There was no time to be lost. They were in a treacherous1 part of the ocean, and strong currents might at any time further break up the wreck2, so that they could not come at the gold. It was decided3, by means of motions, to at once transfer the treasure to the submarine. As the boxes were too heavy to carry easily, especially as two men, who were required to lift one, could not walk together in the uncertain footing afforded by the wreck, another plan was adopted. The boxes were opened and the bars, a few at a time, were dropped on a firm, sandy place at the side of the wreck. Tom and Captain Weston did this work, while Mr. Sharp and Mr. Damon carried the bullion4 to the diving chamber5 of the Advance. They put the yellow bars inside, and when quite a number had been thus shifted, Mr. Swift, closing the chamber, pumped the water out and removed the gold. Then he opened the chamber to the divers6 again, and the process was repeated, until all the bullion had been secured.
Tom would have been glad to make a further examination of the wreck, for he thought he could get some of the rifles the ship carried, but Captain Weston signed to him not to attempt this.
The lad went to the pilot house, while his father and Mr. Sharp took their places in the engine-room. The gold had been safely stowed in Mr. Swift's cabin.
Tom took a last look at the wreck before he gave the starting signal. As he gazed at the bent7 and twisted mass of steel that had once been a great ship, he saw something long, black and shadowy moving around from the other side, coming across the bows.
"There's another big shark," he observed to Captain Weston. "They're coming back after us."
The captain did not speak. He was staring at the dark form. Suddenly, from what seemed the pointed8 nose of it, there gleamed a light, as from some great eye.
"Look at that!" cried Tom. "That's no shark!"
"If you want my opinion," remarked the sailor, "I should say it was the other submarine—that of Berg and his friends—the Wonder. They've managed to fix up their craft and are after the gold."
"But they're too late!" cried Tom excitedly. "Let's tell them so."
"No," advised the captain. "We don't want any trouble with them."
Mr. Swift came forward to see why his son had not given the signal to start. He was shown the other submarine, for now that the Wonder had turned on several searchlights, there was no doubt as to the identity of the craft.
"Let's get away unobserved if we can," he suggested. "We have had trouble enough."
It was easy to do this, as the Advance was hidden behind the wreck, and her lights were glowing but dimly. Then, too, those in the other submarine were so excited over the finding of what they supposed was the wreck containing the treasure, that they paid little attention to anything else.
"I wonder how they'll feel when they find the gold gone?" asked Tom as he pulled the lever starting the pumps.
"Well, we may have a chance to learn, when we get back to civilization," remarked the captain.
The surface was soon reached, and then, under fair skies, and on a calm sea, the voyage home was begun. Part of the time the Advance sailed on the top, and part of the time submerged.
They met with but a single accident, and that was when the forward electrical plate broke. But with the aft one still in commission, and the auxiliary9 screws, they made good time. Just before reaching home they settled down to the bottom and donned the diving suits again, even Mr. Swift taking his turn. Mr. Damon caught some large lobsters10, of which he was very fond, or, rather, to be more correct, the lobsters caught him. When he entered the diving chamber there were four fine ones clinging to different parts of his diving suit. Some of them were served for dinner.
The adventurers safely reached the New Jers............