П’ятнадцятирічний капітан

The Diving-Bell

           Thewaterroseanotherfootinsidetheconetheholehadnotreachedtheopenairoutside.

           Thesituationwasdreadful.Mrs.Weldon,thenalmostreachedbythewater,hadraisedlittleJackinherarms.Allwerestiflinginthisnarrowspace.Theirearsbuzzed.

           Thelanternonlythrewafaintlight.

           "Isthecone,then,entirelyunderwater?"murmuredDickSand.

           Hemustknow;and,inordertoknow,hemustpierceathirdhole,attheverytop.

           Butitwasasphyxia,itwasimmediatedeath,iftheresultofthislastattemptshouldprovefruitless.Theairremaininginsidewouldescapethroughtheuppersheetofwater,andthewaterwouldfillthewholecone.

           "Mrs.Weldon,"thensaidDickSand,"youknowthesituation.Ifwedelay,respirableairwillfailus.Ifthethirdattemptfails,waterwillfillallthisspace.Ouronlychanceisthatthesummitoftheconeisabovetheleveloftheinundation.Wemusttrythislastexperiment.Areyouwilling?"

           "Doit,Dick!"repliedMrs.Weldon.

           Atthatmomentthelanternwentoutinthatmediumalreadyunfitforcombustion.Mrs.Weldonandhercompanionswereplungedinthemostcompletedarkness.

           DickSandwasperchedonHercules’sshoulders.Thelatterwashangingontooneofthelateralcavities.Onlyhisheadwasabovethebedofwater.

           Mrs.Weldon,Jack,andCousinBenedictwereinthelaststoryofcells.

           DickSandscratchedthewall,andhisramrodpiercedtheclayrapidly.Inthisplacethewall,beingthickerandharderalso,wasmoredifficulttopenetrate.

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Roboto Lora
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