She
darted to the left, to the right, and even doubled and went
back over the course she had taken. But all to no purpose.
The Wonder proved fully as speedy, and those in her seemed
to know just how to handle the submarine, so that every
evolution of the Advance was duplicated. Her rival could not
be shaken off.
All night this was kept up, and when morning came, though
only the clocks told it, for eternal night was below the
surface, the rival gold-seekers were still on the trail.
"They won't give up," declared Mr. Swift hopelessly.
"No, we've got to race them for it, just as Berg
proposed," admitted Tom. "But if they want a straightaway
race we'll give it to 'em Let's run her to the limit, dad."
"That's what we've been doing, Tom."
"No, not exactly, for we've been submerged a little too
much to get the best speed out of our craft. Let's go a
little nearer the surface, and give them the best race
they'll ever have."
Then the race began; and such a contest of speed as it
was! With her propellers working to the limit, and every
volt of electricity that was available forced into the
forward and aft plates, the Advance surged through the
water, about ten feet below the surface. But the Wonder kept
after her, giving her knot for knot. The course of the
leading submarine was easy to trace now, in the morning
light which penetrated ten feet down.
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