The Washington times., 1912-03-26
CHAPTER XXI (Continuedl.

CHAPTER XXI (Continued).
~APTAIN ARMS was rather in
~ clined to follow the Gulf of
" suez and the depression of the
Red Sea, but Cosmo was
afraid that they would have difficulty
i'm getting the Ark safely through be-
tween the Mt. Sinai peaks and the
pebel Gharib range.
Well, you're the commodore" said
ne captain at the end of the discussion,
''but hang me If I'd not rather follow
q sea, where l know the courses, than
80 navigating over mountains and
deserts in the land of Shinar. Well
Iand on top of Jerusalem yet, you'll
Feeling sure of plenty of water under
Keel, they now made better speed and
poe Beauxchamps retired into the Jules
Verne, and detached it from the Ark,
Tnd1ng that he could distance the latter
easily with the submersible running just
beneath the surface of the water
Come up to blow, and take a look
around from the bridge once in a
while" the captain called out to him as
We disappeared and the cover closed
over him. The Jules Verne Immediately
sank out of sight.
They passed round Sardinia and be-
tween the old African coast and Sicily,
and were approaching the Malta chan
mel when their attention was drawn to
a vast smoke far off toward the north
It's Etna in eruption said Cosmo
to the captain.
"A magnificent sight" exclaimed King
Richard, who happened to be on the
bridge.
Yes, and I'd like to see it nearer"
remarked Cosmo. as wonderful column
Of smoke, as black as ink, seemed to
shooG up to the very zenith.
You'd better keep away" Captain
Arms said, warningly. There's no good
comes of fooling round volcanoes in a
oh! It's safe enough, returned
Cosmo. I'VE can run right over the
southeastern corner of Sicily and get as
near as we like. There is nothing
higher than about 5000 feet in that
part of the island, so well have a thou
sand feet to spare
But maybe the water has lowered"
mot more than foot or two said
lCosmo. Go ahead"
The captain plainly didn't fancy the
adventure, but he obeyed orders, and
the Ark's nose was turned nOrthward,
to the delight of many of the passen-
gers who had become greatly interested
when they learned that the tremendous
smoke that they saw came from Mt.
Etna. Some of them were nervous.
The more adventurous spirits heartily
applauded Cosmo Versal's design to give
them a closer view of so extraordinary
a spectacle. Even from their present
distance the sight was one that might
have filled them all with terror If they
had not already been through adVen-
lures which had hardened their nerves.
The smoke was truly terrific in appear
ance.
It did not spread low over the sea, but
rose in an almost vertical column, wild
ening out at height of several miles,
until 1t seemed to canopy the whole sky
toward the north.
, II could be seen spinning in immense
rolling masses, the outer parts of which
were turned by the sunshine to dingy
brown color, while the main stem of the
column, rising directly from the great
crater, was of pitchy blackness.
An awful roaring was audible, send
ing a shiver through the Ark. At the
bottom of the mass of smoke, through
which CLEANS of fire were seen to shoot
as they drew nearer, appeared the huge
conical form of the mountain, whose
dark bulk still rose nearly 1000 feet
above the sea that covered the great.
beautiful, and historic island beneath it,.
They had got within about twenty
miles of the base of the mountain, when
a shout was heard by those on the
bridge. and Cosmo and the captain,
looking for it's source, saw the Jules
Verne, risen to the surface a little to
starboard, and De Beauxchamps excit-
out the words. Sheer off"' when the
Ark, with a groaning sound, took
ground, and they were almost precip-
itated over the rail of the bridge,
Aground again, by -!' exclaimed
Arms, instantly signaling all astern. II
told you not to go fooling round a vol
Cano"
This beats met cried Cosmo Versal.
rise
More likely the sea has begun to
fall" growled Captain Arms.
DO you know where we are?' asked
Cosmo.
I'VE can't be anywhere but on the
top Of Monte Lauro,' replied the cap
tain.
But that's only 5000 feet high"
ITS exactly 1920 feet" said the cap
tain. II haven't navigated the old Med
iterranean a hundred times for nothing"
''Rnf then should have
$50 feet to spare, allowing for the draft
OF the ARK, and slight subsldence of
the water"
"Well, you haven't allowed enough,
that's plain" said the captain.
"But It's Impossible that the flood
can have subsided more than 700 feet
already"
here we are! We're stuck on a m1ln-
tain top, and If we don't leave our
bones on 1t I'm a porpoise."
BY this time the Jules Verne was
alongside, and De Beauxchamps shouted
Il was running twenty feet under
water, keeping along with the Ark,
when my light suddenly rSneaed I6 The the
to warn you. 5ut it was too late"
we're fast" asked Cosmo.
about to propose replied the Fren 2h-
man, and immediately the submersible
disappeared.
mo succeeded IN allaying the fears OF
his passengers, the submershle reap
peared, and De BeauXchamps made his
report. He said that the Aark was fast
near the bow on a bed OF shelly lime
He thought that bv using the utmost
force OF the Jules Verne. whose engines
were very powerful, in pushing the