The professor jumped past Washington and hurried into the room where the tanks were kept, carrying the reserve supply of air for breathing when the ship was under water. A loud hissing told that the leak was a large one.
"Quick! Bring me some tools and a steel plug," shouted the captain.
Mark hurried in with the things the professor wanted. But before the plug could be put in the hole the air stopped hissing.
"The leak is fixed!" cried Jack.
"No," said the professor in a strange voice.
"But the air no longer rushes out."
"For a good reason, there is no longer any air to rush out. It is all gone!"
"Do you mean to say that all the reserve stock has been lost?" exclaimed Andy.
"I fear so. The leak must have been a bad one. The air was stored in tanks under pressure, and, as you know, we released it as we needed it. Now it is all gone."
"All? Then we shall smother," said Jack, and his voice trembled.