" inquired the aged inventor,
thinking it well to ascertain, if possible, just how much the men knew.

"Because we're after that treasure as well as you," was the bold reply.
"You have no exclusive right to it. The sunken ship is awaiting the
first comer, and whoever gets there first can take the gold from the
wreck. We intend to be there first, but we'll be fair with you."

"Fair? What do you mean?" demanded Tom.

"This: We'll race you for it. The first one to arrive will have the
right to search the wreck for the gold bullion. Is that fair? Do you
agree to it?"

"We agree to nothing with you," interrupted Captain Weston, his usual
diffident manner all gone. "I happen to be in partial command of this
craft, and I warn you that if I find you interfering with us it won't
be healthy for you. I'm not fond of fighting, but when I begin I don't
like to stop," and he smiled grimly. "You'd better not follow us."

"We'll do as we please," shouted the third member of the trio on the
deck of the other boat, which, as Tom could see, was named the Wonder.
"We intend to get that gold if we can."

"All right. I've warned you," went on the sailor, and then, motioning
to Tom and his father to follow, he went below.

"Well, what's to be done?" asked Mr. Swift when they were seated in the
living-room, and had informed the others of the presence of the rival
submarine.

"The only thing I see to do is to sneak away unobserved, go as deep as
possible, and make all haste for the wreck," advised the captain. "They
will depend on us, for they have evidently no chart of the wreck,
though of course the general location of it may be known to them from
reading the papers. I hoped I had thrown them off the track by the
false chart I dropped, but it seems they were too smart for us."

"Have they a right to follow us?" asked Tom.

"Legally, but not morally. We can't prevent them, I'm afraid. The only
thing to do is to get there ahead of them. It will be a race for the
sunken treasure, and we must get there first."

"What do you propose doing, captain?" asked Mr. Damon. "Bless my
shirt-studs, but can't we pull their ship up on the island and leave it
there?"

"I'm afraid such high-handed proceedings would hardly answer," replied
Mr. Swift. "No, as Captain Weston says, we must get there ahead of
them. What do you think will be the best scheme, captain?"

"Well, there's no need for us to forego our plan to get fresh water.
Suppose we