Up in the bow no doubt the skipper was at his post. His was the hand that controlled the destiny of the undersea boat now. It required another sort of education than that of the ordinary pilot’s to manipulate the wheel when once down in those depths, where buoyancy could be so easily altered. To rise or fall was possible by the mere touch of a finger, it seemed, so delicately were they poised there.
Now it became necessary to come to a full stop on account of some obstacle ahead in the shape of an undersea cliff that barred progress. This must be surmounted by pumping out some of the water ballast so that they would rise above its summit, or perhaps it might be deemed advisable to turn aside, and pass around the obstruction.
From time to time Jack’s exclamations, and the sound of his cranking, announced that he was busily engaged at his labor of love. If he could only catch some of those wonderful vistas of waving plants, and floating fish with their goggle-eyes, he felt he would be amply repaid for all his work.
“Another shark!” announced Ballyhoo, who seemed to have a good eye for those savage monsters of the deep, “and let me tell you he’s some size in the bargain. Oh! get him in the picture, Jack, because we seem to have stopped right here for some reason or other. Don’t you see, he must be one of those leopard sharks we’ve heard Uncle Abner tell about, for he’s all spotted.”
“I can hardly believe that,” Oscar told him, “because, unless I’m mistaken, he also said that species was only to be found away over in the East Indies. But that chap was a dandy, all right, and I hope you got him, Jack.”
“Whee! there’s another right now!” cried Ballyhoo, “and as sure as you live, boys, he acts like he meant to knock a chip off the shoulder of his first cousin, too. See him make that furious rush for Mr. Spot, will you? Oh! we’re going to be treated to a regular shark duel, that’s what we are! Be sure and don’t miss that, on your life, Jack. It’s all been staged just for our benefit. Those monsters knew it was a chance of a lifetime for them to get in the spot-light!”
While Ballyhoo rattled along at this rate, events outside were taking on a sanguinary hue. Something had happened to anger both of the huge sharks, and they continued to make savage attacks on one another. Their teeth must have been busily engaged in these frequent contacts, for the boys soon saw that they began to show the marks of many terrible wounds.
By now the whole crew of the submarine must have learned of what was taking place close by, for they crowded to the various glass-covered openings in the endeavor to see what they could of the affair. It enlisted their sympathies, even as a group of Cubans might take a lively interest in a cock fight, or ten thousand Mexicans gather to watch a bull match his horns and muscles against the agility of his human baiters in the arena.
Back and forth the pair swam, tearing at each other as though anxious to take advantage of this unusual flood of light visiting their undersea range. One was a little larger than the other, and, of course, the boys immediately allowed their hopes to rest upon the smaller shark.
Indeed, it soon began to prove that this one was the more agile of the two, and could get away with less punishment after some of their terrific rushes. From this fact the spectators expected that in the end the battle would result in the vanquishing of the larger spotted fish, which appeared a trifle sluggish in its movements.