They all rubbed their eyes, scarcely believing what they saw. They had been traveling along beneath the dark ocean, unaware that they were approaching land, and they had suddenly come upon the island.
“We—we might have run into it, and smashed all to pieces,” spoke Ned, in a low voice.
“No, the detectors would have given us warning in time,” replied Bob. “They probably did, but we were so busy over other matters that we didn’t notice them. I wonder what place this is?”
“We’ll have to look it up on the maps,” said Jerry. “Just now we’ll have to attend to Dr. Klauss. He seems in a bad way.”
Indeed the poor, mad commander appeared to be very ill. Probably he had remained in the small pilot house until it had been almost filled with the chlorine fumes, and had then rushed out.
But gradually, as the fresh air entered his lungs, and dispelled the poison, his eyelids fluttered and his breathing became stronger.
“He’s coming around all right,” said Ned, with a sigh of relief.
“What about those other two old men?” asked Mr. Sheldon. “We ought to see to them.”
They were found to be nearly overcome, and were helped out on deck. There they, too, were revived.
“It was a close call,” said Jerry, solemnly, as he helped prop up Dr. Klauss, who had not yet fully recovered consciousness. “We must see how he escaped, and whether that water leak is a bad one. We may have to stay on this island for a time.”
“It looks an interesting and romantic place to stay,” spoke Grace Sheldon. “Isn’t it beautiful!”
It was a semi-tropical island of great charm, but the coast, of hard sand, with a heavy surf, made a landing—at least at the spot where the submarine was—out of the question.
A hurried examination of the interior of the craft showed that some sea water had leaked into the storage batteries from a sea cock, opened probably by Dr. Klauss in his mad intention of putting an end to his companions. The cock was closed, and no more water came in. The breaking of the connection between the engine room and the pilot house could easily be repaired.
“Now the question is, what are we going to do?” spoke Mr. Sheldon, when it was safe to again venture into the interior of the ship.
“Go home, by all means,” answered Jerry.
“And we’ll take good care that he doesn’t escape again!” added Ned.
“Yes, we didn’t think it was necessary to stand guard over his door in the daytime,” said Jerry. “That’s how he got away without being detected. He must have filed off his chains.”
This was afterward ascertained to be the case. The madman had managed to conceal a file about him, and though it seemed impossible of performance, had managed to cut his links.
“I guess he’ll be so weak for a while that he won’t have to be bound very strongly,” observed Bob.
“We’ll take no chances,” decided Jerry. “As soon as he recovers fully we’ll take him below.”
But this was never destined to be done.
Dr. Klauss suddenly leaped to his feet, and rushed to the edge of the deck. Raising his hands high above his head he cried out:
“I defy you all!” And then, before anyone could prevent him, plunged overboard.
“Poor fellow!” cried Mr. Sheldon. “We must save him!”
But there was no way. No small boat was available, and it would have been folly for anyone to have jumped into the sea to try to save a maniac.
But Dr. Klauss had no intention of ending his life, it seemed. He disappeared under water for a few seconds, and then was seen to be swimming for the island.
They watched him make his perilous way through the surf to the beach. He seemed strong, even after his trying experience.
Reaching shore, the madman stood up, and shook his fist at those on the deck of the submarine. Then the unfortunate man rushed into the dense growth that came down close to the water’s edge.
And that was the end of Dr. Klauss. The boys and their friends never saw him again.
“What—what in the world did he do that for?” asked Ned, in puzzled tones.
“He’s insane—he doesn’t know what he is doing,” declared Mr. Sheldon. “Poor man!”
“Those two Germans! We must get them up here and have them call to him!” cried Jerry. “We’ll have them tell him we will treat him as kindly as he will let us. All we ask is to be allowed to go home. Then he can do as he likes with his boat. We must get them up here and have them call to him in that queer language they use.”