Hamerton returned to his rain-exposed post, put the little craft's head in the desired position, and waited. Five minutes later he made another sounding. This time it was four and a half fathoms.  

"I'll carry on," he resolved. "It may be a slight irregularity in the ground, although the general tendency is for it to deepen."  

Four fathoms—three and a half.  

"Say, ready for your coffee?" asked Detroit, holding a cup in his extended hand through the partially open hatchway.  

"Far from it," replied the Sub. "Come on deck and give a hand to put her about. The water's shoaling rapidly."  

"How's her head?"  

"Nor'-nor'-west. I'll keep her at due south for a bit until we find deeper water."  

Slowly the Diomeda came into the wind and paid off on the other tack. As she did so Hamerton noticed that, in spite of the heavy rain, the seas were steeper, and showed a decided tendency to break.  

"Guess that's surf," said the American, as the dull rumble of a heavy ground swell was heard above the hiss of the rain. "Dead ahead, too."  

Hamerton heard it also. The Diomeda was making straight towards a sandbank. Unhesitatingly he put the helm hard up. He would not risk going about; he chose the lesser danger of gybing all standing.  

With a thud the boom swung over, and the stanch little craft drew away from the hidden danger. Her course was now nor'-west.  

"Still shallow," announced the Sub. "It's less than four fathoms, but the water seems calmer."  

"Light ahead!" shouted Detroit. "Showing red and white. We're right on the dividing line between the two sectors."  

"I see it now," replied Hamerton, as he altered his helm to bring the Diomeda more into the arc of the white light. "Hanged if I know what or where it is, but, by Jove, there's a crowd of lights beyond!"  

Through the rain a multitude of yellowish lamps blinked after the manner of a street, except that, instead of two rows, there were four or five. The water, too, was almost calm, ruffled by a faint breeze that contrasted vividly with the strong wind but a few hundred yards astern.  

The 

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