Since the departure, the conspirators, with their eyes ardently fixed ahead, had not exchanged a syllable. What could they have said? They were perfectly aware of the probable consequences of their mad enterprise, and fully conscious of the danger they incurred. Besides, what was the good of speaking, when they could act? Hence they were silent, but they acted vigorously. Still, as all the men swam like otters, and were accustomed to the perfidious element in which they now were, they only expended the necessary amount of strength, and were very careful to keep the line regular.
At length, after superhuman efforts, they succeeded in cutting through the current that dashed with extreme rapidity and strength into the straits. The hardest work was over; from this moment they needed only to let themselves drift gently ashore, while careful to keep the right direction.
"Courage!" the Jaguar said.
This word, the first the young man had uttered since the start, restored the strength of his comrades and aroused their ardour again. The fortress stood out gloomy and imposing a short distance ahead, and the conspirators were already swimming in the shadow it cast. All at once a cry disturbed the silence.
"Tintorera!"
A brilliant mass came to meet the conspirators, leave a long phosphorescent trail behind it.
"Tintorera!" a second voice shouted.
In fact, another shark was advancing from the open sea and swimming straight towards the conspirators, leaving a line of fire.
"Tintorera!" a third voice said, with an indescribable accent of agony.
Three tintoreras beset the swimmers and momentarily contracted the circle in which they held them. The danger was serious.