at
the trouble was.

Captain Henderson did not tell her, for, as he said afterward, he did
not want any women fainting away on his ship. At his request Mrs.
Johnson went back to her cabin, and the hunt for Washington continued.

"Here he is!" cried Jack at last.

The boy had climbed up on a small ladder that led to the big storage
battery tanks. He had looked down, and there, in the large metal box had
spied the colored man on the bottom. Washington was unconscious and
breathing heavily.

"He has been overcome by the fumes of the sulphuric acid!" exclaimed the
professor. "We must get him out quickly or he will die!"

"I'll get him!" cried Andy.

The old hunter grabbed a small step ladder that stood against the wall
of the engine room. With this on his shoulder he climbed up the steps
which led to the top of the storage battery tank. Then, by means of his
ladder, he descended inside.

He had to work quickly as the fumes were very strong, but he managed to
hoist Washington up so that Bill and Tom, from outside, could take hold
of him. Then the colored man was carried out on the deck, where the
fresh air and some restoratives the professor used soon revived him.

"Is I dead," were Washington's first words, as he sat up and looked
about him.

"Not this time," replied the professor. "You had a close call, though.
How did it happen?"

Washington explained that he started to clean the battery tank, when he
lost his balance and fell in. He cried as he felt himself falling, but
as soon as he struck the bottom of the tank the fumes of the chemicals
made him unconscious. His deep breathing, which had sounded like groans,
alone served to attract attention to his location.

In a little while Washington was all right save for a slight weakness.
Captain Henderson made him go to his bunk, and ordered him to remain
there until morning.

During the excitement over Washington's mishap all thought of steering
the ship had been forgotten, and when Mr. Henderson went to the conning
tower about five o'clock he found that the _Porpoise_ was several points
off her course and was headed to the east instead of to the south. How
many miles out of her way the craft had steamed could only be guessed,
but as she had been going wrong for nearly an hour, it must be quite a
few the inventor calculated.

However, he said, no great harm had been done. Even this slight accident
would not have happened had not Bill, who was in the conning t