“Ease off on the diving rudders,” snapped Commander Ford. “We’re almost down.”
“How’s the bottom?” asked George Gadd.
“Charts show it to be good and firm. We’ll just touch and then start up again.”
The depth gauge showed 205 feet when there was a gentle scraping sound and the S-18 came to rest on the bottom of the sound. Beads of water were standing all over the interior of the glistening white hull for the pressure at that depth was tremendous.
Commander Ford left his post and made a thorough tour of the submarine. When he returned he was obviously elated.
“Everything’s holding fine,” he said. “Now we’ll get ready to return to the surface.”
Orders flew rapidly. The diving planes were readjusted and Forman Gay and Erich Gaunt stood ready to blow the ballast from the diving tanks and lighten the sub for the rise to the surface.
“Blow the tanks,” ordered the Commander.
Compressed air hissed through the high pressure lines and Tim knew that despite the pressure of the water at that depth the air was blowing the ballast from the tanks. In a moment or two the S-18 would quiver, come to life, and start the upward ascent.
Commander Ford was watching the gauges intently. There was no movement of the S-18 and he turned toward Gay and Gaunt.