By the time Jimmie had stripped and secured a knife to a belt about his waist, Harry pronounced the tube ready for operation.
“Now, fellows,” said Jimmie, shaking hands with his chums, “there’s about one chance in a million that I won’t get through this all right. If you are not up to the surface in five minutes, you may know that I’ve failed. Then you’d better send out another lad!”
“Me next!” shouted Jack, beginning to remove his shoes.
Harry was peering from the heavy glass protecting the forward porthole. As Jimmie stepped forward to enter the torpedo tube, Harry held up a warning hand. He turned an anxious face to his friends.
“There’s something outside here!” he announced in an anxious tone. “I saw it once, but didn’t get a clear view!”
“What did it look like?” asked Jimmie. “Is it alive?”
“I’m not sure, but I think it’s another submarine!”
“Probably the real ‘U-13’ come up to look us over. Never mind those fellows. I’m going ahead and cut this wagon loose!”
“Wait a minute!” cried Ned. “I see the craft over here to starboard. It’s a peculiar vessel, too! I think I see a man!”
“I see him, too!” declared Frank from a porthole a short distance aft. “Do you suppose he’s trying to get us to descend again?”