第3章

"Why, this account of the sinking of the treasure ship." "Treasure ship? No.Where?""Listen," went on Tom."I'll read it: 'Further advices from Montevideo, Uruguay, South America, state that all hope has been given up of recovering the steamship Boldero, which foundered and went down off that coast in the recent gale.Not only has all hope been abandoned of raising the vessel, but it is feared that no part of the three hundred thousand dollars in gold bullion which she carried will ever be recovered.Expert divers who were taken to the scene of the wreck state that the depth of water, and the many currents existing there, due to a submerged shoal, preclude any possibility of getting at the hull.The bullion, it is believed, was to have been used to further the interests of a certain revolutionary faction, but it seems likely that they will have to look elsewhere for the sinews of war.Besides the bullion the ship also carried several cases of rifles, it is stated, and other valuable cargo.The crew and what few passengers the Boldero carried were, contrary to the first reports, all saved by taking to the boats.It appears that some of the ship's plates were sprung by the stress in which she labored in a storm, and she filled and sank gradually.' There! what do you think of that, dad?" cried Tom as he finished.

"What do I think of it? Why, I think it's too bad for the revolutionists, Tom, of course.""No; I mean about the treasure being still on board the ship.Whatabout that?"

"Well, it's likely to stay there, if the divers can't get at it.Now, Mr.Sharp, about the propellers--""Wait, dad!" cried Tom earnestly.

"Why, Tom, what's the matter?" asked Mr.Swift in some surprise."How soon before we can finish our submarine?" went on Tom, notanswering the question."About a month.Why?""Why? Dad, why can't we have a try for that treasure? It ought to be comparatively easy to find that sunken ship off the coast of Uruguay.In our submarine we can get close up to it, and in the new diving suits you invented we can get at that gold bullion.Three hundred thousand dollars! Think of it, dad! Three hundred thousand dollars! We could easily claim all of it, since the owners have abandoned it, but we would be satisfied with half.Let's hurry up, finish the submarine, and have a try for it.""But, Tom, you forget that I am to enter my new ship in the trials for the prize offered by the United States Government.""How much is the prize if you win it?" asked Tom."Fifty thousand dollars.""Well, here's a chance to make three times that much at least, and maybe more.Dad, let the Government prize go, and try for the treasure.Will you?"Tom looked eagerly at his father, his eyes shining with anticipation.Mr.Swift was not a quick thinker, but the idea his son had proposed made an impression on him.He reached out his hand for the paper in which the young inventor had seen the account of the sunken treasure.Slowly he read it through.Then he passed it to Mr.Sharp.

"What do you think of it?" he asked of the aeronaut"There's a possibility," remarked the balloonist "We might try for it.We can easily go three miles down, and it doesn't lie as deeply as that, if this account is true.Yes, we might try for it.But we'd have to omit the Government contests.""Will you, dad?" asked Tom again.

Mr.Swift considered a moment longer.

"Yes, Tom, I will," he finally decided."Going after the treasure will be likely to afford us a better test of the submarine than would any Government tests.We'll try to locate the sunken Boldero.""Hurrah!" cried the lad, taking the paper from Mr.Sharp and waving it in the air."That's the stuff!Now for a search for the submarine treasure!"