CHAPTER XXIII.
THE FIGHT OFF CAPE NOME.
"Captain, are you dead?"
It was Gilson who uttered the cry, as he rushed forward through the smoke, to where Oscar was leaning against a post, gasping for breath.
"No—no, Gilson," was the answer. "But we—we must have some fre-fresh air!"
Gilson knew what to do and ran with might and main to where the air was stored.
He turned several cocks and soon the foul air was being forced out of the Holland XI. and fresh air began to circulate through the various compartments.
This had hardly been done when Oscar heard a voice calling him. Then the engineer appeared, as pale as death and with his forehead bandaged.
"Reckon I was knocked out," said George Dross. "What happened?"
"A good many things," answered Oscar. "How do you feel?"
"As weak as a half drowned cat, captain. But what is wrong? Did the lightning knock us inside out?"
"Almost," answered the young commander, and told the engineer some of the particulars.
"I'll do what I can with that engine," said Dross. "But it's a ticklish job—with so much electricity flying around loose."
"Be careful," returned Oscar. "I don't want you to get knocked out for good."
He followed the engineer to the doorway of the engine room and here a long consultation took place.
Then it was decided that Dross should try to manage one part of the engine while Oscar managed another, both at the same time.
In the meantime the Holland XI. continued to swing around in a circle and once the craft came close to throwing herself completely over on the starboard side.
"Now then, ready, George?"
"Yes, captain."
"Then let her go."
Both strained at their task and several sharp clicks followed. Then Oscar sprang to a nearby lever and gave it a pull.
Instantly the power was shut off and in a moment more the Holland XI. came to a standstill on the bosom of the ocean.
"Hurrah, we have stopped her at last!" cried Oscar, enthusiastically.
With the turning off of the electricity it became safe to walk all over the submarine craft and both Oscar and the engineer, as well as Gilson, set to work to repair damages.
While they were at work the most of the men who had been shocked by the lightning came to their senses and wanted to know all about what had happened.
But poor Andy still lay in a stupor and he did not recover until several hours after.
It was no mean task to repair all the damage done to the intricate machinery of the Holland XI. and for two days every man on board was kept busy.
Fortunately, however, nothing had been destroyed but the burnt-out switchboard, and luckily there was a duplicate switchboard in the storeroom. Oscar himself put this into place and when tried it worked perfectly.
"Now I reckon we are all right once more," said the young commander, after a test had been made of all the working parts of the submarine boat.
Yet to make certain that he was ready for active service, once again he ran the Holland XI. out into the ocean and made her go through all the movements of blowing up a warship.
Then the course was changed for Cape Nome and soon they were but a few miles from that port.
An American warship was sighted, but Oscar got no opportunity to hail her, for she was steaming along at full speed.
"Looks as if she was running from something," said Andy.
The American warship had scarcely sailed out of sight to the southeast than the lookout announced a strange craft coming up from the southwest.
The new Holland was sunk almost to the level of the ocean, so that only the trap deck was above the water.
At last they made out the newcomer to be a big Russian cruiser, the Ivan II.
She was supposed to be the largest warship in the Russian navy, if not in the world.
She carried a battery of over a hundred large guns and her muster roll counted over two thousand men.
"By jove! but she's a wonder!" muttered Andy, as he gazed at her through a glass.
"She is, and she's not alone," answered Oscar. "See two more warships have come into view."
The young captain was right. The second and the third ships were also Russian, and these were followed by a Chinese cruiser and a Japanese frigate, and then came six other Russian vessels.
By this time the Ivan II. was so close that Oscar thought it best to descend below the surface of the ocean, and coming down with Andy he gave orders for the trap-door to be closed.
The button which communicated with the machinery of the Holland was touched, but, much to the young commander's surprise, the trap-door remained open.
"Hullo, something is wrong there again!" he cried, and ran to push the button himself.
It worked all right, but he speedily discovered that the connection with the power was broken in the engine room.
"We must shut the trap by hand!" he cried to Andy. "Quick, before that Russian cruiser spots us!"
The chums ran up the ladder to move the door.
But the plate was heavy and ran in a tight groove which was water-proof, and for the minute it refused to budge.
Suddenly a yell came from the deck of the Ivan II.
The Holland had been discovered.
"The accursed American sea-devil!" roared the Russian captain. "If she gets the chance she will sink us as she has sunk the Tien-Tsin and other ships."
He ordered that a bomb be brought on deck with all speed.
This was done, and a few seconds later the deadly thing was hurled straight at the Holland XI.
It struck the open trap-door, bumped on the steps, and rolled at Oscar's feet.
The fuse was burning briskly, and in a few seconds more the bomb would go off, creating destruction and death upon every hand!