Tom Swift and His Undersea Search | Page 8

certainly would," was the answer.
"Then I am prepared to offer you that sum," went on Mr. Hardley. "But
there are certain conditions, and I may say that this vast wealth is not
easy to come at. However, with your inventive genius, I am sure you
will be able to solve the mystery of the sea. Now then as to details.
There lies, on the floor of the ocean--"
"Hark!" exclaimed Tom, raising a hand to enjoin silence. "I think I hear
some one coming." At that moment there was a knock at the door.
CHAPTER III

THINKING IT OVER

"FATHER, is that you?" asked Tom. "Father hasn't been feeling well,
of late," he said to the assembled company, "and I told him to go to lie
down. But he's hard to manage, and he won't rest more than ten minutes
at a time. My father, I might explain, Mr. Hardley," Tom went on, "is
actively associated with me in business."
"So I have understood," said the man who had been introduced by Mr.
Damon.
"Dis Koku!" came the guttural voice of the giant from the other side of
the door. "Koku want more work. Hall, him all clean. Maybe I help dat
no-good Rad now."
"No you don't, Koku!" exclaimed the young inventor, with a laugh.
"You keep away from Rad. You'll get to disputing again and interrupt
me, and I have business on hand. Here, wait a minute. I'll find
something for you to do," he went on, opening the door to disclose the
immense man standing outside, a broom in his hand seeming like a toy.
"Excuse me one moment," went on Tom to his friends. Taking up his
desk telephone he called one of the shops, asking: "Have you any
heavy work on hand this morning; lifting big castings, or anything like
that? You have? Good! I'll send Koku right over."
Turning to the giant who apparently had not paid much attention to the
talk over the wire, Tom said:
"Koku, go over to shop number ten, ask for the foreman, and he'll keep
you busy. There are some five-hundred-pound castings that need
assembling, and you can help him."
"Good!" exclaimed the giant, with a cheerful grin. "Koku like big
work--no like sweep. Good for women and Rad, but not for Koku!"
"He spoke the truth there," remarked Ned Newton, as the giant stalked

down the hall. "I never saw such a strong man. I'm afraid to shake
hands with him, for fear I'll be minus a couple of fingers in the
operation."
"Well, he's disposed of," remarked Tom, as he closed the door. "And
now, Mr. Hardley, I'm at your service, as far as listening to your
proposition is concerned."
"Thank you. I shall endeavor to be brief," remarked the visitor. "Am I
correct in assuming that you have had some experience in submarine
work? I believe Mr. Damon mentioned something of that sort."
"Submarine work? Bless my hydrometer, I should say so!" exclaimed
the eccentric man. "And not only in submarine, but in aeroplane! but
you don't need any aeroplanes, my dear Mr. Hardley. It's the submarine
end of it that you are interested in, as far as Tom Swift is concerned.
Now go ahead and tell him what you told me, and how many millions
there are in it."
"Very well," assented the visitor. "Have you ever had any experience in
recovering treasure from sunken wrecks?" he asked Tom.
"Yes," was the answer. "And it is curious that you should ask me that,
for my friend here, Ned Newton, and I were just talking about that very
matter. Here's what brought it up," and Tom showed the page from the
Sunday paper.
"Hum! Yes!" musingly remarked Mr. Hardley. "That's all very well.
Part of it is true; but I imagine most of it is the work of imagination of
some enterprising reporter. Of course there is no question but that there
are untold millions on the bottom of the ocean. The only trouble, as I
think you will agree with me, Mr. Swift, is in coming at the money."
"Exactly," said Tom.
"And will you bear me out when I say that if the wreck of a treasure
ship could be exactly located in water that is not too deep, half the
trouble would be solved?" asked Mr. Hardley.

"A good share of it would," answered Tom. "That is usually the chief
difficulty--locating the wreck. Nearly always they are anywhere from
one to five miles from where the persons seeking them think they are.
And five miles, or even half a mile, is a good distance on the bottom of
the ocean."
"Exactly," echoed Mr. Hardley. "Then if I could give you the exact
location of a sunken treasure ship, and prove to you that