of them."
"Oh, I fancy they have been driven far enough away from this
neighborhood now," commented the captain. "But now about the wreck. We
may be able to approach it from above. Suppose we try to lower the
submarine on it? That will save ripping it open."
This was tried a little later, but would not work. There were strong
currents sweeping over the top of the Boldero, caused by a submerged
reef near which she had settled. It was a delicate task to sink the
submarine on her decks, and with the deep waters swirling about was
found to be impossible, even with the use of the electric plates and
the auxiliary screws. Once more the Advance settled to the ocean bed,
near the wreck.
"Well, what's to be done?" asked Tom, as he looked at the high steel
sides.
"Ram her, tear a hole, and then use dynamite," decided Captain Weston
promptly. "You have some explosive, haven't you, Mr. Swift?"
"Oh, yes. I came prepared for emergencies."
"Then we'll blow up the wreck and get at the gold."
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ramming the Wreck
Fitted with a long, sharp steel ram in front, the Advance was
peculiarly adapted for this sort of work. In designing the ship this
ram was calculated to be used against hostile vessels in war time, for
the submarine was at first, as we know, destined for a Government boat.
Now the ram was to serve a good turn.
To make sure that the attempt would be a success, the machinery of the
craft was carefully gone over. It was found to be in perfect order,
save for a few adjustments which were needed. Then, as it was night,
though there was no difference in the appearance of things below the
surface, it was decided to turn in, and begin work in the morning. Nor
did the gold-seekers go to the surface, for they feared they might
encounter a storm.
"We had trouble enough locating the wreck," said Captain Weston, "and
if we go up we may be blown off our course. We have air enough to stay
below, haven't we, Tom?"
"Plenty," answered the lad, looking at the gages.
After a hearty breakfast the next morning, the submarine crew got ready
for their hard task. The craft was backed away as far as was practical,
and then, running at full speed, she rammed the wreck. The shock was
terrific, and at first it was feared some damage had been done to the
Advance, but she stood the strain.
"Did we open up much of a hole?" anxiously asked Mr. Swift.
"Pretty good," replied Tom, observing it through the conning tower
bull's-eyes, when the submarine had backed off again. "Let's give her
another."
Once more the great steel ram hit into the side of the Boldero, and
again the submarine shivered from the shock. But there was a bigger
hole in the wreck now, and after Captain Weston had viewed it he
decided it was large enough to allow a person to enter and place a
charge of dynamite so that the treasure ship would be broken up.
Tom and the captain placed the explosive. Then the Advance was
withdrawn to a safe distance. There was a dull rumble, a great swirling
of the water, which was made murky; but when it cleared, and the
submarine went back, it was seen that the wreck was effectively broken
up. It was in two parts, each one easy of access.
"That's the stuff!" cried Tom. "Now to get at the gold!"
"Yes, get out the diving suits," added Mr. Damon. "Bless my
watch-charm, I think I'll chance it in one myself! Do you think the
sharks are all gone, Captain Weston?"
"I think so."
In a short time Tom, the captain, Mr. Sharp and Mr. Damon were attired
in the diving suits, Mr. Swift not caring to venture into such a great
depth of water. Besides, it was necessary for at least one person to
remain in the submarine to operate the diving chamber.
Walking slowly along the bottom of the sea the four gold-seekers
approached the wreck. They looked on all sides for a sight of the
sharks, but the monster fish seemed to have deserted that part of the
ocean. Tom was the first to reach the now disrupted steamer. He found
he could easily climb up, for boxes and barrels from the cargo holds
were scattered all about by the explosion. Captain Weston soon joined
the lad. The sailor motioned Tom to follow him, and being more familiar
with ocean craft the captain was permitted to take the lead. He headed
aft, seeking to locate the captain's cabin. Nor was he long in finding
it. He motioned for the others to enter, that the combined illumination
of the lamps in their helmets would make the place bright enough so a
search could be made for the gold. Tom suddenly seized the arm of the
captain, and pointed to one corner of the cabin. There stood a small
safe, and at the sight of it Captain Weston moved toward it. The door
was not locked, probably having been left open when the ship was
deserted. Swinging it back the interior was revealed.
It was empty. There was no gold bullion in it.
There was no mistaking the dejected air of Captain Weston. The others
shared his feelings, but though they all felt like voicing their
disappointment, not a word could be spoken. Mr. Sharp, by vigorous
motions, indicated to his companions to seek further.
They did so, spending all the rest of the day in the wreck, save for a
short interval for dinner. But no gold rewarded their search.
Tom, late that afternoon, wandered away from the others, and found
himself in the captain's cabin again, with the empty safe showing dimly
in the water that was all about.
"Hang it all!" thought the lad, "we've had all our trouble for nothing!
They must have taken the gold with them."
Idly he raised his steel bar, and struck it against the partition back
of the safe. To his astonishment the partition seemed to fall inward,
revealing a secret compartment. The lad leaned forward to bring the
light for his helmet to play on the recess. He saw a number of boxes,
piled one upon the other. He had accidentally touched a hidden spring
and opened a secret receptacle. But what did it contain?
Tom reached in and tried to lift one of the boxes. He found it beyond
his strength. Trembling from excitement, he went in search of the
others. He found them delving in the after part of the wreck, but by
motions our hero caused them to follow him. Captain Weston showed the
excitement he felt as soon as he caught sight of the boxes. He and Mr.
Sharp lifted one out, and placed it on the cabin floor. They pried off
the top with their bars.
There, packed in layers, were small yellow bars; dull, gleaming, yellow
bars! It needed but a glance to show that they were gold bullion. Tom
had found the treasure. The lad tried to dance around there in the
cabin of the wreck, nearly three miles below the surface of the ocean,
but the pressure of water was too much for him. Their trip had been
successful.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Home With the Gold
There was no time to be lost. They were in a treacherous part of the
ocean, and strong currents might at any time further break up the
wreck, so that they could not come at the gold. It was decided, by
means of motions, to at once transfer the treasure to the submarine. As
the boxes were too heavy to carry easily, especially as two men, who
were required to lift one, could not walk together in the uncertain
footing afforded by the wreck, another plan was adopted. The boxes were
opened and the bars, a few at a time, were dropped on a firm, sandy
place at the side of the wreck. Tom and Captain Weston did this work,
while Mr. Sharp and Mr. Damon carried the bullion to the diving chamber
of the Advance. They put the yellow bars inside, and when quite a
number had been thus shifted, Mr. Swift, closing the chamber, pumped
the water out and removed the gold. Then he opened the chamber to the
divers again, and the process was repeated, until all the bullion had
been secured.
Tom would have been glad to make a further examination of the wreck,
for he thought he could get some of the rifles the ship carried, but
Captain Weston signed to him not to attempt this.
The lad went to the pilot house, while his father and Mr. Sharp took
their places in the engine-room. The gold had been safely stowed in Mr.
Swift's cabin.
Tom took a last look at the wreck before he gave the starting signal.
As he gazed at the bent and twisted mass of steel that had once been a
great ship, he saw something long, black and shadowy moving around from
the other side, coming across the bows.
"There's another big shark," he observed to Captain Weston. "They're
coming back after us."
The captain did not speak. He was staring at the dark form. Suddenly,
from what seemed the pointed nose of it, there gleamed a light, as from
some great eye.
"Look at that!" cried Tom. "That's no shark!"
"If you want my opinion," remarked the sailor, "I should say it was the
other submarine--that of Berg and his friends--the Wonder. They've
managed to fix up their craft and are after the gold."
"But they're too late!" cried Tom excitedly. "Let's tell them so."
"No," advised the captain. "We don't want any trouble with them."
Mr. Swift came forward to see why his son had not given the signal to
start. He was shown the other submarine, for now that the Wonder had
turned on several searchlights, there was no doubt as to the identity
of the craft.
"Let's get away unobserved if we can," he suggested. "We have had
trouble enough."
It was easy to do this, as the Advance was hidden behind the wreck, and
her lights were glowing but dimly. Then, too, those in the other
submarine were so excited over the finding of what they supposed was
the wreck containing the treasure, that they paid little attention to
anything else.
"I wonder how they'll feel when they find the gold gone?" asked Tom as
he pulled the lever starting the pumps.
"Well, we may have a chance to learn, when we get back to
civilization," remarked the captain.
The surface was soon reached, and then, under fair skies, and on a calm
sea, the voyage home was begun. Part of the time the Advance sailed on
the top, and part of the time submerged.
They met with but a single accident, and that was when the forward
electrical plate broke. But with the aft one still in commission, and
the auxiliary screws, they made good time. Just before reaching home
they settled down to the bottom and donned the diving suits again, even
Mr. Swift taking his turn. Mr. Damon caught some large lobsters, of
which he was very fond, or, rather, to be more correct, the lobsters
caught him. When he entered the diving chamber there were four fine
ones clinging to different parts of his diving suit. Some of them were
served for dinner.
The adventurers safely reached the New Jersey coast, and the submarine
was docked. Mr. Swift at once communicated with the proper authorities
concerning the recovery of the gold. He offered to divide with the
actual owners, after he and his friends had been paid for their
services, but as the revolutionary party to whom the bullion was
intended had gone out of existence, there was no one to officially
claim the treasure, so it all went to Tom and his friends, who made an
equitable distribution of it. The young inventor did not forget to buy
Mrs. Baggert a fine diamond ring, as he had promised.
As for Berg and his employers, they were, it was learned later, greatly
chagrined at finding the wreck valueless. They tried to make trouble
for Tom and his father, but were not successful.
A few days after arriving at the seacoast cottage, Tom, his father and
Mr. Damon went to Shopton in the airship. Captain Weston, Garret
Jackson and Mr Sharp remained behind in charge of the submarine. It was
decided that the Swifts would keep the craft and not sell it to the
Government, as Tom said they might want to go after more treasure some
day.
"I must first deposit this gold," said Mr. Swift as the airship landed
in front of the shed at his home. "It won't do to keep it in the house
over night, even if the Happy Harry gang is in jail."
Tom helped him take it to the bank. As they were making perhaps the
largest single deposit ever put in the institution, Ned Newton came out.
"Well, Tom," he cried to his chum, "it seems that you are never going
to stop doing things. You've conquered the air, the earth and the
water."
"What have you been doing while I've been under water, Ned?" asked the
young inventor.
"Oh, the same old thing. Running errands and doing all sorts of work in
the bank."
Tom had a sudden idea. He whispered to his father and Mr. Swift nodded.
A little later he was closeted with Mr. Prendergast, the bank
president. It was not long before Ned and Tom were called in.
"I have some good news for you, Ned," said Mr. Prendergast, while Tom
smiled. "Mr. Swift er--ahem--one of our largest depositors, has spoken
to me about you, Ned. I find that you have been very faithful. You are
hereby appointed assistant cashier, and of course you will get a much
larger salary."
Ned could hardly believe it, but he knew then what Tom had whispered to
Mr. Swift. The wishes of a depositor who brings much gold bullion to a
bank can hardly be ignored.
"Come on out and have some soda," invited Tom, and when Ned looked
inquiringly at the president, the latter nodded an assent.
As the two lads were crossing the street to a drug store, something
whizzed past them, nearly running them down.
"What sort of an auto was that?" cried Tom.
"That? Oh, that was Andy Foger's new car," answered Ned. "He's been
breaking the speed laws every day lately, but no one seems to bother
him. It's because his father is rich, I suppose. Andy says he has the
fastest car ever built."
"He has, eh?" remarked Tom, while a curious look came into his eyes.
"Well, maybe I can build one that will beat his."
And whether the young inventor did or not you can learn by reading the
fifth volume of this series, to be called "Tom Swift and His Electric
Runabout; Or, The Speediest Car on the Road."
"Well, Tom, I certainly appreciate what you did for me in getting me a
better position," remarked Ned as they left the drug store. "I was
beginning to think I'd never get promoted. Say, have you anything to do
this evening? If you haven't, I wish you'd come over to my house. I've
got a lot of pictures I took while you were away."
"Sorry, but I can't," replied Tom.
"Why, are you going to build another airship or submarine?"
"No, but I'm going to see-- Oh, what do you want to know for, anyhow?"
demanded the young inventor with a blush. "Can't a fellow go see a
girl without being cross-questioned?"
"Oh, of course," replied Ned with a laugh. "Give Miss Nestor my
regards," and at this Tom blushed still more. But, as he said, that was
his own affair.