EXPECTATION 26

on

tants, scized the first they met—M. Roch—me—other
perhaps—for of course I don’t know.”

The engineer had again become very serious. Did he
feel the inanity of the theory I was trying to propound ?
Was he thinking that I knew more than I wished to tell?
Be that as it may, he appeared to accept my answer, and
he added,—

“Probably, Mr. Hart, things did happen in that way,
and as the strange boat tried to pass into the tunnel at the
moment that the tug was leaving it, there was a collision
—a collision in which it came to grief. But we are not
‘people to let our fellow-creatures perish. Besides, your
disappearance and that of M. Roch was almost immedi-
ately reported. Two such precious lives had to be
saved at any cost. Everyone set to work. We
have some clever divers among our men. They went
down into the depths of the lagoon—they passed rope;
under the hull of the Szord—”

“The Sword?” I queried.

“That is the name we read on the bow of the boat
when it was brought to the surface. We were very
much pleased to find you again—unconscious, it is true,
but still breathing—and our relief was great when we
brought you back to life. Unfortunately, with regard to
the officer who commanded the Sword and its crew, our
efforts were futile. The impact had burst the com-
partment where they stood, and they paid for their-ill-luck
with their lives, owing to the mere accident, as you say,
of their having invaded our mysterious retreat.”