"Because we have just crossed the equator. We went over the imaginary line three minutes ago."

"I was wondering what made it so warm," said Jack.

"I guess you dreamed it was hotter," spoke the professor. "It has been just as hot as this for the last few days. Crossing the line makes no difference."

"Then we are really in the southern hemisphere now," said Mark.

"That's where we are," replied Mr. Henderson.

He put his instruments away.

"Well, we may as well go below the surface again," he remarked.

"Come quick! Hurry up!" yelled Washington from the deck. "Dar's a shipwreck up heah! Somebody's on it!"

CHAPTER XV

THE STRANGE SHIPWRECK

The professor, followed by the boys and Tom, Bill and Andy hastened on deck. They saw Washington pointing excitedly off to the west. There, rising and falling on the easy swell, was the wreck of a large vessel.

She had been a three masted schooner, but now only the stumps of the masts remained and the craft was rolling to and fro. It had settled low in the water, and was quite deep by the head, so that, at times, the waves broke over the bow in a shower of spray.

But what attracted the attention of the adventurers more than anything else was the sight of two figures near what had been the after cabin of the ship.

There they stood, frantically waving their hands toward those on the submarine. Across the water that separated the two craft, there came a faint hail.

"I suppose they are nearly dead," exclaimed the inventor. "We must save them."

He ordered the _Porpoise_ sent ahead slowly toward the wreck. The distance was about half a mile, and was soon covered. As the submarine approached closer those on the schooner could be observed more plainly.

"One of 'em is a woman!" exclaimed Jack, who was using the gla.s.ses.

"Let me see," spoke the professor.

"You're right," he added. "The other is a little girl."

A few minutes later the _Porpoise_ was alongside. The woman and child came to the rail of the schooner, which was barely five feet above the waves.

"Can you jump down, or shall I come aboard and get you?" asked Mr.

Henderson seeing the woman hesitate.

"I can jump down, if you will catch the child," said the woman. "Oh I am so glad you came," she added. "We are almost dead from hunger and thirst, and the wreck is ready to sink and cannot last many hours longer."

"Pa.s.s the little girl down to me," spoke Andy. "Then you jump. We'll save you all right."

The little girl reached the deck in safety, and the woman, who proved to be her mother, followed.

"Now take us to your ship," said the woman.

"You must be a long way from her, as she is not in sight."

"Our ship is right here," spoke Mr. Henderson with a smile.

"Where, I don't see her," and the woman looked in all directions.

"Allow me to introduce you to Profess Amos Henderson's famous submarine, the _Porpoise_," spoke the inventor with a bow. "But come, let us go below. You must be suffering, and here I am making speeches."

"Indeed I am hungry, and thirsty too," said the woman. "So is Nellie.

But I thought this was merely a small boat, sent from some large ship to get us."

The woman and girl descended to the cabin of the submarine, where Washington set before them a fine meal. Under the advice of the professor they partook sparingly of food and drink at first, as, having eaten nothing in many hours, the inventor said they must begin by taking a little at a time.

As soon as they had finished and become somewhat rested, the woman told her story. She was Mrs. Johnson, a widow, her husband having once owned and been captain of the schooner that was wrecked. After his death she and her daughter, having become part owners of the craft, disposing of a third interest to the former mate of the ship, had set out on one of the voyages to South American ports.

They had had good weather going, and took on a valuable cargo of lumber and rare woods. But the return trip was more perilous. Heavy storms had buffeted the craft almost from the time of leaving port, and in one heavy blow, ten days before, the ship had been wrecked.

"What became of the crew?" asked Mr. Henderson.

"They took to the boats," replied Mrs. Johnson. "My little girl and myself were to go with the mate and his men. The waves were fearfully high, and, as they held the boat close to the schooner so we could get in, a big roller smashed the little craft. The men must have all been drowned for I never afterwards caught sight of one of them."

"But the other boats?" asked the inventor.

"They had gotten too far away to hail, supposing that I would be taken care of by the mate. There was nothing for Nellie and I to do but stay on board, expecting the ship to sink every minute."

"And you have been there ever since?" inquired Andy.

"Ever since. That was ten days ago. Every day I thought it would be our last. The storm pa.s.sed away and the sea became calm but the ship kept settling lower and lower. Only the fact that part of the cargo was wood kept her afloat so long. I managed to get some provisions and water up on deck, but the sea had spoiled most of the stuff. We had to eat only a little at a time, as I knew it would be some days before we could be rescued, if we ever were. Two days ago we ate the last of the food and drank almost the last of the water."

"Then you had nothing since then," spoke Jack.

"Only a few drops of rain that I caught on a piece of sail," answered Mrs. Johnson.

"Never mind, you can have all you want now, mother," said Nellie, coming over to pat her parent's cheek. "Oh," the child went on, "I was so thirsty I could just cry when I thought of such things as ice cream sodas."

"I guess you could," agreed Mark. "Well, we can't give you any soda water, but we have plenty of the other kind."

Mrs. Johnson was much interested in the _Porpoise_ and Professor Henderson showed her all about the craft. Though the quarters were rather cramped, a small cabin was fitted up for the lady and her daughter.

"We will travel a bit under the water so you can get used to it," said the captain after a tour of the ship had been made. The tanks were filled, and the _Porpoise_ sank beneath the waves. At first Mrs. Johnson was much frightened, and Nellie cried. But when they saw how skillfully the ship was managed, and how easy it was to rise again, they lost their fears.

For several days the voyage was continued. Mrs. Johnson and Nellie remained aboard as there was no place to land them, and they said they wished to stay until they met some ship sailing north.

One day, just at dusk, when the _Porpoise_, after a long run under the water had come to the surface, the professor, came up on deck to take a look around. Washington and Andy accompanied him.