ich ship it is?" she
pleaded, voicing the very thought Larry had been struggling to
suppress.

At the professor's reply, however, he was glad he had kept quiet.

"We could, of course," was his gentle though firm rebuke, "but if we
stopped to solve the mystery of every sunken ship we shall probably
see during this cruise, we would have time for nothing else.
Nevertheless, my dear, you may take a short memorandum of the location
and circumstances, in the present instance."

Whereupon he dictated briefly, while Larry devoted his attention once
more to the central square.

* * * * *

Suddenly, beyond a dark pit that seemed to reach down into the very
bowels of the earth, rose an abrupt plateau--and on one of its nearer
elevations, almost directly under then, loomed a monumental four-sided
mound.

"Say--hold on!" called Larry. "Look at that, Professor! Isn't that a
building of some kind?"

Martin Stevens looked up, glanced skeptically toward the panel. But
one glimpse at what that central square revealed, and his skepticism
vanished.

"A building?" he cried in triumph. "A building indeed! It is a
pyramid, young man!"

"Good Lord!"

"Oh, daddy! Really?"

"Beyond a doubt! And look--there are two other similar structures,
only smaller!"

Struggling for calm, he turned to Captain Petersen, who had taken his
eyes from the forward square and was peering down as well upon those
singular mounds.

"Stop! Descend!" was his exultant command. "This is my proof! We have
discovered Antillia!"

* * * * *

Swiftly the _Nereid_ dropped to that submerged plateau.

In five minutes, her keel was resting evenly on the smooth sand beside
the largest of the three pyramids.

Professor Stevens then announced that he would make a preliminary
investigation of the site at once.

"For, otherwise, I for one would be quite unable to sleep tonight!"
declared the graybeard, with a boyish chuckle.

He added that Diane would accompany him.

At this latter announcement, Larry's heart sank. He had hoped against
hope that he might be invited along with them.

But once again his champion came to his aid.

"We really ought to let Mr. Hunter come with us, daddy, don't you
think?" she urged, noting his disappointment. "After all, it was he
who made the discovery."

"Very true," said her father, "but I had not thought it necessary for
anyone to accompany us. In the event a