A ROBBER
"Loose the winches a little!" ordered Captain Britten sharply. "The
air-hoses are strained almost to the breaking point."
"Si," mumbled the engineer, easing off the brake a trifle.
"What's the trouble, in your opinion, Captain?" asked Tom.
[Illustration: The Engineer Eased the Brake]
"Hard to say, young fellow," came the worried reply. "What I'm afraid of
is that a huge octopus or some such monster has attacked the poor
divers. Whatever it is, I fear it's the end for 'em, as there's not
another diver aboard and we can't haul the men up for fear of breakin'
their air-lines."
"Have you another diving suit?" asked Tom rapidly. "I've had
considerable experience in undersea work and can't let those boys drown
without trying to help 'em!"
[Illustration: "I'm Afraid It Is an Octopus!"]
"Can you do it, lad? Yes, I've a brand-new outfit aboard that's of the
latest type. But what'll I say to your father if anything happens to
you?"
"Dad wouldn't want me to stand back at a time like this," rejoined the
young inventor. "I sent these men down and it's up to me to see they get
back safely!"
"But, Tom!" cried Ned. "What of the octopus? You may be trapped too, and
not save Manuel and Alvarez either!"
[Illustration: "It's up to Me!"]
"You forget, or maybe you didn't know, that I brought my electric rifle
with me. That'll polish off any devil-fish I'm likely to meet!"
"Well, at least let me go too!"
"Isn't but one suit," said Captain Britten. "Now, Tom Swift, if you're
ready, here's the suit."
"All set," said the young inventor calmly. He began to remove his outer
clothing. "Ned, please bring up my rifle."
By the time the young scientist had been helped into the massively
armored suit, Ned was back on deck carrying a peculiar-looking gun.
Unlike other weapons, this one could discharge a bolt of electricity
which would slay the largest animal or merely tickle a baby, according
to the adjustment. Tom set it to its highest power.
[Illustration: They Helped Tom into the Suit]
"Good luck!" cried Ned as the heavy helmet was lowered into place.
Tom attempted to wave in reply but the gear was too weighty. Later, when
he got into the depths, the buoyant effect of the water would enable
him to move more freely.
[Illustration: Ned Carried a Peculiar Gun]
Clutching his gun in his armored hand, Tom crept slowly on to the
platform suspended over the sea. As it was lowered to the water he got a
last glimpse of Ned Newton's face staring down at him.
The young business manager paced the deck of the barge, at every step
reproaching himself for allowing his chum to undertake so hazardous a
venture. As his watch told him that Tom must be nearing the bottom he
seated himself by the switchboard, headphones clamped over his ears.
[Illustration: Tom Crept Slowly to the Platform]
"Ground floor," announced Tom at last. "Pretty dark down here. I'll
switch on my flash. Now--by George!"
Ned heard a muffled silence.
"Tom! Tom!" he shouted frantically. "What's happened? Are you all
right?"
For nearly ten minutes Ned crouched by the instrument trying to get in
touch with his friend. Just as he was giving up hope he heard a weak
voice gasp:
[Illustration: "Ground Floor," Announced Tom]
"Not so loud, old man! You've nearly broken my ear-drums. Everything's
under control!"
"Hurray!" shouted Ned. "He's found 'em, Captain Britten!"
"Easy!" protested Tom from the depths. "Don't shout like that so near
the phone! Yes, the men are O.K. A big fish had 'em--don't know what it
was, as I never heard of anything like it. But a couple of shots from
the rifle killed it."
[Illustration: "A Big Fish Had 'Em!"]
"Tell Captain Britten to send down some heavy chains. We've found the
meteorite!"
The now jubilant crew, who had feared their companions lost, scurried
about. In a few minutes the stout chain was snaking its way down through
the blue-green ocean.
"Seems to me they're taking a mighty long time about it," said Ned to
Captain Britten after an hour had passed with no word from the three
divers.
[Illustration: A Chain Snaked Its Way Down]
"You're right," agreed the other. "Working at that depth it's decidedly
unsafe to stay below so long. I'll warn Tom."
"Can't be done!" was that young man's decisive answer to the old salvage
expert's warning. "This is a tougher job than I thought, for the bottom
of the stone seems to be sinking slowly. If we can't finish our job now
I'm afraid we'll lose our prize. But don't worry. We ought to be through
in another twenty minutes."
[Illustration: "This Is a Tough Job."]
The twenty minutes passed, and another like period was nearly run
through before Tom announced himself and the other two ready to come to
the surface.
To avoid the dreaded "bends," an affliction suffered by divers drawn to
the surface too rapidly, they made their ascent as slowly as their
descent. Thus it was that the great meteorite reached the top long
before Tom and the two natives did.
[Illustration: They Made Their Ascent Slowly]
"What in the name o' tarnation did he want with that?" demanded
Captain Britten as the giant stone was lowered cautiously to the deck.
Weighing many tons, it had tilted the barge far over to one side as the
powerful derrick drew it up. "It looks like some old rock a man might
pick up 'most any place."
"Oh, Tom Swift usually has a good reason for everything he does," smiled
Ned noncommittally. "I'm no scientist, but he is, so perhaps he wants to
experiment with this stone from another planet."
[Illustration: The Powerful Derrick Drew It Up]
At last the three divers reached the surface and were hauled rapidly
up to the deck of the barge. All of them appeared exhausted, but Tom's
eyes expressed the greatest satisfaction when he saw the meteorite
safely aboard.
At his request the tug was put under way and the "Betsy B." started back
to her home port in Key West. During the trip Tom managed to cut from
the meteorite a fifty-pound chunk.
[Illustration: Tom Cut off a Large Chunk]
"I'm very eager to see if this stone contains more X," he explained to
Ned, "so I'm planning to fly straight home with this sample to analyze
it. I want you to put the rest of the meteorite on a fast freight train
and travel north with it."
The sun was setting when the dock at Key West was reached. Tom waited no
longer than was necessary to take on a supply of gasoline for the
"Winged Arrow." He paid Captain Britten a generous fee and added a bonus
for the divers who had helped him. Then with a hasty good-bye the
excited young inventor roared off in the gathering darkness toward his
distant home.
[Illustration: He Paid Captain Britten]
After an uneventful flight he reached Shopton at about half-past one the
following morning. The wheels of the plane had barely stopped turning
when the tall figure of Koku came rushing out of the shadows of the
hangar to greet his master.
[Illustration: Koku Came Rushing Out]
"You're right on the job!" exclaimed Tom, climbing stiffly from the
cabin. "How is everything?"
"All thing good!" declared the giant, grinning to see the young inventor
back. "Catchum skystone?"
"We caught it, all right. You might tote this sample of it over to the
lab." Tom handed his servant the segment he had chiseled from the main
mass.
"Master knows 'bout secret cave under lab'tory?" questioned the giant as
the two walked across the field in the moonlight.
[Illustration: "Tote This Sample to the Lab."]
"Cave? Oh, you mean the vault?" asked Tom, who had been thinking of
other matters.
"Night you go 'way in sky-bird, Koku watch. Koku hear bell go
ting-ting-ting!"
Suddenly Tom was paying strict attention.
"Great Scott! D'you mean to say someone broke into my Chest of Secrets?
Tell me about it quickly!"
[Illustration: Tom Paid Strict Attention]