The conspirators—they were really that, though it was a conspiracy to save their own lives—the conspirators, then, started half-guiltily as they beheld the form of the insane commander. Had he overheard their plot?
Jerry gave a quick glance at his allies—the machinists. He seemed to be saying:
“If he has heard us we must act now. We must overpower him at once if he tries to attack us.”
Ted Rowland nodded as if he understood, and for a few seconds they all seemed to be waiting.
It was an awkward moment. Then Dr. Klauss spoke.
“How are the motors running?” he asked, and his voice sounded perfectly natural.
“All—all right, sir,” answered Ted, hesitating slightly. It was evident that Dr. Klauss had not overheard, or, if he had, he was going to ignore the matter—for the time being at least—and for his own purposes.
“I’m glad of that,” he went on. “I want to try and run at top speed soon, and I am going to give my ship a most severe test. I spoke to you before about this,” he said, looking at the other two machinists, who nodded. Jerry understood. It meant the taking of the Sonderbaar to a dangerous depth.
“I see you still hold your interest in my machines,” said the German commander to Jerry.
“Yes, I—I came in to see how the engines were running. I only wish,” went on Jerry, with a whimsical smile, “that they were running us toward our homes—instead of away from them.”
“That will do!” cried the commander, harshly. “You have heard my decision in this matter. Never speak of it again! I did not ask you to come aboard my vessel, but since you are here you must take the consequences. This ends the subject forever!”
“Oh, no it doesn’t,” said Jerry to himself, and with a meaning look at Ted and his companions. “This is only the beginning, Dr. Klauss. We are going to see our homes again in spite of you.”
“Work the engines up to top speed gradually,” ordered the commander to the members of the crew. “See that the bearings do not get hot. And you, Bill Burke, will look after the ballast tanks. Make sure there are no leaks, and that the valves are tight. They may be a bit strained when we go farther down than we have ever been before.”
“I should say they would!” burst out Ted Rowland. “Look here, Dr. Klauss, I wish you would give up this plan. Of course you know your own ship better than we do—and know what she will stand. But we’re machinists, too, and we know that the terrible pressure you’ll be sure to meet with at even a mile in depth, to say nothing of two, or three, will do serious damage. We may all lose our lives. We don’t like it, and we wish you’d give it up!”
“Enough of that!” cried the German, sternly. “You are under my orders. When you shipped with me you agreed to obey. I order you to take this craft to a great depth, that I may test it, and you will do so. You have no choice. I am in command.”
“But the danger!” cried Tom Flynn.
“Bah! There is no danger!” exclaimed the insane commander. “You will be as safe at the bottom of the sea as here. Now remember—this ends all objections! You will do as I say! I am going to the pilot house, to run my boat from there. And I want my every order and signal obeyed promptly. That will be all.”
He turned abruptly on his heel, and went out. The men looked after him with anger on their faces, while Jerry showed not a little fear.
“Well, that settles it!” exclaimed Ted, in a low voice. “We both gave him a chance to back down, and let us out,” he said to the tall lad. “He refused. Now we’ll take matters into our own hands, and he’ll have to stand the consequences. We’re all agreed on that?” and he looked questioningly at his companions.
“Sure—certainly,” they answered.
“Then you can tell your friends,” went on Ted to Jerry. “We’ll make the captain a prisoner, and we’ll be justified in law—if we ever get to where there are laws again.”
“What about his two German friends?” asked Jerry.
“Don’t worry about them. If we have to we can secure them too, but all we’ll have to do will be to lock them in their room, with pencils and papers, and they’ll start figuring on how long they’ll be likely to remain there, or how much the sun weighs, or how long it would take the submarine to get there. That will dispose of them. Meanwhile we’ll turn this ship about and sail for home.”
“And when—when shall we make the—attack?” asked Jerry.
“As soon as he gives an order to send this boat any deeper in the ocean,” answered Ted promptly. “That will be the signal. She is now running as deep as is safe,” and he glanced at the gage on the wall of the engine room. “The minute he signals to fill the ballast tanks more, and send her down, we’ll attack him in the pilot house. Better go tell your friends what our plan is,” he concluded to Jerry.
“I was afraid he had heard us,” spoke the tall lad. “We had a narrow escape.”
“That’s what we did,” agreed Ted.
The news was received by Ned and Bob with satisfaction.
“I’m glad we’re going to do something besides sit around this submarine waiting,” commented Ned.
“And I’d like to try my hand at cooking again,” confessed Bob, with a sigh. “They won’t let me in the galley here.”
“Well, that all may be changed in a few hours,” said Jerry hopefully.
“Oh, I’m so glad!” cried Grace, whose face showed traces of tears. “Then we will see our friends again, Papa.”
“Yes, my girl! It has been a severe strain on you, but you’ve borne up well. It was a lucky day when the boys came aboard.”
Jerry rapidly told of his experience with the crew, and the decision arrived at. On Mr. Sheldon’s advice the boys got together a quantity of stout rope, which was placed in readiness to bind Dr. Klauss after he should have been subdued.
“We’ll lock him in his own cabin,” went on Bob’s uncle, “and we’ll have to arrange to stand guard over him. Maniacs are very tricky, and he may escape. About his two friends—I think, with the members of the crew, that they will give no trouble. Now, who is going to do the actual attacking, Jerry?”
“Oh, we all may have to take a hand,” was the answer. “But I think Miss Grace had better keep to her own cabin.”
“So do I,” spoke her father gravely.
“And I’m going to stuff cotton in my ears so I can’t hear it,” said the girl, smiling slightly. “It’s a terrible thing to do, but it is more to feel that we may always be prisoners on this fearful ship.”
There was another consultation with the crew. Meanwhile Dr. Klauss kept to the pilot house and his two foreign friends had not left the cabin where they seemed to be always working over some intricate problem.
It was decided that Ned and Bob, with Mr. Sheldon, should remain near the pilot house. Jerry would go to the engine room, and, when the signal came to send the boat deeper, he and the three men would rush forward, and attack Dr. Klauss. They agreed to use no more force than was necessary to safely bind him.
“Then all we have to do is to wait,” said Jerry, as he sat down near one of the humming dynamos.
The submarine was running along at about her usual depth. It was only a question of time when her fanatical commander would signal to have her sent to the bottom.
Suddenly there came a buzzing sound from one of the electric signals. Then, in the glass-fronted box below it, appeared a certain number.
“That means to go down to the limit!” cried Ted. “Come on, friends! It’s now or never!”
There was a moment of hesitation and then Jerry and the three men started. Mr. Sheldon, Bob and Ned heard them coming, and held themselves in readiness.
At the end of the lighted corridor they could all see the big German in the pilot house. He was manipulating various levers and turning wheels.
“Come on!” said Jerry in a low voice.
As noiselessly as possible they advanced on the crazed commander. Just as they reached the door he heard them and turned.
He started, and something in the attitude and looks of the men and boys must have told Dr. Klauss what was their intention. He sprang up, and his hand sought a certain lever.
“Don’t let him reach that!” yelled Ted. Jerry fairly threw himself on the infuriated man, and Ned followed. Then Ted and his companions closed in.
There was a short, sharp fight, and several of the attackers were knocked down, but they got up again, and renewed the struggle. Dr. Klauss was very strong, and his madness added to it, but four men and three boys were more than a match for him, especially in such contracted quarters.
In a few seconds the maniac, panting and disheveled, as indeed they all were, was held by many hands.
“The ropes!” called Jerry, and Mr. Sheldon passed them in.
“They’ll do temporarily,” said Ted Rowland, “but we’ll have to use chains. That’s the only thing that will hold him. He’ll break these ropes. There are some chains in the engine room.”
“What—what does this mean?” gasped the enraged commander. “Unbind me at once! You shall pay dearly for this outrage! Help!” he called, and then, adding something in a foreign tongue he struggled with all his might to break his bonds.
The ropes strained and creaked, and Ted at once sent for the chains. These were placed about the unfortunate doctor, and, just as they were made secure, and he had been lifted up to be carried to his cabin, the two old Germans came running from their rooms. They were greatly excited.