"There is no water there!" he exclaimed in triumph. "Come on, Jack."

The two boys went into the passage, stepping over the fallen door, Jack
showing the way with the pocket electric light, which was great use to
them in the strange place.

The passage was narrow, not wide enough for the two boys to walk side by
side, and was about two fathoms in length, leading to another door which
was fast like the first.

In many vessels there is a passage like this leading from the after cabin
to the steerage, where the entire hold is not open from the hatches to the
keel, as in big ships, which the captain may use in reaching certain
portions of the cargo with less trouble than in the case of its being
stored in a solid bulk.

"Here is another door, Jack," said Percival. "I don't see any sign of a
companionway from the deck."

"No," said Jack, putting his ear to the door and listening intently. "I
can hear the swash of water just the same, Dick. We had better be a bit
careful."

"We would hear it here, anyhow, Jack. There is water outside, and I don't
suppose there is much depth here. You would be very likely to hear it the
same as you hear water dashing against the side of a vessel when you are
in the hold. It doesn't follow that the water is beyond there."

"No, I guess not. Well, give it a smash, and be ready to run in case there
is water there."