"I wish it would rain," mused Captain Nicholson, "or that we would at least have a dull sunrise, for it will be better suited for our work. Brown says he's sure we'll be favored with suitable weather because of the righteousness of our cause; but I am pinning my faith to the barometer, which has already fallen two points."
"Well, I hope everything goes all right," said Jack.
"It will," said the commander grimly. "You can bank on that, son. Might as well give the men a little rest," he added.
He poked his head down and called out:
"Turn in and pipe down!"
Then the commander and the two lads stood watch on the bridge.
At 2 o'clock, according to the captain's reckoning, the submarine was well off the mouth of the Euphrates.
"Can we find our way in by the navigation lights?" asked Frank.
"Not much," replied Captain Nicholson. "We'll stand off and on near where I place the shore line till we have daylight enough to see what we are about. Anyhow, I don't suppose there will be any lights, or if there are, they will likely be misplaced, to lure somebody to death."
Now the commander went below and bent over the charts for perhaps the hundredth time.