He was about to say as much to his companion when there came a rattle at the hatch of the sub.

Quickly he and the engineer crouched behind the conning-tower.  Their breath coming hard, their hearts beating fast, they waited.

The throbbing of the engine stopped.  The submarine glided silently on.  The deathlike stillness was ended by the dull groan of a hatchway lifting.  Armed each with a knife and a heavy ice-anchor, the two men waited.

* * * * *

In the meantime, during this twenty-four hours, so eventful to Dave and the engineer, other things were happening on the shore by the native village.  When Rainey, who had been on guard at the time of the stealing of the “sub,” had been found and brought back to consciousness, he could give no account of affairs, other than that he had been struck a violent blow on the head, and after that, remembered nothing.

For a single moment dark suspicion rested on Dave and the engineer.  Some of the crew had heard them talking of the treasure city ten days’ journey to the west, and had heard Jarvis remark that he “‘ated t’ think ’ow rich they’d be.”  Could it be possible they had seized the submarine and deserted the party for the sake of gain to themselves?  For a moment faith wavered, then their better natures triumphed.

“Not them,” they declared.  “Not Dave and old Jarvis.”

To this the Doctor heartily agreed.  And, though his disappointment was great at having the expedition again delayed, and, perhaps, entirely thwarted, he turned his mind at once to matters of the hour.

Gathering his men about him, he outlined hastily a line of action for them in the present crisis.  They were, he reasoned, in a perilous situation.

Several hundred miles west of any point reached by white whalers and traders, marooned with two hundred superstitious natives, who to-day worshipped them, but to-morrow, upon discovering the disappearance of the “spirit-whale,” might turn upon them, they would be obliged to make use of every resource and every strategy to save their lives, should the submarine fail to return.  His plan was, to deal fairly with the natives and keep their good will, if that were possible.

Fortunately, they had taken from the submarine ten good rifles with a hundred rounds of ammunition.  Natives were seen at all hours of the day dragging behind them the carcasses of seal, oogrook (big-seal), and even polar bear.  If these could be secured with the aid of such primitive weapons as harpoon and lance, they with their rifles might hope to secure an ample supply of the meat.  And it had been proved that even a white man could live the winter through on a diet of meat and blubber in right proportions.  They might also, at times, be able to trade for reindeer meat.

They would remain at the village until no hope remained that the submarine would return, then they would endeavor to get a store of meat, some reindeer, and deerskin sleeping bags, and make their way east to some point reached in summer by traders.