"The light is growing brighter," observed Dave, presently. "Isn't it wonderful!" They now felt they were approaching the bottom of the Pacific, for the diving bell was moving very slowly. Soon they saw great, ribbon-like grasses, the ends floating upward past the diving bell. At this Amos Fearless shook his head. "We don't want to get caught in those grasses," he signed. "They may prove worse than ropes of wire." Suddenly a slight jar on the bottom of the diving bell told them that the machine had struck something. It no longer descended, but wabbled from side to side. At once Amos Fearless signaled through the air-tube to stop lowering. Then a small glass trap was opened in the diving bell's bottom. Through this they saw what had caused the machine to stop. It was caught in the top-most branches of a submarine tree. Below them, upon all sides, was a regular submarine forest. The trees were two to three hundred feet tall, twisted and gnarled in all directions, with branches stretching out of their sight. Some of the trees boasted of most gorgeous flowers, while from others floated what looked like luscious fruits. Below the trees could be seen strange mosses and sponges, of every imaginable hue and shape, and between them bushes and creeping vines. "This is a submarine paradise!" whispered Dave. "Did you ever dream of anything so lovely?" "Lovely--and dangerous!" came from Amos Fearless. And then he added: "I see nothing of the _Happy Hour_." He was right--there was no sign of a sunken ship anywhere. "Let us take the diving bell in a grand circle around this spot," suggested Dave. His father agreed, providing the thing could be accomplished without positive danger. To move around, they had to pull the machine along from one tree-top to another by means of the crab-like claws attached to the bottom. The diving bell worked like a charm and soon a distance of several hundred yards had been covered. Sometimes the crab-like claws would slip on the tree-tops and at others the trees would break off with a dull, snapping report. When this would happen the sap flowing from the tree would be pure yellow in color. In order to see at a great distance Amos Fearless now adjusted a powerful light which had been brought along, using a small reflector behind it. Suddenly Dave let out a cry: "The rival divers!" He was right. At a great distance he had seen the other diving bell coming down. It contained Vixen and Walton. Bart Hankers had said he was coming down with them, but had backed out at the last moment, much to the divers' satisfaction, for they had counted that he would only be in their way. As swiftly as the other diving bell had come into view, it now faded from sight beyond another portion of the great submarine forest. "They are close upon our heels," muttered Dave, and again Amos Fearless shook his head, doubtfully.