Pluck and Luck #139: Jack Wright and His Deep Sea Monitor — page 20: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

SF - 4aol and raise it to the ee hi, him. And now, tell me, isn’t this a submarine boat?” “Yes, and I have brought it here on the same errand you ak are cn. As we were the first to find the idol, it belongs to det | ae A ‘ “That depends upon whether you get it,” grimly answered e the diver. “As all our crew are to receive a'certain percentage on the sale of the gold, you can depend upon us straining every effort to wrest it from you, my friend.” | Jack smiled disdainfully, as he had not much fear of them, . and ealling Tim, he told the old sailor to guard the prisoners. . He then went out on deck again, and, glaneing over toward the idol, what was his astonishment to see a rain of divers coming down from the surface, all around the golden image. There were ten more of them. Alarmed by the disappearance of their two friends from the _ ends of the life ard air lines, they had come down to in- ee vestigate it, and now saw at a glance how matters stood. Fritz and the professor retreated over to the boat and got ‘upon her deck to learn what Jack proposed to do. _ “Look there—an army of them!” gasped Hopkins. “We are no match for so many, dear boy—what shall we do about the a matter?” | “Und dey vhas seen us now, "em?” ) “First let us see what their intentions are,” quietly replied . The divers now gathered in a group, and held an animated talk with their fingers, at the conclusion of which one of _ them shot to the surface to apprise the men on the boat of what had happened. " added Fritz. “Should ve fighd A few moments afterwards this individual came down again carrying some ropes with hooks upon the ends, and the rest : ~ of the divers signalized their intentions at once by fastening _ them around the idol so as to hoist it up to the surface. Rey Their intentions are plain enough now,” said Hopkins. “But they won’t get the idol!” replied Jack. “Come inside.” They passed into the Sea Serpent, and Jack went into the _ pilot-house, from the window of which he intently watched the divers until they had their ropes securely fastened around 5 _ the idol. . The boy then loaded the three pneumatic guns in the turret. ae and carefully aimed the bow chaser at the ropes and fired _ With a loud hiss the'shot tore through the water, but passed - between the ropes and disappeared harmlessly. beyond, : Startled by the thud and rush of the projectile, the divers - recoiled, and several of them took fright and ascended to the See *p Wor gf 2 Veehataen Jack uttered an impatient exclamation over the non-success | of his shot, and turned the turret around until he got a second a shot at the ropes, properly aimed. - While he was so engaged the derrick up on the schooner on » the surface was put in operation, for the ropes became taut, Ps ani after stiffening uP, the idol was lifted gradually from its - pedestal. ere was no time to lose now, for if the treasure hunters had a steam derrick, which was more than likely, they were ie apt to pull the idol up to thelr boat in a very short space of eS ee er Having drawn a bead upon the ropes again, Jack touched the » eas oe button and the second shot was discharged. * ‘ta . pe sid srazed the ropes, but failed to cut them. ‘ nae AL ust be nervous to fire so badly,” muttered the boy, rowning, as he hastily revolved the turret again in-crder to bring the last gun to bear upon the ropes. Unless these ropes were severed he knew that the people on ms oe oe it ers th the senoone would ie decd get possession of the treasure; | my already fine collection. te ye ea RANE R AL SS go ARR RNY fos Mi es aia Fo adie na 7 ti” SA PAE ale ke aI NS a aS Fp pS ion We were all well paid. be “JACK WRIGHE. ERD HIS DEEP SHA. MONITOR indeed, as tie glanced at the idol again ho saw that it was now raised a dozen feet from sti pedestal, and was rapidly ascending. ~<S “Be careful!” warned Hopkins, breathlessly. | ee “If I don’t hit the ropes with this shot,” replied Jack, “they — me will get the idol and we will lose it as sure as fate.” ‘oe ““Why don’d yer let me fire id den?” nervously asked Fritz. = “Ay, or mebbe I-could do better, lad,” said Tim, in shaky = tones, a “No! I shall fire it!” firmly replied Jack, carefully sighting i; the gun. “See, boys, I’m as cool and steady as need be, for everything depends on the success of this shot, Look out s now!” and as he spoke he fired the shot, | “ee CHAPTER XV. fe a ABANDONED UNDER 1HE SEA. ie With bated breath and anxious eyes, our friends watched — e a the projectile go ripping through the water, and then there > e came an explosion as the cylinder struck a resisting substance — At and broke. | a For a minute the water became fearfully agitated, boiling into foam, a cloud of sand was stirred up from the bottom, and ~~ a great number of fishes were torn to pieces. ies The searchlight had been directed at the tackle, and its Be. keen rays -penetrating the .clouded waters soon showed the —_ Sea Serpent’s crew that the ropes had been blown to pieces, * and the idol tiad fallen to the bottom, where it now lay upon” its face. A cheer pealed from Jack and his icitatde: for they saw that the divers, terrified by the shot, were rushing away in all di- rections. SS “That settles it—the idol is ours!” said Jack, recuse : “Blast my timbers if them lubbers ain’t skeered out o’ thar wits!” Tim chuckled, thumping his wooden peg on the floor, © and shutting his good optic in a grin, while the glass one con- tinued its meaningless blank stare. ape “What shall. we do—get the idol. up on deck, my Christian friends?” asked Hopkins. ie “As sooner ve done it as petter,” said Fritz. “Come mit me, shendicmens.” Sa He led the way to the storeroom, where tackles were pro- cured, and Jack made them fast to the electric machinery, _ They then went out of the monitor, and, as all the strange divers had vanished by this time, they set to work at se-_ curing the idol. cae Having made the tackles fast to her, Jack went up on deck to guide Tim at working the machinery to hoist the heavy be mass up on a portable crane they had rigged amidships. Po Fritz manned a guy-line, and the professor the fenders, and a in a few minutes the machinery was started, and once cn. the idol was hoisted. | e This time it landed upon the deck of the monitor amaidaiiga ae a and was lowered, released of the tackles, ge lashed gs with ie Prk chains, ce Re | By the time this was completed the water had settled and cleared, and our friends had seen nothing more of the divers . from the schooner. ys a “We will run away from here under water,” said Jack, wha om everything was in readiness, “and we need not come to the — surface again until we are at a safe Fi gape from those tele 268 lows.” i * “Before you start, my good friend,” Podta Hopiians . hive you” any objection to awaiting my return from an exploration ¢ this ruined city on foot? There are many relics scatter ed aa around that are of great interest to me, and would. add to = aS eg a a ed ig