Hythe hesitated no longer. Turning he set off at full speed towards the Governor’s palace, the Customs man pelting at his heels and shouting to the bystanders to stop him. The sub was a good sprinter, even though considerably out of practice by being cooped up in the limited quarters of a submarine. Dashing past the astonished sentry at the entrance to the palace, before the soldier had time to salute, Hythe literally thrust his way into the Governor’s presence and hastily told him of his irritating and serious encounter with the officious Customs man. "He is undoubtedly within his rights, Mr. Hythe," replied the Governor. "But, at the same time, he is over zealous. That will clear you," and sitting down he wrote out and signed an order to pass Mr. Arnold Hythe’s baggage. One minute to six. With almost indecent haste the sub once more bade the Governor farewell and resumed his headlong pace. Just outside the Dockyard Gate he overtook the Customs official, who was puffing and blowing after his exertions on a fruitless chase. "Very good, sir," exclaimed the man apologetically, "but you see dooty’s dooty. I’ll clear your trunk in a jiffy." Bubbling over with impatience Hythe set off at a rapid rate, with the wellnigh exhausted official at his heels. A fresh catastrophe confronted him, for upon arriving at the place where he had left the porter with his trunk neither was to be seen. "He’s a wrong ’un, sir," exclaimed the Customs man. "You had better inform the police." "Haven’t time," exclaimed Hythe savagely, and without another word he ran towards the steps at the New Mole. When he arrived it was ten minutes past six, and no signs of Kenwyn and Gwennap were to be seen. "That’s done it!" ejaculated the sub. "And Captain Restronguet said six o’clock sharp." CHAPTER XVI. OVER A VOLCANO. If ever a man felt like kicking himself it was Arnold Hythe at that moment. He had missed his appointment; and in Captain Restronguet’s eyes he would be regarded as a waster devoid of any sense of honour or gratitude. "Have you seen anything of two divers?" he asked, addressing the crowd that lingered about the landing; for, though the time fixed for his departure had been kept a secret, a curious throng had loitered there nearly all day. "Yes," shouted a dozen voices in chorus, and amid a babel of vociferations the sub contrived to gain the information that they had appeared quite half an hour ago, had waited ten minutes and had disappeared. "Are you quite sure they went before six?" asked Hythe. "Perfectly sure, sir, it was exactly ten minutes to six when they went down," replied a sailor confidently. Then the thought flashed across his mind, perhaps Captain Restronguet had purposely marooned him? An instant later he banished the suggestion, yet why should Kenwyn and Gwennap have returned before the appointed time?