h. With an old-fashioned force-pump, rusty from disuse, a
three-inch outlet, and three atmospheres of pressure, pumping was
useless, and they gave it up, even though the girl added her little
weight and strength to the task.

Ross had plenty of compressed air in the numerous air flasks scattered
about, and, as he could blow out no more tanks, he expended a jet into
the choking atmosphere of the boat. It sweetened the air a little, but
there was enough of the powerful, poisonous gas generated to keep them
all coughing continually. However, he seated the girl close to the air
jet, so that she need not suffer more than was necessary.

"Are we in danger, John?" she asked. "Real danger, I mean?"

"Yes, dear, we are," he answered, tenderly. "And it is best that you
should know. I have driven out all the water possible, and we cannot
pump at this depth. Higher up we could. But I can eject the torpedo
from the tube, and perhaps the others. That will lighten us a good
deal."

He went forward, driving Foster before him--for he did not care to leave
him too close to the girl--and pushed him bodily into the cramped space
between the tube and the trimming tanks.

"Stay there," he said, incisively, "until I want you."

"What can I do?" whimpered the photographer, a brave bully before the
girl, when safe; a stricken poltroon now. "I'll do anything you say, to
get to the surface."

"You'll get to the surface in time," answered Ross, significantly. "How
much do you weigh?"

"Two hundred pounds."

"Two hundred more than we want. However, I'll get rid of this torpedo."

Ross drove the water out of the tube, opened the breech-door; and,
reaching in with a long, heavy wire, lifted the starting lever and water
tripper that gave motion to the torpedo's engine. The exhaust of air
into the tube was driven out into the boat by the rapidly moving screws,
and in a few moments the engine ran down.

Then Ross closed the door, flooded the tube, opened the forward door, or
port, and sent out the torpedo, confident that, with a dead engine, it
would float harmlessly to the surface, and perhaps locate their position
to the fleet; for there could be little doubt that the harbor above was
dotted with boats, dragging for the sunken submarine.

As the torpedo went out, Ross noticed that the nose of the boat lifted a
little, then settled as the tube filled with water. This was
encouraging, and he expelled the water. The nose again lifted, but t