more soared to her former elevation.

At twenty minutes after four o'clock a.m. a second descent was made,
when it was found that they were passing over hilly country which they
surmised to be that situated about the borders of the three counties of
Surrey, Hants, and Sussex; and almost immediately afterwards the lights
on the forts in progress of construction at Spithead came into view,
together with the anchor-lights of two or three men-o'-war in the
roadstead, and they knew that the first part of their journey was almost
accomplished.

Precisely at half-past four o'clock the _Flying Fish_ took the water
about two miles to the eastward of the "Noman" fort, and her occupants
at once began the search for a suitable berth for her--a berth, that is
to say, in a position where she would not be likely to be discovered by
the fishermen, and where the depth of water would be sufficient to
permit of the largest man-o'-war passing over her submerged hull without
striking upon it. To discover such a spot proved by no means an easy
task; but it was accomplished at last, though at a distance considerably
farther out to sea than they had bargained for, and at half-past five
o'clock her anchor was let go in the selected berth. Cross bearings
were then most carefully taken and entered in each of the travellers'
pocket-books, after which the next task was to get their varied spoils
into the boats and the boats themselves into the water. This was soon
done, and then all hands, including George and the _chef_, but excluding
the professor, entered the boats and shoved off a few fathoms from the
ship's side, where they anchored.

The first faint signs of dawn were just appearing in the eastern sky
when it became apparent to those in the boats that the huge bulk of the
_Flying Fish_ was disappearing. Steadily but imperceptibly she settled
lower and lower in the water until her deck was awash and nothing but
her pilot-house remained visible in the dim ghostly light of the early
morning. A minute more and this too had disappeared, and, as the waves
washed over its top, the baronet carefully lowered over the side of his
boat a rope-ladder, well weighted at the bottom and with an unlit
electric lamp attached to it in such a position as to hang suspended at
a height of about six feet above the bed of the sea. This lamp was of
course attached to a battery in the boat, and as soon as Sir Reginald
felt the weights at the foot of the ladde