CHAPTER XVIH

A DISCOVERY

meanwhile, above on the surface, low, scudding clouds and a rising wind added to the alarm of the barge crew, who as yet knew nothing of the older Hardy lad's added peril. Captain Eankin scanned the heavens anxiously.

"Another forty minutes-or less-" he muk tered, '' anJ diving will be impossible.''

First Mate Harrison, standing at his superi» or's side in the wheelhouse, nodded gravely.

'' Sea's getting heavier every minute, sir,'' he eaid. Suddenly he uttered an exclamation. "By jove, sir! It's half-past eleven! Their limit's up!"

Frank ana Chipsley had been down exactly two hours, which was the maximum time allowed for experienced divers working at such a depth,

Eankin turned to the other grimly. "Order Frank Hardy up, Harrison. The least we cam do is to save Mm. Tell-----"

The officer was interrupted by a cry from the radio room, and Joe burst into the wheelhouse.

"Captain Eankin! Our anchor has broken loose! It's swinging down there with Frank in the middle of it I"

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For once the younger Hardy brother was on the verge of losing his self-control. Without waiting for the captain's answer he turned on tis heel and ran down the companionway to the equipment room.

"Give me a suit!" he shouted to an unpleasant looking man standing watch over the apparatus. '' Give me a suit! I 'm going down!''

The fellow laughed sarcastically. "Be careful, or you'll step on the dynamite, lad."

He indicated a row of powder sticks which had been added to the barge's equipment for possible use in reaching the Katawa's vault. Joe attempted to push past the guard to the diving suits in the rear of the room, but the older man gave him a shove that sent the lad sprawling.

"I got no orders to give you a suit!" he snarled. '' Go ask the captain if you want anything around here!''

Joe got up and was about to fling himself at the surly watchman when the commander of the vessel appeared.

"Joe! Joe, come here!" he ordered gently. "We're trying to get in touch with Gus Kuntz. He's the only man outside of Perry who could live through a dive now!'' He motioned toward the water, which by this time had become a churning cauldron of mountainous, white-capped waves. The barge rolled and tossed unevenly.

"What about that anchor down there, Cap-

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tain? What about Frank? It's probably too late to------!"

Captain Rankin clapped a huge palm over Joe's shoulder. "It's all right!" he shouted above the increasing thunder of the wind and water. "We hoisted it up just in time. Frank says he's all right now. Just told Chet so over the radio."

After Joe had left the radio room the plump boy had promptly seized the earphones. He was keeping in constant communication with Frank, shouting encouragement and warnings in rapid succession. Now he met Joe and Rankin at the radio room doorway.

"He won't come up," Chet announced. "He sends his thanks for pulling the anchor out of the way-says it missed him by about half an inch, but at least it missed him!"

Joe grinned in relief, but Captain Rankin knitted nis brows.

"Frank's been down over two hours now," he said. "That's his limit, fellows. If he doesn't come up pretty quickly he-he may not come up at all."

Suddenly a sailor appeared and touched his beret. '' Captain Rankin! Mr. Kuntz says he '11 go down if he's paid three thousand dollars first."

"Three thousand dollars!" Rankin spluttered. "Why-why, that's preposterous!"

"He won't get it!" Joe announced flatly. "I'll go down myself first!"

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"No you won't, my boy," the officer persisted. "This is a job for an old hand at the game-nobody else would ever live through it. Look at that sea!"

A gigantic comber crashed over the lurching vessel as he spoke, drenching them to the skin and nearly knocking them off their feet. Joe found himself flung heavily against the rail. He dashed the water from his eyes.

'' Look!" he shouted. '' Here comes Perry!''

Manned by four sailors, with the diver seated high up in the stern, was a dory headed in their direction. The barge crew watched, aghast.

'' They '11 never make it,'' muttered one.

"Not in this sea!" confirmed another. "Look! There she goes!"

"Nope!" cried a third. "She's still afloat. Golly!"

The tiny boat, hardly more than, a cockleshell in the grip of that heaving ocean, was making a brave fight. One instant it would rise high on the crest of a tremendous wave, the next it would wallow out of sight in a deep trough. The onlookers watched breathlessly, expecting at any moment to see the dory disappear and never come up again.

Miraculously the sailors kept the tiny shell upright, rowing on desperately. Perry, who was at the helm, was having a fight of his own to keep the bow headed into the wind.

After what seemed an hour, yet in reality was only a few minutes, the boat bounced along-

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side the barge and a rousing cheer could be heard. Ropes were flung rapidly to the victorious seamen, who scrambled up on deck. Perry rushed to the equipment room.

"Heard about everything," he panted from his recent exertion as Joe helped him into a diving suit. "Chet flashed it to the village radio station and they got in touch with me. And is Kuntz furious! He thought he 'd make a fortune out of us; instead, he's sitting there on the dock wearing a scowl that would knock you down. He's watching us through a telescope."

"Serves him right!" Joe snapped. "He'd let his own brother die for the sake of a few dollars! Frank and I'll never rest until he's tucked away in the strongest jail in the country!"

"Good fellows-and I'm with you! Well, wish me luck. Here goes!''

"With a smile Perry waited for an instant while Joe screwed on his helmet. With a cheerful wave of his gloved hand he went overside and disappeared in the foam of a crashing wave. Joe watched for an instant, then dashed to the radio room.

"How's Frank?" he queried anxiously.

Chet handed over the earphones. '' Still looking for Chipsley," he drawled. "He's------"

Down on the tangled deck of the Katawa Frank had succeeded finally in reaching the cabin door, now that the threatening anchor had

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been withdrawn. The barge, to be sure, still had two more anchors buried in parts of the submerged steamer but so far these showed no indication of coming loose.

Reaching the entrance he made fast his line, then continued to unreel it as he stepped cautiously into the doorway and played his light through the interior of the black cavity.

To his disappointment the floor appeared to be intact. Where, then, was the cameraman? Of the countless possibilities as to his whereabouts, this one had seemed the most likely. He could see no break in that freak carpet of vegetation within the room. What could he do now? Nothing but patiently direct his lone search elsewhere. He must be quick, for he was beginning to feel faint.

He twisted his oxygen valve a little further to the right to relieve a slight sensation of stuffiness. To his consternation the valve needle pointed just short of the 'empty' mark. He had barely enough life-giving air to reach the surface if he should start almost at once!

Grimly Frank determined to make one last effort to find the cameraman. He pulled his line taut and turned away from the doorway, reaching out for support against a stanchion. His arm, brushing close to his side, accidentally snapped off his searchlight switch.

Instead of finding himself for the moment in utter darkness, he saw to his amazement an eerie glow emanating from the floor of the

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cabin. For an instant he stared in bewilderment. Then a thought struck him. It was Chipsley's light! It must bel

Gingerly he stretched one foot into the cabin and pressed it down through the seaweed. To his astonishment the growths parted, exposing a gaping hole. There was no floor!

'' Chet! Joe! Who's there ? " he yelled into the microphone.

"Hello, Frank, this is Joe. What's up?"

"I've found Chipsley! I'm sure I have. Wait a minute."

He seized the light crow-bar at his belt and poked it down through the weed, swinging it in a widening circle. Suddenly a strong light flashed directly into his eyes.

With a whoop of joy he switched his own lamp back on. About twenty feet below him was the cameraman, lying in a tangle of crushed timbers and debris. Feebly Chipsley waved his one free hand, which enclosed a heavy diver's knife.

"I've found him!" Frank shouted into the radio-phone. At the same instant he realized with a chill the significance of the motion Chips-ley had made with the steel blade. The cameraman was going to amputate his leg if help did not come soon!

"Is he alive?" Joe asked breathlessly. "He hasn't answered me for the past fifteen minutes."

"He's alive," Frank replied. "He just

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waved to me. Wait! I'm going to try to reach him."

The excitement had its effect on Frank's Waning strength, and the lad found himself becoming dizzy on the least exertion. Grimly he resolved to reach Chipsley if it was the last thing he ever did.

Joe's voice crackled down to him again. '' Mr. Perry's coming to you, Frank. Can you tell me exactly where you are?"

The lad made an effort to reply. "I-I-" He lapsed into silence, gasping for breath.

"Frank! Frank! What's the matter?" came Joe's frantic query. "Frank! What's happened to you? I can't hear you!"

Frank's head was reeling. What a horrible, lonely death this was to be! he thought, peering blankly through his helmet window. Something seemed to be wrong with his searchlight. Its bright glare had suddenly become feeble. The young diver blinked his eyes, straining to see by the fading rays. No use-his light was going out-or could it be his eyes?

His head spun, and his breath came in quick, short gasps. He found himself sinking toward that gaping hole through which Chipsley had fallen. With a desperate effort he struggled to right himself. It was too late. Blackness swept upon him, and slowly he toppled over into the black void where Chipsley already lay, imprisoned by the wreckage.