Tom Swift and His Undersea Search; Or, the Treasure on the Floor of the Atlantic

by Victor Appleton

  CHAPTER V

  BUSY DAYS

  Once Tom Swift had made up his mind to do a thing he did it--eventhough it was against his better judgment. His word, passed, was hisbond.

  In conformity then with his decision to take Mr. Damon and the latter'sfriend, Mr. Hardley, on an undersea search for treasure, Tom at onceproceeded to make his preparations. Ned, too, had his work to do, sincethe decision to make what might be a long trip would necessitate achange in Tom's plans. But, as in everything he did, he threw himselfinto this whole-heartedly and with enthusiasm.

  Not once did Tom Swift admit to himself that he was going into thisscheme because he thought well of it. It was all for Mr. Damon, afterTom had learned that his friend had invested considerable money in acompany Mr. Hardley had formed to pay half the expenses of the trip.

  Tom even tried to buy Mr. Damon off, by offering the latter back allthe money the eccentric man had invested with his new friend. But Mr.Damon exclaimed:

  "Bless my gasolene tank, Tom! I'm in this thing as much for the love ofadventure, as I am for the money. Now let's go on with it. You willlike Hardley better when you know him better."

  "Perhaps," said Tom dryly, but he did not think so.

  The young inventor insisted, before making any preparations for thetrip, that all the cards be laid on the table. That is, he wanted to besure there had been such a ship as the Pandora, that she was laden withgold, and that she had sunk where Mr. Hardley said she had. The latterwas perfectly willing to supply all needful proofs, even though somewere difficult, because of the nature of the voyage of the treasurecraft. As a filibuster she was not trading openly.

  "Here are all the records," said Mr. Hardley to Tom one day, when theyoung inventor, Ned, and Mr. Damon were gathered in Tom's office. "Youmay satisfy yourself."

  And, with Ned's help, Tom did.

  There was no question but what the Pandora had sailed from a certainport on a certain date. The official reports proved that. And that shedid carry a considerable treasure in gold was also established to thesatisfaction of Tom Swift. Because the gold was to be used forfurthering ends against one of the South American governments, the goldshipment was not insured and, in consequence, no recovery could be made.

  "Then you are satisfied, are you, Mr. Swift, that the ship, set outwith over two millions in gold on board?" asked Mr. Hardley. "Yes, that seems to be proved," Tom admitted, and Ned nodded. "The next thing to prove is that she foundered in a storm aboutthe position I am going to tell you," went on Mr. Damon's friend.

  "He doesn't tell you the exact location now, Tom," explained Mr. Damon,"because it might leak out. He'll disclose it to us as soon as we areout of sight of land in the submarine."

  "I'm willing to agree to that proposition," Tom said. "But I want to besure she really did sink."

  This was proved to him by official records. There was no question butthat the Pandora had gone down in a big storm. And Mr. Hardley was onboard. He proved that, too, a not very difficult task, since theofficial passenger list was open to inspection.

  Mr. Hardley repeated his story about having overheard the exactlocation of the ship a few minutes before she sank, and he also told ofthe captain and several members of the ship's company having beendrowned. This, too, was confirmed.

  "Then," went on Mr. Hardley, "all that remains for me to do is todeposit at some bank my half of the expenses and await your word to goaboard the submarine."

  "I believe that is all," returned Tom. "But, on my part, it will takesome little time to fit the submarine out as I want to have her. Thereare some special appliances I want to take along which will aid us inthe search for the gold, if we find the place where the Pandora issunk."

  "Oh, we'll find that all right," declared Mr. Hardley, "if you willonly follow my directions."

  Tom looked slightly incredulous, but said nothing.

  Then followed busy days. The submarine Advance, which had made severalsuccessful trips, as related in the book bearing the title, "Tom Swiftand His Submarine Boat," was hauled into dry dock and the work ofoverhauling her begun. Tom put his best men to work, and, after aconsultation with his father, decided on some radical changes in thecraft.

  "Tom, my boy," said the aged Mr. Swift, "I wish you weren't going onthis trip."

  "Why, Dad?" asked the young inventor.

  "Because I fear something will happen. We don't really need this money,and suppose--suppose--"

  "Oh, I'm not worrying, Dad," was the answer. "I've taken worse risksthan this, many a time. I'm really doing it as a favor to Mr. Damon.He's got too much money invested to let him lose it. And we can use amillion dollars ourselves. It will enable me to put in operation a planto pension our workmen. I've long had that in mind, but I've never hadenough capital to carry it out."

  "Well, of course, Tom, that's a worthy object, and I won't make anyfurther objections. But take my advice, and strengthen the submarine."

  "Why, Dad?" asked Tom in some surprise. "Because you'll find the waterthere of a greater depth than you think," was the answer. "I know youhave the official hydrographic charts, but there's a mistake, I'm sure.I once made a study of that part of the ocean, and there are currentsthere at certain seasons of the year that no one suspects, and deepcaverns that aren't charted. If the Pandora lies in one of theseyou'll need a great strength of walls to your submarine to withstandthe pressure of deep water."

  The craft Tom Swift proposed to use in searching for the treasure shipPandora was of the regular cigar-shape, but inside it had many specialfeatures. It was more comfortable than the usual submarine, not beingintended for fighting, though it did carry guns and a torpedo tube. Tomintended renaming the craft, which had been called Advance, and oneday, when there had been some discussion as to what the undersea craftought to be called, Ned explained:

  "Why don't you name it after her?"

  "After whom?" inquired Tom, in some surprise, looking up from a letterhe was writing.

  "Your friend and future wife, Mary Nestor," answered Ned. "I'm sureshe'd appreciate it."

  "That isn't such a bad idea," conceded Tom musingly. "The only thingabout it is that I don't want Mary's name bandied about that way."

  "Use her initials, then," suggested Ned.

  "How do you mean?"

  "Why not call it the M. N. 1.? Isn't that a good name?"

  "The M. N. 1." mused Tom. "Not so bad. If the N. C. 4 flew over theocean the M. N. 1 ought to be able to navigate under it. I think I'lldo that, Ned."

  So the Advance, rebuilt and refitted in many ways, was christened theM. N. 1, and a wonderful craft she proved to be. Mary Nestor was quitepleased when Tom told her what he had done. She appreciated thedelicate compliment he had paid her.

  Busy and more busy were the days that passed. As the M. N. 1 had to berefitted some miles from Tom's home, where it was feasible to launchher for the trip, he had to make the journey between the drydock andhis shop either by automobile or aeroplane. Often he choose the latter,since he had a number of small, speedy craft in his hangars. SometimesNed or Mr. Damon went with him, but Mr. Hardley could never be inducedto ride in an airship.

  "I'll travel on the ocean or under it," he said, "but I'm not going totake a chance in the air. I'm too afraid of falling."

  "Tom, what's this?" asked Ned one day, when he and Tom had come to seehow the work of remodeling the submarine was getting along. "It lookslike something you used when you dug your big tunnel."

  "That's a new kind of diving bell," Tom answered. "You know it isn'teasy to get treasure out of a sunken ship. It isn't like picking it offthe bottom of the ocean. We've got to get it out from inside--perhapsfrom inside a strong box or a safe. This bell may come in useful."

  "Can't you use the special diving suits that you always used to carry?"the financial manager wanted to know.

  "We might, if the water isn't too deep," replied Tom. "But you knowthere is a limit to how far down a man in even my kind of diving dresscan go. With this diving bell a much great
er depth can be reached. Andthis diving bell is not like any you have ever seen or read about. Myfather gave me the idea for it. I'll demonstrate it to you some day."

  A diving bell is shaped like its name. A common glass tumbler thrustdown into a pail of water, with the open side down, will show exactlythe principle on which a diving bell works. It illustrates the factthat two things cannot occupy the same place at the same time.

  Pushing the tumbler, open end down, into the pail of water, leaves aspace in the upper end of the tumbler which the water cannot fill,because it is already occupied with air. Imagine a big tumbler, made ofthick steel, lowered into the water. Air pumped into the upper part notonly keeps the water from entering, but also enables a man inside tobreathe and to move about inside the bell which may be lowered to thefloor of the ocean. But, as Tom told Ned, his diving bell was a bigimprovement over those commonly used.

  The two young men inspected the progress made in refitting thesubmarine, and Tom expressed himself as satisfied.

  "How soon do you think you can start?" asked Ned.

  "In about two weeks," was the answer. "I'll want to get to the WestIndies before the fall storms start. Not only will it be impossible tomake a search then, but the very location of the sunken wreck may bechanged."

  "How so?" asked Ned.

  "Because of undersea currents. They are strong enough, not only tosweep a wreck away from the place where it may have settled, but theymay cover it with sand, and then it is hopeless to try to dig it out.So we've got to go soon, if we go at all."

  "Well, I'm with you!" exclaimed Ned. "Hello! here's some one lookingfor you, I guess," he added, as a boy came hurrying down to the dockfrom the temporary office Tom had set up there.

  "You're wanted on the telephone, Mr. Swift," said the messenger. "It'simportant, too."

  "All right. I'll come at once," was the answer. "Hope it isn't badnews," mused Ned, as his chum hurried on in advance. "Maybe Hardley hasfound out he hasn't a right to search for that sunken gold after all.That would be too bad for Mr. Damon!"