The submarine boat had struck full head upon a reef!
She lay with the waves breaking over her bow.
How badly she was stove could not be seen.
Horror was upon the features of all as this dreadful realization burst upon them.
“My goodness!” cried Stanhope, in awful despair. “We are lost! This is the end of the Dolphin!”
“A sunken reef!” groaned Captain Uriah.
Frank Reade, Jr., said nothing. He was very pale but quite cool.
The Dolphin rocked and groaned some as the waves lifted her, and it was evident that the heavy sea would be most disastrous.
She must be got off at once or the result would indeed be serious.
Frank studied her position for some moments, and then said: