He sat there absolutely fascinated. The "Aphrodite" had escaped the coils that had, at the cost of so much labour and time, been thrown about her. She was moving, yet not the faintest vibration or sound came from the propelling machinery. Above were numerous dark objects seemingly in suspension in the pale green vault of water; they were the keels of various vessels, large and small, that had foregathered in Cawsand Bay to witness the capture of the mysterious submarine.
CHAPTER VII.
IN THE CONNING-TOWER.
For several minutes Arnold Hythe sat motionless, watching the rapidly-changing objects that flitted across the inclined mirror. Captain Restronguet made no attempt to distract his attention, but standing with folded arms he watched with feelings of satisfaction the effects of the spectacle upon the young officer's face.
"Wonderful!" exclaimed the sub at length.
"You think so, Mr. Hythe? Let me assure you that this view is nothing to what I can show you. Suppose we take a stroll for'ard?"
The captain opened the door of his cabin.
"You will excuse me preceding you," he remarked apologetically. "We will proceed to the fore conning-tower. Oh, yes, the 'Aphrodite' has two. That accounts for the reports of the master of the 'Barberton Castle,' that he sighted two submarines lying side by side. As a matter of fact he saw the two conning-towers of the 'Aphrodite' against the light, and influenced by the fact that he had hitherto seen submarines with single conning-towers he was misled. Had he really seen two submarines"--and here Captain Restronguet's features darkened ominously--"he would have witnessed a catastrophe to one of them. But of that I will say more later. Suppose we look into this compartment on our way for'ard."
Hythe's guide rolled back a sliding-hatch that communicated with the men's quarters--a fairly spacious room on the starboard side amidships. To the sub's surprise he saw O'Shaunessey.
"Holy St. Pathrick!" ejaculated the seaman, almost forgetting in his excitement to salute. "Faith! sorr, how came you in this shebeen? Sure, I thought 'twas meself only as these rascally foreign spalpeens 'ad taken."