Captain Broadbeam surveyed the storm with anxiety, for he realized that it was unusually severe, and threatened the very existence of his craft. The lightning played all around the metalwork of the ship, and the roar of the thunder was deafening. "You had better go below," said the captain to Dave and his father. "You can do nothing on deck." "Yes, we will go below," answered Amos Fearless. "Come, my son," and he led the way down into the cabin. All of the ports and doors had been closed, and the air was stifling in the shut-up apartment, but of this there was no use to complain. All crockery, glassware, and other loose objects had long since been secured, or they would have been flung in every direction. Dave sat down in a chair screwed to the floor, and did his best to keep his seat. At one moment he felt like pitching forward, at the next he seemed about to turn a back somersault. The electric light burned dimly, for the electricity in the air had affected the circuit. "We can be thankful when we are out of this," observed Mr. Fearless, as he, too, clung to a chair. "I never dreamed it could blow so hard and keep it up. In our eastern storms there is generally a lull every few minutes." "I wonder if the _Raven_ is in this, father?" "There is no telling. This storm-center may be but a few miles in diameter." "I am almost tempted to wish the _Raven_ at the bottom of the ocean." "That wouldn't be right, Dave." "I know. But supposing they get ahead of us and the Hankers scoop in the Washington fortune?" "Then we will have to pocket our loss and make the best of it." "But our claim is better than theirs." "Morally, yes. But you must remember that legally the fortune will belong to whoever finds it, for it was abandoned at sea many years ago." "I suppose that is so." "For my part, Dave, I believe that neither of us will have an easy job to obtain the fortune. It is going to be a great task to even reach the sunken wreck." "Oh, I know that. But the diving bell will help us." "It will help a great deal. But you must remember the wreck may be turned over, or buried almost out of sight in the mud of the ocean bottom. In that case we'll have a lot of work to do before any of us can get into the ship and even locate the lost treasure." "Never mind, father, the amount to be gained will be well worth all the trouble we will take to gain it." "To be sure, for such a vast sum isn't picked up more than once in a lifetime, even at the best. We can be certain--Heavens! what's that?" Amos Fearless broke off short, and with good reason. A fearful shock had come, as a bolt of lightning struck the forward works of the _Swallow_. Then followed a strange hissing as the lightning played over the electric wires of the ship. A blinding flash entered the cabin, followed by a crack as of a pistol, and Dave, half stunned, saw his father pitch forward across the table like one dead! CHAPTER VII