Tom Swift and His Undersea Search | Page 3

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The Etext was prepared for Project Gutenberg by Anthony Matonac

TOM SWIFT AND HIS UNDERSEA SEARCH OR The Treasure on
the Floor of the Atlantic
BY VICTOR APPLETON

CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I

UNTOLD MILLIONS
II A STRANGE OFFER
III THINKING IT OVER
IV AGAINST HIS WILL
V BUSY DAYS
VI MARY'S ODD STORY
VII THE TRIAL TRIP
VIII THE MUD BANK
IX READY TO START
X STARTLING REVELATIONS
XI BARTON KEITH'S STORY
XII IN DEEP WATERS
XIII THE SEA MONSTER
XIV IN STRANGE PERIL
XV TOM TO THE RESCUE
XVI GASPING FOR AIR
XVII WHERE IS IT?
XVIII A SEPARATION
XIX THE SERPENT WEED
XX THE DEVIL FISH

XXI A WAR REMINDER
XXII STUDYING CURRENTS
XXIII AN UNDERSEA COLLISION
XXIV THE TREASURE SHIP
XXV THE STEEL BOX

TOM SWIFT AND HIS UNDERSEA SEARCH
CHAPTER I
UNTOLD MILLIONS

"Tom, this is certainly wonderful reading! Over a hundred million
dollars' worth of silver at the bottom of the ocean! More than two
hundred million dollars in gold! To say nothing of fifty millions in
copper, ten millions in--"
"Say, hold on there, Ned! Hold on! Where do you get that stuff; as the
boys say? Has something gone wrong with one of the adding machines,
or is it just on account of the heat? What's the big idea, anyhow? How
many millions did you say?" and Tom Swift, the talented young
inventor, looked at Ned Newton, his financial manager, with a quizzical
smile.
"It's all right, Tom! It's all right!" declared Ned, and it needed but a
glance to show that he was more serious than was his companion. "I'm
not suffering from the heat, though the thermometer is getting close to
ninety-five in the shade. And if you want to know where I get 'that
stuff' read this!"
He tossed over to his chum, employer, and friend--for Tom Swift

assumed all three relations toward Ned Newton--part of a Sunday
newspaper. It was turned to a page containing a big illustration of a
diver attired in the usual rubber suit and big helmet, moving about on
the floor of the ocean and digging out boxes of what was supposed to
be gold from a sunken wreck.
"Oh, that stuff!" exclaimed Tom, with a smile of disbelief as he saw the
source of Ned's information. "Seems to me I've read something like that
before, Ned!"
"Of course you have!" agreed the young financial manager of the newly
organized Swift Construction Company. "It isn't anything new. This
wealth of untold millions has been at the bottom of the sea for many
years--always increasing with nobody ever spending a cent of it. And
since the Great War this wealth has been enormously added to because
of the sinking of so many ships by German submarines."
"Well, what's that got to do with us, Ned?" asked Tom, as he looked
over some blue prints and other papers on his desk, for the talk was
taking place in his office. "You and I did our part in the war, but I don't
see what all this undersea wealth has to do with us. We've got our work
cut out for us if we take care of all the new contracts that came in this
week."
"Yes, I know," admitted Ned. "But I couldn't help calling your attention
to this article, Tom. It's authentic!"
"Authentic? What do you mean
"Well, the man who wrote it went to the trouble of getting from the
ship insurance companies a list of all the wrecks and lost vessels
carrying gold and silver coin, bullion, and other valuables. He has gone
back a hundred years, and he brings it right down to just before the war.
Hasn't had time to compile that list, the article says. But without
counting the vessels the Germans sank,