of one square mile in half an hour. The same job done in the old way with divers going up and down would take the best part of a year. So you see this means a real revolution in sea-bed prospecting and the search for sunken wrecks.’
‘Has it been used for that purpose?’ Hal inquired.
‘Not in the Pacific. In fact I think we will be the first to use it in this ocean. But it has been used for the past two years in the Mediterranean. First it was just thought of as a novelty, a toy for the playboys along the Riviera. Then its scientific value was realized and it has been the means of discovering eighteen sunken ships, some of them with valuable cargoes. They have found many aeroplanes shot down in the war. One of the men who tested it was Lord Louis Mountbatten - and the sled is now being studied by the British Admiralty with a view to using it in salvage operations.’
‘I’m crazy to try it!’ Roger burst forth.
‘You’d be crazy if you did,’ snarled Skink. ‘It would be a good way to get yourself drowned. This is no job for amateurs.’
The remark irritated not only Roger but Dr Blake as well. ‘I don’t consider Roger an amateur. In fact, since he’s the first to volunteer, I think we’ll let him initiate the undersea sled.’
‘Whoopee!’ cried Roger, and leaped up to make preparations for the dive. Everyone helped to lower the submarine glider to the softly heaving surface of the sea. The dinghy was launched, a four-hundred-foot cable connecting it with the glider.
‘It has to be long,’ Dr Blake explained. ‘Otherwise you wouldn’t be able to,go down far.’
Roger put on his mask and aqualung. He went down the ladder and, instructed by Blake, extended himself on his stomach along the glider. His feet slipped into the rudder controls and his hands lay on the levers that adjusted the ailerons.
‘You’ll find two straps fastened to the deck, one on each side of you. Put them around you and buckle yourself down.’ Roger did so. Now he and the glider were one. A button protruded from the sled’s deck just in front of his face. ‘What’s the button for?’
That’s your signal. Press it.’
Roger pressed the button and a buzz sounded in the dinghy.
‘If you want to stop, give me a buzz,’ Blake directed, and climbed into the dinghy. Hal, a little anxious for his brother, stepped into the dinghy with Blake. The latter started the motor and idled the boat out four hundred feet until the slack in the cable was taken up.
‘Are you ready?’ he called back.
Roger took off his mask, spat into it, and rinsed it out. That would prevent fogging. He put the mask on again, testing it to make sure it was tight. He could guess that the rush of the water would do its best to tear the mask from his head. He adjusted the flanges of the aqualung mouthpiece behind his lips and closed his teeth on the rubber tabs.
He waved to Blake. The motor whined, the boat slid forward until the cable was taut, the sled began to move.
At first Roger was content to glide along the surface. Then he dipped the sled until the deck was awash and his arms and legs submerged, but his head was still above. He dipped farther and the water tore into his face. Involuntarily he blinked and held his breath - then realized it was not necessary to do either. The mask protected his eyes and although he was now completely under water he breathed comfortably from the tank on his back.
He steered down to a depth of about twenty feet. To stay down, he had to keep constant pressure on the controls. Whenever he let up, the sled immediately began to climb towards the surface. It behaved like the aerial glider, but in reverse. Whereas the aerial glider always tends to drop earthwards, the submarine glider wants to climb. Well, Roger reflected, this would be all to the good in case of accident. If the pilot should pass out, the sled would surface and be seen by the crew in the motorboat. In fact, this was pretty soft compared with sky
‘Has it been used for that purpose?’ Hal inquired.
‘Not in the Pacific. In fact I think we will be the first to use it in this ocean. But it has been used for the past two years in the Mediterranean. First it was just thought of as a novelty, a toy for the playboys along the Riviera. Then its scientific value was realized and it has been the means of discovering eighteen sunken ships, some of them with valuable cargoes. They have found many aeroplanes shot down in the war. One of the men who tested it was Lord Louis Mountbatten - and the sled is now being studied by the British Admiralty with a view to using it in salvage operations.’
‘I’m crazy to try it!’ Roger burst forth.
‘You’d be crazy if you did,’ snarled Skink. ‘It would be a good way to get yourself drowned. This is no job for amateurs.’
The remark irritated not only Roger but Dr Blake as well. ‘I don’t consider Roger an amateur. In fact, since he’s the first to volunteer, I think we’ll let him initiate the undersea sled.’
‘Whoopee!’ cried Roger, and leaped up to make preparations for the dive. Everyone helped to lower the submarine glider to the softly heaving surface of the sea. The dinghy was launched, a four-hundred-foot cable connecting it with the glider.
‘It has to be long,’ Dr Blake explained. ‘Otherwise you wouldn’t be able to,go down far.’
Roger put on his mask and aqualung. He went down the ladder and, instructed by Blake, extended himself on his stomach along the glider. His feet slipped into the rudder controls and his hands lay on the levers that adjusted the ailerons.
‘You’ll find two straps fastened to the deck, one on each side of you. Put them around you and buckle yourself down.’ Roger did so. Now he and the glider were one. A button protruded from the sled’s deck just in front of his face. ‘What’s the button for?’
That’s your signal. Press it.’
Roger pressed the button and a buzz sounded in the dinghy.
‘If you want to stop, give me a buzz,’ Blake directed, and climbed into the dinghy. Hal, a little anxious for his brother, stepped into the dinghy with Blake. The latter started the motor and idled the boat out four hundred feet until the slack in the cable was taken up.
‘Are you ready?’ he called back.
Roger took off his mask, spat into it, and rinsed it out. That would prevent fogging. He put the mask on again, testing it to make sure it was tight. He could guess that the rush of the water would do its best to tear the mask from his head. He adjusted the flanges of the aqualung mouthpiece behind his lips and closed his teeth on the rubber tabs.
He waved to Blake. The motor whined, the boat slid forward until the cable was taut, the sled began to move.
At first Roger was content to glide along the surface. Then he dipped the sled until the deck was awash and his arms and legs submerged, but his head was still above. He dipped farther and the water tore into his face. Involuntarily he blinked and held his breath - then realized it was not necessary to do either. The mask protected his eyes and although he was now completely under water he breathed comfortably from the tank on his back.
He steered down to a depth of about twenty feet. To stay down, he had to keep constant pressure on the controls. Whenever he let up, the sled immediately began to climb towards the surface. It behaved like the aerial glider, but in reverse. Whereas the aerial glider always tends to drop earthwards, the submarine glider wants to climb. Well, Roger reflected, this would be all to the good in case of accident. If the pilot should pass out, the sled would surface and be seen by the crew in the motorboat. In fact, this was pretty soft compared with sky
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