Tom Swift and His Undersea Search; Or, the Treasure on the Floor of the Atlantic

by Victor Appleton

  CHAPTER II

  A STRANGE OFFER

  "Hello, Tom Swift! Hello, Ned! Glad to see you both! Busy, as usual,I'll wager. Bless my check book! I never saw you when you weren't busyat some scheme or other, Tom, my boy. But I won't take up much of yourtime. Tom Swift, let me introduce my friend, Mr. Dixwell Hardley. Mr.Hardley, shake hands with Tom Swift, one of the youngest, and yet oneof the greatest, inventors in the world! I've told you a little abouthim, but it would take me all day to tell you what he really has doneand--"

  "Hold on, Mr. Damon!" laughed Tom, as he shook hands with the man whomMr. Damon had named Dixwell Hardley. "Hold on, if you please. There's alimit to it, you know, and already you've said enough about me to--"

  "Bless my ink bottle, Tom, I haven't said half enough!" interrupted thelittle, eccentric man. "Wait until you hear what he has done, Mr.Hardley. Then, if you don't say he's the very chap for your wonderfulscheme, I'm mighty much mistaken! And shake hands with Ned Newton, too.He's Tom's financial manager, and of course he'll have something tosay. Though when he hears how you are going to turn over a couple ofmillion dollars or more, why, I know he'll be on our side."

  Ned's eyes sparkled at the mention of the money. In truth he dealt indollars and cents for the benefit of Tom Swift. Ned shook hands withMr. Hardley and Tom motioned Mr. Damon and his friend to chairs.

  "Now, Tom," went on the strange little man, "I know you're busy. Blessmy adding machine, I never saw you when--"

  At that moment there arose in the corridor outside Tom's private officea discord of voices, in which one could be heard exclaiming:

  "Now yo' clear out oh heah! Massa Tom done tole me to sweep dish yeahplace, an' ef yo' doan let me alone, why--why--"

  "Huh! Radicate him big stiff--dat's what! Big stiff! Too stiff forsweep Master's floor. Koku sweep one hand!"

  "Oh, yo' t'ink 'case yo' is sich a big giant, yo' kin git de best obole black Rad! But I'll show yo' dat--"

  "Excuse me a moment," said Tom, with a smile to his guests as he arose."Eradicate and Koku are at it again, I'm sorry to say. I'll have to goout and arbitrate the strike," and he left the room.

  While he is settling the differences between his faithful old blackservant and Koku, the giant, I will take the opportunity of telling mynew readers something about Tom Swift.

  Those who are familiar with the previous books of this series may skipthis part. But it will give my new audience a better insight into thisstory if they will bear with me a moment and peruse these few lines.

  As related in the first book, "Tom Swift and His Motor Cycle," the heroseemed born an inventive genius. It was this inventive faculty whichenabled him to take the motor cycle that tried to climb a tree with Mr.Wakefield Damon on it and make the wreck into a serviceable bit ofmechanism. Thus Tom became acquainted with Mr. Damon, who among othereccentricities, was always "blessing" something personal.

  Tom Swift lived in the city of Shopton with his father and theirfaithful housekeeper, Mrs. Baggert. It was so named because the Swiftshops were an important industry there. Tom's father, as well as Tomhimself, was an inventor of note, and employed many men in buildingmachines of various kinds. During the Great War the services of Tom andhis father had been dedicated to the government.

  There are a number of books dealing with Tom's activities, the list oftitles of which may be found at the beginning of this volume.

  Sufficient to say here, that Tom invented and operated motor boats,airships, and submarines. In addition he traveled on many expeditionswith Mr. Damon, Ned, and others. He went among the diamond makers andit was when he escaped from captivity that he managed to bring awayKoku, the giant, with him. Since then Koku and Eradicate Sampson, thefaithful colored man, had periodic quarrels as to who should serve theyoung inventor.

  Besides inventing and using many machines of motive power, Tom Swiftengaged in other industries. He helped dig a big tunnel, he constructeda photo-telephone, a great searchlight and a monster cannon.Occasionally he had searched for treasure, once under the sea, withconsiderable success.

  Of late his and his father's industries had become so important that anumber of new buildings had been constructed and the plant greatlyenlarged. Ned Newton, who had once worked in a Shopton bank, becamefinancial manager for Tom and his father, and plenty of work he foundwith which to occupy himself.

  Just prior to the opening of this story Tom had perfected a noiselessaeroplane--or one so nearly silent as to justify the name. The detailsof it will be found in the book called "Tom Swift and His Air Scout."In this mechanism of the air Tom had had some wonderful experiences,and they had not been at home more than a few weeks when New Newtonbroached the subject of undersea wealth.

  The talk of Tom and his financial manager was interrupted by thearrival of Mr. Damon and the stranger he had introduced as Mr. Hardley.

  Eradicate, or "Rad," and Koku, have been mentioned. Rad was an ancientcolored man who once owned a mule named Boomerang. Sampson was thecolored servant's last name, and he declared he had chosen the one"Eradicate" because in his younger days he was a great cleaner andwhitewasher, "eradicating" the dirt, so to speak.

  Boomerang had, some time since, gone where all good mules go, thoughEradicate declared he would get another and call him Boomerang II. But,so far, he had not done so.

  Rad, though too old to do heavy work, still believed he wasindispensable to the welfare of Tom and his father; and as the giantKoku, who was physically an immense man, held the same view, itfollowed there were frequent clashes between the two, as on theoccasion just mentioned.

  "What was the matter, Tom?" asked Ned, when the young inventor cameback into the room.

  "Oh, the same old story," replied Tom. "Rad wanted to sweep the hall,and Koku insisted he was to do it."

  "What'd you do, Tom?" asked Mr. Damon.

  "I settled it by having Rad sweep this hall and sending Koku to doanother--a bigger one I told him. He likes hard work, so he waspleased. Now we'll have it quiet for a little while. Did I understandyou to say, Mr. Damon, that--er--Mr. Hardley I believe the name is--hada proposition to make to me?"

  "That's exactly it, my dear Mr. Swift!" broke in the man in question."I have a wonderful offer to make you, and I'm sure you will admit thatit will be well worth your while to consider and accept it. There willbe at least a million in it--"

  "Bless my check book, I thought you said several millions!" exclaimedMr. Damon.

  "So I did," was the rather nettled answer. "I was about to say, Mr.Damon, that there will be at least a million in it for Mr. Swift, andanother million for myself. There may be more, but I want to beconservative."

  "Talking in millions, and calling himself conservative," mused NedNewton. "Somehow or other I don't just cotton to this fellow!"

  "When our mutual friend, Mr. Damon, told me about you, my dear Mr.Swift," went on Mr. Hardley, "I at once came to the conclusion that youwere the very man I wanted to do business with. I'm sure it will be toour mutual advantage."

  Tom Swift said nothing. He was willing to let the other talk, while hewaited to see how far he would go. And, as Tom said afterward, he, ashad Ned, took an instinctive dislike to Mr. Hardley. He could not saydefinitely what it was, but that was his feeling. That he might bemistaken, he admitted frankly. Time alone could tell.

  "Have you a half hour to give me while it explain matters?" asked Mr.Hardley. "I may go farther and say I need considerable time to go intoall the details. May I speak now?"

  To tell the truth Tom Swift had many important matters to consider,and, in addition, Ned Newton was prepared to go over some financialends of the business with Tom. But the young inventor felt that, injustice to his friend Mr. Damon, who had brought Mr. Hardley, he coulddo no less than give the stranger a hearing. But only the introductionby Mr. Damon brought this about.

  "I shall be glad to hear what you have to say, Mr. Hardley," said Tom,as courteously as he could. "I will not go so far as to say that mytime is unlimited, but I will listen to you now if you
care to go intodetails."

  "That's good!" exclaimed the visitor. "I'm sure that when you havelistened you will agree with me."

  "He's a little bit too sure!" mused Ned.

  "Bless my pocketbook, Tom, but there are millions in it!" exclaimed Mr.Damon. "Literally millions, Tom!"

  Mr. Hardley settled himself comfortably in his chair and looked fromTom to Ned.

  "May I speak freely here?" he asked, with obvious intent.

  "You may," the young inventor answered. "Mr. Newton is my financialmanager, and I do nothing of importance without consulting him. You mayregard him as a member of the firm, in fact, as he does own some stock.My father is practically retired, and I do not trouble him withunimportant details. So Mr. Newton and I are prepared to listen to you."

  "Very well, Mr. Swift, I'm going to ask you a question. Have you allthe money you want?"

  Tom laughed.

  "I suppose any man would answer that question in the negative," hereplied. "Frankly, I could use more money, though I am not poor."

  "So I have heard. Well, would a million dollars clear profit appeal toyou?"

  "It certainly would," was the answer.

  "Then I am prepared to offer you that sum," went on Mr. Hardley. "Butthere are certain conditions, and I may say that this vast wealth isnot easy to come at. However, with your inventive genius, I am sure youwill be able to solve the mystery of the sea. Now then as to details.There lies, on the floor of the ocean--"

  "Hark!" exclaimed Tom, raising a hand to enjoin silence. "I think Ihear some one coming." At that moment there was a knock at the door.