G. Harvey Ralphson

“ When anchor was cast in a little bay at the mouth—a quiet little stretch of water sheltered by old warehouses which had been erected years before by native traders—Jack came running up the stairs to meet Ned.
"Captain Moore," he said, "is weeping himself to death for lack of your sweet society. He's all running out under the door!"
"Jack," Ned laughed, "if your imagination wasn't too strong, you'd do well writing fiction. As it is it is so strong that anything you might put on paper would not be believable. Anyway, I'll go and see what the Captain has on his mind." ”

“ Jack saw the German lad chasing through the undergrowth as if the very Old Nick was after him, swinging his cap as he ran, and shouting out some words which he could not understand.
Finally Hans turned square about, pointed in the direction from which he had come, and resumed his flight toward Jack.
"I guess some one is chasing the boy," Jack concluded, stationing himself close to a slender path which Hans was certain to follow. ”

“ He was greeted with a chorus of threats, supplications, and questions.
"You'll get yours for sinking the Shark!" one shouted.
"For God's sake let us out; we are drowning!" whined another.
"What's the matter with the boat?" asked a third.
"Listen," Ned said. "The Shark may go down in ten minutes, or she may float, under tow, for a long time. Anyway, you are better out of her. I'll take you all out if you promise to behave yourselves. Come out of the hatch one at a time and be searched for weapons. The man that carries a weapon of any kind on his person will be thrown back, to feed the fish. ”

“ When Ned saw the conning tower of the submarine drop out of sight he rowed over to the spot where she had gone down and tried to look into the depths of the sea.
The water was fairly clear, and he could see two great bulks below instead of one. He knew then what was taking place.
"The Shark is bent on murder," he mused. "Perhaps they wouldn't be so ready to sink the Sea Lion if they knew that the manager of the whole rotten business was a prisoner on her." ”

“ Moore scowled, "and you'll come to a place where there'll be no such word as luck in your dictionary. You might save yourself now by letting me go."
"You're a snake," cried Ned. "I wouldn't trust you with the life of a rat I cared for. Such people as you ought to be smothered at birth."
"Pile it on, now that you have the inning," said Moore. "Pretty soon you'll be playing second fiddle."
Ned went out of the temporary prison and locked the door without further talk. He had gained the point he sought.
Nothing could be clearer, now, than that the Shark was to meet fellow conspirators there. ”

“ The pounding was incessant, and the voices of the prisoners came clearly through the solid panels.
"Open!" cried the voice of Captain Moore. "There's danger ahead for you. Open the door."
"Little he cares for our hides!" Jimmie commented. "If there was any danger he'd be the last one to warn us."
"Just a crack," pleaded Moore. "Just a crack, and I'll tell you what you are facing."
Ned opened the door a trifle and saw Moore's face there, looking almost frantic in the strong light.
"Well?" Ned asked.
"There's death for us all if you go ahead," the Captain declared. ”

“ Young Moore's face appeared at the door as his father was forced in, and angry words between the two followed as the door was closed.
"There'll be a social session in there now," laughed Ned. "Each one will blame the other for the predicament they are in!"
"Let 'em fight it out," Jimmie advised, rubbing a bruise on his arm, which had been somewhat injured in the fall.
Hans was now gazing about the boat with something more than curiosity in his eyes. ”

“ The big fellow beyond is Hainan."
The sun was going down into the Gulf of Tong King like a ball of red fire, and the night was far from cool.
Jimmie declared he could hear the water hiss as the sun dipped its red rim under the waves. The boy now stood by Ned's side, looking over the wonderful scene.
"We've been somewhere near here before," he said. "You remember the time we came over to this side of the world and found a key to a treaty box? Well, we wasn't far from this spot at one time."
"Right you are," Frank replied. "Only we hope to find something more important than a key now. ”

“ Frank did not answer for a moment. He was still standing back of the little fellow and looking over his shoulder, out of the glass panel.
"Because," he said, "the Shark takes chances in bumping us at a considerable depth. She is higher than we are, and her prow sits a great deal above our vulnerable parts. If she strikes us when we are nestling on the bottom, her blow will glance off."
"If she knows it, then," Jimmie said, "she won't follow us down. What will she do?"
"Chase herself off."
"I hope so!" cried Jimmie.
"It beats the Old Scratch why Ned and Jack don't come," Frank said, presently. ”

“ Ned went on, "I heard noises down there, too, and I'll tell you right here that I'm alarmed."
"Scared!" roared Jimmie.
"Alarmed at what?" demanded Frank. "I didn't see anything to be alarmed at."
"I have no theory as to what it was I heard," Ned went on, "but I'm going to get a longer air-hose, shift the Sea Lion so she will hang over the wreck, and go down again right away."
"I'm ready!" laughed Jack. "I want to hear that noise again."
"Do you think there are men down there removing the gold?" asked Jack. ”

“ When the boy turned to the white line of sand at the rim of the sea he saw Ned and Jack standing there with two others. He waved his hat and Jack swung back from where he stood.
"Guess they've found some one worth talking with," Frank remarked, stepping up on the conning tower.
"Guess they have," responded Jimmie, "but there's some one creeping up to 'em from the thicket," he added, lifting his glasses. "Look out, boys!" he shouted, waving one hand frantically. "Look out! There's some one makin' a sneak on you!"
"They don't catch what you say!" Frank exclaimed. "Look there!" ”

“ The general direction was east, toward the harbor of Hongkong.
Just before the night fell Jack, who was on the lookout in front, peering through the glass panel, declared that the Shark, or some other submarine, was in sight.
"She's crippled, too," he cried. "She advances a few paces and then stops. They are having all kinds of trouble with her. Just lie still a short time, and you'll see her mounting to the surface."
The Sea Lion was brought to a halt, and the boys watched the dark bulk ahead with all their eyes. Their own boat was dark, but directly lights flared out ahead. ”

“ The men who were working in the wreck had taken no chances in leaving the boat. Their lines and air-hose passed through the outer door in well-guarded openings, and the interior was as safe from intrusion as a walled-in fortress.
Ned regretted that he had not observed the same precaution in leaving the Sea Lion, still he did not believe that his boat had been attacked. After a few moments devoted to observation, Ned crept around the keel and looked down the side of the ship which lay toward the submarine. Men with electric lamps in their helmets were working there. ”

“ Jimmie gave a quick jerk as the rope landed and he ran to the back of the room. He heard the other fall, and knew by the weight that he was dragging him.
When he gained the wall he switched on the light and reached to a shelf for a weapon. When he faced his captive he held an automatic revolver in his hand.
By this time a torrent of expletives was coming through the helmet opening where the air-hose had entered. The prisoner rolled about on the floor, trying to get to his feet.
"Whoo-pee!" shouted the boy. "Look what one can catch out of the ocean!" ”

“ Jimmie threw up his cap when the two boys stepped on the Sea Lion's platform.
"You captured the bunch!" he yelled, "and you stole the boat. You sure made a good job of it."
"What's the proposition?" asked Jack.
"I thought I'd tow the old tub into a port where I can communicate with an American man-of-war," replied Ned.
"This is luck!" Frank exclaimed. "Luck for us, and trouble for the pirates. I wonder if they've got much gold on board."
"If they have," laughed Ned, "Hans will see that they don't get away with it. They're nailed down hard." ”

“ As Jimmie swung the lever which lowered the three boys he peered out of a darkened window. He saw only the dim surface light.
"They've got sense enough not to show any light," he mused, "so the thieves won't know what is going on unless they see the shadow overhead, or run into one of the fellows."
Leaving Frank, as the most cautious of the boys, to guard the lines and air-hose when they touched sharp angles, Ned, accompanied by Jack, advanced down the main companionway and was soon in the large and handsomely furnished cabin. ”

“ Why not land and watch about the island for the arrival of the foreign conspirators?
The island was not a large one, and there were few inhabitants, so a meeting such as Ned believed was set for the place could not fail to attract some attention. Well, the first thing to do, he reasoned, was to discover if the Shark was sending her men on shore.
"Jimmie," he said, as he returned to the conning tower, "how would you like to go hunting in the bottom of the sea?"
"Fine!" shouted the lad.
"Bring in a catfish with a bunch of kittens," Frank laughed. "I'm afraid we have mice in the provision room." ”

“ The water where he stood was now taking on a faint reddish hue, and Jimmie hastened away. At first, weakened and shaken as he was by the disgusting encounter, he determined to return to the submarine, then the thought of what his chums would say to him if he gave up caused him to proceed in the direction of the Shark.
He moved over the level bottom, looking for lines which would indicate that the Shark people were out watching the movements of their rival, but found none. When he came to the end of his line he signaled for the submarine to go ahead. ”

“ The water tanks were filled, the power turned on, and the Sea Lion, with no lights in sight, save the one at the prow from which Frank watched the level ahead, began feeling her way to the south.
"The charts show a deep pit not far off," Ned said, "and we'll hide there for a time and see if they give up the job of looting the wreck. The loss of young Moore may scare them out."
"Why not go to the surface and air out the boat?" asked Jack. "Our air apparatus is all right, of course, but I like the real thing better. We can drop down again in a few minutes." ”

“ Half a dozen policemen were gathered about the end nearest the float which upheld the Sea Lion, and the figure of another showed at the top of the conning tower. As the police wagon dashed up to the wharf another rig came up on a run and halted close at the side of it.
"Hello," called the chief, recognizing a man on the seat, "how did you manage to get here so soon?"
"Some one 'phoned for me," was the hurried reply. "Where is the dead man?"
"In the submarine," answered an officer who had drawn closer to the official's buggy. ”

“ There were no natives in sight.
"I'd like to know what kind of people live on this island," Jack said as they landed and drew the boat up on the beach. "Whoever they are, they don't appear to have houses."
They crossed the white rim of beach, keeping their eyes on the boat as they advanced, and came to an elevation in the wild country beyond. From this elevation a small clearing showed to the east, and in the clearing were a number of buildings, some residences of a poor type and some evidently erected for business purposes. ”

“ Jimmie edged in. "You most always get into a scrap!"
"Well," Ned said, presently, "we may as well drop down and keep our lights low. If the Diver is here, the Moores are aware of our presence, and we must be prepared for anything."
In ten minutes the submarine lay at the bottom of the sea, with no lights showing, every plate glass window having been shuttered on the outside by a system of protection which was one of the best features of the craft. Then Ned explained that he had seen, at some distance, an apparent elevation rising from the sand. ”

“ But Ned had little interest in the sea life about him. At another time, and under other conditions, he would have enjoyed the novelty of the scene to the fullest, but now he was anxiously watching for some indication of the presence of the wreck of the Cutaria.
He was as certain as it was possible to be that the Sea Lion had descended almost at the exact spot where the ill-fated vessel went down. The hull should be out there in the sand somewhere, and he lost no time in making his investigations. ”

“ This second upheaval of the water had swung the Shark around so that the door to the water chamber was in view from the Sea Lion. The boys saw that it was open, probably left in that way for the return of the man who had gone down in the water suit.
The light, shining from the main cabin, filtered through the chamber, which was, of course, under water, only a few inches of the conning tower of the submarine now being above the surface.
"Can they shut that door from the cabin?" Frank asked.
"I presume so," Ned replied. "They ought to be able to shut the door and empty the room as well." ”

“ Perhaps Ned and Jack will learn just what they are doing there. If they do, we shall know just what course to pursue."
"What's the answer?" asked the little fellow.
"Why, if the Shark people dispose of the documents—if there were any documents in the plunder—we'll have to chase after the men who take them. The gold doesn't count."
"Yes," laughed Jimmie, "and I suppose we'll leave the Sea Lion and go over the mountains in an open boat! I'm goin' to stick to the little old Sea Lion."
"Well," Frank remarked, after a short wait, "we must get back to the spot where Ned left us." ”

“ Frank replied. "If you'd quit studying up slang and read the best authors you wouldn't inflict such pain-giving jolts."
"Who's going with the kid?" asked Jack, sticking his nose up through the open hatchway.
"I am," replied Frank, calmly. "It is not safe to trust him on the island alone."
"What do you want me to hunt?" asked Jimmie, turning his back on the two boys.
"Information."
"I can get that in a book," said Jimmie, with a wink at Frank.
"Get into your promenade suit," Ned continued, "and I'll let you out on the bottom. ”