Frank Reade Library: Six Sunken Pirates — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

8 SIX SUNKEN PIRATES. seg eee eae ee rr walls of coral reef rose upon either side of them to an enormous height. There seemed but one passage through, and that was directly ahead. The Sea Mole was kept in this passage. As the boat ran on it seemed as 1f these walls narrowed strangely, and an intense darkuess rose in a wall ahead. Frank at first attached no significance to this, & break beyond and an emerging into clear water. But this did not come. The coral walls narrowed more and more, until Frank was obliged to suddenly shut off the electric current and stop the engines, , The Sea Mole came to astop between walls which were hardly twenty feet apart, and narrower at a visible point ahead. ‘¢ We have run into a sort of trap!” cried Pentlow. ‘Can't we run up over this canyon, Frank?” ‘¢That is what we will have to do,” replied Frank; ‘“ but I imagine these walls are very high.” “«They cannot reach the surface?” ‘7 am not so sure.” % < any rate, there is no other way but to go up.” 46 0.”” So Frank pressed the tank valve, and the boat went up. went, and Frank was impressed with a sudden startling fact. The higher the boat went the more the walls contracted. In a rise of one hundred feet the sides of the boat began to scrape the walls of the passage. ‘* Look out, Frank!” cried Pentlow; ‘‘ we skall get wedged in here if we are not careful!” Frank instantly hastened to shut off the tank and hold the Sea Mole suspended. ‘That ig queer,” he cried. have we got into?” The professor looked anxious, and said: ‘‘T am afraid we are ip a bad place, Frank. We have evidently ran into some sort of very narrow defile. I see no way to get out but to go buck the way we came,” ‘‘T dislike to do that,” said Frank, reluctantly, ‘‘ before we make any further move, let us see what kind of a place this is we have got into.’ Accordingly he turned the rays of the search light upward. Through the glass dome of the cabin it was easy to see. And what the voy- agers saw startled them. ‘‘ Great Scott!” exclaimed Frank, ‘‘ we are in a deep sea cave. That is the roof above us!” ‘‘ You are right,” cried Pentiow, in amazement. Here was a situation. How far they had run into the cavern it was not eaby to guess, but here they were beyond a doubt. ‘* Well, I like that,” said Frank. ‘‘ There is nothing stupid in it, ig there? A very bright move on my part.” Then all laughed. . Bat Frank reversed the engines, and the boat moved backwards. For full an hour it ran on before the mouth of the cavern was reached. - Then Frank sent the boat up until it surmounted the coral walls. It was then seen that the water was extremely shallow, sod Frank cried: ‘“« We shall have to go to the surface!” | And the next moment the Sea Mole leaped up into the upper air. A startling scene was revealed to the voyagers. There directly in front of them was land. isle rose up in rare beauty. The truth was seen at once. They had run into a subterranean pas- sage under one of these curious Caribbean Cuays, not dreaming of its real character. Then emerging they had followed the upward course of the rising submarine mouuntain, the summit of which made an isle in the sea. What particalar isle it was they did not know nor did they take the pains to ascertain. They did not see any sign of human life anywhere, though for all bat it might be inhabitated by Caribs or Spanish gringas or pear! shers. - There was but one thing todo now and this was to go around the isle and continue the journey. But before daring this Frank was decided to take his bearings. So he brought his inatruinents on deck and proceeded to make a reckoning. The result was destined to be a most astounding revela- tion. . He was looking for Up it ‘‘What in the dickens kind of a place The shores of a tropical CHAPTER VII. A KEEN DISAPPOINTMENT. FRANK took great pains to be extremely accurate in his computa- tion. When he finished his task the result amazed him. Pentlow had been waiting anxiously for the verdict. query: ‘‘ Well, Frank, where are we?” ‘Tn the Caribbean Sea!” ‘¢ Yes, but how far from the latitude sunken city of. Katunda?’ ‘' We are in latitude 15 degrees, I7 minutes, north, and lougitude 75 degrees 20 seconds weat.” tle What!” gasped Pentlow, ‘‘ why that is the locality of the sunken isle.’ He now made ‘¢ Of couse it is.” For a moment the professor was dumb. He gazed at Frank, at the figures, at the tropical iale, and then at the sky.” ‘© W—what does it mean?” he said finally; *‘ has—has there been a miracle? Has Katunda come to the surface?” ‘‘ That is the question,” said Frank in a mystified way. you see any logieal explanation?’ ‘+ Why—this Ia the exact spot? You are sure of your reckoning?” “« Absolutely!’ ‘¢ Well—then this must be the sunken isle come to the surface again.” Frank shook hiz head. ‘¢ Impossible!” he said. ‘* Why?” exclaimed the scientist, in- amazemeut. you explain it?” ‘¢ Can you not see the absurdity of such a hypothesis? The pearl divers saw the city of Katunda at the bottom of the sea, not but a few days ago!” ‘« Yes.” ; ‘¢ Weil, how could it rise from the sea in that brief space of time and assume such an extensive growth of tropical foliage and life? Why that isle has been there for at least a hundred years, I'll take my oath.” The professor saw the logic of Frank’s remarks, ‘““ Why, of course!” he said. ‘ Why did [ not think of it? But— what dovs it all mean then? Where is the sunken city of Katunda? Have we made a mistake of any kind’ ‘“*No,” said Frank, decidedly; ‘‘ we are not the ones who have made the mistake.” ‘¢ Ah!” exclaimed Pentlow; ‘‘ you think then that the crew of the schooner are the ones in error?” ‘It must be so. In taking the bearings of Katunda they made an error. They would undoubtedly have come to this spot themselves, but they would not have found Katunda.” Pentiow drew a deep breath, and sank down upon a permanent bench againat the boat’s rail. He drew his fingers through his long hair several times. ‘‘ Well, I'll be hanged!” he finally ejaculated; ‘‘ it seems as if the hand of fave was guiding us. We are no better off than at any time for positive knowledge of the location of Katunda.” ‘* Not in the least,” agreed Frank. ‘It was not a little disheartening to realize that this was a fact, For some time silence reigned. To search for Katunda now they must go on again at random. Cer- tainly there was no other logical explanation of the curious phenome- non. Pentlow looked at the isle. It was absolutely ridiculous to assume for a moment that this could be the real isle of Katunda again risen to the surface. The idea was at once dispelled 18 most highly improbable. It was certain that the captain of the schooner had made a tremendous mis- take in reckoning. It was but natural that the submarine voyagers should be somewhat disheartened by this denouement, But Frank said finally: ‘(There ia no use in repining. Weare no worse off than before. We found the schooner’s log giving the exact bearings pf Katunda. We had no better cue then than we have now,” ‘‘That is so!” agreed Pentlow. ‘* Well, let us be sensible and make the best of it. As the true bearings are lost to us, let us see how we can best proceed.” ‘¢ That is the way to talk,” cried Frank. ‘Cheer up, friends, Per- haps we may be able to (leduce something of value yet from these bearings, Let us see! How would the schooner’s captain be apt to lila such an error. Some of the figures may have become transe osed. P The sheet or page from the log bearing the record was again sub- jected to a close examination. However, there was not much to be deduced from it. The best and only course apparently was to proceed at random and trust to chance. ‘‘There ia no doubt but that we will find it in time,” Frank; *‘8o here goes.” The Sea Mole was atarted ahead. Frank ran along the west shore of the isle out of curiosity to see how large it really was. He found that it was fully a dozen square miles, and like all the Ca- ribbean Cays, completely reef bound. It.was, in fact, not a little risky in keeping so close to the shore, but yet no mishap befell. Finally, after satisfying himself, Frank headed for the open sea. When theisle was but aspeck on the horizon he pressed the key which closed the doors and windows of the boat. Then the Sea Mole once more went to the bottom, and again the submarine search was begun. Professor Pentlow was really the most disappointed one of the crew. But yet he kept vigilant watch at the pilot-house window. ‘¢What do you think?” asked Frank, once. ‘ Will we find the ships of the six sunken pirates intact? They have been under sea a good many years, you know.” | ‘‘T am aware of that,” replied the explorer, ‘‘ but there is a good chance that we shall find them quite well preserved.” ‘¢ But the treasure——” ‘¢ Can ‘¢ How else do declared COMICMOOO SS (CO)