Five Thousand Miles Underground; Or, the Mystery of the Centre of the Earth

by Roy Rockwood

  CHAPTER IV

  WHAT DID MARK SEE?

  "Well, I'm glad you've decided at last," the professor remarked. "Nowcome inside and we'll see how the ship works."

  Once over his fright, Washington made himself at home on the craft hehad helped build. He went from one room to another and observed theengine.

  "She certainly am workin'" he observed with pride. "Are we still goin'up, Perfessor?"

  "Still mounting," replied Mr. Henderson. "We are now three hundred feetabove the earth," he added as he glanced at a registering gage.

  The great air pump was set going and soon from the after tube, a bigstream of the compressed vapor rushed. It acted on the ship instantlyand sent the craft ahead at a rapid rate. By elevating or depressing thetube the craft could be sent obliquely up or down. Then, by forcing theair from the forward tube, the _Mermaid_ was reversed and scuddedbackward.

  But it was more with the ship's ability to rise and descend thatProfessor Henderson was concerned, since on that depended their safety.So various tests were made, in generating the gas and using the negativegravity apparatus.

  All worked to perfection. Obeying the slightest turn of the wheels andlevers the _Mermaid_ rose or fell. She stood still, suspended herself inthe air, or rushed backward and forward.

  Of course the machinery was new and did not operate as smoothly as itwould later, but the professor and his friends were very well satisfied.

  "Now we'll try something new," said the scientist to the two boys asthey stood beside him in the tower. "I only hope this part succeeds, andwe shall soon be off on our voyage."

  He turned several levers. There was a hissing sound as the gas rushedfrom the container, and the ship began to settle down.

  "What's th' matter? Are we goin' t' hit th' earth?" yelled Washington,rushing from the engine room.

  "Keep quiet," ordered the professor. "We are only going down, that'sall."

  "But good land! Perfesser!" exclaimed the colored man. "The ocean'sright under us! You forgot you sailed away from the island! We'll bedrowned suah!"

  "Leave it to me," said Mr. Henderson. "The _Flying Mermaid_ is going totake a bath!"

  "As long as it swims it will be all right," observed Mark in a low toneto Jack. "I'm glad I can take care of myself in the water."

  Before Jack could reply the _Mermaid_ seemed to take a sudden divethrough the air. The next instant she struck the water with a splashthat sent the waves rolling all about. The craft rocked violently to andfro on the surface of the sea. For a while there were anxious heartsaboard, for there was no certainty but that the ship might not sink tothe bottom.

  But the old professor had not calculated and builded in vain. Afterrocking about like a vessel newly launched, the strange craft rodesafely and upright on the water. It set down far enough to bring thepropelling tubes well under, but not so far but that the conning towerwas well out and there was a small deck available.

  "Now to see if we can conquer the water as we did the air!" cried theprofessor. "Mark, start the air pump. Jack, you steer, for I want towatch the machinery under the additional strain."

  From the rear tube rushed such a volume of air that the ocean near itbubbled and foamed. The ship trembled from stem to stern, and then,after hanging for an instant as if undecided what to do, it began tomove forward as easily as though it had never sailed any other elementthan the sea.

  "She fits her name!" the professor cried. "She is indeed the _FlyingMermaid_, for she sails the ocean as easily as she navigates in theclouds!"

  For a mile or two the craft was sent ahead over the waves. Then it wasreversed and run backwards. Satisfied that his long months of work hadnot gone for naught, the professor after trying several experiments,decided to try and raise the ship while in motion.

  With Jack and Mark to look after the air pumps, while Washington, Tomand Bill busied themselves in the engine room, Mr. Henderson began togenerate the gas and start the negative gravity apparatus. All the whilethe craft was forging ahead.

  There was again the hissing sound that told of the aluminum holder beingfilled. For a few minutes there seemed to be no change, the _Mermaid_plowing forward.

  Then like a bird rising from the waves, or like a flying fish leapingfrom the sea to escape some pursuing monster of the deep, the new shipshot up diagonally from the surface and winged its way into the upperregions of the air.

  "Success! Success!" cried the professor. "This proves all I wanted toknow. Now we are ready for our great trip!"

  Great were the rejoicings in the camp that night. It was like livingover again the days when they were aboard the diving _Porpoise_ or theflying _Monarch_. To the recollections were added the anticipations ofwhat was before them in the trip to the interior of the earth.

  Busy days followed, for there was still much to be done to the _FlyingMermaid_. The machinery, which was only partly completed, had to befinished. Besides this the professor was working on some apparatus, theuse of which he did not disclose to any one. It was stored aboard theship at the last minute.

  Plenty of provisions had to be taken aboard, and many supplies needed towork the _Mermaid_ and insure that it would go to the end of the voyage.The materials for generating the gas and negative gravity, spare parts,records for the automatic piano and other things were stored away.

  Some guns and ammunition were taken along as were a few revolvers, sinceold Andy had said it was best to prepare for any thing in the shape ofenemies or wild beasts that might be met with in the interior regions.

  It was decided to make the start by sailing along the surface of the seafor several days, as in the event of any weakness in the machinery beingdiscovered there would be less danger. If, at the end of four days, notrouble developed, the professor said he would send the _Mermaid_ intothe air and make the rest of the voyage through the sky.

  The night before the start was to be made the professor, with the boys,Washington and the other helpers, went about through the various shopsand buildings, locking them up securely. For they could not tell howlong they would be away, and they had to leave behind much valuablematerial.

  As there were several things that needed attention they divided the workup. Mark had finished his share and was walking back toward the livingcabin where they were all quartered, when, down at the shore, near wherethe boat was moored, he fancied he saw, in the gathering darkness, amoving figure.

  "I wonder who that can be," he thought. "All the others are near themachine shop, for I just left them there. Perhaps it's some one tryingto spy out how the _Mermaid_ is built."

  Knowing the professor wanted his secret well guarded, Mark walked softlytoward the little dock that served as a place whence the _Mermaid_ couldbe easily boarded. As he approached he saw the figure moving. Somethingstruck the boy as peculiar.

  Though the object had some of the characteristics of a man it did notwalk like a human being, but shuffled along more like a huge ape ormonkey. It seemed bent over, as if it stooped toward the ground.

  "Who are you?" called Mark suddenly.

  For an instant the figure halted and then hurried on faster than before,with a curious, shuffling walk. It was approaching the ship.

  Somehow it struck Mark as if it was an uncanny being; an inhabitant ofsome other world. Then he laughed at his half-fear, and started on a runtoward the dock.

  "If it's some tramp trying to find a place to sleep he'd better not goaboard the ship, he might do some damage," the boy thought.

  He could hardly see the figure now as it had passed into the shadow castby the boat. He was about to summon the professor to make aninvestigation, when Washington started going the search light which wasplaced just over the door of the living cabin. It was kept there as asort of beacon light, as, near the island was a dangerous ledge ofrocks.

  Then, in the blinding white glare from the big lantern as Washingtonaccidentally swung it toward the _Mermaid_, Mark beheld a strange sight.

&
nbsp; The figure he had been watching stood out in bold relief. Though it wasshaped like a human being it was not like any person the boy had everseen. It seemed covered with a skin twice too large for it; a skin,which, in spite of the clothes that concealed it, hung in folds aboutthe arms and legs, dropping pendent like from the neck like a biggarment, and flapping in the wind.

  For an instant Mark was so startled he cried out, and the professor andthe others ran to see what was the matter.

  "There--by the ship! A horrible creature!" exclaimed Mark.

  Shouting to Washington to keep the light steady in the direction of thedock, Mr. Henderson ran toward the moored _Mermaid_. Jack, Andy, Billand Tom, with Mark in the rear followed him.

  "Nothing here," said the scientist, after a careful search about. "Areyou sure you saw something, Mark?"

  "Positively," replied the lad with a shudder. He described the vision ofthe darkness.

  "I guess it was a big otter, or maybe an enormous turtle," the professorsaid.