"Send her down, Tom," called his father, and with a hiss
the water entered the tanks. The submarine quickly sank
below the surface, aided by the deflecting rudder.
But alas for the hopes of the gold-seekers. No sooner was
she completely submerged, with the engine started so as to
send her out of the lagoon and to the open sea, than the
waters all about were made brilliant by the phosphorescent
phenomenon. In southern waters this frequently occurs.
Millions of tiny creatures, which, it is said, swarm in the
warm currents, give an appearance of fire to the ocean, and
any object moving through it can plainly be seen. It was so
with the Advance. The motion she made in shooting forward,
and the undulations caused by her submersion, seemed to
start into activity the dormant phosphorus, and the
submarine was afloat in a sea of fire.
"Quick!" cried Tom. "Speed her up! Maybe we can get out of
this patch of water before they see us."
But it was too late. Above them they could hear the
electric siren of the Wonder as it was blown to let them
know that their escape had been noticed. A moment later the
water, which acted as a sort of sounding-board, or
telephone, brought to the ears of Tom Swift and his friends
the noise of the engines of the other craft in operation.
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