Chapter Fourteen
In the Diving Suits
There was no doubt that the steamer was coming after the submarine.Several observations Captain Weston made confirmed this, and hereported the fact to Mr. Swift.
"Well, we'll change our plans, then," said the inventor. "Instead ofsailing on the surface we'll go below. But first let them get near sothey may have the benefit of seeing what we do. Tom, go below, please,and tell Mr. Sharp to get every thing in readiness for a quick descent.We'll slow up a bit now, and let them get nearer to us."
The speed of the submarine was reduced, and in a short time the strangesteamer had overhauled her, coming to within hailing distance.
Mr. Swift signaled for the machinery to stop and the submarine came toa halt on the surface, bobbing about like a half-submerged bottle. Theinventor opened a bull's-eye in the tower, and called to a man on thebridge of the steamer:
"What are you following us for?"
"Following you?" repeated the man, for the strange vessel had also cometo a stop. "We're not following you."
"It looks like it," replied Mr. Swift. "You'd better give it up."
"I guess the waters are free," was the quick retort. "We'll follow youif we like."
"Will you? Then come on!" cried the inventor as he quickly closed theheavy glass window and pulled a lever. An instant later the submarinebegan to sink, and Mr. Swift could not help laughing as, just beforethe tower went under water, he had a glimpse of the astonished face ofthe man on the bridge. The latter had evidently not expected such amove as that.
Lower and lower in the water went the craft, until it was about twohundred feet below the surface. Then Mr. Swift left the conning tower,descended to the main part of the ship, and asked Tom and CaptainWeston to take charge of the pilot house.
"Send her ahead, Tom," his father said. "That fellow up above isrubbing his eyes yet, wondering where we are, I suppose."
Forward shot the Advance under water, the powerful electrical platespulling and pushing her on the way to secure the sunken gold.
All that morning a fairly moderate rate of speed was maintained, as itwas thought best not to run the new machinery too fast.
Dinner was eaten about a quarter of a mile below the surface, but noone inside the submarine would ever have known it. Electric lights madethe place as brilliant as could be desired, and the food, which Tom andMr. Damon prepared, was equal to any that could have been served onland. After the meal they opened the shutters over the windows in thesides of the craft, and looked at the myriads of fishes swimming past,as the creatures were disclosed in the glare of the searchlight.
That night they were several hundred miles on their journey, for thecraft was speedy, and leaving Tom and Captain Weston to take the firstwatch, the others went to bed.
"Bless my soul, but it does seem odd, though, to go to bed under water,like a fish," remarked Mr. Damon. "If my wife knew this she would worryto death. She thinks I'm off automobiling. But this isn't half asdangerous as riding in a car that's always getting out of order. Asubmarine for mine, every time."
"Wait until we get to the end of this trip," advised Tom. "I guessyou'll find almost as many things can happen in a submarine as can inan auto," and future events were to prove the young inventor to beright.
Everything worked well that night, and the ship made good progress.They rose to the surface the next morning to make sure of theirposition, and to get fresh air, though they did not really need thelatter, as the reserve supply had not been drawn on, and was sufficientfor several days, now that the oxygen machine had been put in runningorder.
On the second day the ship was sent to the bottom and halted there, asMr. Swift wished to try the new diving suits. These were made of a new,light, but very strong metal to withstand the pressure of a great depth.
Tom, Mr. Sharp and Captain Weston donned the suits, the others agreeingto wait until they saw how the first trial resulted. Then, too, it wasnecessary for some one acquainted with the machinery to remain in theship to operate the door and water chamber through which the divers hadto pass to get out.
The usual plan, with some changes, was followed in letting the threeout of the boat, and on to the bottom of the sea. They entered achamber in the side of the submarine, water was gradually admitteduntil it equaled in pressure that outside, then an outer door wasopened by means of levers, and they could step out.
It was a curious sensation to Tom and the others to feel that they wereactually walking along the bed of the ocean. All around them was thewater, and as they turned on the small electric lights in theirhelmets, which lights were fed by storage batteries fastened to thediving suits, they saw the fish, big and little, swarm up to them,doubtless astonished at the odd creatures which had entered theirdomain. On the sand of the bottom, and in and out among the shells androcks, crawled great spider crabs, big eels and other odd creaturesseldom seen on the surface of the water. The three divers found nodifficulty in breathing, as there were air tanks fastened to theirshoulders, and a constant supply of oxygen was fed through pipes intothe helmets. The pressure of water did not bother them, and after thefirst sensation Tom began to enjoy the novelty of it. At first theinability to speak to his companions seemed odd, but he soon got so hecould make signs and motions, and be understood.
They walked about for some time, and once the lad came upon a part of awrecked vessel buried deep in the sand. There was no telling what shipit was, nor how long it had been there, and after silently viewing it,they continued on.
"It was great!" were the first words Tom uttered when he and the otherswere once more inside the submarine and had removed the suits. "If wecan only walk around the wreck of the Boldero that way, we'll have allthe gold out of her in no time. There are no life-lines nor air-hose tobother with in these diving suits."
"They certainly are a success," conceded Mr. Sharp.
"Bless my topknot!" cried Mr. Damon. "I'll try it next time. I'vealways wanted to be a diver, and now I have the chance."
The trip was resumed after the diving chamber had been closed, and onthe third day Captain Weston announced, after a look at his chart, thatthey were nearing the Bahama Islands.
"We'll have to be careful not to run into any of the small keys," hesaid, that being the name for the many little points of land, hardlylarge enough to be dignified by the name of island. "We must keep aconstant lookout."
Fortune favored them, though once, when Tom was steering, he narrowlyavoided ramming a coral reef with the submarine. The searchlightshowed it to him just in time, and he sheered off with a thumping inhis heart.
The course was changed from south to east, so as to get ready to swingout of the way of the big shoulder of South America where Brazil takesup so much room, and as they went farther and farther toward theequator, they noticed that the waters teemed more and more with fish,some beautiful, some ugly and fear-inspiring, and some such monstersthat it made one shudder to look at them, even through the thick glassof the bulls-eye windows.
Tom Swift and His Submarine Boat; Or, Under the Ocean for Sunken Treasure Page 14
