"Now, gentlemen," exclaimed the professor, with some slight evidences of excitement in the tones of his voice, "look around you, and see if you can discover anything unusual in our neighbourhood."
The persons addressed did as they were requested, the professor himself also peering eagerly out of each of the pilot-house windows in turn, but without result; the electric lamps, though they brilliantly illuminated the scene on all sides for fully fifty yards, and rendered objects distinguishable for at least three times that distance, revealed nothing but a plain completely covered with rocks and boulders, some of which were of enormous size, and all thickly overgrown with sea-weed.
"What is it you expected to find down here, professor?" asked the colonel, when it had become perfectly evident that nothing but rocks lay within their range of vision.
"The hull of a ship," answered the professor. "She foundered on or near the spot indicated by me, and cannot be far off; unless, indeed, we are out in our reckoning. Have you worked out your calculations, Mildmay?"
"Not yet," answered the lieutenant, "but I soon will do so if you will oblige us with a little light inside here."
"Ah, true! I had forgotten," murmured the professor apologetically, and he lighted the lamp which hung suspended above the table in the pilot- house.
The lieutenant sat down and rapidly worked out his observations, with the resulting discovery that they were exactly two miles north-east of the spot they were seeking, having doubtless been swept that much out of their proper position by the tide. The _Flying Fish_ was accordingly raised some fifty feet from the bottom, her engines were once more set in motion, slowly this time, however, and the ship"s head laid in the proper direction, the occupants of the pilot-house stationing themselves at the windows and peering out eagerly ahead on the look-out for the object of their search.
The engines being set to work dead slow and stopped at intervals when the speed became too high, the speed of the _Flying Fish_ was kept down to about twelve knots per hour, at which rate she would occupy ten minutes in traversing the required distance. She had been under weigh exactly nine minutes when Mildmay exclaimed:
"Sail ho! That is to say, there is a large object of some kind dead ahead. Port _hard_, professor, or we shall be into it."
The professor, who was not absolutely ignorant of nautical phraseology, promptly ported his helm and at the same moment stopped the engines, by which manoeuvre the _Flying Fish_ glided close past the object so slowly that it was easily distinguishable as a huge pinnacle of rock.
They were now on the exact spot indicated by the professor on the chart, but nothing in the slightest degree resembling the hull of a ship was in sight. Rocks in the form of pinnacles, huge fantastic boulders, and boldly-jutting reefs appeared all round, as far as the powerful lamps of the ship could project their rays, but no ship was to be seen. They rose some fifty feet higher, in order to see over the more lofty rocks, some of which intercepted their view, but with no more successful result.
"There is no ship here, professor," at last remarked the baronet, after all hands had carefully inspected the whole of the ground within their ken. "Are you quite sure of the accuracy of your information?"
"My information has reference only to an _approximate_ position; the ship is hereabout--within a few miles of this spot--and I considered that our best chance of discovering her lay in coming here first, and, if necessary, prosecuting our search with this position as a starting- point."
"Very good. Then, as the object of our quest is manifestly not here, I propose that we proceed with our search at once."
By way of reply the professor put the helm hard over, and once more set the engines slowly in motion, thus causing the ship to travel in a circle about the spot; all hands going, as before, to the windows of the pilot-house on the look-out.
The circle described by the _Flying Fish_ was a very small one--not more than two hundred feet in diameter--and the inmates of the pilot-house were therefore able to carefully examine every inch of ground within its circ.u.mference. One complete circuit having been accomplished without result, the helm was very slightly altered, and the ship then went on in a continually widening spiral which must necessarily at length take her to the object of her search, if indeed it actually existed.
That it did so was ultimately demonstrated, the professor himself being the first to make its discovery.
The wreck, when first sighted, was distant about one hundred yards on their starboard hand, and only just within range of the circle of electric light. The ship"s head was at once turned in that direction, the engines being at the same time stopped, to permit of a very gradual approach.
All eyes were of course intently fixed upon the strange object; and they had neared it to within about one hundred feet, when Lieutenant Mildmay exclaimed in a low, awe-struck voice:
"Just as I suspected! It is the _Daedalus_!"
"Yes," replied the professor very quietly; "it is that most unfortunate ship. And now, gentlemen, with your permission I will anchor the _Flying Fish_, and pay a visit--unaccompanied--to the wreck."
It was evident, from the extreme gravity of the professor"s demeanour, that his proposed visit was prompted by some other motive than that of mere idle curiosity; his companions therefore simply bowed in token of acquiescence, and permitted von Schalckenberg to follow undisturbed the bent of his own inclinations.
The _Flying Fish_, meanwhile, had been caused to descend to the bottom, to which she was at once secured by her four grip-anchors; immediately after which the professor, with a somewhat hurried and incoherent apology, left his companions and descended to the diving-room.
Left to themselves, the trio occupying the pilot-house had ample leisure to note the position and surroundings of the ill-fated steamer.
She had settled down upon a flat ledge of level rock, and rested, keel downwards, in a perfectly upright position, having apparently recovered herself whilst settling down. She was greatly damaged, both in hull and rigging; the spar-deck and forecastle being swept away, and her main deck blown up in midships, very possibly through the explosion of her boilers. Her bowsprit and mizzen-mast were gone, as was also her fore topmast; and the mainmast, with topmast and all attached, was leaning aft, and so far over the side that the observers would not have been surprised to see it fall at any moment. Loose ropes were trailing in all directions; and the tattered remains of sails still hung from some of the yards and stays, swaying occasionally in a slow, weird, ghostly manner, with the mysterious intermittent under-currents of the sea.
The trio were still discussing the particulars of the sad disaster, which, on a stormy September night, had resulted in the drowning of nearly five hundred people, and the plunging of the ship herself to the depths wherein they had so strangely found her, when the figure of the professor, clad in his suit of diving armour and dwindled in apparent dimensions by his great distance below them, was seen to emerge from the black shadow of the _Flying Fish"s_ hull and make his way slowly and laboriously over the rocky bottom toward the wreck. A couple of minutes sufficed him to perform the short journey; and; scrambling up the side by the aid of some of the dangling gear, he entered the p.o.o.p cabin and disappeared.
The party in the pilot-house finished their chat; and then sauntered down into the music saloon, of which they had seen nothing since the night of their departure from London--actually only two nights before, but they had since then been so satiated with novel sights and experiences that it really seemed as though at least a month had elapsed since they last pa.s.sed the threshold. Here they beguiled the time so effectually with music, vocal and instrumental, that it was not until George appeared announcing dinner that it occurred to either of them that the professor had been out of the ship nearly three hours.
"Where can the man be? Surely some accident must have befallen him!"
exclaimed the baronet, starting up in alarm.
"Not necessarily," replied the colonel. "The professor is pretty well able to take care of himself. It is much more probable that he has discovered some object of exceptional interest on board the wreck, or has fallen into a scientific reverie as to the actual cause of the disaster--the cause, I mean, from a _scientist"s_ point of view. Sound the gong, George; water is a good conductor, and he may possibly hear it and be awakened to a consciousness that time flies."
The gong was accordingly struck, and the three companions hastened to the pilot-house to watch for results. The call proved effectual, for in less than five minutes afterwards the professor made his appearance on the deck of the wreck, soon afterwards rejoining his friends on board the _Flying Fish_ in the vestibule outside the saloons. He carried in his hand a small compact package, which he deposited carefully on the sideboard, and then, with a much more cheerful mien than he had worn when setting out upon his solitary journey, took his accustomed place at the table, apparently quite prepared to do full justice to the meal which was about to be served.
The soup and fish were discussed in silence; a gla.s.s of wine was then imbibed with much apparent enjoyment, and this unlocked the professor"s lips.
"I feel it to be due to you, gentlemen--and more especially to _you_, Sir Reginald--to offer some explanation of the motive which influenced me in my proposal that we should come hither," he remarked, setting his wine-gla.s.s down on the table. "I had a threefold object in view. In the first place, I felt curious to know whether it would be possible to find, _at the bottom of the sea_, an object the position of which is only approximately known. In the second place, I was anxious to secure a relic. And in the third place, I was almost equally anxious to recover a most valuable doc.u.ment which I was convinced had gone down in the unfortunate _Daedalus_. With regard to the first-named object, you have already witnessed our complete success. I have also been successful in the remaining two."
The speaker paused here; but it was so evident from his manner that he had not yet said all he had to say upon the subject that his companions contented themselves with mere simple monosyllabic murmurs of polite congratulation, and then awaited in silence a further communication.
The professor continued silent and evidently plunged deep in a somewhat sombre reverie for several minutes; then he lifted his head and said somewhat hesitatingly:
"You will perhaps be surprised to learn that my life has not been left wholly ungilded by the halo of romance. Five-and-twenty years ago, when Science had perhaps not obtained so tight a grip upon me as she now has, it was my fate to meet the loveliest woman I have ever beheld. She was an only daughter, of English parentage; and chance threw us somewhat more intimately together than is usual with people who become acquainted casually and informally. I fell blindly, madly in love with this peerless creature; and, gentlemen, I have since--and alas, too late!-- had reason to believe that, strange as such a circ.u.mstance may appear to you, she did not altogether escape a reciprocal pa.s.sion. But my studious habits had brought with them one serious disadvantage--I was indescribably diffident and shy; so much so that when the time arrived that I must either unbosom myself or let her pa.s.s away out of my life, perhaps for ever, I found myself without the courage to make the necessary declaration. We parted without a word of love having pa.s.sed between us. She remained single for five years--to give me an opportunity of declaring myself, as I now know--and then married a man far more worthy of her than I could ever have proved. Gentlemen, her only child, a lad of fifteen, went down with the ill-fated _Daedalus_; and the mother is to-day breaking her heart because, by some perverse chance, she does not possess a single memento of her lost boy. My visit to the wreck, however, will remove that source of grief; for I shall have the melancholy satisfaction of transmitting to the dear lady, by the first safe conveyance which offers itself, the watch and chain and the signet-ring which he wore when he bade her a final farewell. In the moment that I conquered the last difficulty connected with the construction of this ship, and felt a.s.sured that she would prove a success, I vowed to myself that, by the courtesy of our amiable host, I would avail myself of the means she would offer for securing some memento of that poor lad; and I have to-day at once performed my vow and pa.s.sed through scenes of such surpa.s.sing horror as probably no mortal has ever witnessed before, and which language has no words to describe.
"The third object of my visit to the wreck is before you in the shape of yonder package. It is a ma.n.u.script book filled with jottings and memoranda, the result of some thirty years of profound research in the many bypaths of science. It was the property of an officer of the ship with whom I had corresponded for many years; and, knowing how greatly I coveted the book, he left it me in his will, probably little thinking, poor fellow! that it was fated to go with him to the bottom of the sea.
On being made acquainted with the circ.u.mstances of his death, and also with his bequest, I surmised at once that the precious volume must have been in his immediate possession when the ship foundered. And having visited him on board, as well as had occasion to notice the place in which the book was ordinarily kept, I had very little difficulty in placing my hand upon it."
"I suppose matters are in a very terrible state on board the wreck?"
asked the baronet.
"So bad," was the reply, "that, knowing what I now know, I cannot think of any motive powerful enough to induce me to repeat my visit. I had two very strong motives for going on board the ship; and, as each successive horror presented itself, I thought, surely there can be nothing worse than this; and I pressed onward, only to encounter greater and still greater horrors at every step. But I would not go there again even to achieve what I have achieved to-day."
"Ah!" said the baronet, "I have a great curiosity to see what the ship herself looks like after such a tremendous catastrophe; but, if the sights to be witnessed on board her be one-tenth part so bad as your words would lead one to suppose, I would not go near her for the world."
"Nor I," said the colonel.
"Nor I," added Mildmay.
"You are wise, gentlemen," remarked the professor. "I can quite understand your curiosity; but, were you to gratify it, your pleasure would be effectually destroyed for the remainder of the voyage."
"That reminds me to ask the question, Where are we going next?" said Sir Reginald.
The professor shrugged his shoulders and spread out his hands, palms upwards.
"The world is all before you where to choose," he replied. "You have only to name a place, and it will be strange indeed if we cannot get there."
"Well, for my own part, I am of opinion that it will be wise for us to devote this trip as far as possible to the visiting of such spots as it is difficult or impossible to reach by any other means. What say you, gentlemen?"
This from the baronet.
The others expressed their full coincidence in this opinion.
"Very well, then," continued Sir Reginald; "my proposal is that, as the days are now at their longest, and this is therefore the most favourable time for such an expedition--and as, moreover, the _Flying Fish"s_ stores have as yet been barely broached--we make the best of our way forthwith _to the North Pole_, there to enjoy a little of the choice sport which we may reasonably hope to find among animals that have never yet seen the face of man."