As he spoke he looked up at the electric lights that shone overhead from wall brackets.
“Who is shutting down the power?” he asked.
“There is no power on, Professor,” replied Mark. “I am running the lights from the storage battery. But something is the matter, for they are growing dim.”
The filaments were now mere dull red wires, and the ship was being shrouded in gloom again.
“The battery is failing!” exclaimed Mr. Henderson. “We shall be left in darkness, and there is no other way to produce light. I ought to have brought some lamps or candles along in case of emergency.”
The next instant the Mermaid became as black as Egypt is popularly supposed to be, and something like an exclamation of terror came from the professor.
For several minutes they all sat there in the blackness and gloom, waiting for they knew not what. Then, suddenly, there sounded throughout the ship, a creaking as of metal sliding along metal. Some big lever creaked, and, a second later the whole place was flooded with light.
“What has happened?” cried the professor, starting to his feet in alarm.
“We are going to be burned up!” exclaimed old Andy.
“It’s all right! It’s all right!” yelled Washington from the engine room where the boys had left him. “Don’t git skeered! I done it! I opened the port holes, by yanking on the lever. Golly, but we’s arrived at the new land! Look out, everybody!”