I WASHINGTON BACKS OUT II THE FLYING MERMAID III WASHINGTON DECIDES IV WHAT DID MARK SEE? V ATTACKED BY A WHALE VI THE CYCLONE VII A QUEER SAIL VIII THE FLYING MERMAID DISABLED IX THE MUTINY X FOOLING THEIR ENEMIES XI MYSTERIOUS HAPPENINGS XII THE BIG HOLE XIII DOWN INTO THE EARTH XIV MANY MILES BELOW XV IN THE STRANGE DRAUGHT XVI THE NEW LAND XVII A STRANGE COUNTRY XVIII CAUGHT BY A STRANGE PLANT XIX THE BIG PEACH XX OVERHAULING THE SHIP XXI THE FISH THAT WALKED XXII THE SNAKE-TREE XXIII THE DESERTED VILLAGE XXIV THE GIANTS XXV HELD BY THE ENEMY XXVII A FRIEND INDEED XXVII A GREAT JOURNEY XXVIII THE TEMPLE OF TREASURE XXIX BACK HOME—CONCLUSION ------------------------------------------------------------------------ FIVE THOUSAND MILES UNDERGROUND CHAPTER I WASHINGTON BACKS OUT “Washington! I say Washington!” Throughout a big shed, filled for the most part with huge pieces of machinery, echoed the voice of Professor Amos Henderson. He did not look up from a small engine over which he was bending. “Washington! Where are you? Why don’t you answer me?” From somewhere underneath an immense pile of iron, steel and aluminum came the voice of a colored man. “Yas sir, Perfesser, I’se goin’ t’ saggasiate my bodily presence in yo’ contiguous proximity an’ attend t’ yo’ immediate conglomerated prescriptions at th’ predistined period. Yas, sir!” “Well, Washington, if you had started when you began that long speech you would have been at least half way here by this time. Hurry up! Never mind tightning those bolts now. Find the boys. I need them to help me with this engine. They must be around somewhere.” “I seen ’em goin’ fishin’ down by th’ brook a little while ago,” answered the negro, crawling out from under what seemed to be a combined airship and watercraft. “Jack says as how yo’ gived him permission t’ occupy his indisputatious period of levity in endeavorin’ t’ extract from th’ liquid element some specimens of swimmin’ creatures.” “If you mean I said he and Mark could go fishing in the brook, you’re right, Washington,” replied the professor with a smile. “But you waste a lot of time and breath trying to say it. Why don’t you give up using big words?”