lates might have started in several
sections at once. This he wanted to discover, and take means of safety
accordingly.

"How do you make it, Mr. Nelson?" cried the young inventor to the
captain in the engine room.

"Only a slight leak in compartment B 2," he answered, as Tom's eyes
rapidly scanned the tell-tale gauges. "The pumps and air are taking
care of that."

"Good!" cried Tom. "It doesn't seem possible that there isn't more than
that, though. We struck a terrible blow."

"Yes, but a glancing one, I think, sir."

"Send for the lookout," ordered Tom. "I can't under stand why he didn't
see whatever we've hit in time to avoid it."

The lookout came in, very much frightened, it must be admitted. Only
by a narrow margin had all escaped death.

"It was impossible to see it, Mr. Swift," he said. "We had a clear
course, not a thing in sight. The bottom was white sand, and I could
almost count the fishes. All at once there was a big swirl of water
that threw our nose around, and before I could signal to slow down or
reverse we were right into her."

"Into what?" asked Tom.

"Some sort of wreck, I took it to be. I shoved the wheel hard over as
quickly as I could, and we struck only a glancing blow."

"That's good," murmured Tom. "I thought that must have been the
explanation. But what's that about a sudden swirl of water?"

"It seemed to me like a change in the current," the lookout answered.
"It threw us right over against the wreck."

"I can very easily imagine something like that happening," admitted
Tom. "Well, as long as we're not badly damaged I think we'll go outside
and take a look. If we hit a wreck--"

"Bless my looking glass!" cried Mr. Damon, "it may be the Pandora, Tom."

"That's too good to be true!" cried Ned. "Anyhow, let's get out and
take a look."

Tom first made sure that the slight leak was not likely to increase,
and then arrangements were made for himself, Ned, Koku, and some of the
others to go outside in the diving suits. Mr. Damon wanted to be of the
party, but Tom was afraid to permit him in that depth of water. Mr.
Damon, in spite of his jollity, was not as young as he had been.

Shortly after the collision, which had missed being a disaster by a
narrow margin, Tom and his companions were outside the submarine,
walking on the white, sandy bottom of the sea. Around them was a myriad
of fishes, some of large size, but seemingly harmless, as they scudded
rapidly away after a gla