“Father, I——” began Jack, when something occurred that placed a check on his further speech.
He had barely time to seize a handhold to keep from being flung off his feet to the metal floor of the engine room.
“What in the world?”
“Great jumping gollyumptions!”
“Shiver my mizzenmast!”
“We’ve struck something!”
The exclamations recorded above came in a volley from Tom, Jupe, Silas, and Jack.
The progress of the diving craft had been suddenly checked. Preceding the startling cessation of motion there had come a grinding, rasping shock that ran through the submarine’s structure from stem to stern. The boys had only time to exchange glances when there came a summons from the signal gong.
“Back up!”
“Oh, if we only knew what had happened!” cried Tom, starting for the door that led, by way of the main cabin, to the fore part of the craft.