Mont wanted to keep his feet warm, so he amused himself by kicking his heels upon the body beneath him.
"I'll wake 'em up," he said. "They shan't sleep if they won't let me in."
Their safety depended absolutely upon the caprice of the mysterious steersman who inhabited the ironclad, fish-shaped machine.
It seemed to the professor that before those inside descended again they would have to open some hole to obtain air.
All were now very tired, wet, and hungry, and soon a raging thirst began to attack them.
Our hero fancied he heard vague sounds beneath him, but could not be sure.
Who were the strange beings that lived in the floating iron shell?
Kicking angrily upon the iron surface, Mont said:
"You are very inhospitable inside. I am hungry and thirsty. Do you want me to die up here?"
He had no sooner spoken than a flap beside him opened and a railing came up as if by magic.