t journeying on the
surface was out of the question. "The disturbance does not go far below
the top. We'll submerge and be in quiet waters."

He gave the orders, and soon the craft was sinking again. The deeper
she went the more untroubled the sea became, until, when half way to
the bottom, there was no vestige of the storm.

"Are we going to lie here on the bottom all day, or make some progress
toward our destination?" asked the gold-seeker, when Tom came into the
main cabin after a visit to the engine room. "It seems to me," went on
Mr. Hardley, "that we've wasted enough time! I'd like to get to the
wreck, and begin taking out the gold."

"That is my plan," said Tom quietly. "We will proceed presently--just
as soon as navigating calculations can be made and checked up. If we
travel under water we want to go in the right direction."

His manner toward the gold-seeker was cool and distant. It was easy to
see that relations were strained. But Tom would fulfill his part of the
contract.

A little later, after having floated quietly for half an hour or so,
the craft was put in motion, traveling under water by means of her
electric motors. All that day she surged on through the salty sea, no
more disturbed by the storm above than was some mollusk on the sandy
bottom.

It was toward evening, as they could tell by the clocks and not by any
change in daylight or darkness, that, as the submarine traveled on,
there came a sudden violent concussion.

"What's that?" cried Mr. Damon.

"We've struck something!" replied Tom, who was with the others in the
cabin, the navigation of the craft having been entrusted to one of the
officers. "Keep cool, there's no danger!"

"Perhaps we have struck the wreck!" exclaimed Mr. Hardley.

"We aren't near her," answered the young inventor. "But it may be some
other half-submerged derelict. I'll go to see, and--"

Tom's words were choked off by a sudden swirl of the craft. She seemed
about to turn completely over, and then, twisted to an uncomfortable
angle, so that those within her slid to the side walls of the cabin,
the M. N. 1 came to an abrupt stop. At the same time she seemed to
vibrate and tremble as if in terror of some unknown fate.

"Something has gone wrong!" exclaimed Tom, and he hurried to the engine
room, walking, as best he could with the craft at that grotesque angle.
The others followed him.

"What's the matter, Earle?" asked Tom of his chief assistant.

"One of t