"I'm sure I can't say," returned the other. "I think it is! Of course, we're somewhat below it. Besides the difference in perspective from this angle the water has a great deal to do with changing the appearance of everything. The general outlines appear similar, however."

"Then we're in a ticklish position!" declared Ned. "Suppose those fellows take it into their head to torpedo us?"

"If they do," stated Frank decisively, "they'll play havoc!"

"They're going over the wreck!" stated Jimmie in a whisper.

"Let's rise a little and see which way they head for," proposed Frank.

"We can then go in the opposite direction for a while."

"I think we'd better slide right along to the southwest," stated Jimmie.

"I know I'm meeting a good deal of opposition, but I've a hunch that we'll be better off if we get right away from this spot!"

"Been reading that dream book again, little man?" asked Ned, with a laugh. "Sorry, Jimmie, but the majority seems to be against you!"

"All right, Boss!" returned Jimmie with a smile. "I'm game to stick with the bunch! You'll find me right here smiling all the while!"

"Jimmie," gravely stated Ned, "I wish we could all get some of that sunny disposition of yours. We need a lot of your optimism."

"Thanks!" was Jimmie's reply, delivered with an excess of politeness.

"Now, I'm at the wheel, Captain. Where to, sir?"

"Let's rise first and see what the other is doing!"

"Ding, ding!" cried Jimmie. "Touch up the mule, Harry!"

Harry's manipulations of the levers brought the false "U-13" rapidly to a level with the Wanderer's deck. Through the port lights the boys could see the other submarine across the sunken ship. It seemed to be gradually descending toward the bottom.

"Let's follow them and see where they go!" proposed Jack.

"At your service, sir!" cried Jimmie, saluting. "We'll proceed to proceed!" he added with a grin. "Here goes after the real 'U-13'!"

"Go ahead slowly, Harry," cautioned Ned. "We don't want to overtake them yet. We're in the shadow here, so they probably won't see us if we hang back a little. Just give the wheel a little kick."

Slowly the vessel carried the boys over the sunken Australian. They were pa.s.sing between the main and mizzen rigging at a level slightly lower than that of the main yard.

"What's that just ahead of us?" queried Jack, at the porthole.

"I don't see anything," replied Ned. "What and where is it?"

"Right here," declared Jack, pointing. "No, you're too late! I thought it looked like a snake in the water at first, but I see it was only a piece of rope hanging from the rigging. It's all right!"

"Possibly it has been hanging down all the time but the current caused by the pa.s.sage of the other vessel swung it outward," ventured Ned. "It will no doubt slip past in a moment!"

But this prediction was not fulfilled. With a sudden lurch, the stern of the false "U-13" rose, tilting the deck sharply forward.

With a groan the propellers stopped.

CHAPTER XVIII

HELP FROM A STRANGER

Harry uttered a sharp cry as he stumbled forward along the steep incline of the floor. It seemed as if some huge power had grasped the stern of the craft, raising it until the vessel tilted forward at an angle which rendered walking impossible.

All the boys were thrown toward the forward end of the vessel, where Jimmie was located. Ned and Jack lost their footing. They rolled awkwardly to the forward bulkhead. Harry and Frank managed to remain upright by hurriedly grasping at parts of the machinery or at stanchions.

Their progress was undignified as well as sudden.

"What's up?" sharply questioned Jimmie, regaining his feet.

"The stern's up!" facetiously replied Jack, also struggling to a standing position. "Is anybody hurt?" the boy continued.

A brief examination disclosed the fact that beyond a few minor bruises none of the boys had been seriously injured. Their first care was for each other. All were glad to find no one badly hurt.

"What on earth can have happened to us?" asked Ned, peering from a port light on the starboard side. "Did we collide with something?"

"I don't believe we did," returned Harry. "There wasn't any b.u.mp as if we'd run into another object. We just stopped!"

"And then the stern went up into the air and stayed there!" put in Jack.

"Something's got us by the stern and won't let go!"

"I think I know what it is!" announced Frank. "What is it they call these fishermen with a big net dragging around?"

"Fishermen!" answered Jimmie, with a grin.

"Stop your nonsense!" ordered Frank, administering a friendly punch to his red-headed comrade. "I mean the fellows with a big drag net!"

"Trawlers is the word you want, Frank!" said Jimmie.

"That's it!" agreed Frank. "I'll bet we're tangled in one of their nets.

Maybe we can't get loose again, either," he added.

"Don't you believe it!" scorned Jimmie. "If it was a fisherman had hold of us, we'd be yanked around pretty lively. I think it is that rope we saw hanging in front of the port light!"

"I believe you're right, Jimmie!" Ned put in as he gazed through the heavy gla.s.s on the port side. "I can see that we're swinging close to the mainmast. There is no motion to the boat, so that makes me think your solution is about right. Now to get loose!"

"Yes, I agree with you!" stated Harry. "But how? If your a.s.sumption is correct, we've got a big piece of line wound around the outboard end of the shaft. It is probably more or less tangled up in the propeller also.

We can't turn the engines over!"

"Maybe we could throw out the clutch and turn the shaft backwards enough to unwind the line!" suggested Frank.

"I'm in favor of rising to the surface if the slack of line will permit,"

offered Jack. "We could then open the hatchway. It would be easy enough from there to clear the line from the screw."

"That's probably the best way out of it," commented Ned. "Suppose we try that. Harry, can we rise as Jack suggests?"