, attracted again by the current, came piling after them.
Bell shrieked4 and flung the cabin door shut behind him.
This shut off pursuit.
The two terrified divers were in the second cabin.
Barney drew close to Bell and shouted:
“Begorra, if they’d been aloive I’d not have been afraid av thim!”
“Nor I,” agreed Bell; “but I am mighty5 afraid of a dead man under the water. It is horrible!”
“Begorra, ye’re roight. Shure, we’d niver make soldiers.”
“I don’t care if we don’t, if we only find the treasure.”
“Do you believe there’s any aboord av this ship?”
“Of course I do.”
“Phwere the divil will we foind it, thin, I’d loike to know?”
“Probably in the captain’s cabin.”
“An’ that’s jest forward av this?”
“Yes.”
“Begorra, let’s go there!”
“We will.”
With which Bell opened the door leading into the captain’s cabin. As he did so he gave a great start of horror.
Grasping the knob of the door upon the other side was the corpse6 of a man.
The captain gave a yell and bolted to the other end of the cabin.
But he finally recovered himself sufficiently7 to see that the corpse had not followed him.
He also saw that it had not the power to do so. The grip of its fingers upon idle knob held it.
The dead man undoubtedly8 was the captain of the brig. Bell made a motion to Barney, who came near.
“We are fools,” he said. “These dead people can’t hurt us!”
“Arrah, but it’s the looks av thim!” declared Barney.
“Hang the looks! They can’t kill. Let us go into the cabin.”
“I’m agreeable, sor.”
“There is no doubt but that he is the captain of the ship.”
“Yis, sor.”
“Then, if there is any treasure aboard, it is in his cabin.”
“I believe yez.”
With this Bell hesitated no longer. He boldly arose and approached the door.
The corpse swung toward him, and he hesitated a moment.
But he quickly recovered and summoned up enough courage to push it aside. Then he entered the compartment9.
The captain’s cabin was richly furnished, and in one corner was a huge steel safe.
As luck had it, this appeared to be open. Bell advanced and peered in.
And as he did so, he gave a gasping10 cry which brought Barney to the spot.
“Look!” he cried. “It is gold!”
There were a number of small white bags piled upon the floor of the safe. Upon each of these was a figure of value.
Bell took up one of these and opened it. A heap of shining coin rolled out upon the floor.
They were American eagles. Upon the bag was the mark, five hundred dollars.
“What a find!” gasped11 Bell. “There are fully12 two hundred of these bags; at least one hundred thousand dollars in gold. That is not equal to the treasure of the Vestal Virgin13, but it will do.”
“Begorra, I should say so,” agreed the Celt.
“It will make me rich after a fair division,” declared Bell. “We must get it aboard the Dart14 at once.”
It was a trying ordeal15 to pass through the next cabin with its complement16 of grinning corpses17.
But the two treasure hunters did so, and they reached the deck in safety.
The glare of the searchlight was full upon them, and those on board the Dart were waiting for them to appear.
When they did come in sight, they were seen to be bearing the bags of gold.
“Hurrah!” cried Von Bulow. “Bell has got his treasure!”
“You’re right,” agreed Frank.
“But what good will it do him?”
“No good, unless he can get it ashore18, which is not likely.”
Barney and Bell now came hastily toward the Dart.
A moment later they were in the vestibule.
The water was expelled, and then they staggered into the cabin.
They dropped their precious load upon the floor of the cabin, and then removed their helmets quickly.
“Well,” cried Frank; “you made a rich find?”
“You’re right we did!” cried Bell, with great jubilance. “There is more left there—fully a hundred thousand dollars, and we want to rig up some way to get it.”
“That will be easy,” said Frank.
“What!” exclaimed Von Bulow, disappointedly. “Shall we waste the time?”
“It is a large treasure,” he said. “I am going to get it and take it ashore.”
“I hope you will,” said Von Bulow, dubiously19.
Frank and Pomp now put on diving suits and went with Barney and Bell aboard the brig.
They soon succeeded in conveying the one hundred bags aboard the Dart.
Then the gold was all poured out in a heap and counted.
There was fully one hundred thousand dollars. It was a rich find.
Bell occupied himself in counting the gold and replacing it in the bags.
Then the Dart once more went on its way.
The reef was left far behind. Days passed and the Dart still kept on her swift course.
Still there was no sign of land.
The situation had become a hundred-fold more serious. Every moment matters were becoming more complicated.
In the first place the water supply had given out.
Then the chemical generators20 began to show signs of failing.
The appalling21 truth was presented to the submarine travelers that every moment was drawing them rapidly nearer to the end.
Their lives would be cut short very speedily unless land was reached at no very distant time.
Bell was in a fearful state of mind.
He had earned and well merited the euphonious22 name of “kicker,” and in many ways excited the ire of the others.
“There’s one thing about it, Bell,” said Von Bulow, severely23, “nothing is to be gained by your chronic24 fault-finding. We shall get out of the woods no sooner.”
“I suppose I lack your sublime25 philosophy which enables you to meet fate with supreme26 indifference,” sneered27 Bell.
“I’m not a kicker, anyway!” averred28 Von Bulow.
Frank meanwhile was busily trying to find some way out of the dilemma29.
The young inventor studied plan after plan, but without hitting upon anything at all favorable.
At length he came in from the chemical room one day with a white face.
“Shure, what is it, sor?” asked Barney, with alarm.
“We have but a few more hours to live,” said Frank, with a ghastly smile.
The fearless Irishman scratched his head coolly and said:
“Faith, an’ I don’t think we’d betther tell the others.”
“Ah, but that would not be right.”
“Shure, if that Captain Bell knows av it he’ll have a fit.”
A short while later all were congregated30 in the cabin and Frank told them the exact truth.
Contrary to the general expectation, Captain Bell was singularly silent.
After awhile he came to Frank and said:
“Do you give up all hope?”
“I fear so,” said Frank.
“I don’t.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think we are very near land at this moment.”
“I see no indication of it,” said Frank.
“Then you are blind. I have seen many. How long will our diving generators last?”
“Well charged, twenty-four hours.”
“Let us get them ready, and when the Dart’s generators fail us let us leave her and strike out.”
It was the most forlorn hope that Frank had ever heard of, but he at once saw that it was the only one.
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收听单词发音
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1
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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decomposed
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| 已分解的，已腐烂的 | |
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divers
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| adj.不同的；种种的 | |
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shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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7
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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8
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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9
compartment
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| n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间 | |
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gasping
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| adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
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11
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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12
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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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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14
dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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15
ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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16
complement
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| n.补足物，船上的定员；补语；vt.补充，补足 | |
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17
corpses
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| n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 ) | |
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18
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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19
dubiously
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| adv.可疑地，怀疑地 | |
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20
generators
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| n.发电机，发生器( generator的名词复数 )；电力公司 | |
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21
appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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22
euphonious
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| adj.好听的，悦耳的，和谐的 | |
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23
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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chronic
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| adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的 | |
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25
sublime
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| adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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27
sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
averred
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| v.断言( aver的过去式和过去分词 )；证实；证明…属实；作为事实提出 | |
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29
dilemma
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| n.困境，进退两难的局面 | |
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30
congregated
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| （使）集合，聚集( congregate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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