“Not a drop! See!” and he held up the sounding stick. It was as dry as a bone, only the odor of the fluid clinging to it.
“Why, it was full when we started! How could it get out?”
“Well, it is out,” Ned replied.
Jerry made an examination. As much of the tank as he could see did not appear to be damaged. He was at a loss to account for the disappearance of the gasolene. He looked over the side and uttered an exclamation.
“There’s what did it!”
“What?” asked Bob.
Jerry pointed to a small iron rod which had pierced the bow of the Dartaway from the outside. It had penetrated through the galvanized iron gasolene tank, and the fluid had run out into the ocean. There was enough space around the iron, which was still in place, to allow the fluid to get out, but, as the rod had entered in an upward, slanting direction the hole did not admit any sea water, so the boat did not leak.
“How in the world did that get there?” asked Jerry, as he gradually worked the rod out.
“Must have stuck into us when we were at the wreck,” put in Sam. “That’s just how it happened. Good thing it was no bigger.”
“Lucky the gasolene didn’t all leak out until we got away from being sucked down in the whirlpool,” remarked Ned. “The rocking of the boat helped it run out.”