CHAPTER XVI
THE “SONDERBAAR”
Jerry, whom the shock of the lightning bolt had knocked to one side,jumped for the lever of the elevating rudder, hoping, if nothing elsecould be done, to cause the _Comet_ to volplane more easily to thesurface of the sea. At the same time he called out:
“The hydroplanes, Ned! Set them quick! Bob, see if the gas generator isworking! There’s something wrong!”
“It’s cracked!” shouted Professor Snodgrass, getting up from wherehe had been thrown against a locker. “The generator is cracked rightacross, Jerry!”
“Then we can’t depend on that!”
There was a look almost of despair in Jerry’s eyes, but he was notgoing to give up yet. In a flash he threw over the switch thatconnected the storage battery with the propeller motor.
But there was not even a spark to show that the electric current wasavailable.
“Not an ampere!” groaned Jerry. “Everything is dead!”
The entire electrical equipment of the _Comet_ had been disabled bythe bolt from the sky. She was as helpless as a collapsed balloon. Nogas could be generated to fill the lifting-bags, and the small supplythat was already in them had leaked out through rents caused by thelightning. It was the worst accident that had ever befallen the boys,and they had been in dire straits often enough.
Down the motorship was plunging toward the sea that seemed eagerlyawaiting her.
“It’s all up with us, I guess!” shouted Ned. “Can you do anything,Jerry?”
“Volplane down--that’s about all. But something seems to be wrong. I’mafraid some of our side planes are split. We are falling so fast thatit shows they’re not helping to keep us up.”
A glance at the barograph height gage on the wall of the pilot houseshowed the hand to be moving swiftly around, indicating how fast the_Comet_ was falling.
“The hydroplanes will keep us afloat a little while,” said Jerry in atense voice, as he looked about as if for some other means of avertingthe disaster that was about to overtake them. “But I’m afraid it’s sorough down there we won’t float long. The pontoons will be wrenched offby the waves.”
“Then we’d better get on our bathing suits!” put in Bob, with grimhumor.
“You mean life preservers, Chunky!” cried Ned. “And that’s a goodstunt, too. I’ll get them out.”
Ever since the motor boys had arranged their craft to navigate overwater they had carried life preservers aboard, and it was the work ofonly a few seconds for Ned to get them out.
“Here, Professor!” he called to the scientist, who was nervouslypacking up his collection of specimens, as though he could take themwith him; “here, put on one of these. We may have to swim for it!”
“We’ll be lucky if we can swim,” muttered Jerry.
Fortunately, when the _Comet_ was struck by the bolt of lightning shehad been well up in the air, and now, as she began to fall, there was aconsiderable distance for her to go. This gave the boys and ProfessorSnodgrass a little time to prepare for whatever fate had in store forthem.
There were looks of despair on all their faces, for not only did theyfear for their lives, but it was heart-breaking to know that their finecraft had to meet such an end. And there seemed no way of saving her.
Plunging down toward the ocean as she was, about to be engulfed farfrom the shore, there appeared to be no hope for her. In thesemi-darkness of the cabin the motor boys looked at one another.All the electric lights had been put out by the shock, and only oneemergency oil lamp, always kept going in anticipation of some accident,gave illumination.
Once more Jerry tried to start the propellers, so that he might guidethe craft upward, but there was no power. He had hoped that perhaps thestorage battery might have been only temporarily polarized, but thiswas not the case. It was “dead.”
“I guess we’re in for it,” murmured the tall lad. “Better get outside,boys,” he went on. “She may go all to pieces when we strike, and wedon’t want to get tangled up in the wreckage. Get out on the main deck,and stand ready to jump clear. We can float for some time in the lifepreservers, and in the morning a steamship may pick us up. It’s ouronly chance.”
It was still raining hard, but the storm did not seem to be quite assevere as at first. There were many flashes of lightning, and thethunder still rolled and crashed about, but after that one terrificstroke the elements seemed to be satisfied with the damage they hadwrought, and were now subsiding.
When a particularly bright and far-illuminating flash came Jerrylooked down through the glass cabin floor.
“Only a few seconds left!” he cried, as he saw the waves of the oceanclose to them. “Come on out, boys. Professor, I’m afraid you’ll have toleave your specimens.”
“Never!” cried the brave little scientist. “I’ll take them with me,or----”
It was no time for ceremony. Jerry took hold of his scientific friend,who had consented to don a life preserver, and fairly carried him outon the deck. Fortunately the _Comet_ had assumed an even keel after herfirst sickening plunge, so the boys could move about unhampered.
They all reached the deck in safety, and not a moment too soon. Asecond later and with a splash that sent a shower of spray high intothe air, the _Comet_ landed on the surface of the sea.
There was a crash--a sound of splitting and rending wood--then asilence.
“We struck something!” cried Ned. “We sure hit something as we camedown, Jerry! What was it?”
No one could tell, for the lone lamp in the cabin had fallen and goneout. But when the next lightning flash came the boys, who were standingnear the rail, ready to jump, saw some dark object, setting low in thewater. One of their hydroplanes had hit it, and had broken off.
“It’s a raft!” cried Bob. “Fellows, we’ve landed on a raft! Of all theluck!”
“Quick then!” shouted Ned. “Get aboard it. The _Comet_ is sinking!”
Indeed it did seem so. The gallant craft of the air, caught crippled asshe was in the grip of the sea, was fast settling in the water.
“I guess we’d better take to the raft,” said Jerry, mournfully. “Oh! ifwe only had a good light, and could see what we are doing we might saveher yet! The sea isn’t as rough as I thought!”
As if in answer to his plea there seemed to come from the centre ofthat dark mass they had struck--a raft, as Bob thought--a soft glow ofradiance, that seemed to spread all about them.
“Look!” cried Ned. “That’s no raft! See the riveted plates. Boys, it’sthe submarine again! Three times and out. We’ve landed on the deck ofthat mysterious submarine!”
“By Jove you’re right!” yelled Jerry. “Fellows, it’s our only chance.Jump over there, and pound for all you’re worth. They’ve got to take usin before they sink, or we’ll go down in the suction. Jump and pound!It’s our last chance. The _Comet_ is going down!”
Ned and Bob lost no time in obeying. Part of the wrecked motorshiprested on the deck of the submarine. So it was easy for the boys andthe professor to make the change.
And it was from this deck that the strange radiance came--a glow, asthe boys could see, from beneath some thick glass bullseye.
Quickly the four sprang to the deck of the submarine. As they didso the _Comet_, relieved of their weight, rose slightly but almostimmediately sank lower in the water.
QUICKLY THE FOUR SPRANG TO THE DECK OF THE SUBMARINE.]
“Pound--make a racket!” cried Jerry. “Make them hear us and take us in.It’s our only chance!”
Ned and Bob kicked with their heels on the steel plates that formedthe deck. Jerry made his way to the glass which covered the light, andrapped on that with his knife. At the same time he looked around forthe hatchway by which admittance could be gained to the interior of themysterious vessel.
Even while he was looking for it--and not seeing it--there was a noisealmost at his feet. It was the sound of steel moving on steel, and anopening appeared, flush with the deck. It was a round opening, largeenough
to admit a man, and framed in it was the face of the samewhite-bearded and snowy-haired commander they had seen on the submarinewhen the boys had had their first view of her.
“Well, what is it? Why have you dared to board my vessel without beinginvited?” growled, rather than asked the man, speaking with a strongGerman accent. “What do you want?”
“To save our lives!” exclaimed Jerry, talking rapidly. “Our airship wasstruck by lightning, and disabled. We fell into the ocean, fortunatelyfor us, landing partly on your submarine.”
“Ach! So!” exclaimed the German, in surprise.
“And you can’t refuse to take us in,” went on Jerry. “We will pay youfor your time and trouble--if you wish. We appeal to you for help.Surely you’ll take us in.”
The commander seemed to hesitate.
“As one scientist to another I appeal to you!” broke in ProfessorSnodgrass. “I am connected with several museums, and I am a member ofseveral societies to which you, no doubt, belong. You may have heard ofme,” and he mentioned his name.
“Ach! So!” exclaimed the German again.
“The _Comet_ is sinking!” cried Ned, who was watching their belovedairship.
“The _Comet_! Are you from the _Comet_?” asked the commander of thesubmarine quickly.
“We are,” answered Jerry, wondering what that had to do with it.
“Then I invite you aboard my vessel. Welcome to the _Sonderbaar_!”came the quick answer. “I heard something strike my deck, and came upto see what it was. Will you not come below?” and he stepped down outof the way, affording a passage to Jerry and his friends.