Another Treasure Expedition

: Tom Swift And His Submarine Boat

While Tom and Mr. Damon continued on to Atlantis after the oil, the

young inventor lamenting from time to time that his remarks about the

real destination of the Advance had been overheard by Mr. Berg, the

latter and his companion were hastening back along the path that ran on

one side of the sand dunes.



"What's your hurry?" asked Mr. Maxwell, who was with the submarine

agent. "You turned around as if you
were shot when you saw that man and

the lad. There didn't appear to be any cause for such a hurry. From

what I could hear they were talking about a submarine. You're in the

same business. You might be friends."



"Yes, we might," admitted Mr. Berg with a peculiar smile; "but, unless

I'm very much mistaken, we're going to be rivals."



"Rivals? What do you mean?"



"I can't tell you now. Perhaps I may later. But if you don't mind, walk

a little faster, please. I want to get to a long-distance telephone."



"What for?"



"I have just overheard something that I wish to communicate to my

employers, Bentley & Eagert."



"Overheard something? I don't see what it could be, unless that lad--"



"You'll learn in good time," went on the submarine agent. "But I must

telephone at once."



A little later the two men had reached a trolley line that ran into

Atlantis, and they arrived at the city before Mr. Damon and Tom got

there, as the latter had to go by a circuitous route. Mr. Berg lost no

time in calling up his firm by telephone.



"I have had another talk with Mr. Swift," he reported to Mr. Bentley,

who came to the instrument in Philadelphia.



"Well, what does he say?" was the impatient question. "I can't

understand his not wanting to try for the Government prize. It is

astonishing. You said you were going to discover the reason, Mr Berg,

but you haven't done so."



"I have."



"What is it?"



"Well, the reason Mr. Swift and his son don't care to try for the fifty

thousand dollar prize is that they are after one of three hundred

thousand dollars."



"Three hundred thousand dollars!" cried Mr. Bentley. "What government

is going to offer such a prize as that for submarines, when they are

getting almost as common as airships? We ought to have a try for that

ourselves. What government is it?"



"No government at all. But I think we ought to have a try for it, Mr.

Bentley."



"Explain."



"Well, I have just learned, most accidentally, that the Swifts are

going after sunken treasure--three hundred thousand dollars in gold

bullion."



"Sunken treasure? Where?



"I don't know exactly, but off the coast of Uruguay," and Mr. Berg

rapidly related what he had overheard Tom tell Mr. Damon. Mr. Bentley

was much excited and impatient for more details, but his agent could

not give them to him.



"Well," concluded the senior member of the firm of submarine boat

builders, "if the Swifts are going after treasure, so can we. Come to

Philadelphia at once, Mr. Berg, and we'll talk this matter over. There

is no time to lose. We can afford to forego the Government prize for

the chance of getting a much larger one. We have as much right to

search for the sunken gold as the Swifts have. Come here at once, and

we will make our plans."



"All right," agreed the agent with a smile as he hung up the receiver.

"I guess," he murmured to himself, "that you won't be so high and

mighty with me after this, Tom Swift. We'll see who has the best boat,

after all. We'll have a contest and a competition, but not for a

government prize. It will be for the sunken gold."



It was easy to see that Mr. Berg was much pleased with himself.



Meanwhile, Tom and Mr. Damon had reached Atlantis, and had purchased

the oil. They started back, but Tom took a street leading toward the

center of the place, instead of striking for the beach path, along

which they had come.



"Where are you going?" asked Mr. Damon.



"I want to see if that Andy Foger has come back here," replied the lad,

and he told of having been shut in the tank by the bully.



"I've never properly punished him for that trick," he went on, "though

we did manage to burst his auto tires. I'm curious to know how he knew

enough to turn that gear and shut the tank door. He must have been

loitering near the shop, seen me go in the submarine alone, watched his

chance and sneaked in after me. But I'd like to get a complete

explanation, and if I once got hold of Andy I could make him talk," and

Tom clenched his fist in a manner that augured no good for the

squint-eyed lad. "He was stopping at the same hotel with Mr. Berg, and

he hurried away after the trick he played on me. I next saw him in

Shopton, but I thought perhaps he might have come back here. I'm going

to inquire at the hotel," he added.



Andy's name was not on the register since his hasty flight, however,

and Tom, after inquiring from the clerk and learning that Mr. Berg was

still a guest at the hostelry, rejoined Mr. Damon.



"Bless my hat!" exclaimed that eccentric individual as they started

back to the lonely beach where the submarine was awaiting her advent

into the water. "The more I think of the trip I'm going to take, the

more I like it."



"I hope you will," remarked Tom. "It will be a new experience for all

of us. There's only one thing worrying me, and that is about Mr. Berg

having overheard what I said."



"Oh, don't worry about that. Can't we slip away and leave no trace in

the water?"



"I hope so, but I must tell dad and Mr. Sharp about what happened."



The aged inventor was not a little alarmed at what his son related, but

he agreed with Mr. Damon, whom he heartily welcomed, that little was to

be apprehended from Berg and his employers.



"They know we're after a sunken wreck, but that's all they do know,"

said Tom's father. "We are only waiting for the arrival of Captain

Alden Weston, and then we will go. Even if Bentley & Eagert make a try

for the treasure we'll have the start of them, and this will be a case

of first come, first served. Don't worry, Tom. I'm glad you're going,

Mr Damon. Come, I will show you our submarine."



As father and son, with their guest, were going to the machine shop,

Mr. Sharp met them. He had a letter in his hand.



"Good news!" the balloonist cried. "Captain Weston will be with us

to-morrow. He will arrive at the Beach Hotel in Atlantis, and wants one

of us to meet him there. He has considerable information about the

wreck."



"The Beach Hotel," murmured Tom. "That is where Mr. Berg is stopping. I

hope he doesn't worm any of our secret from Captain Weston," and it was

with a feeling of uneasiness that the young inventor continued after

his father and Mr. Damon to where the submarine was.



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