The daylight pierced my
porthole; and at the same moment I felt the pitching and tossing to
which we were subjected by a heavy sea.
I was allowed to take my place once more outside the hatchway; where
my first thought was for the weather. A storm was approaching from
the northwest. Vivid lightning darted amid the dense, black clouds.
Already we could hear the rumbling of thunder echoing continuously
through space. I was surprised--more than surprised, frightened!--by
the rapidity with which the storm rushed upward toward the zenith.
Scarcely would a ship have had time to furl her sails to escape the
shock of the blast, before it was upon her! The advance was as swift
as it was terrible.
Suddenly the wind was unchained with unheard of violence, as if it
had suddenly burst from this prison of cloud. In an instant a
frightful sea uprose. The breaking waves, foaming along all their
crests, swept with their full weight over the "Terror." If I had not
been wedged solidly against the rail, I should have been swept
overboard!
There was but one thing to do--to change our machine again into a
submarine. It would find security and calm at a few dozen feet
beneath the surface. To continue to brave the fury of this outrageous
sea was impossible.
Robur himself was on deck, and I awaited the order to return to my
cabin--an order which was not given.
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