"Ah, that’s better," ejaculated Hythe, as the hiss of incoming water could be faintly distinguished above the hammering of the waves against the "Aphrodite’s" sides and upon her deck. "We’re diving once more."
At twelve fathoms the motion, though still erratic, became less marked, and the condition of things was vastly improved when the electric light was once more connected up.
Every available search-light was switched on, and as the powerful beams were directed through the scuttles Hythe and Kenwyn gave a simultaneous exclamation of surprise. Eddying through the water as far as the rays of light could penetrate were columns of smoke mingled with bubbles full of gaseous vapour. Now and again dark masses would shoot upwards with the velocity of a meteor.
"A submarine eruption, by Jove!" declared Hythe. "We’re over the mouth of a submerged crater. That accounts for the earthquake shocks in Malta and elsewhere. Those black objects we see whizzing by must be lumps of lava."
Kenwyn placed his hand upon the side of the conning-tower. The metal felt quite warm to his touch. The thermometer registered eighty-five degrees.
"We’ll be boiled alive if this lasts," he exclaimed. "The sea must be quite hot. Ah! that’s better," he added, as the propellers began to revolve. "We ought to get out of this natural saucepan as soon as possible."
Just then Captain Restronguet’s voice was heard at the telephone inquiring if Mr. Hythe were in the conning-tower.
"Ask him to step this way. The watertight doors are now open."
"Have you noticed the sudden rise of temperature, Mr. Hythe?" asked the captain when the sub reached the fore conning-tower. "You have? I thought you would. We’ve had a most unusual experience; we have passed almost over the mouth of a submarine volcano at the moment of an eruption. The ’Aphrodite’ was almost drawn into the vortex caused by the rush of water to fill the cavity formed by the expelled lava from the crater."
"I wonder if another island has been created, sir?"
"If there has been the ’Aphrodite’ has narrowly escaped being left high and dry upon it, Mr. Hythe. It was in the last century that an island suddenly appeared almost in this latitude and longitude. The British, I believe, claimed it and so did the Italians; but before the question of ownership was decided the island settled the matter by disappearing. If----"