It came from the direction of the Pegasus.
“The machine is ascending!” cried Frank.
He dashed forward at the top of his speed, and his companions ran after him.
By the time Frank reached the engine she was ten feet in the air, her helices flying around swiftly.
It was impossible to touch her hull.
“Great Heaven! is she lost?” flashed across Frank’s mind.
A terrible thrill of dismay passed over him as he glanced up at the ascending hull.
But just then he caught sight of the drag rope, and he rushed over to it and grasped it.
The next moment he was ascending to the deck.
His friends were left behind.