GRAPPLING FOR THE SEA-SERPENT 149 
guns. The captain rushed in to say that the cable had been 
recovered! As they hurried to the deck, they saw the Albany 
coming toward them, with the crew cheering madly. But the 
cheers were wasted. Next morning the recovered cable 
proved to be only a fragment two or three miles long that had 
broken off in previous grappling. 
The crews were becoming worn out, and provisions and 
coal were getting low. Many believed the quest to be hope- 
less. ‘The Terrible, whose men were on half rations, finally 
had to leave for St. John’s after a cruise of nearly four weeks. 
The remaining three ships moved a hundred miles east to 
try their fishing luck where the water was not so deep. It was 
the last desperate resort. 
It was the last day of August, and the sea was calm. Accord- 
ing to the plans for cooperation, the three ships lined up over 
the cable. The grapnel was lowered for the thirtieth trial. 
About midnight the cable was hooked. For five hours the 
long line was raised slowly, until it was about half way to 
surface. 
The increasing weight of the suspended cable now began 
to get dangerous. To increase the favorable chances, the 
Great Eastern stopped hauling in, buoyed the cable, and 
moved westward three miles for a fresh grip. When this sec- 
ond hold was obtained, the Medway grappled about two miles 
farther west. 
When the Medway had raised its part of the cable nearly to 
surface, orders were given to heave it on board or break it in 
the process. The cable broke. This lightened the weight and 
gave an end to pull in. The Great Eastern now began to pull 
in the loose end slowly and cautiously. This was the new 
technique that had been worked out. 
The cable had been hooked on Friday night. It was now 
Sunday morning, September g. As the slippery eel approached 
the surface, the crews were hushed. ‘Two men were lowered 
