have a considerable storm above, if the wind has
been blowing for four hours. Get out my oil-skin coat quickly! It will
be needed to-day," I ordered, and hurriedly dressed myself as
water-tight as possible.

The change of weather did not suit my purpose, for, although to judge
from the motion of the boat the storm was not as yet so bad, the
strength of the wind was probably six, and it was gradually becoming
worse. At this time of the year storms could be terrible.

"Devil take the luck--and this very day, too!" I swore through my six-day
old beard-stub.

After breakfast I called the entire crew together. "Boys," I said, "you
know that we have many things unaccomplished. As yet we are only at the
beginning of our task. Yesterday and the day before we were very
successful, and now we have had a restful night. Being well rested, we
are now cheerfully and confidently ready for another day's work. To-day
we are going to go through the so-called 'Witch-Kettle.' You all know
what I mean, and you know also that this is not child's play. The enemy
there is keeping sharp lookout, but we will keep a better lookout.
Others have gotten through before us. Consequently, we will also get
through, if each one of you sticks to his post and does his duty as well
as you all have done hitherto. This I expect from every man. And now--to
the diving stations!"

I went up to the tower. Shortly after the engineer reported from the
"Centrale":

"All hands are at the diving station!"

Consequently we were ready for our task. The day began--the most
remarkable day of my life.

"Arise!"

The pump began to buzz. We now had to empty the ballast-tanks of the
water which had been taken in to make the boat heavier, in order that,
instead of being held down, we should begin to pull ourselves loose, and
drift slowly upwards. Usually that manoeuver was accomplished with the
best of success, but not so to-day. The boat wabbled and "stuck," as we
used to say. It called to my mind the question which is often asked by
laymen: "Are you never in fear of not being able to get up to the
surface again?" We, of course, had no fear, but I knocked impatiently on
the manometer to see if the register would not at last begin to move.

"Nine hundred liters above the normal," Krueger reported from the
"Centrale."

It meant that we had pumped out of the boat nine hundred liters more
than the normal quantity necessary to make the boat rise.

"It seems as if w