Tucked away in the stern, at the end of the floored space, was the motor room. It looked like the tunnel shaft8 of an ocean liner. At one side there were switchboards for two dynamotors: one of ten horse power to compress air, and a second of two horse power to supply lights and assist the ventilation. The spiral resistance coils were close to the switchboards. The gasoline engine was in the center of the compartment9, and back of this stretched the shaft, finally passing out into the water through a stuffing box.
Bob glanced at a clock on the wall. From somewhere in the distance he could hear breakers churning soddenly10 against a reef.
Clackett, crouching11 low in the curve of the boat’s side, looked anxiously at Bob. He paid no attention to Clackett, but gave the fly wheel a sharp turn, and listened. It was marvelous how completely he was in touch with the engine.
“Did you strain the gasoline before you put it into the tank?” he demanded of Clackett.
“Always do that, Bob,” was the reply.
140
In ten minutes the valve was clear, the engine “turned over,” and the motor working properly. Bob switched the power into the propeller13.
“Bully!” came back the voice of Gaines. “We were almost on the rocks. You’re the boy, Bob!”
Dick presently appeared.
“Take charge of the engine, Dick,” said Bob.
“What are you going to do?” asked Dick.
“You’ll know in a few minutes.” He turned to Clackett. “Go up to the periscope room, Clackett,” he went on. “I may need you.”
“But say, Bob——”
“You heard what I said!”
There was that in Bob Steele’s voice and eyes that sent Clackett crawling forward along the passage.
Bob followed him. In the battery room they picked up Speake, and Bob sent him trailing after Clackett. In that order all three finally gained the periscope room.
“What the blazes is the matter with you fellows?” shouted Gaines, who was doing the steering16 himself, and was standing17 by the periscope table.
“Keep your eyes on the periscope,” said Bob. “Attend to your work, Gaines.”
Bob whirled about to where the don was sitting on a stool. There was a sharp gleam in the Spaniard’s eyes, although he was otherwise cool and perfectly18 collected.
“This is a good time to give you fellows a lesson in who’s who aboard the Grampus,” said Bob. “Don Ramon, you did a rascally19 thing when you hired these men to take you south in direct defiance20 of my orders.”
141
“We are not going to the Izaral River,” cut in Bob. “We are going back to Belize.”
“We are not going back to Belize until we finish our work in the Izaral,” was the insolent22 response.
“No?” returned Bob coolly. “We’ll see. Gaines?” he called.
“Aye, aye, sir!” answered Gaines, keeping his eyes on the periscope.
“Put about!”
Gaines made no move to shift the wheel.
“You heard what I said, Gaines?” went on Bob, his voice pitched low but carrying an emphasis that lifted it above the hum of the motor.
“I heard you, Bob,” replied Gaines.
“Either obey the order or give up the wheel to Clackett.”
Brought directly face to face with the issue, Gaines hesitated. The sharp eyes of the don noted23 the effect the masterful young man’s words were having on Gaines.
“Don’t you do it, Gaines,” said the don coolly. “Think of the money you’re to get. Bob Steele has not the courage——”
“Don’t talk foolish!” growled24 Gaines. “Bob’s got more pluck in a minute than any of the rest of us have in a year. I know him.”
“He hasn’t the courage to go to the Izaral,” growled the don.
“He’s only off’n his course a little about that,” answered Gaines.
“Will you obey orders, Gaines, or leave your post?” asked Bob.
“He’ll obey my orders,” flashed the don, “and he’ll stay right where he is and hold to his present course.”
142
“We have come thus far on my mission,” returned the don, “and we are going the rest of the way.”
“Put up that gun!” said Gaines angrily. “If you try any shootin’, we’ll throw our hands in the air and put back to Belize.”
Speake and Clackett moved forward. Bob waved them aside.
“I’ll manage this,” said he. “Gaines, keep your eyes on the periscope. A fine fellow, this don of yours. You men ought to feel proud of the way you hooked up with him, and——”
Bob, while he was talking, had kept covert28 eyes on the don. At just that moment the Grampus gave a heavy roll. The don’s stool slid back against the steel wall and the point of the revolver was thrown, for the fraction of a second, toward the curving deck, overhead. This was Bob’s opportunity. Quick as a flash he hurled29 himself upon the Spaniard, bore him from the stool, and they rolled over and over upon the heaving floor.
The struggle lasted only a few moments, and when Bob withdrew from the don and got to his feet, he was holding the revolver.
“I’ll make you answer for this!” cried the don, in a furious temper.
“You are welcome to try—just as soon as we get back to Belize,” said Bob. “If this matter is aired, it won’t sound very well when your government hears of it.”
A mocking light crossed the don’s angry face.
“I’m not afraid of my government,” he exclaimed.
143
“Throw it overboard, Speake,” said Bob, handing the revolver to Speake. “We don’t need that thing here. If I can’t have obedience30 on the Grampus without looking at her crew over the sights of a gun, I don’t want it.”
“From this on, Don Ramon Ortega,” said Bob, “you will consider yourself a passenger. I will treat you better than your conduct demands, and will not make a prisoner of you unless you attempt to interfere32 with the management of the boat. Do you understand that?”
The don muttered something under his breath, and before Bob could speak further, a shout came from Speake.
“Small boat off the starboard beam, close in!”
As Bob turned, an evil, triumphant34 light flashed in the don’s eyes. Bob could not see it, and it escaped Clackett.
In the mirror top of the periscope table, clear and distinct, was reflected a ship’s boat, a yawl, heaving helplessly on the waves. The boat was not over a hundred feet from the submarine, and the periscope showed it with startling fidelity35 to detail.
Aboard the yawl were five persons—four men and a boy. They seemed to be in difficult straits, for the men were standing erect36 and waving their hats frantically37.
One of the men was a burly individual, wearing an oil-skin coat and a sou’wester. All the others were144 roughly dressed, the boy wearing a pea-jacket and a stocking cap pulled well down over his face.
“There’s a sailing craft hull39 down, off to port,” said Bob. “It’s a wonder that boat didn’t pick those fellows up. But that’s unimportant. We’ll lay them aboard and take them off. Clackett!”
“Here, Bob!” answered Clackett.
“Take two coils of rope and go aloft.” Bob turned to Gaines. “Get as close to the boat as you can, Gaines,” he added.
Clackett rushed up the conning-tower ladder, and followed Speake out onto the curving plates of the deck. Bob went after the two men to direct operations from the conning tower.
Those in the boat—with the exception of the boy—appeared in the last stages of exhaustion40. On seeing that their wild signals were to be answered, they dropped sprawling41 over the thwarts42. The boy still stood erect and made gestures—stealthy movements with one hand which puzzled Bob.
“That youngster seems to have stood their hard luck better’n the men,” remarked Clackett, moving toward the bow with a coil of rope.
Bob made no answer, but continued to watch the dancing yawl as Gaines brought the submarine steadily nearer.
“Stand by to catch a rope!” shouted Bob presently, when they were close enough for a cast. “Let ’er go, Clackett!”
The rope left Clackett’s hand, untwined itself sinuously43 in the air, and the end of it was grabbed by the big fellow in the sou’wester.
“All fast!” he boomed in a voice that was strangely strong for one whose actions showed him to be nearly fagged out.
Speake’s rope was then thrown, and thus, with a145 double cable, the yawl was drawn44 close against the rounded side of the submarine.
In the periscope room were only the don and Gaines. Gaines’ head was shrouded45 by the folds of the black periscope hood, and the don, unseen, was rubbing his hands delightedly.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
chamber
|
|
| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
volts
|
|
| n.（电压单位）伏特( volt的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
parlance
|
|
| n.说法；语调 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
ampere
|
|
| n.(电)安培 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
dominion
|
|
| n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
furtively
|
|
| adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
scrambled
|
|
| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
shaft
|
|
| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
compartment
|
|
| n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
soddenly
|
|
| 浸透的； 无表情的； 呆头呆脑的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
crouching
|
|
| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
clogged
|
|
| （使）阻碍( clog的过去式和过去分词 )； 淤滞 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
propeller
|
|
| n.螺旋桨，推进器 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
periscope
|
|
| n. 潜望镜 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
curtly
|
|
| adv.简短地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
steering
|
|
| n.操舵装置 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
rascally
|
|
| adj. 无赖的，恶棍的 adv. 无赖地，卑鄙地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
defiance
|
|
| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
shrugged
|
|
| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
insolent
|
|
| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
noted
|
|
| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
growled
|
|
| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
spoke
|
|
| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
steadily
|
|
| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
orbs
|
|
| abbr.off-reservation boarding school 在校寄宿学校n.球，天体，圆形物( orb的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
covert
|
|
| adj.隐藏的；暗地里的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
hurled
|
|
| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
obedience
|
|
| n.服从，顺从 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
conning
|
|
| v.诈骗，哄骗( con的现在分词 )；指挥操舵( conn的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
interfere
|
|
| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
hood
|
|
| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
triumphant
|
|
| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
fidelity
|
|
| n.忠诚，忠实；精确 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
erect
|
|
| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
frantically
|
|
| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
oars
|
|
| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
hull
|
|
| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
exhaustion
|
|
| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
sprawling
|
|
| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
thwarts
|
|
| 阻挠( thwart的第三人称单数 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
sinuously
|
|
| 弯曲的，蜿蜒的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
drawn
|
|
| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
shrouded
|
|
| v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 )；保密 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |