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Page 36
"There is no doubt of it in my mind," remarked Captain
Weston, and Tom felt a little disappointed that the sailor
did not shout out some such expression as "Shiver my
timbers!" or "Keel-haul the main braces, there, you lubber!"
But Captain Weston was not that kind of a sailor, though his
usually quiet demeanor could be quickly dropped on
necessity, as Tom learned later.
A few minutes more and the waters closed over the top of
the conning tower. The Advance was completely submerged.
Through the thick glass windows of the pilot house the
occupants looked out into the greenish water that swirled
about them; but it could not enter. Then, as the boat went
lower, the light from above gradually died out, and the
semi-darkness gave place to gloom.
"Turn on the electrics and the searchlight, Tom," directed
his father.
There was the click of a switch, and the conning tower was
flooded with light. But as this had the effect of
preventing the three from peering out into the water, just
as one in a lighted room cannot look out into the night, Tom
shut them off and switched on the great searchlight. This
projected its powerful beams straight ahead and there, under
the ocean, was a pathway of illumination for the treasure-
seekers.
"Fine!" cried Captain Weston, with more enthusiasm than he
had yet manifested. "That's great, if you don't mind me
mentioning it. How deep are we?"
Tom glanced at a gage on the side of the pilot tower.
"Only about sixty feet," he answered.
"Then don't go any deeper!" cried the captain hastily. "I
know these waters around here, and that's about all the
depth you've got. You'll be on the bottom in a minute."
"I intend to get on the bottom after a while," said Mr.
Swift, "but not here. I want to try for a greater distance
under water before I come to rest on the ocean's bed. But I
think we are deep enough for a test. Tom, close the tank
intake pipes and we'll see how the Advance will progress
when fully submerged."
The hissing stopped, and then, wishing to see how the
motors and other machinery would work, the aged inventor and
his son, accompanied by Captain Weston, descended from the
conning tower, by means of an inner stairway, to the
interior of the ship. The submarine could be steered and
managed from below or above. She was now floating about
sixty-five feet below the surface of the bay.
"Well, how do you like it?" asked Tom of Mr. Damon, as he
saw his friend in an easy chair in the living-room or main
cabin of the craft, looking out of one of the plate-glass
windows on the side.
"Bless my spectacles, it's the most wonderful thing I ever
dreamed of!" cried the queer character, as he peered at the
mass of water before him. "To think that I'm away down under
the surface, and yet as dry as a bone. Bless my necktie, but
it's great! What are we going to do now?"
"Go forward," replied the young inventor.
"Perhaps I had better make an observation," suggested
Captain Weston, taking his telescope from under his arm,
where he had carried it since entering the craft, and
opening it. "We may run afoul of something, if you don't
mind me mentioning such a disagreeable subject." Then, as he
thought of the impossibility of using his glass under water,
he closed it.
"I shall have little use for this here, I'm afraid," he
remarked with a smile. "Well, there's some consolation.
We're not likely to meet many ships in this part of the
ocean. Other vessels are fond enough of remaining on the
surface. I fancy we shall have the depths to ourselves,
unless we meet a Government submarine, and they are hardly
able to go as deep as we can. No, I guess we won't run into
anything and I can put this glass away."
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