BUSY DAYS
Once Tom Swift had made up his mind to do a thing he did it--even
though it was against his better judgment. His word, passed, was his
bond.
In conformity then with his decision to take Mr. Damon and the latter's
friend, Mr. Hardley, on an undersea search for treasure, Tom at once
proceeded to make his preparations. Ned, too, had his work to do, since
the decision to make what might be a long trip would necessitate a
change in Tom's plans. But, as in everything he did, he threw himself
into this whole-heartedly and with enthusiasm.
Not once did Tom Swift admit to himself that he was going into this
scheme because he thought well of it. It was all for Mr. Damon, after
Tom had learned that his friend had invested considerable money in a
company 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 all
the 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 of
adventure, as I am for the money. Now let's go on with it. You will
like 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 the
trip, that all the cards be laid on the table. That is, he wanted to be
sure there had been such a ship as the Pandora, that she was laden with
gold, and that she had sunk where Mr. Hardley said she had. The latter
was perfectly willing to supply all needful proofs, even though some
were difficult, because of the nature of the voyage of the treasure
craft. As a filibuster she was not trading openly.
"Here are all the records," said Mr. Hardley to Tom one day, when the
young inventor, Ned, and Mr. Damon were gathered in Tom's office. "You
may satisfy yourself."
And, with Ned's help, Tom did.
There was no question but what the Pandora had sailed from a certain
port on a certain date. The official reports proved that. And that she
did carry a considerable treasure in gold was also established to the
satisfaction of Tom Swift. Because the gold was to be used for
furthering ends against one of the South American governments, the gold
shipment was not insured and, in consequence, no recovery could be made.
"Then you are satisfied, are you, Mr. Swift, that the ship, set out
with 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 about
the 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 are
out of sight of land in the submarine."
"I'm willing to agree to that proposition," Tom said. "But I want to be
sure she really did sink."
This was proved to him by official records. There was no question but
that the Pandora had gone down in a big storm. And Mr. Hardley was on
board. He proved that, too, a not very difficult task, since the
official passenger list was open to inspection.
Mr. Hardley repeated his story about having overheard the exact
location of the ship a few minutes before she sank, and he also told of
the captain and several members of the ship's company having been
drowned. This, too, was confirmed.
"Then," went on Mr. Hardley, "all that remains for me to do is to
deposit at some bank my half of the expenses and await your word to go
aboard the submarine."
"I believe that is all," returned Tom. "But, on my part, it will take
some little time to fit the submarine out as I want to have her. There
are some special appliances I want to take along which will aid us in
the search for the gold, if we find the place where the Pandora is
sunk."
"Oh, we'll find that all right," declared Mr. Hardley, "if you will
only follow my directions."
Tom looked slightly incredulous, but said nothing.
Then followed busy days. The submarine Advance, which had made several
successful trips, as related in the book bearing the title, "Tom Swift
and His Submarine Boat," was hauled into dry dock and the work of
overhauling her begun. Tom put his best men to work, and, after a
consultation with his father, decided on some radical changes in the
craft.
"Tom, my boy," said the aged Mr. Swift, "I wish you weren't going on
this 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 risks
than 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 a
million dollars ourselves. It will enable me to put in operation a plan
to pension our workmen. I've long had that in mind, but I've never had
enough capital to carry it out."
"Well, of course, Tom, that's a worthy object, and I won't make any
further objections. But take my advice, and strengthen the submarine."
"Why, Dad?" asked Tom in some surprise. "Because you'll find the water
there of a greater depth than you think," was the answer. "I know you
have 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 currents
there at certain seasons of the year that no one suspects, and deep
caverns that aren't charted. If the Pandora lies in one of these
you'll need a great strength of walls to your submarine to withstand
the pressure of deep water."
The craft Tom Swift proposed to use in searching for the treasure ship
Pandora was of the regular cigar-shape, but inside it had many special
features. It was more comfortable than the usual submarine, not being
intended for fighting, though it did carry guns and a torpedo tube. Tom
intended renaming the craft, which had been called Advance, and one
day, when there had been some discussion as to what the undersea craft
ought to be called, Ned explained:
"Why don't you name it after her?"
"After whom?" inquired Tom, in some surprise, looking up from a letter
he was writing.
"Your friend and future wife, Mary Nestor," answered Ned. "I'm sure
she'd appreciate it."
"That isn't such a bad idea," conceded Tom musingly. "The only thing
about 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 the
ocean the M. N. 1 ought to be able to navigate under it. I think I'll
do that, Ned."
So the Advance, rebuilt and refitted in many ways, was christened the
M. N. 1, and a wonderful craft she proved to be. Mary Nestor was quite
pleased when Tom told her what he had done. She appreciated the
delicate compliment he had paid her.
Busy and more busy were the days that passed. As the M. N. 1 had to be
refitted some miles from Tom's home, where it was feasible to launch
her for the trip, he had to make the journey between the drydock and
his shop either by automobile or aeroplane. Often he choose the latter,
since he had a number of small, speedy craft in his hangars. Sometimes
Ned or Mr. Damon went with him, but Mr. Hardley could never be induced
to ride in an airship.
"I'll travel on the ocean or under it," he said, "but I'm not going to
take 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 see
how the work of remodeling the submarine was getting along. "It looks
like something you used when you dug your big tunnel."
"That's a new kind of diving bell," Tom answered. "You know it isn't
easy to get treasure out of a sunken ship. It isn't like picking it off
the bottom of the ocean. We've got to get it out from inside--perhaps
from 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 know
there is a limit to how far down a man in even my kind of diving dress
can go. With this diving bell a much greater depth can be reached. And
this diving bell is not like any you have ever seen or read about. My
father 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 thrust
down into a pail of water, with the open side down, will show exactly
the principle on which a diving bell works. It illustrates the fact
that two things cannot occupy the same place at the same time.
Pushing the tumbler, open end down, into the pail of water, leaves a
space in the upper end of the tumbler which the water cannot fill,
because it is already occupied with air. Imagine a big tumbler, made of
thick steel, lowered into the water. Air pumped into the upper part not
only keeps the water from entering, but also enables a man inside to
breathe and to move about inside the bell which may be lowered to the
floor of the ocean. But, as Tom told Ned, his diving bell was a big
improvement over those commonly used.
The two young men inspected the progress made in refitting the
submarine, 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 West
Indies before the fall storms start. Not only will it be impossible to
make a search then, but the very location of the sunken wreck may be
changed."
"How so?" asked Ned.
"Because of undersea currents. They are strong enough, not only to
sweep a wreck away from the place where it may have settled, but they
may 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 looking
for you, I guess," he added, as a boy came hurrying down to the dock
from the temporary office Tom had set up there.
"You're wanted on the telephone, Mr. Swift," said the messenger. "It's
important, too."
"All right. I'll come at once," was the answer. "Hope it isn't bad
news," mused Ned, as his chum hurried on in advance. "Maybe Hardley has
found out he hasn't a right to search for that sunken gold after all.
That would be too bad for Mr. Damon!"