“There were two reasons,” was the answer. “In the first place I feared some harm might befall you. You are not used to going into deep water, and he is. Then, too, he might suddenly go mad out there alone with you, and do you some injury. We could not save you.
“Another reason was that I thought if we all stayed together there might be some chance of getting away—of making our escape. But the only way, I suppose, would be to go off and leave Dr. Klauss to his fate. That would be too horrible. We could not do it except, perhaps, as a last resort.”
“I see,” said Professor Snodgrass, who seemed to take more of an interest in the affairs of his friends, now that he could not be actively engaged in getting specimens. “We might keep him a prisoner in the diving chamber until we took the boat to shore, and escaped,” he added.
“Well, that might be a good plan,” admitted Mr. Sheldon, “but I dislike to try it. I think we ought to give him one more chance to set us free. If he does not, then we will act. What do you say, boys?”
“I agree to that,” spoke Jerry. “Besides, we don’t know where we are now. We ought to make an observation from the surface of the sea, and I think the boat will soon go up. Our air must need replenishing.”
“Then we’ll wait,” decided Mr. Sheldon. “Now for a look at the doctor on the bottom of the sea.”
“Say,” spoke Bob in a low voice to Ned, “suppose we do get control of the submarine. Do you think we can run her?”
“I think so—if the crew will help us, and those two old Germans don’t interfere,” was the reply. “We’ll have to sound the crew soon.”
“There he is!” suddenly exclaimed Grace, as she peered out of the darkened windows in the side of the cabin. “See him walking along!”
They all beheld the figure of the doctor, in his strange suit, on the sandy bottom of the sea, carrying his electric lamp with him. He turned and flashed it toward the now motionless submarine, and waved his rubber-encased hand, as if in greeting of those watching him.