Rescue was near at hand; for the first of the sailors had already been picked up by the crew of a British warship, and had told his story. Small boats now floated about looking for other arrivals from the deep.
A boat approached Frank and he was dragged over the side. Then he lost consciousness. He was taken aboard the warship and put to bed immediately, as was Lord Hastings when he was picked up a few moments later.
To Jack, sitting below in the doomed submarine, came thoughts of the past. In his mind he reviewed his meeting with Frank, and later, with Lord Hastings. Memories of the earlier days of the war came back to him vividly and he recounted to himself the dangers he and Frank had faced together.
“Oh, well,” he said at last, “it is all over now.”
He arose and made his way toward Lord Hastings’ cabin; but even as he set foot over the threshold, the D-16 gave a sudden lurch.
“Guess this will finish it,” said Jack aloud.
But, to his amazement, the submarine, instead of going deeper, seemed to be rising. With a faint hope fluttering in his heart, Jack glanced at the indicator.
It was true. The D-16 was going up—not down.
Jack stared at the indicator like one fascinated.
“Six fathoms, five fathoms, four fathoms,” it read.