But the thing refused to budge, and at length, sweating from the violence of their exertions, they gave up the attempt. “What the plague has taken the things?” Seymour cried angrily. “First the engines break down, then the door jams, and now you say the steering gear’s gone wrong!” As he spoke, Mervyn re-entered the turret. “They can’t make out what’s wrong with the engines.” he announced. “Nothing is out of place, yet they will not run. It seems as though something were holding them back!” “Exactly,” returned the millionaire. “I guess we’ve struck the magnetic attraction of the Pole!” For an instant this announcement, given in the coolest of tones, staggered his comrades; then Mervyn spoke: “Then this is no current which is urging the vessel on?” he began interrogatively. “But real fifty thousand horse-power magnetism,” replied the Yankee; “and I guess it’s goin’ to take an extra large-size miracle to get the old boat out of its grip.” His companions stared at him incredulously for a few seconds; then, as the full significance of this statement became clear to them, both turned and glanced out of the window. “You say the door’s immovable?” the scientist questioned. “Hopelessly!” returned the baronet; “but we can smash the glass if we wish to get out.” “I reckon there’ll be no call to smash the glass,” Silas said; “another ten minutes and the hull outfit’ll be bust.” He pointed ahead as he spoke. Scarce a mile away, looming nearer each moment, a terrible line of cliffs rose black and beetling from the water’s edge; and above, veiling their summits, hung a threatening black smoke cloud, from somewhere in the heart of which came the rumbling explosions they had heard at frequent intervals since their entry into this sea. The speed of the _Seal_ increased as the moments flew by, until her pace could not have been less than forty knots an hour, and that without any aid from her engines. “This is terrible!” muttered Mervyn. “Have we escaped one peril, only to be dashed to pieces against those cliffs?” He was pale to the lips, and his hands shook as with an ague; the nearness of that terrible wall, upon which the _Seal_ was rushing so blindly, unmanned him. He turned to his comrades. “I’m afraid the old boat’s doomed,” he murmured brokenly; “she will go to pieces like matchwood against that barrier. I am sorry that our trip will have so disastrous an ending----” “Say,” the Yankee interrupted, “don’t you be too previous, Mervyn. I guess we ain’t done yet, by a considerable piece. If I ain’t dreamin’, there’s a gap in the darned barrier, and the old _Seal’s_ a-shovin’ her nose straight towards it.” “You’re right, Silas!” Seymour cried. “Heaven grant she clears the entrance!” Ten seconds later, the _Seal,_ rushing madly forward, cleared by a fraction of an inch the mighty rocks which guarded the entrance, and plunged into the darkness of a canyon. As she did so, Haverly switched on the searchlight.