Nearer and nearer the inventor crawled to the thing. It turned to face him now and Mr. Henderson could not help feeling startled as he saw the object had no head. The neck ended in a white stump. In spite of a little feeling of qualmishness, which even his boasted disbelief in ghosts did not save him from, Mr. Henderson was about to spring upon the thing and solve the mystery. At that instant, however, Washington, who was coming on deck to take up his watch, appeared at the head of the companionway, and caught sight of the terrible object. The yells of the colored man as he dove downward and back into the cabin, aroused the ship. Determined to solve the mystery, in spite of everything, the professor made a leap forward. He slipped, and tumbled down the iron stairway. At the same time, the ghost, with a blood curdling yell, leaped over the professor's back, and disappeared down the stairs of the conning tower. In an instant the crew were rushing from their bunk rooms, seeking a meaning for the disturbance. "It was the ghost again," explained the professor as he picked himself up, not much the worse for his tumble. "I tried to catch it, but I didn't. Come, Washington, it is your turn to stand watch." "Not to-night," said Washington firmly. It was no use to urge him, so Jack good-naturedly stood Washington's trick. Nothing further however occurred that night. In the morning the professor made several observations and found that he was within one hundred and fifty miles of the south pole. "We'll make it to-morrow, if we have luck," he said. CHAPTER XXIX THE BOILING WATER The hours passed and the strange voyage continued. The _Porpoise_ traveled along at good speed, and the professor devoted most of his time to looking after the different scientific instruments and gages, for they were nearing the south pole. The deflecting compass, which when it came directly over the place corresponding to the pole, would point straight up and down, was assuming more and more of a perpendicular position. "We are getting there!" exclaimed the professor with delight. "A few hours more and we will have won the goal!" There was considerable excitement on board when the professor's announcement was made. Though few of the adventurers cared as much for the scientific achievement as did Mr. Henderson, they were all glad he was about to succeed. To most of them the locating of the south pole was no different from visiting some new country, excepting that there were more adventures than on most voyages. At dusk the _Porpoise_ went to the surface and during the night traveled along atop of the billows. In the morning she dived below again. The engine was started at high speed and the deflecting needle dipped still more. "We's gittin' dar!" exclaimed Washington as he oiled the various bearings of the machinery.