CHAPTER XIV
A BROKEN REED
THROUGHOUT the three days during which the sea was raging furiously in the grip of the terrific gale, the Alerte remained submerged. Occasionally the giant seas sweeping over the Stones rocked her ever so slightly. The noise of shingle carried over the rocky ledge to wind'ard could be distinctly heard like a continuous roll of distant thunder, but as far as actual danger went the Alerte was as safe as if she had been lying at heavy moorings in the most sheltered berth in Falmouth harbour.
The difficulty of maintaining a constant supply of pure air was overcome by means of chemicals; so much so, that there was a slight excess of oxygen that had a peculiarly exhilarating effect upon the crew. Even the usually morbid and pessimistic Pengelly began by attempting feeble jokes. He next became boisterous and excitable, while on the third day even the light-hearted crew looked askance at him, so erratic was his behaviour.
Several of the hands showed signs of excessive excitability. The epidemic was spreading. Had the Alerte remained submerged very much longer, all hands might have gone mad under the influence of the super-oxygen charged atmosphere.
Fortunately for them, Captain Cain noticed the symptoms. He decided to break surface and remain with the hatchways open for at least an hour, even at the risk of the heavy seas pouring inboard.
At two in the morning of the fourth day the Alerte was brought to the surface. Greatly to her skipper's surprise—for the glass had risen far too rapidly to prognosticate fine weather—the storm had blown itself out. Crested waves were surging over the Stones and thundering upon Godrevy Island, but the pirate submarine was in comparatively sheltered water, rolling sluggishly to the long Atlantic swell.
Captain Cain's chief anxiety was now on account of the oil fuel. The gauges showed that there was only one ton left in the tank. By some means he must get into communication with Captain Silas Porthoustoc and arrange for the Fairy to proceed to a rendezvous with a cargo of liquid fuel.
For the present the Alerte rode to a single anchor, double watches being set to give the alarm should a vessel be sighted, although the position of the pirate submarine was well out of the way of traffic, owing to the proximity of the reef known as the Stones. At a few seconds' notice the Alerte could submerge. Meanwhile, the hull of the submarine was being swept by a current of pure, ozone-laden air.