Merritt reached for the lever that operated the ascending pumps. Right then he received the most acute and alarming shock of his life.
There was no lever there!
"It's gone!" he shouted.
"What? What's gone?" repeated the inventor in a puzzled tone.
"The lever! The ascending lever! We can't rise to the surface without it."
The inventor turned pale. Drops of sweat stood out on his forehead. Even the ensign turned a shade whiter than usual.
If the lever could not be discovered, they were doomed to an awful death in the depths of the sea!