“But there must be an outlet or how does the water get out?” asked Ned.
“I’m afraid the outlet is one that we can’t use,” replied the scientist. “I mean an underground one.”
“What’s to be done?” inquired Jerry.
“I have thought of a plan,” Uriah Snodgrass continued, “but it is going to be difficult for we have no tools for working.”
“What is it?” asked Jerry.
“We might cut a channel through the obstruction that is blocking the passage through which the girls came.”
“Or we might haul the boat overland,” added Ned.
“Providing the floating island which blocks the passage is not too great in extent,” put in Jerry.
This was a new phase of the matter. Clearly they could not dig a canal of any great length, with the primitive tools at their command. Nor could they haul the Dartaway overland any long distance.
“It looks as if we were up against it,” said Jerry with a doleful sigh. “We’ll have to think of another plan.”