Washington fell on his knees and stretched up his clasped hands in supplication. The boys gazed curiously at the white object that was slowly floating toward the stranded ship.
It rose and fell on the waves, with an odd motion.
"I wonder what it is," said Mark.
"We"ll soon see," spoke Jack. "It"s coming this way."
"Don"t go near it! Don"t touch it, boys!" pleaded Washington. "It"ll put de evil eye on yo", suah! Turn yo" haids away!"
But the boys were not so easily frightened. The white thing did look queer, but Jack reasoned correctly that the darkness of the night magnified it, and made it appear stranger than it probably was.
"I"m going to try to get it," said Mark.
The white thing was now quite close. It resembled a bundle of rags, floating on top of the water, and, as it came nearer, it seemed to take on a curious form.
"It"s a baby! It"s de ghost ob a little dead baby!" cried the colored man. "Let it alone, I tell you!"
Indeed, now that Washington had suggested it, the boys could see a resemblance to a child in the white object. But this did not deter them.
Jack secured a boat hook from where it was fastened to the platform.
With it he gently poked at the white thing. The object seemed to collapse and Jack was conscious of a strange feeling. Then, with slow motions, he drew it close to the side of the ship.
Lying on his face he was able to get a good look at the thing. He muttered an exclamation.
"What is it?" cried Mark.
"Nothing but a newspaper!" announced Jack with a laugh, as he threw it on the deck. "All our trouble for nothing."
"I sh.o.r.e thought it were a ghost," cried Washington as he got up from his knees.
The boys went to their bunks. They were the first ones awake the next morning, and Jack followed Mark on deck.
"There"s the paper you rescued from drowning," said Mark.
"So it is," came from Jack. "I wonder if there"s any news in it."
The sheet had dried out and Jack spread it open. No sooner had he scanned the first page than he uttered a whistle.
"Something startling?" asked Mark.
"Startling! I guess yes! Look here!"
Mark looked over Jack"s shoulder. Staring at them, from amid a ma.s.s of other news was the announcement in big black type:
REWARD FOR BOY ANARCHISTS!
Then followed an account of the burning of the hotel at Easton, a vivid description with pictures, of how it had been blown up in an attempt to a.s.sa.s.sinate Lord Peckham, and how the two boys, sons of an English anarchist, had escaped.
The rest of the story was given over to a description which Jack and Mark could see was meant for them though it was incorrect in several particulars. How the boys had escaped the detective, through the trolley car mishap, was related, and then came the startling announcement that the hotel authorities had offered a reward of $1,000 for the capture of either or both of the boy anarchists. To this Lord Peckham had added an equal sum.
"Well, it looks as if we were of some importance in the world," remarked Jack.
"Rather," agreed Mark. "Think of having a price on our heads! Well, that detective certainly is a hustler. When is that paper dated?"
Jack looked and saw that the sheet had been issued in Charleston the day previous. It had probably been thrown overboard from some steamer, and had drifted toward sh.o.r.e.
While the boys were speculating over the matter Professor Henderson came on deck. He saw something was up, and soon had the whole story from the boys.
"I shouldn"t worry about it," said the inventor. "They"ve got to catch you first, and it isn"t like running away when you know you are guilty.
You boys had no more to do with the fire than the man in the moon. And we"ll soon be beyond the reach of rewards and newspapers."
Nevertheless, the boys brooded over the matter. It seemed that they were still under a cloud, and they wished very much that it could be cleared away.
However there were soon busy times. The rising tide floated the boat, and soon it was riding safely at anchor. The professor needed some small bits of machinery, and had decided to send the boys to the nearest town for them. But the news in the paper changed his plans, and he sent Bill and Washington, who soon returned with the needed articles.
"Now we"ll make another start," said Mr. Henderson, as soon as all were on board once more. "This time I hope we will keep on until we reach the south pole!"
He started the engine, the _Porpoise_ sank beneath the waves, and with a hum of the big screw that throbbed and vibrated, was away again.
CHAPTER X
ATTACKED BY A MONSTER
For several days the _Porpoise_ plowed her way beneath the surface of the ocean. Obedient to the directing hand of Professor Henderson she rose or sank as the tanks were emptied or filled. He put the craft through several rather difficult movements to test her under all conditions. In each one she was a success.
Dinner was sometimes eaten five hundred feet below the surface. Then while Washington washed the dishes and cleaned up the galley, Jack and Mark looked from the side windows at the strange life under water.
They were getting farther south now and the water was warmer as the equator was approached. This produced a great variety of animal life, and the ocean fairly swarmed with fishes, big and little, strange and curious that could be seen from the gla.s.s bull"s-eyes.
Great sharks swam up alongside of the _Porpoise_, keeping pace with her in spite of her speed. Their cruel tigerish eyes and ugly mouths made the boys shudder as they looked at the creatures. Then came odd creatures that seemed neither of the land or sea, but which swam along with their horrible bodies flapping up against the gla.s.s. One and all, the inhabitants of the ocean seemed to resent the intrusion of the submarine.
One day the boys turned the light out in the cabin and sat in the darkness the better to observe the fishes. The sea, in the vicinity of the ship, was illuminated with a sort of glow that diffused from the searchlight.
Suddenly, as the boys were watching, there came a thud on the gla.s.s window at the port side. They glanced in that direction to see some horrible thing peering in at them through the window.
At first they were greatly frightened. Two big eyes of green, with rims of what looked like red fire, stared at them, and, there was an ugly mouth lined with three rows of teeth.
"It"s only a fish," said Mark.
"Well, I wouldn"t like to meet it outside," said Jack. "I"d rather be here. My, but it"s a nasty sight!"
"Let"s give Washington a little scare," suggested Mark.
"How?"