“No dock out here in mid-ocean!” exclaimed the sailor. “But we sure have struck something. Not hard though, that’s one good thing. Otherwise we’d have a hole stove in us.”
“We’d better see what it is,” said Jerry, preparing to go up on deck.
The others agreed with him, even Professor Snodgrass putting away his papers and following the two boys and the old sailor.
As they mounted to the deck the bumping sounds kept up, and the tremors and vibrations continued to be felt throughout the Altaire.
“It’s just as if we were among a lot of ice cakes,” said Bob. “I hope we don’t ram an iceberg.”
“Hardly that in this latitude,” said Jerry. “Though some years they are found farther south than others.”
As they emerged on the deck, coming as they did from the lighted cabin, at first they could observe nothing. But gradually their eyes became accustomed to the darkness and they could see to move about.
“It’s on both sides!” exclaimed Bob.
“And it isn’t ice, either!” added Judd. “I know the smell of ice, and you can always feel a chill in the air. It isn’t a big berg, that’s sure, and small cakes wouldn’t last long in these warm waters.”