"AKE haste," said the workman, shaking our hero somewhat roughly, to bring him back to the consciousness of the present danger. "Follow me, or the liquid fire will be upon us before we can reach a place of safety."

"But—" said William.

"No 'buts'; you will have plenty of time to talk after we are safely settled in the submarine boat."

The man was right; there was not a moment to lose; for before the boat had gone a couple of miles the expected catastrophe happened. The molten matter in the tube, launched forth by the enormous pressures in mid-earth, flew up to a great height, while the hissing of the mass of fire as it fell into the water warned our friends that their boat would do well to seek a greater depth.