“A king-sized stomachache, if you ask me,” Bud replied nervously.
Tom chuckled. “Those squid don’t go down any too easily, even when a whale’s doing the snacking. A lot of sperms that are caught show the scars of their tentacles.”
Early in the morning on the sixth day after taking off from Fearing Island, Tom and Bud made their way jubilantly into the English Channel. The waters thrummed with the distant noises of ships’ propeller screws.
“We’re almost there I” Bud exclaimed.
As they approached the Isle of Wight, the boys exchanged greetings with a British submarine, which promptly radioed the news of their arrival to ships and shore stations. The sub escorted them through The Solent into Southampton water. The
44 AQUATOMIC TRACKER
boys had accomplished their nonstop swim under the Atlantic!
When the hydronauts finally surfaced, they were greeted by a deafening chorus of tugboat whistles, ships’ sirens, and the excited yells of sailors and passengers lining the rails of vessels in the harbor.
Tom and Bud were stunned by the reception. Shouts and waves from one of the piers showed them where they were expected to land. The boys headed toward what was clearly a welcoming committee on the quayside and were helped ashore by a tangle of eager arms and hands.
“The Borough of Southampton welcomes you to England after your magnificent achievement!” announced a dignified-looking official. “We had word from Mr. Swift that you probably would arrive today.” His words were almost drowned by the cheers and exclamations of the throng.