But he was startled at the fact that they were not visible. The glare of light showed only sand and rocks and weeds.
The pathway of radiance extended for fully a mile. But nowhere was water visible.
“Tare an’ ’ounds!” gasped the Celt, “phwat the divil is the maning av that?”
For a moment he was stupefied.
Then the realization of a startling truth dawned upon him. He sprang to his feet.
“Mither presarve us!” he muttered, “the lake has gone an’ disappeared, as the captain said it would.”
He started for the cabin to call Frank and the captain. But before he reached the cabin stairs second thought impelled him to change his mind.
“Divil a bit,” he muttered; “there’s no nade av that. Shure, they’ll see the thing fer thimsilves to-morrow, an’ to chate thim av their sleep now wud be foolish enough.”
So he went back to his post.
He flashed the rays of the searchlight over the sandy bed of the Transient Lake. Satisfied that there was no error, and that the lake had really departed, he finally shut off the rays and abandoned himself again to his duty of pacing the deck.