He
fired, the flash of the gun and a dazzling chain of
lightning coming together. The thunder swallowed up the
report of the carbine, but the bullet whistled uncomfortable
close to Tom's head. The blackness that followed the
lightning shut out the view of everything for a few seconds,
and when the next flash came the adventurers saw that they
were close to their submarine.
A fusillade of shots sounded from the deck of the warship,
but as the marines were poor marksmen at best, and as the
swaying of the ship disconcerted them, our friends were in
little danger.
There was quite a sea once they were beyond the protection
of the side of the warship, but Captain Weston, who was
rowing, knew how to manage a boat skillfully, and he soon had
the craft alongside the bobbing submarine.
"Get aboard, now, quick!" he cried.
They leaped to the small deck, casting the rowboat adrift.
It was the work of but a moment to open the conning tower.
As they started to descend they were met by several
Brazilians coming up.
"Overboard with 'em!" yelled the captain. "Let them swim
ashore or to their ship!"
With almost superhuman strength he tossed one big sailor
from the small deck. Another showed fight, but he went to
join his companion in the swirling water.
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