Pluck and Luck #139: Jack Wright and His Deep Sea Monitor — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

G Ph Seg winiees ra 8 se ans sah a why i ay: ik ‘ ire =f is wee Smeets cot : ae eae JACK WRIGHT AND HIS | opened the doors leading out to the creek, Tim standing on — the forward deck, Fritz on the after deck and the professor upon the pilot-house. “f They all held flags in their hands, and as the boat sped down the creek and out on the bay, a round of cheers greeted them of from thousands of people who lined the shore, covered the ne and sat in rowboats and on fishing smacks. People from distant cities, town and villages had come te, witness the exhibition; farm wagons, carriages, and, in fact, every known vehicle was crowded, and Jack worked his boat skillfully, his friends waving their flags in response to the cheers of the people. ee The boy inventor’s heart throbbed with joy, for the bone +. acted better than he expected, showing a speed of forty knots, turning in her own length, and doing everything that he de- sired of her. | “And now for the last trial!” he muttered, “to see how she behaves under water!” Le He fired a shot from one of the guns into the air, and, turh- ing a lever, he put the pumps in motion, compressed the air ee into the end chambers and let in the water. ee Down sank the boat, till Tim and'Fritz were submerged to their bosoms, when he brought her to a pause, and started her ' Bs off in a circle. rae : The wildest applause greeted this maneuver. | = It was Jack’s tention to sink her to the bottom when he ei had tested her partly submerged; but the moment the ex- } treme top of the pilot-house became submerged, the water wae bound s rush in through the open ay ee holes.. - thought. “We have got the boat and want an object to use the: % ' boat. This gentleman has furnished the object and we can a add to our riches if the trip proves to be a success. On the a other hand, if it turns out to be a failure, we can’t lose much, ie -@s we are all anxious, anyway, to make a trip in the Sea Serpent.” _ ¥ _, “And now, lad,” said Tim, cheereuny “for my part, I’m wild *5e ter make ther v’yage.” “Und me, too,” said Fritz. “And I,” added the professor, enthusiastically. | “That settles it, then; in one week from to-day we will start 7: on our voyage in the monitor searching for this ton of gold,” said Jack, quietly. ; After some further desultory conversation, during which it Was ascertained that the professor was alone in the world, and had a commission to bring back specimens of deep sea fish, - shells and aquatic plants for a noted university, if he suc- ie. ceeded in going off in Jack’s boat, they laid out their plans, and Hopkins deciding to remain at Jack’s house, they all retired. i On the following day the four were up early, found that the 3 weather had cleared, and after breakfast they boarded the Sea oa Serpent by going through the turret door, and showed the pro- t fessor the boat. roy Inside of the turret was a large, handsome room, bull’s eyes of thick glass letting in daylight, and shutters over the front being lifted disclosed a large window by which everything Was lighted. a There was a wheel to steer the boat in the room, in front of il a circular table with a white top, upon which a camera ai obscura. reflected from the dome of the roof, while along one side of it were several numbered levers that controlled the eee ct of all the working parts by electric wires. ‘The breeches of three pneumatic guns were secured in the 3 “floor below their feet, and the walls were covered with gauges, es indicators, maps, charts, ete. _- In back, a narrow flight of stairs led them down into a =a large, handsome cabin, fitted up with fine carpets, elegant fur- | a re, handsome pictures on the wainscoted walls, and every t" 10Wwn comfort and luxury. Forward of it there was a stateroom containing a dozen cur- fa “tained berths, with running water and handsome lockers. 1 ae (he room back of the cabin was a well: -appointed galley ans sas: be? “The case stands this way, boys,” said Hé after a qaoment’s Re + me Pd id eS Th . OSes ° SS ~ th CHAPTER IV. eile RENEATH THE WATER. | te Upon finding that the boat behaved properly, Jack turned ae a lever and sent her toward the boitom, when the water rushed — a in through the screw-cap holes in the pilot-house roof. pa The moment Jack found the water pouring into the monitor, eer he imagined she was leaking in some defective spot, and . oe turning another of the levers, he brought are to a sudden pause, { i ye and pantry, in back of that a store-room for provisions, and] She was then, ean to a gauge he glanced at, forty feet Ee al paratus for diving, arms, ammunition and ali sorts of equip- os below the surface of the bay, and turning a lever contr Ming, ie the electric lights, a halo shot out of the dead-lights all around — : . the boat, while a broad shaft from the searchlight darted ahead res “ 1 aieousth the water. The boy then glanced around, and saw several streams pane ing down through the opened screw-cap holes in the roof of — the turret overhead, dispelling his first impression of a leak, o when he saw the real cause. fj “Some one has been tampering with the boat?” was. the thought that flashed across his mind, but he never for a mo- ment suspected that it was the work of vengeance consum: = mated by Kellenda Mixitli. | . ie There was a rubber, water-tight disc in one of the ‘windows: 2 looking like the mouth-piece of a telephone, and each of the | diving suits worn by ‘the four were furnished with them in 0 ane saan for storing the jars standing at one side, Seth everything was fastened tight. Two small compartments in the bow and stern were: used to go. in and out of the boat while she was beneath the water, and down in the hold there were three more rooms below The two end ones were used to hold air pumped from the a central chamber, inio which water was let to submerge the be oat to any desired depth: while to ascend, the water was again. forced out, and the air! let into the middle chamber a3 laving shown the professor everything, Jack and his friends ; e gan to work at getting everything in readiness for the trial At that afternoon, but failed to observe that the pilot-house reaps were missing. ey had dinner on board, as Fritz was a skilled cook, and before three o’clock repaired to the pilot-house, attired in ‘suits of aluminum, looking like suits of mail worn by t knights, with electric lamps on top of. ‘the: helmets and rvoirs: like knapsacks upon their backs. the helmets. y . They were an invention of the boy’s, called acnsiont ar da heey enabled them to speak and hear under water almost as plain aly se as if they were on land without their helmets on, for water. ae ‘a good conductor of sound. ( wees ei “Hopkins!” shouted the boy, “the boat is filling up! Cover — the open holes on the roof there vite your hands, and ¢all Tim and one he , noes a.’ : 38 “Oh, Lord!” he heard , the professor yell, in horrified ‘tones : (ie - the bs cui ane fa a Bong, two of the workmen “Go! uD) to ‘the ie caste” I don’t like | this! ‘We'll rows Be ee sah: ie divalpiee Wa eS is « 1% Pape ge > Leen 4 i me fan ; 3 4 su 3 : ep ode a a » eat a D ae ose) a ee ot pi fp og A ae: ; Dome 2 oar: aeae. mS BY. Spee a Anh ere ag * oF a!