"Well, I have a plan in mind. It is a desperate one, but possibly it may work."
"What do you propose to do?"
This time it was the inventor who propounded the query. Clearly enough Mr. Barr himself could think of no way out of the quandary.
"I don't care to say just yet," responded the naval officer.
"Why not?"
"Because it is a sort of forlorn hope that I don't care to advocate until absolute necessity arises."
In the dire extremity into which they were plunged, not one of them cared just then to waste time by asking questions. Clearly Uncle Sam's officer was at the head of affairs. In silence they awaited his next word.
"Rob, you must reverse the engines. Give them all the power they will stand. It's just possible that we may be able to back out without injury, although I fear that we are pretty deeply buried in this cliff."
Rob, accompanied by Merritt, hastened to obey. Together the two boys entered the engine room, and Rob at once operated the mechanism which caused the Peacemaker to go backward.
As he pulled over the lever and the engines began to whirr and buzz, everyone on the boat waited breathlessly for the result. But the Peacemaker did not move. Under the strain of her laboring engines the steel fabric shook and chattered, but not an inch did the diving boat budge.