Perched upon a flat rock so insecurely that it seemed as if the faint
"wash" from the "Aphrodite" would topple it over, was a regularly-shaped
mass literally covered with barnacles and plentifully festooned with
trailing seaweed. But even these disguises Hythe could penetrate: there
was no mistaking the tapering stern, the horizontal and vertical
rudders, and the twin screws of a standard type of submarine.
"’La Flamme,’" announced Captain Restronguet, at the same time raising
his right hand to the salute in honour of the brave dead, an example
that Hythe promptly followed.
A little farther and the twin search-lights played upon a solid barrier
of rock, extending from side to side of the submerged gulley.
Placing the engine-room indicator to half-speed astern Captain
Restronguet waited till the "Aphrodite’s" way was checked; then turning
to Mr. Devoran he nodded his head significantly.
Immediately the chief officer opened the valves of the subsidiary
ballast tanks and the "Aphrodite" sank vertically to a depth of
sixty-five feet beneath the surface, and rested firmly upon the sand on
the bed of Machichaco Bay.
The sub glanced at his watch. Notwithstanding the fact that he had been
wearing it when he dived overboard to the rescue of the man Gwennap it
had sustained no damage whatsoever from its immersion. He was surprised
to find that it was nine o’clock. Nearly an hour had elapsed since the
submarine had first entered the tortuous defile.
"We cannot do more until daylight," announced Captain Restronguet, as
soon as the patent anchors had obtained a firm hold in the sand. During
the navigation of the "Aphrodite" through the dangerous channel he had
been constrained; his whole attention had to be concentrated on his
work, but now his usual willingness to impart information returned.
The search-lights, now no longer necessary, were switched off, so that
no belated fishing-boat might have occasion to report the presence of a
mysterious phosphorescence in the depths of the bay; and having received
reassuring reports from various parts of the vessel the captain
intimated that the somewhat long-delayed dinner would prove acceptable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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