Still she went on, however, until the end of the hole was almost gained.
"A mine!" shrieked the lookout. "We shall be blown up!"
"All power backward!" cried Oscar to George Dross through a speaking tube. "Quick! It means life or death to us!"
The backward power was increased. Yet the Holland drifted closer and closer, until her sharp prow was less than two feet away from the butt of the mine. Oscar held his breath. Another instant and they might all be blown to pieces.
But then the forward motion ceased, the Holland gathered power in the opposite direction, and soon they had backed out of the huge copper net and were free!
"What does this mean?" demanded Andy Greggs, as he crowded into the lookout.
"It means two things," answered Oscar, drawing a long sigh of relief. "In the first place we have had a close shave from death, and in the second place it means that the order to come here was fraudulent."
"Then this was a trap set for us?"
"Beyond a doubt. And I would just like to lay hands on that messenger." And Oscar grated his teeth.
"Perhaps he is somewhere around, in a boat. Undoubtedly he was a foreign sympathizer."