Jack lighted two or three matches at once, and held them just above his
head so as to obtain a good view of his surroundings.

"Hello! what is this?" exclaimed Percival. "A cave, or what?"

Just before them was a jagged opening into some region beyond, but whether
it was a cave or not puzzled them.

Jack went closer, and held his light in the jagged opening.

"It's a hole in the side of a vessel, Dick!" he cried in amazement.




CHAPTER VI

A WALK UNDER WATER


"That's what it is, Jack," said Dick, after the first sensation of
astonishment had passed. "It is more in the bow than on the side, however.
You can see how she narrows a little farther on. This hole is pretty well
forward. I tell you what! This is the vessel we saw under water, or the
one that stump of a mast belongs to, at any rate."

"I believe it is, Dick. Probably she drove in here, had a hole smashed in
her bow, and then sank. The earth has settled in between the masses of
rock above and around her, and hidden her, but there is still the fissure