"But the bag didn't show any signs of a leak then."
"Probably there was no leak, but that the envelope was chafed and weakened. The pressure of the gas has since made a hole, and the hole is getting larger every second."
Matt pushed the motor to top speed. For a time there was silence in the car—silence broken only by the roar of the ocean and by the steady hum of the motor. A calmness, the calmness of desperation, settled over the three chums.
"We'll do the best we can, mates," said Dick, "and if we fail it will be while we're making a good fight to save ourselves. If——"
Just here a frantic yell came from Carl.
"A ship! Py chimineddy, dere's a ship! I knowed as vell as I know anyt'ing dot Modor Matt's luck vouldn't go pack on him. Crowd on der power, bard! Pud efery ounce oof enerchy in der bropeller! Ve vill vin oudt yet—yah, so helup me!"
Snatching the binoculars from Carl's hand, Dick focussed them on the object that had claimed Carl's attention.
[CHAPTER XI.]
WRECKED!