BLOODHOUND EXPERIMENT 87
hatched. It can detect its home silt even in strengths of only cine part silt to a million parts of ocean water.”
“Wow! Pretty keen sniffing,” Bud murmured.
“With modern scientific methods, we can make a salmon’s nose look pretty crude.”
Mr. Swift frowned thoughtfully. “That’s a remarkable idea, son. It certainly will present some interesting technical problems.”
Tom called Washington immediately and made a full report to Admiral Hopkins. The admiral was as baffled as Tom over the whereabouts of the S.S.
Centurion.
“I’m confident the navigator’s position was accurate,” Hopkins said. “We know the latitude and longitude at which the lifeboats were picked up, and after allowing for drift, the figures check out closely with the position he gave us.”
When Tom mentioned his detector idea, the Navy man urged him to get to work on it promptly.
“Sorry we had to release that news story so early, Tom,” Admiral Hopkins went on. “The loss of the Delian Apollo has caused a big fuss in the country which sent it. We thought it might soothe people’s feelings if they knew Tom Swift had been called in on the salvage job.”
“The story said I was to take charge.”
“Right. Our top brass feels you should oversee the whole operation.
Procurement’s drawing up a contract now.”
88 AQUATOMIC TRACKER
Tom felt somewhat overwhelmed at the grave responsibility but patriotically agreed to take on the job. “By the way, sir,” he added, “do you know a man named Tristan Carlow?”
Hopkins snorted. “Indeed I do. He was pressuring the Navy Department to let him take over the salvage assignment. But our research lab checked his plans and turned thumbs down. He talked big but couldn’t produce.”