CHAPTER XV.
TIDAL WAVES AND WHALES.
It was a perilous situation, of this there could be no doubt.
The tidal wave had cast the Holland XI. high and dry on the Hawaiian shore, where she lay as helpless as a whale on a grassy plain.
In the offing loomed up three foreign warships, a Chinese, a Japanese and a Russian.
The enemy had already sighted the new Holland, and were drawing closer to the curious-looking craft.
The submarine boat had landed on the shore right side up, and Captain Oscar Pelham and Lieutenant Andy Greggs had just come to the little deck to view the situation.
"We are knocked out this trip," groaned Andy. "As soon as they learn who we are they'll throw a shell this way and that will finish us."
"Let us see if we can't train one of our guns on them," suggested the young captain.
The word was passed and it was found that one gun could be trained on the Russian warship, which was coming up from the southward.
The gun was loaded with a highite bomb and at the proper moment was touched off.
Boom!
Loud and clear the sound echoed over the Pacific Ocean and the shell exploded close to the deck of the Russian warship, causing death and destruction upon every hand.
The effect of the awful shot was soon apparent, for those left on the warship lost no time in turning the vessel about and sailing out of range.
The shot, however, was noticed by those on the Japanese and the Chinese cruisers, and soon they came in and let fly at the Holland XI.
One solid shot plowed up the sand in front of the submarine craft, while several others struck the rocks behind, causing a shower of stones to cover the craft as with flying hail.
"By Jove! But this is dangerous!" muttered Oscar. He turned to his men. "What do you wish to do, remain here or leave the Holland XI. and take to yonder wood?"
"We'll do what you do," answered old George Dross.
"I will never desert the Holland XI.!" answered the young captain, calmly.
"Neither will I!" added Andy.
"We'll all stay!" came in a shout. "Hurrah for Uncle Sam! We'll get the best of 'em yet!"
"Give them another shell," went on Oscar. "Even if it doesn't hit them it may make them keep their distance."
The shell was soon sent forth, but the enemy was out of range and the bomb did no further damage than to land in the body of a shark sporting in the offing.
Then the three foreign ships got together and concocted a scheme to bombard the new Holland from three different points at the same time.
Soon shot and shell were raining all around the submarine craft.
One shell struck so close it smashed out one of the side windows, sending a shower of glass and sand into the little cabin.
"This is hot!" cried Andy, and of a sudden came a yell from a man at the stern window, which was pointed out to sea.
"The water! The water!" yelled the lookout. "It is rising again."
His words were followed by another rumble, similar to that which they had before experienced, and looking toward the ocean all saw another tidal wave sweeping toward the shore.
"Close up the deck!" ordered Oscar, hurriedly. "And, Marken, get some sort of cover for that broken window."
Then the young captain turned to the old engineer.
"We must take advantage of that wave when it strikes us," he said. "We are lying stern to the ocean. If we get afloat, start her backward with all power."
"Aye, aye!" answered George Dross.
Soon the sea could be heard rushing up the sand and then they found the new Holland rocking from side to side. But the water only came up to her windows and the submarine craft did nothing but slip a dozen feet closer to the Pacific.
"Left!" muttered Andy, in disgust. "That wave was not strong enough."
"Another is coming!" cried Oscar. "By Jove, look!"
Far out to sea they saw the ocean becoming white with foam, while a very mountain of water loomed up. It had struck the Chinese cruiser and that ship had keeled over and lay a wreck in the boiling sea.
Then the mighty torrent rushed up the beach, bringing with it driftwood and fish innumerable. It reached the new Holland, raised her up and whirled her around and around like a top.
"No use to use our power!" yelled Oscar, that George Dross might hear him. "We are being carried further inland!"
The young captain was right, and now came a thump and a bump, as the craft struck rocks and palm trees and then slid along a cliff. Oscar thought they might be carried directly to the center of the island, when of a sudden the tide turned and rolled back to the vast ocean. And they went with it!
But those inside of the Holland XI. knew little now of where they were. Having gotten into deep water, the force of the tidal wave turned the craft completely over, and all those inside had all they could do to keep themselves from being smashed to death on walls or ceiling.
But in less than three minutes the agitation was over and the new Holland righted herself. The water had come in at the broken window and this had to be pumped out with all rapidity. Had not one of the men placed a temporary plate over the window when first ordered to do so, the new Holland would surely have been swamped.
Inside of half an hour the tidal disturbances were at an end and the ocean rolled as peacefully as before. Feeling they could now rise in safety, the young captain gave the necessary orders and they went up.
The first sight which met their gaze filled them with wonder. All three of the foreign warships had been caught by the tidal wave and carried on the rocks, and there they lay, battered and broken almost beyond recognition.
Sailors and soldiers lay in the wreckage or floating helpless on the tide.
A few had gone ashore, but these the Hawaiians had either shot down or made prisoners.
"Our work here is done," said Oscar. "Let us go back to Honolulu and see what damage has been done there."
His orders were obeyed and at Honolulu they found much of the shipping a wreck, yet but few lives had been lost.
The loss of the foreign ships was hailed with great delight and Oscar and his crew were entertained in fine style for the remainder of that day and also the next.
In the meantime the Holland XI. was repaired, making her once more as good as new.
Everybody wondered what had become of the balance of the foreign fleet which had set sail for San Francisco from Asiatic waters.
"They must be somewhere in these waters," said Andy.
"Perhaps they have pushed on to the United States," answered Captain Oscar.
The young commander of the submarine craft was right.
Thirty-two of the foreign warships had pushed on, and word to this effect was brought to Honolulu the next day by a steamship which had run away from them by sheer good luck.
"That ends our stay here," said Oscar.
And within the hour the new Holland left the Hawaiian Islands behind, the people of Honolulu cheering lustily as the craft left the harbor.
The air was all that could be desired and the run toward the Golden Gate was made for days without anything of special interest happening.
Sometimes they put out a small drag net in which they caught many fish, which, properly cooked, were no mean addition to their table.
"If the weather holds out, we'll be in sight of California in two days," observed Oscar, one evening.
"And I'll be glad of it," returned Andy. "I'll tell you what, there is nothing like the old States, after all!"
"Right you are, Andy!"
The night was a hot one, and to get air, the new Holland came to the surface and the trap-door of the deck was left wide open.
Oscar went to bed early and had been asleep less than an hour when a strange rocking motion of the submarine awoke him.
"Hullo, something is wrong!" he cried, and slipped into his clothing. The rocking motion continued and he heard cries from several of his crew.
"We have sailed into a school of whales!" announced Andy, coming to him.
"A school of whales!"
"Exactly. They are around us as thick as bees around a pot of honey. Just look!"
Oscar ran to one of the windows and gazed out.
His chum was right. Whales were on every hand, so thick that the submarine boat could scarcely move among them.
"This is the oddest yet!" was Oscar's comment. "We had better close the trap-door and go down, before a whale gets into the screw and disables it."
He had just given the order to close the trap when there came a great shock from above, followed by a dripping of water.
One of the more sportive whales had thrown himself into the air, intending to come down on the Holland XI. and crush it.
THE WHALE INTENDED TO CRUSH THE BOAT.
THE WHALE INTENDED TO CRUSH THE BOAT.
THE WHALE INTENDED TO CRUSH THE BOAT.
The whale had struck the trap-door opening head first, and now his head was as tight as if in a bear trap, sticking six feet and more down the narrow companionway, leaving his mighty tail to flop above, high in the air!