Tom Swift and His Submarine Boat; Or, Under the Ocean for Sunken Treasure

by Victor Appleton

  Chapter Sixteen

  "We'll Race You For It"

  Mr. Swift hurried up on deck. He was accompanied by Captain Weston. Atthe sight of Tom's father, Mr. Berg, who had been joined by two othermen, called out:

  "You see we also concluded to give up the trial for the Governmentprize, Mr. Swift. We decided there was more money in something else.But we still will have a good chance to try the merits of ourrespective boats. We hurried and got ours fitted up almost as soon asyou did yours, and I think we have the better craft."

  "I don't care to enter into any competition with you," said Mr. Swiftcoldly.

  "Ah, but I'm afraid you'll have to, whether you want to or not," wasthe insolent reply.

  "What's that? Do you mean to force this matter upon me?"

  "I'm afraid I'll have to--my employers and I, that is. You see, wemanaged to pick up your trail after you left the Jersey coast, havingan idea where you were bound, and we don't intend to lose you now."

  "Do you mean to follow us?" asked Captain Weston softly.

  "Well, you can put it that way if you like," answered one of the twomen with Mr. Berg.

  "I forbid it!" cried Mr. Swift hotly. "You have no right to sneak afterus."

  "I guess the ocean is free," continued the rascally agent.

  "Why do you persist in keeping after us?" inquired the aged inventor,thinking it well to ascertain, if possible, just how much the men knew.

  "Because we're after that treasure as well as you," was the bold reply."You have no exclusive right to it. The sunken ship is awaiting thefirst comer, and whoever gets there first can take the gold from thewreck. We intend to be there first, but we'll be fair with you."

  "Fair? What do you mean?" demanded Tom.

  "This: We'll race you for it. The first one to arrive will have theright to search the wreck for the gold bullion. Is that fair? Do youagree to it?"

  "We agree to nothing with you," interrupted Captain Weston, his usualdiffident manner all gone. "I happen to be in partial command of thiscraft, and I warn you that if I find you interfering with us it won'tbe healthy for you. I'm not fond of fighting, but when I begin I don'tlike to stop," and he smiled grimly. "You'd better not follow us."

  "We'll do as we please," shouted the third member of the trio on thedeck of the other boat, which, as Tom could see, was named the Wonder."We intend to get that gold if we can."

  "All right. I've warned you," went on the sailor, and then, motioningto Tom and his father to follow, he went below.

  "Well, what's to be done?" asked Mr. Swift when they were seated in theliving-room, and had informed the others of the presence of the rivalsubmarine.

  "The only thing I see to do is to sneak away unobserved, go as deep aspossible, and make all haste for the wreck," advised the captain. "Theywill depend on us, for they have evidently no chart of the wreck,though of course the general location of it may be known to them fromreading the papers. I hoped I had thrown them off the track by thefalse chart I dropped, but it seems they were too smart for us."

  "Have they a right to follow us?" asked Tom.

  "Legally, but not morally. We can't prevent them, I'm afraid. The onlything to do is to get there ahead of them. It will be a race for thesunken treasure, and we must get there first."

  "What do you propose doing, captain?" asked Mr. Damon. "Bless myshirt-studs, but can't we pull their ship up on the island and leave itthere?"

  "I'm afraid such high-handed proceedings would hardly answer," repliedMr. Swift. "No, as Captain Weston says, we must get there ahead ofthem. What do you think will be the best scheme, captain?"

  "Well, there's no need for us to forego our plan to get fresh water.Suppose we go to the island, that is, some of us, leaving a guard onboard here. We'll fill our tanks with fresh water, and at night we'llquietly sink below the surface and speed away."

  They all voted that an excellent idea, and little time was lost puttingit into operation.

  All the remainder of that day not a sign of life was visible about theWonder. She lay inert on the surface of the lagoon, not far away fromthe Advance; but, though no one showed himself on the deck, Tom and hisfriends had no doubt but that their enemies were closely watching them.

  As dusk settled down over the tropical sea, and as the shadows of thetrees on the little island lengthened, those on board the Advanceclosed the Conning tower. No lights were turned on, as they did notwant their movements to be seen, but Tom, his father and Mr. Sharp tooktheir positions near the various machines and apparatus, ready to openthe tanks and let the submarine sink to the bottom, as soon as it waspossible to do this unobserved.

  "Luckily there's no moon," remarked Captain Weston, as he took hisplace beside Tom. "Once below the surface and we can defy them to findus. It is odd how they traced us, but I suppose that steamer gave themthe clue."

  It rapidly grew dark, as it always does in the tropics, and when acautious observation from the conning tower did not disclose theoutlines of the other boat, those aboard the Advance rightly concludedthat their rivals were unable to see them.

  "Send her down, Tom," called his father, and with a hiss the waterentered the tanks. The submarine quickly sank below the surface, aidedby the deflecting rudder.

  But alas for the hopes of the gold-seekers. No sooner was shecompletely submerged, with the engine started so as to send her out ofthe lagoon and to the open sea, than the waters all about were madebrilliant by the phosphorescent phenomenon. In southern waters thisfrequently occurs. Millions of tiny creatures, which, it is said,swarm in the warm currents, give an appearance of fire to the ocean,and any object moving through it can plainly be seen. It was so withthe Advance. The motion she made in shooting forward, and theundulations caused by her submersion, seemed to start into activity thedormant phosphorus, and the submarine was afloat in a sea of fire.

  "Quick!" cried Tom. "Speed her up! Maybe we can get out of this patchof water before they see us."

  But it was too late. Above them they could hear the electric siren ofthe Wonder as it was blown to let them know that their escape had beennoticed. A moment later the water, which acted as a sort ofsounding-board, or telephone, brought to the ears of Tom Swift and hisfriends the noise of the engines of the other craft in operation. Shewas coming after them. The race for the possession of three hundredthousand dollars in gold was already under way. Fate seemed againstthose on board the Advance.