es. Queer you should remember that
instead of me. Come, Washington, start the screw going! We will try to
beat the whirlpool!"

The submarine was now whirling around so rapidly that it was difficult
for any one to stand without leaning against the sides or holding on to
something. It was going lower and lower down, as the gage showed.

Soon a throb that was felt through the length of the craft told that the
engine had started. The vibration increased until it seemed that the
ship would be torn apart. Never had the big screw revolved at greater
speed.

For a while the struggle between the force of man represented by the
engine, and the power of nature, embodied in the whirlpool, seemed
equal. Neither could gain the mastery. The ship continued to slide
around in ever narrowing circles while the big cable of water, forced
through the tunnel by the screw, was like a cataract.

"Which will win?" asked the professor softly to himself.

He crawled to the gages and watched them. Only by their needles could it
be told when the battle had turned in favor of the adventurers.

The circular motion, that was now terrible in its speed and power,
seemed to culminate in a rush that almost overturned the ship. In the
engine room Washington was laboring to keep the machine at top speed. He
put on the last ounce of power.

"Hurrah!" yelled the professor suddenly. "I think we shall win!"

He pointed to the depth gage. The needle, which had showed a constantly
increasing record, until it was now at two hundred feet, had stopped. It
showed they were going no lower.

Then Mr. Henderson looked at the indicator which showed the progress
straight ahead. The needle was beginning to tremble. As he watched he
saw it move, slowly at first, until, as the powerful screw won a victory
over the terrible whirlpool. The gage marked one, two and then three
miles an hour.

"We are leaving the swirling waters!" cried Mr. Henderson.

Then, all at once, as though it was an arrow shot from a gigantic bow,
the _Porpoise_ cleft the under-billows and shot ahead, free at last from
the grip of the whirlpool.

Man had triumphed over nature!

On rushed the ship like a race horse, for the engine was working as it
never had before, and it did not have the pool to contend against.

"Slow down," said Mr. Henderson, "and we will go to the surface."

Two minutes later, under the buoyancy of her empty tanks, the _Porpoise_
lay floating on the top of the wave