em,
and turning to his companions he remarked:

"I feel mischievously inclined this morning. I think we will give the
crews of those ships a little surprise, and furnish them with a new
topic for conversation."

"Ah, indeed!" said the baronet. "How do you propose to do it?"

"By rising to the surface in the midst of the fleet. Our engine power
is quite sufficient, I believe, to send us to the surface or to plunge
us several fathoms deeper than we now are without our interfering with
the water chambers or altering in any way the weight of the ship. There
is a nice clear space just ahead, with ample room in which to show
ourselves and to make a downward plunge again beneath that large ship,
the barnacle-covered bottom of which seems to tell of a long voyage
through tropic seas. Now take up your stations of observation,
gentlemen, and note the consternation which our unexpected appearance
will produce."

The professor's companions placed themselves at the windows of the
pilot-house, and Herr von Schalckenberg at the same moment suddenly
pressed the end of the tiller vertically downward. Obedient to the
helm, the _Flying Fish's_ sharp snout immediately swerved upward, and
with a tremendous swirl and commotion of the water the great ship rushed
to the surface, throwing half her length out of the sea, only to
disappear again the next moment with a graceful plunging motion and a
still greater disturbance of the water by her immense rapidly revolving
propeller.

A single swift glance around them was all that the travellers were able
to obtain of the state of affairs above water; but that sufficed to show
them that their appearance, sudden though it was, had attracted a
considerable amount of notice. They saw that the _Flying Fish_ had
broken water in the very centre of a large fleet of ships, most of which
were making their way up channel under every stitch of canvas they could
spread before a very light westerly air. Many of these ships were
evidently, from their weather-beaten appearance, traders from far-
distant foreign ports; and their crews, taking advantage of the
beautifully fine weather and smooth water, were either occupied on
stages slung over the sides in giving the hulls a touch of fresh paint
to brighten up their appearance previous to going into port, or aloft,
scraping, painting, and varnishing the spars, or tarring down the
rigging, with a similar object. All eyes seemed to be directed toward
th