"Expect that ship is pretty well battered to pieces, but have every reason to believe the real booty is still intact," Captain Austin was saying, as several deckmen began dragging various diving paraphernalia on deck.
The chief executive turned to Jay.
"I want you to go down this morning, if you are feeling fit and fine, Mr. Thacker."
Jay indicated he was quite ready and never felt better in his life.
"This chap Weddigen is also going down," continued Austin.
Jay held his tongue, having learned well the lesson of discipline in the navy. Although he distrusted the fellow and knew he nursed a personal grudge, Jay was determined to make the best of the situation.
Dick was to remain on board the Nemo and supervise Jay's air and signal lines. Knowing quite well by his long experience that it was foolhardy for a diver to eat but a very little before descending into the pressure of the depths, Jay drank only a glassful of orange juice and a cup of black unsweetened coffee.
By nine o'clock final preparations for the descent were under way. Jay was going off the forward deck of the Nemo, and Weddigen was to take off from aft the conning tower. The huge unwieldy diving suit, the clodhopper shoes of iron, the ghoulish looking headgear with its grotesque looking eyes were ready to be donned. The Nemo was anchored to the lee shore of the island; the water was comparatively quiet and there seemed little danger of the "life lines" becoming unmanageable.
"Gee, wish I was going along," sighed Dick a bit wistfully.