CHAPTER XVIII.
-ON BOARD THE “TONNANT.”

AFTER the attempt made by Lieutenant Davon, who had
veceived orders to penetrate to the interior of Backcup
with the Sword, the English authorities were obliged to
conclude that he and his brave crew had perished. The
Sword had not reappeared at the Bermudas. Had it been
dashed to pieces against the submarine reefs while seeking
the entrance to the tunnel? Had it been destroyed by
Ker Karraje’s pirates? There were no means of knowing,
general grief and anger prevailed. The object of the
expedition, in conformity with the instructions contained
in the document which had been found on the shore ot
St. George, was to carry off Thomas Roch before the
manufacture of his terrible engine of destruction was com-
plete. The French engineer being secured—and Simon
Hart also—he was to be placed in the hands of the
authorities at Bermudas. That done, there would be
nothing more to fear from the Roch Fulgurator, and any
warship would do to destroy Backcup.

But several days had passed and the Sword being