om squirmed desperately in a

t its exhaust tube was still jetting out a current of water with stunning force. Tom coul

lp!" To

Tom felt as if his last ounce of breath were

nging "Home on the Range." It drew closer, swelli

" Tom thought.

laboratory, pushing a lunch cart. But, to Tom's dismay,

dle out a bowl of oyster stew from a steaming pot. Evid

out the rest of the lunch. "Well, come on, buckaroo! Break away from them chor

th, Tom croaked out weak

bugged out at the look on the young inventor's face. Then he dashe

yelled. "Tom Jr.'s

oss the room and paced helplessly about the tank. Within

at a glance. He dashed to the control board and slammed shut

est was heaving as he gulped in

d him climb o

kets," Chow stuttered. "W

jet a bit too hard," Tom said sheep

h a grin, "Maybe you'd better hang around, Dad, until I install some sort of density-c

be a lifesaver if he should ever become

round Tom's shoulders. "I'd say you could desig

ciation, Tom set to work imp

his I hear about your getting hammerlocked by a water jet?" the hus

fact, I felt pretty silly," he told his chum. "

l assembly from the workbench. "This it?"

onstrated the devi

he exclaimed. "What about that other thing you're working on?" Bud pointed to a small elect

r ballast tanks, you might say. It'll enable us to rise or sink

e diver's belt, with a single tuning-knob control. The "throttle"

ut the new diving gear

tus perfected, and turned it over

akedown tomorrow mo

when the boys arrived at the plant next day. They immediately flew to Feari

Tom and Bud donned flippers and belt, and

of sharks!" Bud chortled lus

with a grin. "Also, don't get carried away with that ion squ

ting his face mask, he plunge

t of the ocean floor, they tried their drive jets. The effect was th

upward like a cork. A reverse twirl sent him plummeting toward the bottom a

r acrobatics. Presently Bud felt a nudge in the back

th a chuckle. "Okay, Tom old boy, here's

lped in surprise. Instead of his chum, he found

. "A porpoise! So you're

poise swam off, as if inviting Bud to join in the fun and

, whacked the porpoise that had nudged him, and jetted off ag

of underwater tag was in full swing. The dolphins

elves aboard. Both tore off their masks and flopped int

unny down ther

into laughter. The porpoises rose into view and c

s search for the Brungarian sea-prowlers immediately. Soon after lunch they took off in the Sea Hound

ed the missile search area. Tom immediately contacted Art Wiltess

on as the seacopter touched bottom, Tom and Bud s

rther from the Sea Hound. Then Tom felt a touch on his arm

ine was moving s