He was always clear grit1 and never given to despair.
Yet at that moment his case looked black and hopeless enough.
He lay for some while after the departure of his captors without making a move of any kind.
The other occupants of the cabin were respectful enough. Occasionally one of the dead buccaneers would lazily change his position, or, catching2 a current, float across the cabin.
At such times the young inventor could not avoid a chill of horror, so ghostly and supernatural did the buccaneers look.
Some time elapsed.
It seemed an age to Frank.
He speculated upon his chances in a methodical sort of way and gave himself up to somewhat morbid3 reflection.
After all, his worst fate could only be death. It must come to him some time. Drowning was, after all, not the worst form.
Again the suicidal mania4 threatened him. Especially was this the case when he reckoned the hopelessness of his position.
After a time, however, reaction was bound to set in.
Life never seemed to have a more rosy5 hue6. It would seem a transition into paradise to reach the upper world.
With this came a desperate sort of hope.
Why not make a supreme7 effort?
He could do no worse than fail. Once his mind was made up there was no faltering8.
He began work on his bonds. He writhed9 and twisted for some while. The water had swollen10 the ropes, but it had also weakened the strands11.
He rolled over and over until he reached the door of the captain’s cabin. Here his gaze fell upon an object which gave him a thrill.
It was an ax.
52It had been dropped there by one of the divers12. At once Frank saw his opportunity.
He rolled over to it in such a manner as to press his bonds against its keen edge.
Again and again he pressed the cords against the keen blade; one by one the strands snapped.
Finally the last one was cut; Frank experienced a thrill.
The rest was easy.
He had the use of his hands now, and with the blade of the ax he cut the other bonds.
He scrambled13 to his feet a free man; for a moment he was undecided how to act.
His impulse was to get out of the cabin of the galleon15; but how could this be done?
The hatch had been battened down by the Aurelian’s divers when they went away. Could he hope to break it open? He could at least try.
He ascended16 the stairs and dealt the hatch a blow. Joy! it yielded, and with a great effort he forced it open.
He pushed away the sand and emerged at last from the prison he had occupied so long.
He examined his generator17.
There were chemicals enough in it to last full forty-eight hours longer.
“Perhaps by that time they will return for me,” he reflected. “At least I will cling to hope.”
He looked about him.
There was no sign of the submarine boat or of the Aurelian’s men in the vicinity. He was in a quandary18 as to what to do.
While in this state of doubt he wandered away from the spot for some ways.
Again a strange drowsiness19 came upon him. He could not help but yield to it.
He waited for a time, fighting off the sensation. Then selecting a secluded20 spot under the reef, he sank down.
In a few moments he was sound asleep. The water surged about his prostrate21 form, little fishes came and peered in at the windows of his helmet.
But nothing of this kind woke him. How long he slept he knew not.
But when he woke up all was a glare of light about him. He was some while collecting his scattered22 senses.
53Then he arose and looked about him. His whole being thrilled.
“Saved!” he gasped23.
It was no dream. Not fifty yards distant was the submarine boat, Dolphin.
Frank at once started for it. He reached its side and clambered over the rail.
He entered the vestibule and exhausted24 it of water. Then he removed his helmet and stepped into the cabin.
The effect was startling.
Clifford sat by a table looking over some maps. Barney was engaged in the pilot-house.
Clifford started up with a gasping25 cry:
“Heaven preserve us!” he shouted, “it is Frank Reade, Jr.”
Frank was wildly embraced by both.
“Be the sowl av Pat Murphy s cow, I’m happy onct more,” cried Barney, turning somersaults across the cabin.
“But—how on earth did you get here, Frank!” cried Clifford, “we had given you up.”
“I have had quite an experience,” said Frank, with a smile, “but where are the others?”
“They are in the cabin of the galleon.”
“But—what has become of the Aurelian?”
“Driven away by a gale26. The coast is clear. Before she can return we can recover the Donna Veneta’s treasure and be off.”
“You are right.”
Then Frank told his story.
Clifford was more than delighted when he learned of the amount of the galleon’s treasure.
“We will cheat old Parker out of it after all!” he cried wildly. “That is to pay the old scamp for his rascality27.”
“You are right,” said Frank, and began to put on his helmet.
“Where are you going?”
“I am going down to join Hartley and Pomp, and help them get the chests of gold out.”
“Good! What assistance can we be?”
“Keep watch for us and manipulate the searchlight to our advantage.”
“I will do that!”
54Frank now left the Dolphin. He slid over the rail and started for the galleon’s hatch.
Reaching it, he began to descend28, but before he reached the bottom of the staircase a form slid forward and embraced him.
“Massy Lordy, if it ain’ Marse Frank. Whereber you cum from, sah?”
It was Pomp.
It is useless to dwell upon that reunion. It was a happy meeting.
It did not take long for them to exchange experiences. Then Hartley said:
“So the Aurelian was driven away by the hurricane, eh? Well, she will return, you may be sure. Old Gilbert Parker is a genuine bulldog.”
“Let him return,” said Frank. “We will deal with him next time as he deserves. It is true that he would have murdered the whole of us.”
“Golly, dat am right!” cried Pomp. “I done fink we bettah get dat gold abo’d de Dolphin an’ start fo’ home.”
“That is just what we will do,” agreed Frank.
So they went to work at once hoisting29 the chests of gold out of the Donna Veneta’s hold.
In a short while they were all piled up on the sands outside.
Then they were easily transported aboard the Dolphin. The galleon’s hatch was then closed, and it was left with its ghastly occupants to remain forever buried at the bottom of the Honduras Gulf30.
There seemed no reason now for lingering in the vicinity.
But Frank had some curiosity to know what was the fate of the Aurelian, so he sent the Dolphin away toward the Miller’s Cay in quest of her.
The hurricane had passed, yet Frank did not deem it advisable to go to the surface. So the Dolphin pursued her way under water.
When at a point which Hartley declared was not two miles from the Cay, it was decided14 to go to the surface.
Up went the Dolphin; then as she rose above the waves every eye scanned the watery31 waste for a sail.
No sail was in sight, but not half a mile to windward a wreck32 drifted.
“Mercy on us!” cried Frank. “Can it be the Aurelian?”
55The submarine boat ran nearer to the wreck. Then upon the stern was read the name “Aurelian.”
She was a shattered, water-logged hulk.
Not a sign of her crew was visible; she was hailed repeatedly, but no answer came back. Even as the voyagers were gazing at her she took a sudden plunge33 and went down.
After the last ripples34 had died away upon the spot where she disappeared, Frank turned the Dolphin’s head homeward.
Nothing was ever seen again of Gilbert Parker, of Captain Warren, or any of the Aurelian’s crew. It was safe to say that all had met a deserving fate in the waters of the Gulf of Honduras.
Homeward bound was the Dolphin with her Spanish gold.
Readestown was safely reached at last. Then followed a division of the treasure. It made all rich enough.
56Clifford and Hartley returned to their homes happy men. Frank Reade, Jr., went back to his shops and his plans.
Barney and Pomp resumed their duties as of yore, waiting for the moment when Frank should be impelled35 to go off on another cruise to some wonderful part of the world. Until such time we will bid the reader a kind adieu.
THE END.
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1
grit
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| n.沙粒，决心，勇气；v.下定决心，咬紧牙关 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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morbid
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| adj.病的；致病的；病态的；可怕的 | |
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mania
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| n.疯狂；躁狂症，狂热，癖好 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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7
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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8
faltering
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| 犹豫的，支吾的，蹒跚的 | |
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writhed
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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strands
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| n.（线、绳、金属线、毛发等的）股( strand的名词复数 )；缕；海洋、湖或河的)岸；（观点、计划、故事等的）部份v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 ) | |
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12
divers
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| adj.不同的；种种的 | |
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13
scrambled
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| 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 | |
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14
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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15
galleon
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| n.大帆船 | |
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16
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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17
generator
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| n.发电机，发生器 | |
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18
quandary
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| n.困惑，进迟两难之境 | |
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19
drowsiness
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| n.睡意；嗜睡 | |
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20
secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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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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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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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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26
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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27
rascality
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| 流氓性，流氓集团 | |
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28
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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29
hoisting
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| 起重，提升 | |
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30
gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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31
watery
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| adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的 | |
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32
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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33
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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34
ripples
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| 逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 ) | |
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35
impelled
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| v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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