Chapter 16. Shortage of Air

           ThusaroundtheNautilus,aboveandbelow,wasanimpenetrablewallofice.Wewereprisonerstotheiceberg.IwatchedtheCaptain.Hiscountenancehadresumeditshabitualimperturbability.

           "Gentlemen,"hesaidcalmly,"therearetwowaysofdyinginthecircumstancesinwhichweareplaced."(Thispuzzlingpersonhadtheairofamathematicalprofessorlecturingtohispupils.)"Thefirstistobecrushed;thesecondistodieofsuffocation.Idonotspeakofthepossibilityofdyingofhunger,forthesupplyofprovisionsintheNautiluswillcertainlylastlongerthanweshall.Letus,then,calculateourchances."

           "Astosuffocation,Captain,"Ireplied,"thatisnottobefeared,becauseourreservoirsarefull."

           "Justso;buttheywillonlyyieldtwodays’supplyofair.Now,forthirty-sixhourswehavebeenhiddenunderthewater,andalreadytheheavyatmosphereoftheNautilusrequiresrenewal.Inforty-eighthoursourreservewillbeexhausted."

           "Well,Captain,canwebedeliveredbeforeforty-eighthours?"

           "Wewillattemptit,atleast,bypiercingthewallthatsurroundsus."

           "Onwhichside?"

           "Soundwilltellus.IamgoingtoruntheNautilusagroundonthelowerbank,andmymenwillattacktheicebergonthesidethatisleastthick."

           CaptainNemowentout.SoonIdiscoveredbyahissingnoisethatthewaterwasenteringthereservoirs.