He pointed to the depth gage. The needle, which had showed a constantly increasing record, until it was now at two hundred feet, had stopped. It showed they were going no lower.
Then Mr. Henderson looked at the indicator which showed the progress straight ahead. The needle was beginning to tremble. As he watched he saw it move, slowly at first, until, as the powerful screw won a victory over the terrible whirlpool. The gage marked one, two and then three miles an hour.
"We are leaving the swirling waters!" cried Mr. Henderson.
Then, all at once, as though it was an arrow shot from a gigantic bow, the Porpoise cleft the under-billows and shot ahead, free at last from the grip of the whirlpool.
Man had triumphed over nature!
On rushed the ship like a race horse, for the engine was working as it never had before, and it did not have the pool to contend against.
"Slow down," said Mr. Henderson, "and we will go to the surface."
Two minutes later, under the buoyancy of her empty tanks, the Porpoise lay floating on the top of the waves, under the shining stars.