Roy Norton

“ At the farther end of the laboratory was a square of paper covered with print, quite large, but not of a size to permit my reading from where I stood. The iron plate was so close to the camera-like eyes of the two brass mechanisms as to shut off any view through them. The plate itself was nearly four feet square. Jimmy turned to a battery of switches on the wall behind him, over which was fixed a closely screened toy light, giving merely enough illumination to distinguish the switches after the main lights of the laboratory were turned off. ”

“ Before the first day had passed we had settled down to routine. The possession of the guns, squatted fore and aft, in their canvas suits, imbued us with a sense of protection and ability to defend ourselves. ”

“ My first mate, Rogers, was a man thoroughly competent to take the ship in emergency, and I therefore decided to handle the heavy gun myself in case we were attacked. I was convinced from remarks that came to my ears that most of the members of my crew were rather eager to meet a submarine and try conclusions, when, at last, our work was done and we placed the tarpaulin covers over the guns, took steam, and started on our long voyage for Bordeaux. ”

“ He turned off the lights, locked the laboratory door, and then the outer door, and followed me dumbly up the bridge steps, and back to my cabin abaft the chart-house, where I rang for my steward. All the inventor's loquacity seemed to have been expended in that one outburst of enthusiasm below ”