e this, though."

"It is a pity," answered the professor.

"What's worse, though," remarked Carl, "is that he means to keep us as
prisoners."

"If he can," said Stump.

"Don't you be so fast, Stump, my boy," said Mont. "Keep your mouth shut,
or you may get into trouble."

"Very sorry, but I don't like such goings-on, and wish I was back again
on the shore."

The negro handed the professor a fresh dish.

"Will massa have some oysters stewed in whale's milk?" he asked; "or
some jam made of sea anemones?"

"I'd rather you'd not tell me what the dishes are; it will set me
against them if you do," answered the professor with a wry face.

When the repast was ended, Mont jumped up. "I feel better," he said.
"Mister Number One."

"Massa call me?" asked the black, who was clearing away.

"Yes. Where are we now?"

"We gone down, massa, and now we lie at the bottom of the sea."

Mont regarded him with undisguised astonishment.

The _Searcher_ was indeed a wonderful craft.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE MYSTERIES OF THE "SEARCHER."

Many days passed.

The lives of the captives were unvaried by any incident. They saw
nothing of Captain Vindex; were well attended to, slept comfortably, and
had nothing to complain of but their imprisonment.

Books were freely supplied them, but they were not allowed to leave
their cabins.

At the expiration of a fortnight or thereabouts, as well as they could
reckon, negro Number One entered their cabin after breakfast.

Addressing Mont, the negro observed:

"Massa Folsom to come to cappen's cabin."

"Does he want me?" inquired Mont. "All right. Good-by, my friends," he
added, "perhaps you will never see me again. I may be the first victim."

"No fear!" exclaimed Carl. "We shan't be hurt if we keep quiet."

"I'll suggest that you're the fattest, Carl, if there is any question of
cooking one of us."

"Then it won't be true, for you're as fat as a mole. Go on and be cooked
first! I'll have a bit of you," answered Barnaby.

Mont went away laughing. He was not really alarmed, for although he did
not like Captain Vindex, he fancied he was safe as long as he did not
irritate this strange being.

The negro conducted him along a passage which opened into a magnificent
library, full of books, which gave admittance to a drawing room
furnished with all the taste that could be found in Paris or New York.

The space within the ironclad shell had been made the most of, and no
expe