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."Stop, Senor!" suddenly screamed the native engineer, waving his armsexcitedly and cutting off the steam."The drums turnsibut the cables do not rise.Something has caught the men!"Chapter IX: A Robber"Loose the winches a little!" ordered Captain Britten sharply."The airhosesare strained almost to the breaking point.""Si," mumbled the engineer, easing off the brake a trifle."What's the trouble, in your opinion, Captain?" asked Tom."Hard to say, young fellow," came the worried reply."What I'm afraid of isthat a huge octopus or some such monster has attacked the poor divers.Whatever it is, I fear it's the end for 'em, as there's not another diveraboard and we can't haul the men up for fear of breakin' their airlines.""Have you another diving suit?" asked Tom rapidly."I've had considerableexperience in undersea work and can' let those boys drown without trying tohelp 'em!""Can you do it, lad? Yes, I've a brandnew outfit aboard that's of the latesttype.But what'll I say to your father if anything happens to you?""Dad wouldn't want me to stand back at a time like this," rejoined the younginventor."I sent these men down and it's up to me to see they get backsafely!""But, Tom!" cried Ned."What of the octopus? You may be trapped too, and notsave Manuel and Alvarez either!""You forget, or maybe you didn't know, that I brought my electric rifle withme.That'll polish off any devilfish I'm liekyl to meet!"Well, at least let me go too!""Isn't but one suit," said Captain Britten."Now, Tom Swift, if you're ready,here's the suit.""All set," said the young inventor calmly.He began to remove his outerclothing."Ned, please bring up my rifle."By the time the young scientist had been helped into the massively armoredsuit, Ned was back on deck carrying a peculiarlooking gun.Unlike otherweapons, this one could discharge a bolt of electricity which would slay thelargest animal or merely tickle a bay, according to the adjustment.Tom setit to its highestTom Swift and His Giant TelescopePage 23 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlChapter IX: A Robber26power."Good luck!" cried Ned as the heavy helmet was lowered into place.Tom attempted to wave in reply but the gear was too weighty.Later, when hegot into the depths, the buoyant effect of the water would enable him to movemore freely.Clutching his gun in his armored hand, Tom crept slowly on to the platformsuspended over the sea.As it was lowered to the water he got a last glimpseof Ned Newton's face staring down at him.The young business manager paced the deck of the barge, at every stepreproaching himself for allowing his chum to undertake so hazardous aventure.As his watch told him that Tom must be nearing the bottom he seatedhimself by the switchboard, headphones clamped over his ears."Ground floor," announced Tom at last."Pretty dark down here.I'll switch onmy flash.Nowby George!"Ned heard a muffled silence."Tom! Tom!" he shouted frantically."What's happened? Are you all right?"For nearly ten minutes Ned crouched by the instrument trying to get in touchwith his friend.Just as he was giving up hope he heard a weak voice gap:"Not so loud, old man! You've nearly broken my eardrums.Everything's undercontrol!""Hurray!" shouted Ned."He's found 'em, Captain Britten!""Easy!" protested Tom from the depths."Don't shout like that so near thephone! Yes, the men are O.K.A big fish had 'emdon't know what it was, as Inever heard of anything like it.But a couple of shots from the rifle killedit."Tell Captain Britten to send down some heavy chains.We've found themeteorite!"The now jubilant crew, who had feared their companions lost, scurried about.In a few minutes the stout chain was snaking its way down through thebluegreen ocean."Seems to me they're taking a mighty long time about it," said Ned to CaptainBritten after an hour had passed with no word from the three divers."You're right," agreed the other."Working at that depth it's decidedlyunsafe to stay below so long.I'll warnTom.""Can't be done!" was the young man's decisive answer to the old salvageexpert's warning."This is a tougher job than I thought, for the bottom ofthe stone seems to be sinking slowly.If we can't finish our job now I'mafraid we'll lose our prize.But don't worry.We ought to be through inanother twenty minutes."The twenty minutes passed, and another like period was nearly run throughbefore Tom announced himself and the other two ready to come to the surface.To avoid the dreaded "bends," an affliction suffered by divers drawn to thesurface too rapidly, they made their ascent as slowly as their descent.Thusit was that the great meteorite reached the top long before TomTom Swift and His Giant TelescopeChapter IX: A Robber27and the two natives did."What in the name o' tarnation did he want with that?" demanded CaptainBritten as the giant stone was lowered cautiously to the deck.Weighing manytons, it had tilted the barge far over to one side as the powerful derrickdrew it up."It looks like some old rock a man might pick up 'most anyplace."Page 24 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Oh, Tom Swift usually has a good reason for everything he does," smiled Nednoncommittally."I'm no scientist, but he is, so perhaps he wants toexperiment with this stone from another planet."At last the three divers reached the surface and were hauled rapidly up tothe deck of the barge.All of them appeared exhausted, but Tom's eyesexpressed the greatest satisfaction when he saw the meteorite safely aboard.At his request the tug was put under way and the "Betsy By." Started back toher home port in Key West.During the trip Tom managed to cut from the meteorite a fiftypound chunk."I'm very eager to see if this stone contains more X," he explained to Ned,"so I'm planning to fly straight home with this sample to analyze it
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