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Page 13
Chapter Four
Tom is Imprisoned
"Well, I must say he's a cool one," remarked Tom, as the
echoes of Mr. Berg's steps died away. "The idea of thinking
his boat better than ours! I don't like that man, dad. I'm
suspicious of him. Do you think he came here to steal some
of our ideas?"
"No, I hardly believe so, my son. But how did you discover
him?"
"Just as you saw, dad. I heard a noise and went back there
to investigate. I found him sneaking around, looking at the
electric propeller plates. I went to grab him just as he
stumbled over a hoard. At first I thought it was one of the
old gang. I'm almost sure he was trying to discover
something."
"No, Tom. The firm he works for are good business men, and
they would not countenance anything like that. They are
heartless competitors, however, and if they saw a legitimate
chance to get ahead of me and take advantage, they would do
it. But they would not sneak in to steal my ideas. I feel
sure of that. Besides, they have a certain type of submarine
which they think is the best ever invented, and they would
hardly change at this late day. They feel sure of winning
the Government prize, and I'm just as glad we're not going
to have a contest."
"Do you think our boat is better than theirs?"
"Much better, in many respects."
"I don't like that man Berg, though," went on Tom.
"Nor do I," added his father. "There is something strange
about him. He was very anxious that I should compete.
Probably he thought his firm's boat would go so far ahead of
ours that they would get an extra bonus. But I'm glad he
didn't see our new method of propulsion. That is the
principal improvement in the Advance over other types of
submarines. Well, another week and we will be ready for the
test."
"Have you known Mr. Berg long, dad?"
"Not very. I met him in Washington when I was in the
patent office. He was taking out papers on a submarine for
his firm at the same time I got mine for the Advance. It is
rather curious that he should come all the way here from
Philadelphia, merely to see if I was going to compete. There
is something strange about it, something that I can't
understand."
The time was to come when Mr. Swift and his son were to
get at the bottom of Mr. Berg's reasons, and they learned to
their sorrow that he had penetrated some of their secrets.
Before going to bed that night Tom and Mr. Sharp paid a
visit to the shed where the submarine was resting on the
ways, ready for launching. They found Mr. Jackson on guard
and the engineer said that no one had been around. Nor was
anything found disturbed.
"It certainly is a great machine," remarked the lad as he
looked up at the cigar-shaped bulk towering over his head.
"Dad has outdone himself this trip."
"It looks all right," commented Mr. Sharp. "Whether it
will work is another question."
"Yes, we can't tell until it's in the water," con ceded
Tom. "But I hope it does. Dad has spent much time and money
on it."
The Advance was, as her name indicated, much in advance of
previous submarines. There was not so much difference in
outward construction as there was in the means of propulsion
and in the manner in which the interior and the machinery
were arranged.
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