Frank Reade Library: Six Sunken Pirates — page 7: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

SIX SUNKEN PIRATES, | a eeeen ee nN a IR ae eee ee A: ccc cca ecccccccacaacacacaaacacacaataed They had been just too late. The man was dead. He was a man of intelligent features and evidently a Cuban. submarine voyagers gave up the attempt with regret. ‘‘It is too bad,” said Pentlow, ‘if we could only have had one Minute to spare.” ‘‘ A minute is a great lapse of time under water,” said Frank; ‘‘ it may mean life or death.” ; , The question now arose as to wkat should be done with the body. It was decided to sew it up, as is done on shipboard, in a blanket and give it deep sea burial. This was done. The unfortunate man was placed in a grave in the sand, Pentlow assisting Frank and Barney. Pomp remained on board. Curiosity prompted the three divers to pay a bit of a visit to the sunken schooner. It wags seen thav she was a Cuban vessel, probably used for trade between Jamaica and Havana, and the others of the West India isl- ands. To her deck were lashed several of the crew. fully at their posts. In the cabin the bodies of two women, one a negress, and a child, were found. Search was made for valuables, and a startling discovery made, The craft had been fishing for pearls in the Caribbean Sea, and sev- eral thousand dollars’ worth of the beautiful gems were found aboard. Also & more important fing was made. This was an entry ip her log made in clear, readable Spanish, which the professor interpreted at the great risk of the leaves melting in the water. Thus the entry read: The They had died man- *¢ June the 25th, 18—. ‘‘This day, Carlo Pedrozo, one of our best long-diatance divers, came to the surfuce with a queer story. ‘‘ He described the street of a sunken city which lay beneath us. It was beautifully incrusted with coral. The depth was too great for Carlo to reach the atreet, but he was able to get a good view of it. ‘©The sunken street was in about 75 deg. 20 min. west longitude, anc 13 deg. 17 min. north latitude. Carlo bad no doubdt but that it was the Golden City. If so, then we shall all make our fortunes, for with American diving-suits we can certaioly visit the suoken city and recover the treasure. ‘« We start now for Key West. One of us will go to New York for diving-suits and a few months may see us wealthy and happy. Jesu preserve us.” Pentlow led the way back to the Sea Mole excitedly. Here the log of the pear! schooner, Isabella, was laid upon a table and ita leaves dried. Then the wonderful narrative was gone over again. ePerliaps the most excited one of all was Barney. The Celt turned a flip-flap and crowed with delight. ‘ Begorra, we air the people!” he cried. ‘‘ Shure there's no huatin’ alther the sunken city at all at all!” ‘¢ That is true,” said Pentlow, in subdued tones. put this in our way.” ‘* That is not to be denied,” said Frank, ‘ but at what a dreadful cost.” ‘¢ Oh, there is the pity,” said Pentlow. ‘Iam sorry for those poor souls! They were doomed! However, we could not save them, and there ig certainly no reason why we should not avail ourselves of this information so strangely given to us.” ‘¢ We will certainly make use of it,” said Frank. least superstitious on that score.” ‘¢There is no reason Lo be,” declared Pentlow. ‘ Now that we have the exact bearings, why not go ahead at full speed, Frank?’ ‘* We will certainly do so,” agreed the young inventor. So the Sea Mole was taxed to her utmost speed and fairly flew through the water. It was not yet deemed safe to go to the surface. Whether the storm yet raged or not it was not easy to say. But the Sea Mole kept on under the water. Mile after mile sped by. All that the voyagers could think or talk about now was getting into the Caribbean the quickest way. And such good progress was made that after twenty-four hours of deep sea sailing, Frank said: ‘+ We are in the Caribbean Sea.” ‘Hurrah! Now for the sunken city ef Katunda!” cried Pentlow. But the words had barely left hia lips when a thrilling thing occur- red. There was an awful crash and it seemed as if the boat was com- ing to pieces. ‘s Frank, fate has ‘(Tam not in the CHAPTER VI. A DEEP SEA TRAP. SoMETHING had _ struck the Sea Mole, and with terrific force also. In fact, the professor was knocked down, while Frank was hurled vio- lently across the pilot house, In a moment Frank luoked out through the plate glass windows for the cause of the shock. It was almost inetantly seen. Distant perhaps fifty yards from the boat was a huge fish of the tor- pedo type. It was posing as if getting another line on the Sea Mole, which was raoning rapidly toward it. ‘Look out!” yelled Pentlow, ‘it is coming for us again!” Frank saw that this was true. ' the huge torpedo was coming full speed straight for the Sea Mole, ead on. ff the young inventor could have reached the key board at that mo- ment he would bave tried to dodge the encounter. But he was not able to, and the collision came. Now if that torpedo fish had reckoned upon the character of the ob- stacle in its path, it would no douot have used more discretion. The submarine had a long and powerful steel ram. It was also go- ing with terrific speed. The torpedo would weigh tons, but of course was not so heavy as the submarine boat. As a result when they struck there was a sensa- tion. The ram struck the fish full in its head, There was a shock, a crushing sensation, and the pilot house windows were fairly plastered with blabber. Tte Sea Mole staggered, came to a stop and sank to the bed of the ocean. The weight of the obstacle upon its ram had overcome the buoy- ancy of its tank. ‘*By Jove!” exclaimed Frank, ‘‘ we have literally cut our way half through that fish. It is absolutely pinned upon the ram.” This was true. The keen steel ram had passed literally half through the torpedo frota head to tail. It was a terrific course. Of course the fish was dead. Also the submarine boat was anchored by its weight. Until this was removed, they must certainly remain where they were, This was a moral certainty. As s00n as the voyagers recovered their wits, a consultation was held. ‘¢ Golly!” cried Pomp, ‘‘I done fink dat de Sea Mole am quite a good success at spearin’ ob fish!” ‘You are right, Pomp,” said Frank, ‘‘and it is now a question as to how we shall yet rid of our prize.” Indeed, this proved to be quite a problem. Frank tried backing the engines and dragging the carcass of the fish over the rough ground. But this was not successful. Finally, be said: ‘‘There is but one way, and that is to put on the diving suits and cut it away with axes. It will take time, but we can do nothing else.” The professor agreed with Frank on this seore. So it was decided. It did not take long for Barney and Pomp to put on helmets and go ont to cut away the incumbrance. Frank did not go, nor did entlow. The two servitors entered the vestibule and soon had filled it with water. Then they opened the outer door and went out on deck. They were well equipped with axes aod Knives, Barney led the way over the rail and Pomp followed. They made their way along the hull to the point where the ram penetrated the fish’s carcass. Then Barney placed his helmet close to Pomp’s, and shouted: ‘¢ Begorra, if yez will begin worruk on this soide, I'll begin on the other. Is it a bargain” ‘¢Tt am, sah!” replied Pomp. der wif yo?” ‘All roight!” So Barney clambered over the bow of the boat and at once work began. They hacked away at the fish vigorously. Great slices of the monster’e blubber were cut away, and then the bones were reached. To distintegrate these was no easy task. But steady labor soon cleared the ram of the main part of the blub- ber. Then Frank gave the signal, two flashes of the search-light, for them to come aboard. Barney and Pomp hastened to obey the command. A moment later they were in the vestibule, and soon after in the cabin once more. ‘Tt is all right,” cried Frank, ‘‘ the small part of the fish left on the ram will be dispelled easily enough in the water.” ‘ All roight, Misther Frank,” said Barney, ‘‘is it aheac we will be afther going, sor?” ° ‘¢ Yes,” replied Frank. ‘‘ Now, barring mishaps, we ought to make our desired locality in a day at least.” ‘¢ Hurrah!” cried Pentlow. ‘I can hardly wait for the time to come.” ‘* Have patience,” laughed Frank. brief space of time.” ‘Oh, yes,” agreed the professor, ‘‘a day counts for nothing at the bottom of the sea.” So the Sea Mole went on its way with increased speed. The flesh and bones of the fish, as Frank said, were dispelied from the ram by the swift action of the water. Pentlow continually maintained his post at the window of the pilot house. He kept a constant lookout, although he Knew well that they were far from the locality of the sunken city as yet. The submarine boat was now run ata good rate of speed, for the bottom of the sea here was very level and sandy. But once the voyagers came upon a queer contirmation. Great ‘¢ Jes’ yo’ go right ahead an’ I'll be ‘¢We shall soon pass over that (C(O) AMUC NOOKS., CO