Двадцать тысяч лье под водой / Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

Was it asleep perhaps, weary from its workday, just riding with the waves? This was our chance, and Commander Farragut was determined to take full advantage of it. He gave his orders.

Ned Land went to resume his post. The frigate approached without making a sound, stopped two cable lengths from the animal. Not a soul breathed on board. A profound silence reigned over the deck.

Just then I saw Ned Land below me, one hand grasping the martingale, the other brandishing his dreadful harpoon. Barely twenty feet separated him from the motionless animal.

All at once his arm shot forward and the harpoon was launched. I heard the weapon collide resonantly, as if it had hit some hard substance.

The electric light suddenly went out, and two enormous waterspouts crashed onto the deck of the frigate, racing like a torrent, toppling crewmen, breaking masts.

A hideous collision occurred, and thrown over the rail, I was hurled into the sea.

Chapter 7

Although I was startled by this unexpected descent, I have a very clear recollection of my sensations during it.

At first I was dragged about twenty feet under. I’m a good swimmer, and I didn’t lose my head [21 - I didn’t lose my head – я не растерялся]on the way down. With two vigorous kicks, I came back to the surface of the sea.

My first concern was to look for the frigate. Had the crew seen me? Would Commander Farragut put a longboat to sea? Could I hope to be rescued?

The gloom was profound.

“Help! Help!” I shouted, swimming desperately toward the Abraham Lincoln.

My clothes were weighing me down. The water glued them to my body, it was paralyzing my movements. I was sinking! I was suffocating!

“Help!”

This was the last shout I gave. My mouth was filling with water.

Suddenly my clothes were seized by energetic hands, somebody pulled me abruptly back to the surface of the sea, and yes, I heard these words pronounced in my ear:

“If master would oblige me by leaning on my shoulder, master will swim with much greater ease.

With one hand I seized the arm of my loyal Conseil.

“You!” I said. “You!”

“Myself,” Conseil replied, “and at master’s command.”

“That collision threw you overboard along with me?”

“Not at all. But I followed master.