As the vessel floated buoyantly, they put her water-screw in motion to give her steerageway, and started off.
She proceeded so slowly in the water, though, that they had no hope of overtaking the ship.
Besides, the fog was so dense they could not see it.
Finally Barney and Frank turned in.
The sea was calm enough and the wind moderate, so they passed a quiet night and met with no accidents.
On the following morning they set to work to repair the damage, and were kept busy all day and far into the succeeding night.
As there were plenty tools and materials on board, they finally succeeded in repairing the damage.
The work was so well done that it would have been very difficult to tell that the machine was broken.
“We can ascend now,” said Frank. “But whether we will overtake that ship or not is an open question.”
“She was heading eastward, wasn’t she?” questioned Reynard.