doubt as to the identity
of the craft.

"Let's get away unobserved if we can," he suggested. "We have had
trouble enough."

It was easy to do this, as the Advance was hidden behind the wreck, and
her lights were glowing but dimly. Then, too, those in the other
submarine were so excited over the finding of what they supposed was
the wreck containing the treasure, that they paid little attention to
anything else.

"I wonder how they'll feel when they find the gold gone?" asked Tom as
he pulled the lever starting the pumps.

"Well, we may have a chance to learn, when we get back to
civilization," remarked the captain.

The surface was soon reached, and then, under fair skies, and on a calm
sea, the voyage home was begun. Part of the time the Advance sailed on
the top, and part of the time submerged.

They met with but a single accident, and that was when the forward
electrical plate broke. But with the aft one still in commission, and
the auxiliary screws, they made good time. Just before reaching home
they settled down to the bottom and donned the diving suits again, even
Mr. Swift taking his turn. Mr. Damon caught some large lobsters, of
which he was very fond, or, rather, to be more correct, the lobsters
caught him. When he entered the diving chamber there were four fine
ones clinging to different parts of his diving suit. Some of them were
served for dinner.

The adventurers safely reached the New Jersey coast, and the submarine
was docked. Mr. Swift at once communicated with the proper authorities
concerning the recovery of the gold. He offered to divide with the
actual owners, after he and his friends had been paid for their
services, but as the revolutionary party to whom the bullion was
intended had gone out of existence, there was no one to officially
claim the treasure, so it all went to Tom and his friends, who made an
equitable distribution of it. The young inventor did not forget to buy
Mrs. Baggert a fine diamond ring, as he had promised.

As for Berg and his employers, they were, it was learned later, greatly
chagrined at finding the wreck valueless. They tried to make trouble
for Tom and his father, but were not successful.

A few days after arriving at the seacoast cottage, Tom, his father and
Mr. Damon went to Shopton in the airship. Captain Weston, Garret
Jackson and Mr Sharp remained behind in charge of the submarine. It was
decided that the Swifts would keep the craft and not sell it to t