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Updated: June 3, 2025
Hardley was a good actor, or else he was a perfectly innocent man, for he showed not the least sign of perturbation. "Oh, Bedford," he remarked. "Don't know that I ever heard of the place." "Or Mr. Keith, either?" asked Tom, a bit sharply. "No, certainly not. Why should I?" he asked, boldly. "I didn't know," Tom replied. "I'm sorry to postpone our trip, but it's necessary," he added.
But, as a matter of fact, he was glad the separation had come. There had been a strain ever since Hardley came aboard. Mr. Damon, too, looked relieved, though a trifle worried. He had considerable at stake, and he stood to lose the money he had invested with Dixwell Hardley. "This is final," announced Tom. "If we separate we separate for good, and I'm on my own.
After many hardships in life, which Mr. Keith related in some detail to Tom, the oil-well prospector at last fell in with Dixwell Hardley. Then followed the combination of interests. "We are actually partners," declared Mr. Keith. "I agreed to do the work, and he agreed to furnish the money. I must say this for him, that he kept to that end of the bargain.
The ballast tanks were emptied, the rising rudder set, and the M. N. 1 began to ascend. She was still several fathoms from the surface when all on board became aware of a violent pitching and tossing motion. "Bless my postage stamp, Tom!" exclaimed Mr. Damon, "what's the matter now?" "Has anything gone wrong?" demanded Mr. Hardley.
"I wouldn't want to say, Mr. Nestor, until you describe to me the Mr. Hardley you know. Then I can better tell. But from what little I have seen of the man to whom I was introduced by my friend Mr. Damon, I'd say, off hand, that he was capable of such action." "Does Mr. Damon know this Mr. Hardley well?" asked Mrs. Nestor, who accompanied her husband. "I wouldn't say that he did," Tom replied.
I don't want to form any rash judgment, so we'll make certain; but it wouldn't surprise me a bit to have it turn out that the Dixwell Hardley who wants me to help him recover the Pandora treasure is the same one who is trying to cheat Mr. Keith." Early the next morning, when Tom arose in his own home, he met Mr. Damon and Mr.
Hardley, both of whom were guests at the Swift house, pending the beginning of the undersea trip. "Well, Tom," began the eccentric man, "we have good weather for the start. Bless my rubber boots! Not that it much matters, though, what sort of weather we have when we're in the submarine. But I always like to start in the sunshine." "So do I," agreed Mr. Hardley.
And then, for the first time, Mr. Hardley seemed to become aware that something serious was the matter. Up to now he seemed to think that all that had occurred was done for the purpose of testing the newly outfitted underseas boat. "Is there anything wrong?" he asked sharply of Tom. "Why are we in this position, and why don't we go on out to the open ocean and make a test at considerable depth?
And, as the young inventor and his friends went out on deck, they saw a small steamer riding on the ocean not far away. One look was enough to tell them it was from this craft that the grappling iron had been let down, and as the submarine drifted nearer the form of Hardley was seen on deck. He was directing operations.
And five miles, or even half a mile, is a good distance on the bottom of the ocean." "Exactly," echoed Mr. Hardley. "Then if I could give you the exact location of a sunken treasure ship, and prove to you that the owners had given up the search for it, leaving it open to salvage on the part of whoever wished to try would that be any inducement to you to make an attempt, Mr. Swift?"
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