What did it mean?

Slowly, they disappeared—­literally under the water.

They were gone—­with Elaine!

CHAPTER XVII

THE TRIUMPH OF ELAINE

Half carrying, half forcing Elaine down into the water, Del Mar and his two men, all four of the party clad in the outlandish submarine suits, bore the poor girl literally along the bottom of the bay until they reached a point which they knew to be directly under the entrance to the secret submarine harbor.

Del Mar’s mind was working feverishly.  Though he now had in his power the girl he both loved and also feared as the stumbling-block in the execution of his nefarious plans against America, he realized that in getting her he had been forced to betray the precious secret of the harbor itself.

At the point where he knew that the harbor was above him, hidden safely beneath the promontory, he took from under his arm a float which he released.  Upward it shot through the water.

Above, in the harbor, a number of his men were either on guard or lounging about.

“A signal from the chief,” cried a sentry, pointing to the float as it bobbed up.

“Kick off the lead shoes,” signalled Del Mar to the others, under the water.

They did so and rose slowly to the surface, carrying Elaine up with them.  The men at the surface were waiting for them and helped to pull Del Mar and his companions out of the water.

“Come into the office, right away,” beckoned Del Mar anxiously, removing his helmet and leading the way.

In the office, the others removed their helmets, while Del Mar took the head-gear off Elaine.  She stared about her bewildered.

“Where am I?” she demanded.

“A woman!” exclaimed the men in the harbor in surprise.

“Never mind where you are,” growled Del Mar, plainly worried.  Then to the men, he added, “We can’t stay any longer.  The harbor is discovered.  Get ready to leave immediately.”

Murmurs of anger and anxiety rose from the men as Del Mar related briefly between orders what had just happened.

Immediately there was a general scramble to make ready for the escape.

In the corner of the office, Elaine, again in her skirt and shirtwaist which the diving-suit had protected, sat open-eyed watching the preparations of the men for the hasty departure.  Some had been detailed to get the rifles which they handed around to those as yet unarmed.  Del Mar took one as well as a cartridge belt.

“Guard her,” he shouted to one man indicating Elaine, “and if she gets away this time, I’ll shoot you.”

Then he led the others down the ledge until he came to a submarine boat.  The rest followed, still making preparations for a hasty flight.

. . . . . . .

Woodward along with Professor Arnold, in his disguise as a hermit, stood for a moment surrounded by the soldiers, after the disappearance of Elaine and Del Mar in the water.