sign to a slave, who, touching a spring, caused a
trapdoor in the back of the _Searcher_ to fly open.

The sunshine descended in a flood.

Terrible cries of rage and triumph were heard, and a swarm of natives
appeared on all sides.

At least twenty made a rush at the ladder, brandishing their tomahawks
and spears, while they uttered fierce yells and scraps of war songs.

The first who grasped the railing, and placed his foot on the ladder,
gave a bound back, and the most fearful shrieks burst from his quivering
lips. A second, a third, and a fourth did the same.

What invisible force was at work Mont did not know. He thought the days
of magic and sorcery had returned.

A score of Papouans tried to descend; but they had no sooner made the
attempt than they instantly retreated, yelling dismally, and threw
themselves into the sea.

"Stunning," said Mont. "It's fine, but I don't know how you do it."

The captain smiled.

To get a better view, Mont put one foot on the staircase and one hand on
the railing.

He immediately withdrew them, uttering a cry which was loud enough to
wake the dead.

"Oh, oh!" he cried.

"What's up?" exclaimed Carl, who could not help laughing.

"I see the dodge now," said Mont; "it's an electric battery applied to
the metal of the staircase, and whoever touches it has a shock. I've had
it before at Coney Island, and at fairs. You pay a dime and get
electrified."

"Ah!" ejaculated the professor, upon whom a light began to dawn.

"You are right," said the captain calmly. "I have connected the brass
staircase with the powerful storage battery that gives us light and
power, and the ignorant savages are frightened at they know not what. If
they had persisted in their attempt to enter the ship I should have
applied all my electrical force, and they would have fallen as dead as
flies on a fly paper; but I did not wish to harm them. They are enemies
unworthy of my hatred."

The news of the dreadful and mysterious pains which they felt were
spread by the shocked natives to their friends.

Alarmed and horrified, they beat a precipitate retreat, swimming and
rowing back to the shore.

In half an hour the beach was deserted, and all flew away from the sea
fiend whose nature they could not understand.

"They take us for the Old Nick," said Mont.

"Twelve o'clock," exclaimed the captain, who was always as punctual as
fate; "I said we should sail at twelve."

At this moment the engines