yond.

Instead of a flood of water breaking in upon the boys, as Jack more than
half expected, there was considerably more light while the sound of water
was more distinguishable than before.

"Well! I declare!" exclaimed Percival, pressing forward.

The boys found themselves in the after cabin of a vessel, which was as dry
as if she had been in her dock, a soft light from overhead showing them
the details of the place perfectly, even without the light of the torch.

"We are under water, Jack!" cried Percival.

"So it seems."

"That light comes from the bull's-eye overhead. The water over it softens
the light. Otherwise, the sun would pour right into the place."

"That would be better than having the water pouring in on us, Dick. The
flashings of that skylight are tighter than most of them, however, or the
water would have gotten in here long before now."

"It is just possible that the glass has been covered with sand which has
been lately washed away. That would fill all the cracks around the
flashings and make them tight. Very likely the wave that sent us in here
has uncovered the skylight, and that is how it is light in here. It is
dry, too, Jack. Why, this is like being in one of the submarines we have
read of."

"Where you slide back a panel and look at the fishes in procession,
through a plate-glass port," laughed Jack. "That always seemed absurd to
me, but there are lots of things that Verne wrote about which have been
more than realized."

"I should say so! Why, his balloons and his submersibles would not be a
patch upon what are actually in use these days."

"Well, now that we know it is safe here, and the water is not going to
pour in upon us, let us have a look at the place," said Jack.

CHAPTER VII

A REMARKABLE FIND

The cabin where the boys now found themselves, so strangely lighted and so
marvelously discovered, was not of any great size and was evidently the
stateroom of the late commander of the vessel, which itself was not of any
great size so far as the boys could determine.

It was furnished with a standing bed fixed against the side, a table and
two chairs, all fixed to keep them from moving about when there was any
commotion outside.

The skylight was just above the table, which could be used in writing or
to have a meal served upon, there being evidences of its having been used
for both purposes at the time of the wreck, for there were papers and
writing materials scatt