g to do?" asked Ned excitedly.

"Get divers," replied Tom as he waited. "I'm going to recover that
meteorite or know the reason--Oh, hello! Yes. I want the main office of
the Neptune Salvage Company in New York City. No, I haven't the address.
Yes, I'll hold the line.

"These people are experts," he told his chum while waiting for his
call to be put through. "If the stone isn't in too deep water they'll be
able to raise it if anyone can."

[Illustration: "I'm Going to Recover the Meteorite."]

"But how can they ever find it? Seems to me it'll be like hunting for
the proverbial needle in a haystack, only more so!"

"Not quite that bad. Captain Mawson gives what seem to be pretty
complete directions. You might try getting any further data the man may
have."

[Illustration: "Captain Mawson Gave Directions."]

Unfortunately for Tom, as he learned in the next two hours, the
Neptune Company and other salvage concerns he called were very busy and
could not spare a barge of the required size. Moreover, Ned could get no
more information, when he finally contacted the freighter, than her
commander had given already.

"Why doan yo' tak' yo' submarine boat down dere, Massa Tom?" asked
Eradicate as he served luncheon to the young inventor, his father and
Ned. "Ah 'members we once got some treasure off'n de bottom ob de sea
dat way."

[Illustration: Eradicate Served Luncheon]

"I did think of that, Rad," answered Tom a bit wearily, "but my ship
isn't big enough to raise such a great weight."

"And so, son," said the elder Swift, "if you can't get the use of a
large salvage craft you will have to give up your project; is that
right?"

"That's right, Dad, and I surely hate to think of it. But I'm not going
to give up, even if I have to bring men and equipment from the Pacific
coast!"

[Illustration: "I'm Not Going to Give Up!"]

"That'd be mighty expensive," objected Ned. In his capacity as the
Swifts' business manager, he had earned the nickname "watchdog of the
treasury." "Why not wait until some local firm can take the job?"

"Too risky. You see, ocean currents or some submarine upheaval might
shift the big stone so great a distance that we could never find it.
Don't forget that to the best of our knowledge the meteorite is the only
source of X on earth."

[Illustration: "Ocean Currents Might Shift the Stone."]

"Hmm," frowned Mr. Swift. "I used to know an old fellow very well who
was in the diving business. M