The professor opened a valve. The steam filled the turbine with a hiss and throb. The _Porpoise_ trembled. Then, with a cough and splutter of the exhaust pipes, the engine started. Slowly it went at first, but, as the professor admitted more steam, it revolved the long screw until it fairly hummed in the shaft. "Hurrah! It works!" cried Mark. "It does!" chimed in Jack. "Gollyation! She suttinly am goin'!" yelled Washington. "I think we may say it is a success," said the professor calmly, yet there was a note of exultation in his voice. "Now that you've got her started, when are you goin' to put her in the water an' scoot along under the waves?" asked Andy Sudds. "In about a week," replied the professor. "And where are you goin' to head for?" went on the hunter. "We're going under the ocean to the south pole!" exclaimed the inventor, as he shut off the engine. CHAPTER II A LAND OF ICE "The south pole?" exclaimed Mark. "Way down dat way!" cried Washington. "Can you do it?" asked Jack. "That remains to be seen," replied the professor, answering them all at once. "I'm going to try, at any rate." "Hurrah!" yelled Mark. "It will be better than going to the north pole, for we will be in no danger of freezing to death." "Don't be so sure of that," interrupted the professor. "There is more ice at the south pole than at the north, according to all accounts. It is a place of great icebergs, immense floes and cold fogs. But there is land beyond the ice, I believe, and I am going to try to find it." "It will be a longer voyage than to the north pole," said Jack. "Jest de same," argued Washington, "de poles am at each end ob de world." "Yes, but we're quite a way north of the equator now, and we'll have to cross that before we will be half way to the south pole," explained Jack. "But I guess the _Porpoise_ can make good time." "If the engine behaves under water as well as it did just now, we'll skim along," said the professor. "And so you figure there's land down there to the south, do you?" asked old Andy. "I do," replied the inventor. "I can't prove it, but I'm sure there is. I have read all the accounts of other explorers and from the signs they mention I am positive we shall find land if we ever get there. Land and an open sea." "And other things as well," muttered Andy, yet neither he nor any of them dreamed of the terrible and strange adventures they were to have. The next few days were busy ones. Many little details remained to perfect in connection with the ship, and a lot of supplies and provisions had to be purchased, for the professor was determined to get all in readiness for the trip under the water. He believed firmly that his ship would work, though some of the others were not so positive.