Captain Weston, "and monsters, too. But
they can't bother us. Now to get out the gold!"

Chapter Twenty-Three

Attacked by Sharks

For a few minutes after reaching the wreck, which had so occupied their
thoughts for the past weeks, the adventurers did nothing but gaze at it
from the ports of the submarine. The appearance of the deep-water
sharks gave them no concern, for they did not imagine the ugly
creatures would attack them. The treasure-seekers were more engrossed
with the problem of getting out the gold.

"How are we going to get at it?" asked Tom, as he looked at the high
sides of the sunken ship, which towered well above the comparatively
small Advance.

"Why, just go in and get it," suggested Mr. Damon. "Where is gold in a
cargo usually kept, Captain Weston? You ought to know, I should think.
Bless my pocketbook!"

"Well, I should say that in this case the bullion would be kept in a
safe in the captain's cabin," replied the sailor. "Or, if not there,
in some after part of the vessel, away from where the crew is
quartered. But it is going to be quite a problem to get at it. We can't
climb the sides of the wreck, and it will be impossible to lower her
ladder over the side. However, I think we had better get into the
diving suits and take a closer look. We can walk around her."

"That's my idea," put in Mr. Sharp. "But who will go, and who will stay
with the ship?"

"I think Tom and Captain Weston had better go," suggested Mr. Swift.
"Then, in case anything happens, Mr. Sharp, you and I will be on board
to manage matters."

"You don't think anything will happen, do you, dad?" asked his son with
a laugh, but it was not an easy one, for the lad was thinking of the
shadowy forms of the ugly sharks.

"Oh, no, but it's best to be prepared," answered his father.

The captain and the young inventor lost no time in donning the diving
suits. They each took a heavy metal bar, pointed at one end, to use in
assisting them to walk on the bed of the ocean, and as a protection in
case the sharks might attack them. Entering the diving chamber, they
were shut in, and then water was admitted until the pressure was seen,
by gauges, to be the same as that outside the submarine. Then the
sliding steel door was opened. At first Tom and the captain could
barely move, so great was the pressure of water on their bodies. They
would have been crushed but for the protection afforded by the strong
diving suits.

In