"Really this is very extraordinary," said the professor; "two of us are gone. We are no doubt in the hands of pirates, wretched rovers of the sea, who have brought science to their aid. It is to be hoped——"
The door opened while he was speaking and a long arm twining round his waist dragged him too into the heart of this floating prison.
His legs kicking up ludicrously in the air attracted the attention of Carl, who could not refrain from laughing, miserable though he was.
"My turn next," muttered the youth.
He was not long kept in suspense.
The long net twined, snakelike, round him, and he too descended into the bowels of the infernal machine.
Mont's experience was that of all of them.
He had descended an iron ladder and was pushed into a room, the door of which shut to with a heavy bang.
In ten minutes they were all together in the same compartment.
The darkness of their prison was so intense as to prevent our hero seeing his hand before his face.