A little later the two men had reached a trolley line that
ran into Atlantis, and they arrived at the city before Mr.
Damon and Tom got there, as the latter had to go by a
circuitous route. Mr. Berg lost no time in calling up his
firm by telephone.

"I have had another talk with Mr. Swift," he reported to
Mr. Bentley, who came to the instrument in Philadelphia.

"Well, what does he say?" was the impatient question. "I
can't understand his not wanting to try for the Government
prize. It is astonishing. You said you were going to
discover the reason, Mr Berg, but you haven't done so."

"I have."

"What is it?"

"Well, the reason Mr. Swift and his son don't care to try
for the fifty thousand dollar prize is that they are after
one of three hundred thousand dollars."

"Three hundred thousand dollars!" cried Mr. Bentley. "What
government is going to offer such a prize as that for
submarines, when they are getting almost as common as
airships? We ought to have a try for that ourselves. What
government is it?"

"No government at all. But I think we ought to have a try
for it, Mr. Bentley."