The peril of the moment completely dispelled all other thoughts from his mind. As he once more grasped the wheel-spokes, a half-formed resolution came over him--that, if he and the _Seal_ were to be destroyed, the great reptile should perish with them. He had partly turned the submarine for the purpose of ramming his terrible enemy, when a filmy wisp of vapour drifted across the deck. He looked up quickly. A moment later a vast cloud of blinding mist rolled down upon the vessel, blotting out the surface of the water and enveloping pursued and pursuer in a thick white veil. “Thank God!” the engineer cried fervently, as the _Seal_ raced on into the friendly shelter of the mist. Gradually the sound of the reptile’s paddles grew fainter. Like a hunted hare the submarine twisted and doubled, ever drawing away from her monstrous foe; yet, even when all sound of the brute had ceased, Wilson still held on, determined not to fall foul again of the peril he had so narrowly escaped. But now danger arose from another source. The _Seal’s_ excessive speed made travelling within the enveloping mist highly dangerous. Each moment the engineer expected some obstruction to loom before him--a rocky island, perhaps, upon which the submarine would dash blindly and shiver herself to fragments. Dared he leave the _Seal_ to her own devices for a few seconds, and slip below to slow the engines? He asked himself the question over and over again, ere he summed up courage to loose the wheel-spokes and make a quick dash for the engine-room. Quick as thought he pulled back the lever, almost to its resting-place, then raced to the stairs. As he reached them there came a grating jar which shook the vessel, and, with a crash that jerked him off his feet, the _Seal_ came to a standstill. Somewhat bruised by his fall, the engineer rose, and, retracing his steps, entirely stopped the engines, after which he betook himself once more to the turret, anxious to know the full extent of the accident. It was as he thought. He had slowed the engines a few moments too late, and the vessel, racing madly forward by her own momentum, had piled herself high and dry upon a shingly beach. This much Wilson could discover by leaning over the rail, but the mist was still too dense to allow him to make out the character of his surroundings. Whether he was anywhere near the spot from which he had started he could not tell; but, realising that he could do nothing until the mist lifted, he prepared himself some food and made a hearty meal. As the hours went by, and there came no sign of the thinning of the cloudy veil around, the engineer grew anxious. What if his friends returned while he was still absent? Naturally, after his promise they would instantly believe that the vessel had been destroyed in some manner, and perhaps would leave the beach, never to return.