“Or maybe the impact of the projectile stunned him!” Tom surmised.
Bud began groping his way upward just as Tom came alongside of him. Tom grabbed him as best he could, hooking onto his belt. At the same time, the young inventor inhaled deeply, yanked out Bud’s useless mouthpiece, and inserted his own in its place.
Bud’s eyes glowed with gratitude.
“We’ll have to get topside fast,” Tom thought, “even though it means risking the bends.”
He stroked upward and they shot toward the surface. Bud assisted to some extent, partly revived by the gulp of air.
31
32 THE ELECTRONIC HYDROLUNG
As they rose, fathom by fathom, their progress seemed to grow maddeningly slower. Tom had to let air bubbles escape constantly from his mouth. As the pressure decreased, due to the lessening depth of the water, the air in his lungs expanded and he was forced to breathe out.
Tom noticed with dismay that Bud was not responding very well, his feeble strokes were jerky and uncoordinated. “Must’ve lost pressure too fast when his tank was hit,” Tom realized.
The water was growing greener and brighter now as they neared the sunshine. The Sea Hound’s shadowy outline loomed just above. With a last desperate burst of strength, Tom lunged upward and they broke water.
“H-h-help!” Tom gasped.
There was no need for the cry. Hank and his crew, on the seacopter’s forward deck, had already grasped the situation. Strong arms reached out and hauled the two boys aboard.
Both of them were shivering and writhing in pain, only half conscious.