eiling there were many luminous tubes, which
lit up the place as brightly as daylight. The cart came to a stop.

The young scientist could now see with surprising distinctness his
captors and their serpentine steeds, and even the details of the
chains and the harness. He tried to pick up his diary, so as to jot
down some points which he had theretofore missed; but his hands were
too numb. But at least he could keep on observing; so he glued his
eyes to the thick quartz window-pane once more.

A short distance ahead in the passage there was another pair of doors.
Presently these swung open and the cavalcade moved forward. Five or
six successive pairs of doors were passed in this manner, and then the
sea-serpents began to thrash about and become almost unmanageable. It
was evident that some change not to their liking had taken place in
their surroundings.

* * * * *

At last, as one of the portals swung open, young Abbot saw what
appeared to be four deep-sea diving-suits. Could these suits contain
human beings? And if so, who? It seemed incredible, for no diving-suit
had ever been devised in which a man could descend to the depth of one
mile, and live.

These four figures, whatever they were, came stolidly forward and took
charge of the cart. One of the sharks swam up to them and appeared to
talk to them with its hands. Then the sharks unhitched the two
sea-serpents and led them to the rear, and Abbot saw them no more.

The four divers picked up the chains, and slowly towed the cart
forward, their clumsy, ponderous movements contrasting markedly with
the swift and sure swishings which had characterized the man-sharks
and their snake-like steeds.

Several more pairs of doors were passed, and then there met them four
figures in less cumbersome diving-suits, like those ordinarily used by
men just below the surface of the sea. One of the deep-sea divers then
pressed his face close to the outside of one of the windows of the
bathysphere, as though to take a look inside; but the four newcomers
waved him away, and hurriedly picked up the chains. Nevertheless, in
that brief instant, Abbot had seen within the head-piece of the diver
what appeared to be a bearded human face.

Several more pairs of doors were passed. The four deep-sea divers
floundered along beside the cart, quite evidently having more and more
difficulty of locomotion as each successive doorway was passed, until
finally they