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Chapter 13. The Ice Bank

           TheNautiluskeptupameanspeedoftwenty-sixmilesanhourthespeedofanexpresstrain.Ifthatwaskeptup,infortyhoursweshouldreachthepole.

           Forapartofthenightthenoveltyofthesituationkeptusatthewindow.Theseawaslitwiththeelectriclantern;butitwasdeserted;fishesdidnotsojournintheseimprisonedwaters;theyonlyfoundthereapassagetotakethemfromtheAntarcticOceantotheopenpolarsea.Ourpacewasrapid;wecouldfeelitbythequiveringofthelongsteelbody.AbouttwointhemorningItooksomehours’repose,andConseildidthesame.IncrossingthewaistIdidnotmeetCaptainNemo:Isupposedhimtobeinthepilot’scage.Thenextmorning,the19thofMarch,Itookmypostoncemoreinthesaloon.TheelectriclogtoldmethatthespeedoftheNautilushadbeenslackened.Itwasthengoingtowardsthesurface;butprudentlyemptyingitsreservoirsveryslowly.Myheartbeatfast.Werewegoingtoemergeandregaintheopenpolaratmosphere?No!AshocktoldmethattheNautilushadstruckthebottomoftheiceberg,stillverythick,judgingfromthedeadenedsound.Wehadindeed"struck,"touseaseaexpression,butinaninversesense,andatathousandfeetdeep.Thiswouldgivethreethousandfeetoficeaboveus;onethousandbeingabovethewater-mark.Theicebergwasthenhigherthanatitsbordersnotaveryreassuringfact.SeveraltimesthatdaytheNautilustriedagain,andeverytimeitstruckthewallwhichlaylikeaceilingaboveit.Sometimesitmetwithbut900yards,only200ofwhichroseabovethesurface.ItwastwicetheheightitwaswhentheNautilushadgoneunderthewaves.Icarefullynotedthedifferentdepths,andthusobtainedasubmarineprofileofthechainasitwasdevelopedunderthewater.

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