CHAPTER XXIV
THE TREASURE-SHIP
Sudden and forceful had been the underwater collision in which the M.N. 1 had participated. Either the lookout, aided though he was by thefocused rays of the great searchlight, had failed to notice someobstruction in time to signal to avoid it, or there was an errorsomewhere else. At any rate the submarine had rammed something--what itwas remained to be discovered.
"Bless my shotgun," cried Mr. Damon, "perhaps it was one of those bigwhales, Ned!"
"It didn't feel like a whale," answered the young financial man.
"And it wasn't!" declared Tom, who was hastening to the engine room."It was too solid for that."
Following the collision there had been considerable confusion aboardthe vessel. But discipline prevailed, and now it was necessary todetermine the extent of the damage. This, Tom and his officers and crewproceeded to do.
There were automatic devices in the various control cabins, as well asin the main engine room, which told instantly if a leak had been sprungin any part of the craft. In that serious difficulty automatic pumps,controlled by an electrical device, at once began forcing out thewater. Other apparatus rushed a supply of compressed air to the floodedcompartment in order to hold out the water if possible. For furthersecurity the submarine was divided into different compartments, as aremost ships in these days. The puncturing or flooding of one did notnecessarily mean the foundering of the craft, or, in the case of asubmarine, prevent her rising.
But Tom had sensed that the collision was almost a head-on one, and inthat case it was likely that the plates might have started in severalsections at once. This he wanted to discover, and take means of safetyaccordingly.
"How do you make it, Mr. Nelson?" cried the young inventor to thecaptain in the engine room.
"Only a slight leak in compartment B 2," he answered, as Tom's eyesrapidly scanned the tell-tale gauges. "The pumps and air are takingcare of that."
"Good!" cried Tom. "It doesn't seem possible that there isn't more thanthat, though. We struck a terrible blow."
"Yes, but a glancing one, I think, sir."
"Send for the lookout," ordered Tom. "I can't understand why he didn'tsee whatever we've hit in time to avoid it."
The lookout came in, very much frightened, it must be admitted. Onlyby a narrow margin had all escaped death.
"It was impossible to see it, Mr. Swift," he said. "We had a clearcourse, not a thing in sight. The bottom was white sand, and I couldalmost count the fishes. All at once there was a big swirl of waterthat threw our nose around, and before I could signal to slow down orreverse we were right into her."
"Into what?" asked Tom.
"Some sort of wreck, I took it to be. I shoved the wheel hard over asquickly as I could, and we struck only a glancing blow."
"That's good," murmured Tom. "I thought that must have been theexplanation. But what's that about a sudden swirl of water?"
"It seemed to me like a change in the current," the lookout answered."It threw us right over against the wreck."
"I can very easily imagine something like that happening," admittedTom. "Well, as long as we're not badly damaged I think we'll go outsideand take a look. If we hit a wreck--"
"Bless my looking glass!" cried Mr. Damon, "it may be the Pandora, Tom."
"That's too good to be true!" cried Ned. "Anyhow, let's get out andtake a look."
Tom first made sure that the slight leak was not likely to increase,and then arrangements were made for himself, Ned, Koku, and some of theothers to go outside in the diving suits. Mr. Damon wanted to be of theparty, but Tom was afraid to permit him in that depth of water. Mr.Damon, in spite of his jollity, was not as young as he had been.
Shortly after the collision, which had missed being a disaster by anarrow margin, Tom and his companions were outside the submarine,walking on the white, sandy bottom of the sea. Around them was a myriadof fishes, some of large size, but seemingly harmless, as they scuddedrapidly away after a glance at the strange creatures who appeared tohave come to dispute with them for possession of Father Neptune'selement.
Moving more slowly than usual, because of the greater pressure of waterat that depth, Tom and the others made their way around the nose of thesubmarine. And then, in the glow of the big searchlight, they saw thedim outlines of a steamer, partly imbedded in the sand. Her stern wastoward the undersea craft that had rammed her, and the name was not soobliterated but what the young inventor could read it.
"The Pandora!" exclaimed Tom, speaking into his helmet telephonetransmitter, the others all hearing him. "We've found the treasure-shipat last!"
And so they had. An accident had brought them to the end of theirquest, though it is probable they would have found the Pandora anyhow,since they were making careful circles in her vicinity.
"Yes, that's the Pandora," said Ned. "And now the thing to do is tofind out if she really has any treasure on board."
"That's what I'm going to do," declared Tom. "But first I want toinvestigate this queer current. We can't feel it here, but we may if weget out beyond the wreck. We don't want to be swept off our feet."
"Yes, we had better be careful," said one of the officers.
Accordingly they proceeded with caution along the length of the sunkenPandora. And as they neared her bow they all began to feel somepowerful force in the current.
"This is far enough!" said Tom. "Don't get out beyond the protection ofthe hull. I see what it is. The steamer has drifted here from where shewas originally sunk. And here two currents meet, forming a very strongone. It was that which threw us off our course. As long as we remainbehind the wreck we'll be safe. But beyond her we may be in danger.She's firmly held in the sand, or, at best, is drifting only slightly.She'll be a sort of undersea breakwater for us. And now to see if wecan get on board!"
This proved comparatively easy. Several lengths of chain and one ironladder were over the stern, evidently having been used when the crewabandoned the ship in the storm that destroyed her. By means of theseTom and his companions gained the main deck near the stern.
The Pandora was a typical tramp steamer. She was high in the bows andstern and low amidships, and it was evident that the quarters of theofficers and passengers, if any of the latter were carried, were in thestern. Tom was glad to find the vessel thus comparatively easy ofaccess.
She lay on an almost even keel, and all he and his companions had to dowas to walk along the deck and enter the cabins. As they did not haveto look out for life lines or air hose they could enter, and even gobelow decks, in comparative safety.
"Well, here's for it," said Tom to the others. "Let's go in.
"Where would the treasure be, if she had any?" asked Ned.
"Captain's cabin or the purser's strong room, I imagine," Tom answered."Hardley didn't actually see it, but he said those two places wereconstantly guarded. I'm inclined to think the purser would have chargeof the gold. But we'll try both places."
It was easy to learn which had been the commander's cabin. It had thename "Captain" on a brass plate over the door. Tom and Ned entered. Theplace was in confusion, and confusion not all caused by the oceancurrents. A small safe in the room stood with rusted door open, and thecontents of the strong box were gone. Drawers and lockers, too, wereopened and empty.
"I guess the captain took as much with him as he could when he got intohis boat," commented Tom.
"And the gold, too," added Ned, pointing to the empty safe.
"That wouldn't have held two million dollars in gold," Tom retorted. "Ibelieve the purser's cabin is the place to look."
Making sure they were not missing anything in the captain's room, theycame out, to find Koku and the others waiting for them on deck.
"Nothing there," Tom reported. "Did any of you locate the purser'sstrong room?" One of the men pointed to an open door to the left.
"That's it!" exclaimed Tom. "Yes, and there's a safe here big enough tohold gold for all the revolutions in South America," he added. "I
guesswe're on the right track at last."
It needed but a look to show them that they had at last reached theplace of the treasure. The great safe stood open, and piled inside werea number of small boxes, such as are generally used to ship gold in.Ned, from his bank experience, recognized them at once.
"There's the gold!" he exclaimed. "We've found the treasure!"
"They tried to take some of it with them," said one of the submarineofficers, pointing to some opened boxes which were floating near thecabin ceiling. They were caught on some projections which had preventedthem from being washed out.
"Maybe they looted the whole safe," suggested Tom. "We'd better have alook."
He tried to pull out one of the many boxes set in tiers in the safe,but it was beyond his strength.
"Me do!" murmured Koku.
It was easy for the giant to pry out one of the boxes with his ironbar, and with another blow from his bar he opened the cover.
"Gold!" cried Ned, as he saw a gleam of yellow showing in the glow fromhis torch. "There's the gold!"
There was a table in the purser's cabin, made fast to the floor so ithad not floated away. At a sign from Tom, the giant turned the boxbottom side up on this table.
And then a murmur of wonder came from all who saw the result. Foraside from the top layer of gold pieces, the box was filled with irondisks cut to the size of twenty-dollar gold pieces. In an instant itwas borne to all what this meant.
"A fake!" exclaimed Tom Swift. "If all the boxes are like this thereisn't enough gold on the treasure ship to pay the expenses of thistrip! Somebody has been fooled! Open another box, Koku!"