CHAPTER XXI
PLOTTING
With fear in their hearts the refugees stared at one another. Grace Sheldon shrank close to her father, who silently patted her shoulder.
“There, there, Grace,” he said, soothingly, “I dare say we shall find a way out of this. Don’t worry.”
“But, Papa, I can’t help it,” she replied in tremulous tones. “He—I’m afraid—yes, I’m sure he’s insane—Dr. Klauss is certainly insane.”
Mr. Sheldon looked at Jerry and his chums.
“What is your opinion, boys?” he asked. “You heard what he said; what do you think?”
“I think as Grace does,” declared Bob. “We are in a submarine with a madman!”
Jerry nodded his head slowly.
“That is my view,” he stated, in a low voice. “Either his imaginary wrongs, or his labors over this craft have turned his brain. He is certainly insane.” Ned indicated his acquiescence.
“Then, since we are agreed on that—and I may say I came to this conclusion some time ago,” went on Mr. Sheldon, “the next question is—what can we do?”
“We’ve got to do something,” declared Jerry, firmly. “It is risking our lives to stay here.”
“But how can we get away?” asked Ned. “If we were on an ordinary ship we would have some chance. We could drop overboard, if worse came to worst, and swim. Or we might lower a boat some dark night, and get away in that.
“But here we are, five hundred feet, more or less, under water. We don’t even know how to get out of this boat, save by the hatchway, and to open that under water would mean the death of all of us.”
“Of course!” exclaimed Jerry. “That is not to be thought of. But there must be some other way of getting out of this boat while under water, if what Dr. Klauss told Professor Snodgrass is true. You remember he spoke of going out in diving suits on the bottom of the sea. There must be some arrangement of double doors, and a water chamber in the side of the boat.”
“But, even if we did get out, what good would that do?” asked Ned. “We couldn’t swim home, and we couldn’t all live in diving suits. There must be some other way.”
“There is but one way that I can see,” spoke Mr. Sheldon.
“And that is——” began Jerry.
“To compel this madman, by some means, to put us ashore or on some vessel.”
“But how can we?” asked Bob.
“That’s what we’ve got to plan,” said Jerry, who seemed to fall in with Mr. Sheldon’s plan. “That’s what we’ve got to talk over.”
“And if he refuses again, as he most likely will?”
Jerry looked around the cabin before answering. Then, in a low voice he said:
“There’s but one course left—mutiny!”
“Mutiny!” gasped Grace.
“I mean that we shall have to try to influence the crew against their captain. I know that is considered contrary to marine law, but in dealing with a maniac there is no law. We have to save our lives, and that is the first law of nature.”
“But will the crew help us?” queried Ned.
“That’s what we’ve got to find out,” returned Jerry. “I fancy they haven’t any love for their captain, and they can hardly refuse to help us—especially when we tell them what he said. Why, their own case is as bad as ours.”
“But there are two other Germans aboard,” spoke Bob. “They would doubtless side with Dr. Klauss.”
“That would only make three,” remarked Jerry, “and if we can get the crew to side with us we’d have nine on our side. That ought to answer. Even if the crew won’t help us, we three fellows, and Mr. Sheldon and the professor, ought to be able to hold our own against the six. Those two Germans are likely to be old men.”
“But Rowland and his mates are probably husky chaps,” objected Bob.
“I don’t believe Ted Rowland will be against us when he hears what has happened,” said Mr. Sheldon. “At worst we can but try, and really we must do something.
“When Dr. Klauss first rescued Grace and me,” he went on, “I suspected that all was not right with him. He had a most peculiar air. But it was not until I spoke of wanting to get to my friends that opposition developed. Even then it was not very strong. Dr. Klauss merely made various excuses, and I thought perhaps he wanted to complete some experimental tests before turning back to shore.
“But as a day or so passed his actions became more peculiar. Then he flatly refused to let Grace and me go. I then feared I had to do with a madman, though I did not disclose my apprehension. I did not know what to do.
“When you boys so unexpectedly and providentially arrived I took heart. It was a trick of fate. We had been traveling all that day, and at night went to the surface for air. We could hear the storm raging. Suddenly something struck the submarine, and Dr. Klauss grew much excited. He seemed to think he was being attacked. Then he investigated, turned on the light and—well, you know the rest, for you boys came in.”
“Yes, we came in,” spoke Bob, with grim humor, “and now the puzzle is how to get out again. It’s like a trap.”
“Oh, we’ll get out somehow,” declared Jerry, with more confidence than he felt.
“One thing we might do,” said Mr. Sheldon. “And that is to wait one more day. Then we can renew our request.”
“Why wait?” asked Bob.
“Because,” answered his uncle, “the mind of an insane person changes. At one time he may refuse to do something, and later he will grant your request. Dr. Klauss is no doubt crazy on only one subject. That is his fancied grievance against our country. That has made him insane. We will make another request, to-morrow, to be set ashore, and if he refuses—why, we will see what we can do with the crew. Fortunately we have our freedom on board, and that means a lot. If he locked us up we would have hard work to perfect our plot.”
“And now, Uncle Nelson,” said Bob, “while we are having this conference, won’t you tell me what it is that you were bringing from Germany that was so valuable?”
“It is valuable yet, Bob,” was the reply. “I still have it, for I saved it from the shipwreck. But, if it’s all the same to you, I had rather not mention it here. We can’t tell who may be listening, and if Dr. Klauss knew I had this he might take such precautions to prevent me from ever getting away that it would spoil all our plans.”
“Why, is it his?”
“Well, he claims it, but it is not his. Some time later I will tell you,” and with this Bob and his chums had to be content.
As there was nothing that could be done for the present the little party sat about the cabin, talking. Mr. Sheldon had been shown by Dr. Klauss how to open the shutters of the side windows, and how to illuminate the water so that the fishes might be observed.
“It will give us something to do—something to take our minds off our troubles—to watch the denizens of the deep,” he said as he opened the slides.
The Sonderbaar was plowing along far below the surface, but in what direction, or in what locality, the boys could not tell. Nor could they say whither they were eventually going, save perhaps back toward Germany.
But the wonderful sight that greeted their eyes—the illuminated waters swarming with ocean life—so interested them that, for the time, they forgot their troubles.
“Oh, if I could but go out there, and get some specimens!” sighed Professor Snodgrass. “I must make notes of what I see, at least,” and he busied himself with pencil and paper.
“I wouldn’t want to go out with that fellow around,” observed Bob, with a shudder, as an immense tiger shark swam into view. “He could bite a man in twain at one clip.”
“And see that octopus!” cried Ned, pointing.
For some time the boys, Grace and Mr. Sheldon watched the marvelous sight. Then Jerry suggested:
“I wonder if we would be stopped if we went to the pilot house or engine room? I should like to see how the ship is navigated.”
“Yes, and it might come in useful if we carry out our mutiny,” added Ned.
“Hush!” spoke Jerry quickly. “Not so loud. Dr. Klauss may come upon us at any time.”
Ned looked around apprehensively, but the fanatical captain had not entered the darkened cabin.
“Well, I’m going to make a try, anyhow,” went on Jerry. “He can’t do more than order me out. Besides, I may get a chance to sound the crew.”
“I think it would be a good idea,” agreed Mr. Sheldon. “We have no time to lose. While we are fairly comfortable here, think of the anxiety of our friends and relatives—of the parents of you boys. We simply must get away from this madman!”
So far as the boys could tell they had the run of the ship. No restrictions had been placed on them, and they felt free to go where they liked. Especially were they anxious to observe how the strange craft was operated. It was knowledge that might be of vital necessity soon.
If their next request to be set free was met with a refusal, then it would be time to put their plot into execution.
Jerry, Ned and Bob had risen to go to the engine room, when Grace, who was standing near one of the glass windows in the side of the cabin gave a startled cry:
“What is it?” asked her father.
“Look!” she gasped. “A whale—a great whale, and he seems about to hit us! Oh, tell Dr. Klauss—quick!”
She pointed to the window where could be seen, keeping pace with the submarine, a monster whale that was fairly rubbing against the side of the boat.