CHAPTER XXIX.
THE RESCUE OF JEAN FEVRE.
It was a moment of extreme peril and nobody realized it more than did Captain Oscar Pelham.
Should the Holland XI. become fast between the rocks and mud now pouring forth on all sides the submarine craft would be doomed.
"Turn her and run at full speed!" he shouted. "To port, quick!"
His order to turn to port was obeyed as speedily as possible.
He had seen the bed of the sea rising in the opposite direction and the movement came none too soon. A moment later the ground shot high up into the air, carrying huge rocks with it.
Had the Holland XI. been caught in that upheaval she would have been thrown two hundred feet above the surface of the Caribbean Sea, to fall back a broken and battered mass, with all on board lifeless.
The commotion under water was now growing rapidly, so that little could be seen, and they had to trust largely to luck as they moved on in an endeavor to get away from the ill-fated spot.
Once the Holland XI. struck a huge mass of mud which had just been raised by the earthquake.
It sent the mass flying in all directions and the lookout window was completely covered with the stuff, so that next to nothing could be seen.
"If we get out of this we can be thankful!" gasped Andy. "Hark to the roaring! And feel, the very sides of the boat are getting hot!"
The young lieutenant was right; the plates were so warm that they were positively painful to the touch.
And now came a greater explosion than before, and in a twinkle the new Holland was caught and turned around and around like a top in a strange current created by this new volcanic eruption. And, worst of all, the boat was sinking.
"We're going down into a hole!" shouted one of the ammunition men. "Nothing can save us now! We'll drop to the bowels of the earth and right into that volcano fire!"
His words were truly startling, and for the moment it looked as if all on board the submarine craft were losing their presence of mind. Oscar ran to the engine room.
"Up! up!" he yelled. "And give her all the power possible! It is our one chance!"
The electric engine began to work as never before, and presently their downward course was stayed. Then they arose and Oscar directed they run ahead as before.
The mud was still on every side and the water ran hither and thither in all directions, carrying seaweed, wood and dead fish with it. The heat continued, but presently it grew cooler.
"I guess we are going to get out of it, after all," said Andy, mopping the perspiration from his forehead. "But, oh! what an experience! I never want another like it!"
"Don't crow until you are out of the woods," said Oscar.
"That was a real volcanic eruption and an earthquake combined, wasn't it?"
"Certainly—and not a little one, either."
"By no means."
Yet in an hour the danger was over and the sea once more resumed its normal condition.
When they came to the surface it was much cooler than it had been and it was raining in torrents.
On every side seaweed was floating about and on the water rested an oily substance exceedingly disagreeable to the smell.
"What will you do?" asked Andy.
"Put in to shore and find out how bad the earthquake has been," answered the young captain.
It was no easy matter to locate themselves in the darkness, but after a consultation the course was set and they ran back in the direction of Santiago.
When they arrived at the entrance to Santiago Harbor they found great excitement. The earthquake had done considerable harm to the shipping and several small coast vessels had been completely destroyed.
In the town a number of large buildings had suffered, but no serious damage was done and no lives were lost.
But a few hours later came in word that the shock had been very heavy on the north coast of Venezuela and that several seaport towns were completely wiped out.
"I want no more earthquakes," said Oscar. "One is enough."
And Andy agreed with him.
Two days later they left Santiago once more and the search for the Green Dragon was resumed.
But day after day went by and nothing was seen of the Chinese warship.
"It looks to me as if we were on the wrong track," said Oscar.
"Do you intend to give up the search?" asked Andy.
"No, no! We must find that ship, and Miss Adams."
On the following day the lookout announced a ship far away to the southeast.
"Looks something like a warship and then not exactly like one, either," he said.
"Perhaps it is a private ship fixed over into a fighting machine," returned the young captain.
In less than an hour they came up to within a hundred yards of the strange craft.
Not a soul was in sight and they soon discovered that the ship was a complete wreck from stem to stern.
There was a large hole on her starboard side, just above the water line and many of her upper guns were missing.
"This is queer," said Andy, as they gazed at the wreck. "What do you make her out to be?"
"A French ship-of-the-line. See, there is the name, Bordeaux, on her bow. Do you know what I think?"
"That she has been through a battle?"
"Yes, but not with other ships."
"I don't understand, Oscar."
"I think she has been through a battle with that earthquake and got the worst of it."
"By Jove! Perhaps you are right!"
"I'm going to see if anybody is on board."
Oscar set up a yell through a trumpet, and then, to increase the sound of his voice, added an electric attachment which magnified the voice fiftyfold.
Presently a cry came faintly from the wreck and a single Frenchman appeared at the rail.
"Safe me! Safe me!" he called piteously.
"SAVE ME! SAVE ME!" HE CALLED PITEOUSLY.
"SAVE ME! SAVE ME!" HE CALLED PITEOUSLY.
"SAVE ME! SAVE ME!" HE CALLED PITEOUSLY.
"Are you alone?" questioned Oscar, cautiously.
"Yes! yes! All alone!"
"Where is the crew?"
"All drowned by ze great earthquake! Oh, it was terrible, terrible. Safe me!"
"This may be a trick to get us on board," came warningly from Andy.
"I don't intend to go on board yet, Andy."
The Holland XI. was run in close to the wreck and the Frenchman was told to drop into the water.
"I vill drown!" he wailed. "Poor Jean Fevre has never learned how to swim!"
"We will pick you up, never fear," said Oscar, and then the Frenchman did as bidden. In a moment more he was on board. Tears of joy streamed down his face.
"It is so goot to be safed!" he said, brokenly.
It was now discovered that the French warship was in danger of going down at any moment, and they got out of the vicinity without delay.
Soon the big ship began to sink and a quarter of an hour later she passed out of sight forever.