He stood to compose his thoughts, to make up his mind what to do. More than once he had imagined himself trapped in just such a manner, and he was well aware that if he could succeed in equalizing the pressure of the air inside with the water outside he might get out of the submarine and escape. But to work things out in theory is much easier than to carry them out in practice, especially if your life depends on your doing everything exactly as it should be done, when the least little slip means death. The man reached out his hand to grasp a metal lever. His fingers closed on it. He recoiled from a severe electric shock. He touched something else, and again felt the jolt of electricity. His knee knocked against one of the engines and he felt a big shock in his leg. Very gingerly he put his finger on another metal object, and once more experienced the sensation of electricity. Everything around him was charged with electricity, and it was some time before he realized that the flooding of the engine-room had short-circuited the electric current. Now another factor crept in to make the situation still more desperate. The sea water, flooding the electric batteries, began to set free chlorine gas. The smell of it grew stronger, made him gasp. So to the risks of drowning and suffocating was added the danger of gas poisoning. In like circumstances few men could have kept their nerve. Most men would have abandoned themselves to their fate, would have given up all hope in the face of so many perils. But not this British sailor. With all his strength he began to fight to get out of the submarine, to put his theories into practice in order to save his life. He must have possessed tremendous will power, wonderful courage and determination. He tried the torpedo hatch, to make quite sure that the pressure above was such that he could not shift it. He might have been pushing against Mount Everest itself. Wasting no time, he set the bolt of the hatch so that the merest touch would release it, then he opened a valve to let in more water. As the water flooded the compartment, the air in it was compressed more and more. Higher and higher crept the water, greater and greater became the pressure of the air until he felt he could stand it no longer. He slipped the bolt of the hatch, and as he felt it give to the pressure he slipped a hand on the outside. A gust of air swept out, held up the cover momentarily, then the great metal lid slammed down again, crushing all the fingers of the brave man’s hand. Maimed though he was, his courage remained unshaken. Giving up his idea of escaping by raising the air pressure, he determined on the most desperate expedient of all. He made up his mind to flood the compartment completely, when the pressure of the water inside and outside would be equal, and he could open the hatch--if he were not drowned in the attempt.