"You must be right, for they are very rich, and if they thought they could add to their fortunes they would fit out an expedition at once and go in search of the sunken treasure."
"Right you are, Dave. But they would have their hands full finding it, for you must remember, the Pacific Ocean at this point is nearly two miles deep."
"Two miles!" Dave Fearless' face fell. "Then we'll never see a single piece of that gold."
"I have been thinking of the matter for several weeks, and I think I have solved the problem of how to get to the wreck, if I can work the plan I have in mind," replied Mr. Fearless, as he began to pace the floor of the modest dining room thoughtfully.
"And what is your plan, father?"
"It is this: Two weeks from to-day our government is going to send another ship to the Pacific, the Swallow, under the command of Captain Paul Broadbeam."
"What, dear old Captain Broadbeam, whom we used to know at Nantucket Light?"
"The same, Dave. He will be in full charge of the expedition, which is to sound the depths of the Pacific, locate any new islands which may be brought to light, and drag the bottom of the ocean for strange fish or marine animals, for the Fish Commission. For this purpose the expedition will take along one of the new Costell diving bells."
"You mean one of those glass cages which they can lower to the bottom of the ocean and then walk around on big steel legs, like an artificial crab?"
"Exactly. They say they work perfectly, and if that is so, we ought to be able to get to the wreck of the Happy Hour and explore it without difficulty."