Chapter Twenty-Five

Home With the Gold



There was no time to be lost. They were in a treacherous

part of the ocean, and strong currents might at any time

further break up the wreck, so that they could not come at

the gold. It was decided, by means of motions, to at once

transfer the treasure to the submarine. As the boxes were

too heavy to carry easily, especially as two men, who were

required to lift one, could not walk together in the

uncertain footing afforded by the wreck, another plan was

adopted. The boxes were opened and the bars, a few at a

time, were dropped on a firm, sandy place at the side of the

wreck. Tom and Captain Weston did this work, while Mr. Sharp

and Mr. Damon carried the bullion to the diving chamber of

the Advance. They put the yellow bars inside, and when quite

a number had been thus shifted, Mr. Swift, closing the

chamber, pumped the water out and removed the gold. Then he

opened the chamber to the divers again, and the process was

repeated, until all the bullion had been secured.



Tom would have been glad to make a further examination of

the wreck, for he thought he could get some of the rifles

the ship carried, but Captain Weston signed to him not to

attempt this.



The lad went to the pilot house, while his father and Mr.

Sharp took their places in the engine-room. The gold had

been safely stowed in Mr. Swift's cabin.



Tom took a last look at the wreck before he gave the

starting signal. As he gazed at the bent and twisted mass of

steel that had once been a great ship, he saw something

long, black and shadowy moving around from the other side,

coming across the bows.



"There's another big shark," he observed to Captain

Weston. "They're coming back after us."



The captain did not speak. He was staring at the dark

form. Suddenly, from what seemed the pointed nose of it,

there gleamed a light, as from some great eye.



"Look at that!" cried Tom. "That's no shark!"



"If you want my opinion," remarked the sailor, "I should

say it was the other submarine--that of Berg and his

friends--the Wonder. They've managed to fix up their craft

and are after the gold."



"But they're too late!" cried Tom excitedly. "Let's tell

them so."



"No, advised the captain. "We don't want any trouble with

them."



Mr. Swift came forward to see why his son had not given

the signal to start. He was shown the other submarine, for

now that the Wonder had turned on several searchlights,

there was no doubt as to the identity of the craft.



"Let's get away unobserved if we can," he suggested. "We

have had trouble enough."



It was easy to do this, as the Advance was hidden behind

the wreck, and her lights were glowing but dimly. Then, too,

those in the other submarine were so excited over the

finding of what they supposed was the wreck containing the

treasure, that they paid little attention to anything else.



"I wonder how they'll feel when they find the gold gone?"

asked Tom as he pulled the lever starting the pumps.



"Well, we may have a chance to learn, when we get back to

civilization," remarked the captain.



The surface was soon reached, and then, under fair skies,

and on a calm sea, the voyage home was begun. Part of the

time the Advance sailed on the top, and part of the time

submerged.



They met with but a single accident, and that was when the

forward electrical plate broke. But with the aft one still

in commission, and the auxiliary screws, they made good

time. Just before reaching home they settled down to the

bottom and donned the diving suits again, even Mr. Swift

taking his turn. Mr. Damon caught some large lobsters, of

which he was very fond, or, rather, to be more correct, the

lobsters caught him. When he entered the diving chamber

there were four fine ones clinging to different parts of his

diving suit. Some of them were served for dinner.



The adventurers safely reached the New Jersey coast, and

the submarine was docked. Mr. Swift at once communicated

with the proper authorities concerning the recovery of the

gold. He offered to divide with the actual owners, after he

and his friends had been paid for their services, but as the

revolutionary party to whom the bullion was intended had

gone out of existence, there was no one to officially claim

the treasure, so it all went to Tom and his friends, who

made an equitable distribution of it. The young inventor did

not forget to buy Mrs. Baggert a fine diamond ring, as he

had promised.



As for Berg and his employers, they were, it was learned

later, greatly chagrined at finding the wreck valueless.

They tried to make trouble for Tom and his father, but were

not successful.



A few days after arriving at the seacoast cottage, Tom,

his father and Mr. Damon went to Shopton in the airship.

Captain Weston, Garret Jackson and Mn Sharp remained behind

in charge of the submarine. It was decided that the Swifts

would keep the craft and not sell it to the Government, as

Tom said they might want to go after more treasure some day.



"I must first deposit this gold," said Mr. Swift as the

airship landed in front of the shed at his home. "It won't

do to keep it in the house over night, even if the Happy

Harry gang is in jail."



Tom helped him take it to the bank. As they were making

perhaps the largest single deposit ever put in the

institution, Ned Newton came out.



"Well, Tom," he cried to his chum, "it seems that you are

never going to stop doing things. You've conquered the air,

the earth and the water."



"What have you been doing while I've been under water,

Ned?" asked the young inventor.



"Oh, the same old thing. Running errands and doing all

sorts of work in the bank."



Tom had a sudden idea. He whispered to his father and Mr.

Swift nodded. A little later he was closeted with Mr.

Prendergast, the bank president. It was not long before Ned

and Tom were called in.



"I have some good news for you, Ned," said Mr.

Prendergast, while Tom smiled. "Mr. Swift er--ahem--one of

our largest depositors, has spoken to me about you, Ned. I

find that you have been very faithful. You are hereby

appointed assistant cashier, and of course you will get a

much larger salary."



Ned could hardly believe it, but he knew then what Tom had

whispered to Mr. Swift. The wishes of a depositor who brings

much gold bullion to a bank can hardly be ignored.



"Come on out and have some soda," invited Tom, and when

Ned looked inquiringly at the president, the latter nodded

an assent.



As the two lads were crossing the street to a drug store,

something whizzed past them, nearly running them down.



"What sort of an auto was that?" cried Tom.



"That? Oh, that was Andy Foger's new car," answered Ned.

"He's been breaking the speed laws every day lately, but no

one seems to bother him. It's because his father is rich, I

suppose. Andy says he has the fastest car ever built."



"He has, eh?" remarked Tom, while a curious look came into

his eyes. "Well, maybe I can build one that will beat his."



And whether the young inventor did or not you can learn by

reading the fifth volume of this series, to be called "Tom

Swift and His Electric Runabout; Or, The Speediest Car on

the Road."



"Well, Tom, I certainly appreciate what you did for me in

getting me a better position," remarked Ned as they left the

drug store. "I was beginning to think I'd never get

promoted. Say, have you anything to do this evening? If you

haven't, I wish you'd come over to my house. I've got a lot

of pictures I took while you were away."



"Sorry, but I can't," replied Tom.



"Why, are you going to build another airship or submarine?"



"No, but I'm going to see-- Oh, what do you want to know

for, anyhow?" demanded the young inventor with a blush.

"Can't a fellow go see a girl without being cross-questioned?"



"Oh, of course," replied Ned with a laugh. "Give Miss

Nestor my regards," and at this Tom blushed still more. But,

as he said, that was his own affair.

****

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