to go on shore.”

“But what on earth made you do such a thing?” demanded Captain Jack, in a
low tone. “It’s really more than you had a right to do, Eph, without
getting Mr. Farnum’s permission.”

“Why, I’ve known you to take the ’Pollard’ and try something when Mr.
Farnum wasn’t about,” retorted Somers, looking surprised.

“You never knew me to do it when I could ask permission, although, as
captain, I have the right to handle the boat. But that leave doesn’t
extend to all the rest, Eph. What were you doing down there, anyway?”

“Why, I came on board, and left the manhole open for ten minutes,”
answered Somers. “Then I found the cabin thermometer standing at 49
degrees. I wondered how much warmth could be gained by going below the
surface. I had been down an hour and five minutes when you began to signal
with that sledge-hammer—”

“Sounding-lead,” Jack corrected him.

“Well, it sounded like a sledge-hammer, anyway,” grinned young Somers.
“While I was down below I found that the temperature rose four degrees.”

“Part of that was likely due to the warmth of your body, and the heat of
the breath you gave off,” hinted Benson.

“You could have gotten it up to eighty or ninety degrees by turning on the
electric heater far enough,” suggested Hal.