UNTOLD MILLIONS

"Tom, this is certainly wonderful reading! Over a hundred million dollars' worth of silver at the bottom of the ocean! More than two hundred million dollars in gold! To say nothing of fifty millions in copper, ten millions in--""Say, hold on there, Ned! Hold on! Where do you get that stuff; as the boys say? Has something gone wrong with one of the adding machines, or is it just on account of the heat? What's the big idea, anyhow? How many millions did you say?" and Tom Swift, the talented young inventor, looked at Ned Newton, his financial manager, with a quizzical smile.

"It's all right, Tom! It's all right!" declared Ned, and it needed but a glance to show that he was more serious than was his companion."I'm not suffering from the heat, though the thermometer is getting close to ninety- five in the shade.And if you want to know where I get 'that stuff' read this!"He tossed over to his chum, employer, and friend--for Tom Swift assumed all three relations toward Ned Newton--part of a Sunday newspaper.It was turned to a page containing a big illustration of a diver attired in the usual rubber suit and big helmet, moving about on the floor of the ocean and digging out boxes of what was supposed to be gold from a sunken wreck.

"Oh, that stuff!" exclaimed Tom, with a smile of disbelief as he saw the source of Ned's information."Seems to me I've read something like that before, Ned!""Of course you have!" agreed the young financial manager of the newly organized Swift Construction Company."It isn't anything new.This wealth of untold millions has been at the bottom of the sea for many years--always increasing with nobody ever spending a cent of it.And since the Great War this wealth has been enormously added to because of the sinking of so many ships by German submarines.""Well, what's that got to do with us, Ned?" asked Tom, as he lookedover some blue prints and other papers on his desk, for the talk was taking place in his office."You and I did our part in the war, but I don't see what all this undersea wealth has to do with us.We've got our work cut out for us if we take care of all the new contracts that came in this week.""Yes, I know," admitted Ned."But I couldn't help calling your attention to this article, Tom.It's authentic!""Authentic? What do you mean

"Well, the man who wrote it went to the trouble of getting from the ship insurance companies a list of all the wrecks and lost vessels carrying gold and silver coin, bullion, and other valuables.He has gone back a hundred years, and he brings it right down to just before the war.Hasn't had time to compile that list, the article says.But without counting the vessels the Germans sank, there is, in various places on the bottom of the ocean today, wrecks of ships that carried, when they went down, gold, silver, copper and other metals to the value of at least ten billions of dollars!"Tom Swift did not seem to be at all surprised by the explosive emphasis with which Ned Newton conveyed this information.He gazed calmly at his friend and manager, and then handed the paper back.

"I haven't time to look at it now," said Tom."But is there anything new in the story? I mean has any of the wealth been recovered lately--or is it in a way to be?""Yes!" exclaimed Ned."It is! A company has been formed in Japan for the purpose of using a new kind of diving bell, invented by an American, it seems.The inventor claims that in his machine he can go down deeper than ever man went before, and bring up a lot of this lost ocean wealth.""Well, every so often an inventor, or some one who calls himself that, crops up with a new proposal for cleaning up the untold millions on the floor of the Atlantic or the Pacific," replied Tom."Mind you, I'm not saying it isn't there.Everybody knows that hundreds of ships carrying gold and silver have gone down in storms or been sunk in war.And some of the gold and silver has been recovered by divers--I admit that.In fact, if you recall, my father and I perfected a new style diving dress a few years ago that was successfully used in getting down to a wreck off the Cuban coast.

A treasure ship went down there, and I believe they recovered a large part of the gold bullion--or perhaps it was silver.

"But this diving bell stunt isn't new, and it hasn't been successful.Of course a man can go down to a greater depth in a thick iron diving bell than he can in a diving suit.That's common knowledge.But the trouble with a diving bell is that it can't be moved about as a man can move about in a diving suit.The man in the bell can't get inside the wreck, and it's there where the gold or silver is usually to be found.""Can't they blow the wreck apart with dynamite, and scatter the gold on the bottom of the ocean?" asked Ned.