“I wonder if it can be the same—­ the same thing—­ grown larger, just as the peach grows larger than those in our world,” Mark thought, while a shiver of fear seemed to go over him.  “I wonder if that—­ that thing could have been on the ship——­”

Then the last rays of light died away and there was total darkness.

CHAPTER XX

 Overhauling the ship

“Keep together!” shouted the professor.  “It will not do to become lost now.  We are close to the ship, and will soon be there.  Come after me.”

It was more by following the sound of the scientist’s voice, than by any sight which the others could get of him, that they managed to trail along behind.  They reached the ship in safety, however, and entered.  There was no sound as of beasts or insects within, and, though Mark felt a little apprehensive on account of what he had seen, he and the others as well, were glad to be again in something that seemed like home.

“I wish we had some candles, or some sort of a light to see by,” the professor remarked.  “We can do nothing in the dark, and there is no telling how long this night is going to last once it has set in.  If I could have a little illumination, I might be able to fix the dynamo, and then we could turn on the incandescents.  That portable light we had is broken.

“By cracky!” exclaimed Andy.  “I believe I have the very thing!”

“You don’t mean to say you have a torch or a candle with you, do you?” asked Mr. Henderson.

“No, but I have my patent pipe lighting apparatus,” the hunter said.  “I always carry it.  It gives a little light, but not much, though it may be enough to work by.”

Not until after several hours work, handicapped as they were by lack of light, were the repairs to the ship completed.

“Now we’ll start the engine and see how we will come out,” the inventor exclaimed, as he wiped his hands on some waste.

It did not take long to generate enough power to turn the dynamo.  Soon the familiar hum and whirr was heard, and, a few seconds later the filaments in the lamps began to glow a dull red, which gradually brightened until they were shining in all their usual brilliancy.

“Hurrah!” cried the boys.  “Now we can see!”

They all felt in better spirits with the restoration of the lights, and, washing off the grease and dirt of their labors in the engine room, they prepared to sit down to the meal which Washington prepared.

As soon as the dynamo was working well, care had to be taken not to speed it too much on account of a mended belt.  The professor turned off part of the lights and switched some of the current into the storage batteries, to provide for emergencies.  For there was no telling how long the night might last.

Jack was the first one to finish the meal—­ they did not know whether to call it dinner, supper or breakfast.  He went into the conning tower, and, as soon as he reached it he called out: