Elmer Tracey Barnes

“ Perhaps it was mechanically that the boy commenced to turn the crank, hardly knowing what he was doing, save that the artist spirit in him was being appealed to by the dramatic nature of the event.
Although Ballyhoo was working his arms like flails, and making prize time in cutting through the water, those monsters of the deep could swim twice as fast as a mere human being at his best. ”

“ Everything was against it, for their quarters were terribly cramped, and the air anything but fresh, even though the boat continued to remain upon the surface of the water all through the night.
“Whee! just imagine what it’s going to be when we’re down under the surface of the sea,” said Ballyhoo, at one time, as they prepared to lie down in their bunks, placed above each other in a tier.
“Oh! you can get used to most anything in time,” Jack assured him, “if only you make up your mind that way. Always think of something that’s a whole lot worse, and it’s wonderful how satisfied you soon feel.” ”

“ Ballyhoo was suddenly heard to exclaim, as though he had received a great shock; “what’s this I see, fellows? Take a good look at that boat, and tell me if you’ve even glimpsed the same before; because, as sure as you live it’s no other than our old friend, the Dauntless!” ”

“ Jack, aided and abetted by his father, had conceived the idea that as the undersea boat had been constructed particularly with a view to cruising down at the bottom of the sea, and had unusual facilities for allowing those aboard to see all that went on in subterranean depths, it might be possible to secure a remarkable series of motion pictures disclosing undreamed of wonders, the queer creatures that never came to the surface, as well as the amazing forest of giant plants that grew far down in the ever peaceful valleys of the ocean. ”

“ Oscar wondered whether he would run across any grisly reminder of the fact that human beings once walked that sloping deck, and that they had gone down centuries back with the ancient ship to an ocean grave. ”

“ Captain Shooks smiled as though a pleasant thought had flashed through his mind. These Motion Picture Comrades had a great record for being lucky. Many things they had told him connected with their previous exploits pointed to that as a positive fact. Hence, it might be a wise thing for him to let one of them take a hand in searching the old wreck. If that little cherub aloft that seemed to be guarding their fortunes continued on the job, possibly something fine might come out of the “little look-in” Oscar declared he wanted. ”

“ This time it was the design of Captain Shooks to sink the submarine, so that the diver might have the benefit of the electric searchlight, which would aid him in his work very much indeed.
Jack went down with the boat, desirous of adding to his interesting collection of sub-aqueous pictures. It was worth something to actually see the diver, clad in his suit, handling an axe in the water, just as though he might be a woodchopper in the forest attacking a tree.
But it needed a very powerful man to wield that axe, such was the resistance of the water. ”

“ Ballyhoo was saying, as if that fact caused him to wonder. “You’d think that long ago the storms that cross this stretch of the old Caribbean would have just wiped out every trace of such a little spot of land.”
“Well, there must be some reason why they haven’t,” Oscar advanced. “It may be a reef that lies to the northeast, and protects Coco Key whenever one of those hurricanes swoop down here. I’ve got an idea, though, that they gather force as they go, and are a whole lot worse hundreds of miles further on, when they strike Cuba, or Jamaica, and then sail over to Galveston.” ”

“ Doubtless there may have been ghastly reminders of the tragedy that had overtaken the treasure-ship, but the ceaseless eddying of the water to and fro, in and out of the wreck, had long ago hidden them from view.
Oscar had figured on enlarging upon the plan spoken of by the diver. He believed that the oscillation of the hulk would gradually move the heavy ingots of precious metal in a certain general direction. Accordingly, he kept continually on the watch to find the three stones piled on top of one another in the shape of a cairn, or marking spot. ”

“ Oscar replied.
“Our quarters are pretty cramped and we’ll be crowded a whole lot,” Jack said in a reflective way, “but we expected that before we came. Your uncle told us, Ballyhoo, we’d likely have to put up with many discomforts, and lack of space would be one of them.”
“What’s the odds so long as we’re happy,” Ballyhoo Jones laughingly declared. “We can be as snug as three bugs in a rug. There are some things a heap worse than being crowded. Sitting up in a bally old tree the livelong night, with a pair of hungry lions prowling around under you is one of them.” ”

“ The boy’s words only prove how every one seems to admire the fellow who puts up a stiff fight. Toward the coward who runs away, even a boy like Ballyhoo could feel only detestation.
So the boat moved ahead, and then the swimmer was hauled aboard. He had a sarcastic grin on his face, as, dripping, he finally stood there. Captain Shooks brushed up to him and thrust out a huge paw. ”

“ In fact, he, too, felt that it was high time they were remembering that the main object of their coming to this part of the Caribbean Sea had been to secure wonderful pictures of the ocean depths and its denizens, rather than to share in the treasure that was the magnet drawing Captain Shooks.
Up in the bow no doubt the skipper was at his post. His was the hand that controlled the destiny of the undersea boat now. It required another sort of education than that of the ordinary pilot’s to manipulate the wheel when once down in those depths, where buoyancy could be so easily [65] altered. ”

“ Oscar pointed toward the Key.
“If you will look yonder you’ll glimpse him,” he went on to say. “He’s swimming for all he’s worth, and now he’s bobbed under just like a wounded duck.”
“What a silly fool,” laughed Ballyhoo, “to think he could fool us that easy. Why, even if he did manage to land we’d soon hunt him out. But he’s built on that order, you see, and won’t give up till the last horn blows.”
“We know another fellow who often shows just the same stubborn nature,” chuckled Jack, “without mentioning names either.” ”

“ The boys knew that after the crew of the Dauntless had dispersed to their quarters, at the command of their captain, others were constantly watching the submarine. They could see dim figures flitting back and forth, and acting as though they were desirous of remaining under cover.
“Hope they’ll know us another time,” grunted Ballyhoo, after the captain had stepped ashore to see about a matter of business; for fees had to be paid to cover their passage through the locks, since the U. S. Government does not propose to run a “free show,” after going to such heavy expense. ”

“ Everybody could see that this was so; even the three men in the launch must have realized that it was only a question of time when the submarine would overtake them.
“That man in the stern is crouching there as if he meant to do something, Captain!” called out Ballyhoo; while Jack was grinding away at his crank, and getting it all in for future reference; because they would doubtless often wish to recall these tempestuous happenings when once more safe at home, and the living, moving thing must far excel mere word painting. ”

“ Then the Dauntless passed on, and the squat submarine, looking like an ugly whale, being low down in the water, and with only the conning tower rearing itself above the superstructure, remained at her moorings.
“Well, we’re not sorry to see the last of that steam yacht, if we told the honest truth about it,” remarked Ballyhoo. ”

“ Forewarned was forearmed, and they would keep a bright lookout for that same steam yacht of the sable hue.
Once more they were off on the bounding waves, and with a secret destination in view. The splendid success that had been their portion thus far encouraged all hands in the belief that fortune smiled on their enterprise, and that, consequently, [151] the future would have more like triumphs to reward their energy and perseverance.
Two days later they approached another island in the Caribbean Sea. ”

“ Some one was stooping over in front of the desk at which the skipper so often sat when writing up his papers, and entering events in his log of the cruise. Oscar saw to his dismay that it was not Captain Shooks, but an utter stranger, a small, wiry fellow, who had managed in some mysterious way to get inside the submarine. Instantly Oscar suspected that the sailor they had left in charge of the upper deck while they went ashore must have been unfaithful to his duty, and left the hatch unguarded for a few minutes while he crept below, possibly to get his pipe. ”

“ The skipper made his appearance just then, and announced that he would see to it that a guard was posted on the upper deck, and armed in the bargain.
“It may be those sharks won’t think to try and do us any harm while we’re here in the canal,” he went on to say dubiously, “because it might be like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs; for their only hope seems to be to chase around after us, and try to swoop down on something we’ve found. But I’m taking no chances. You see, I know Badger too well to trust him one minute. ”

“ Ballyhoo announced glibly. “The show being over, that act of it anyway, we mean to commence going on again. What comes next, I wonder? Some terrible monster of this under-the-sea land will perhaps try to knock a hole in the side of our craft, thinking it’s a big whale come down to look the ground over. Be ready for anything, Jack. We’re in this business for thrillers, just remember.” ”

“ Oscar declared, “if only you happen across them, fellows who are rolling stones of fortune, seeking spots for their operations where men are at war with their fellows, living by their wits at times, and at others making fortunes by running cargoes of contraband goods or arms past a blockade. Right now across in Europe thousands are doing just that same thing, trying to get food and things into Germany through neutral countries, and the open sea.”
“Hello!” exclaimed Ballyhoo just then, “listen, will you, boys?”
“The engines have stopped running!” ”

“ The crew had before this fallen away from the ports, and gone back to their customary work. They saw little that was attractive about those waving forests of singular submarine growths; though the prospect of another fight between some of the denizens of the depths would have brought them rushing forward again.
“Notice how the skipper keeps lunging from side to side as we move along?” observed Oscar. “He is scouring the ground as he goes forward. By the time we’ve made several revolutions around Coco Key we’ll know whether there was any truth in that old yarn about the sunken hulk, or not.” ”

“ Some time afterwards Oscar reached the conclusion that they must be drawing near the opposite side of the Key, having gone directly across [93] it from end to end. The breeze was rustling the serrated leaves of the palmettoes, and waving the long fronds of the cocoanut trees, showing that there was quite a little air stirring at this end of the island, even while it seemed calm where they were working. ”

“ Jack added. “If we’d been racing along at top speed it would have been good-night for everybody by now.”
“What do you suppose it was we struck?” asked Ballyhoo.
“Oh! one of those queer ledges that we’ve had to climb over several times before this,” Jack went on to say. “The floor of the ocean isn’t always like a level plain, you know. Sometimes there are hills, and then deep valleys, just as we have them on the land.”
“Somehow or other,” continued Oscar, “Captain Shooks doesn’t quite believe it was hard rock we struck. ”

“ They lounged on the little upper deck, if such it could be called, of a very odd-looking craft lying snugly hidden in a certain secluded basin connected with a Baltimore shipyard.
In fact the low, squatty craft was nothing more nor less than a submarine built somewhat after the style of those steel whaleback barges used for carrying huge cargoes of grain on the Northern Lakes. ”

“ We’ll work like troopers to complete our job. I’ll take my turn at it, too. And all the while we’ll have some one on guard to let us know if any craft shows up. If it looks bad, and we still feel there are things to be [119] got at down below, we’ll dismantle the float and take a dive before they get here. At the worst we can run for it, and fight if hard pushed.”
Apparently, Captain Shooks had the situation well in hand. He did not intend to yield a single point to the enemy if he could help it. And the more Ballyhoo saw of the skipper of the Argonaut the better he liked him. ”

“ GIVING THE ENEMY THE SLIP
“Please don’t scold, Oscar,” Ballyhoo was saying soon afterwards. “I understand I was a silly fool to take such big chances. The captain knew what he was talking about when he told me to stay near the boat.”
“We all know now,” Jack remarked, “that the thrilling yarns told you by your Uncle Abner Crawley were founded on truth. He’d seen those East Indian pearl-divers stick sharks many a time; yes, and he even said he’d learned to do the same himself while out around Ceylon.” ”

“ But I say, Oscar, tell me, will you, what are those ninnies doing all that rowing for when they could go off in fine style if they only started up their engine?”
“For the same reason, I take it, Ballyhoo, that the steersman is keeping the Key between himself and our float—he doesn’t want to have his presence known if he can help it. And you ought to remember, that muffler or no muffler, most of these gasolene engines have a way of making a great puttering noise when they work. Why, you can sometimes hear them three miles away. Perhaps a little later they’ll think it safe to start up.” ”

“ Ballyhoo went on to say gloomily. “What if those two old filibusters get to scrapping while we’re neighbors here for a while? It might mean the finish of our fine little cruise; for if anything happened to knock Captain Shooks out of the running there’s no one else could manage this queer old tub.”
“We’d have to take charge, pay off the crew, ship the cargo home, and then store the submarine down here in some boatyard until the company decided what to do with her,” said Oscar decidedly; “but what’s the use crossing a bridge before we come to it? ”

“ The boat was launched without loss of time, Ballyhoo even wading in the wash of the sea up to his knees, in order to shove off, for that was the kind of a fellow the Jones boy was.
Then the paddles fairly flew, and they sped out [99] toward the spot where the float and the squatty submarine lay. How fortunate, Oscar told himself as he worked his paddle, that the undersea boat chanced to be on the surface just then. Had it been otherwise the delay consequent upon getting their message to the skipper might have made all the difference imaginable with regard to results. ”

“ Oscar told him. “Whenever we feel like giving her the [48] once over, all we have to do is to turn the nose of our craft down, kick our heels in the air, and disappear, to come up fifty miles away in any old direction.”
“Guess you’re right there, Oscar,” admitted the boy who still held the glasses glued to his eyes, as though fairly fascinated by the abrupt reappearance of the mysterious black craft, which, as they knew, must be manned by the rival party under the lead of that reckless buccaneer of fortune, Captain Badger.
“That’s the beauty of these submarine wrecking craft,” laughed Jack ”

“ They met with a certain amount of delay on the way across, but nothing beyond reason, and when night came on congratulated themselves on having made such good progress.
“We’re going to enter the lock right away,” announced Ballyhoo, who had been, as he termed it, “cruising around,” picking up information. “It’s true night has fallen, and we may have to lie here until morning comes; but think of being able to say we actually slept in the locks of the Panama Canal. How few people can ever boast of such a feat as that, tell me?” ”

“ From this fact the spectators expected that in the end the battle would result in the vanquishing of the larger spotted fish, which appeared a trifle sluggish in its movements.
“You see,” said Ballyhoo, who noted all these points with the eye of a professional, “it’s a heap sight better to be quick and spry than big and powerful. That spotted shark could just lie on the other and squeeze him to death, but he’ll never get the chance. ”

“ I hope they don’t weight the old tub down with the stuff so there’ll be danger of her foundering. Sometimes a fellow can get too much of a good thing; I’ve been in that fix myself when they had a party at our house, and ice cream left over.”
“Don’t worry about that,” laughed Oscar. “If it comes to it the captain can jettison heaps of stuff to make room for the ingots. Those barrels and planks took up a lot of space, you remember. And if necessary some of us could go back on a regular steamer.”
“Of course you’re only joshing me when you say that, Oscar,” remonstrated Ballyhoo reproachfully. ”