Motor Matt's Submarine; or, The Strange Cruise of the Grampus
Page 5
CHAPTER V.
SIXTY SHOWS HIS HAND.
"We'll suppose," proceeded Matt, "that Townsend has brought us alltogether on the _Santa Maria_ for some work or other that's to be donein Belize. We'll suppose further that everything is all right and as itshould be, and that Townsend had a niece whom he never mentioned to us,and a brother-in-law about whom he never said a word in all the time wehave been with him. But why should the niece and the brother-in-law tryto deceive us?"
"Der leedle girl vouldn't do dot, Matt," asserted Carl.
"I don't like to think that, Carl, any more than you do, but we'regoing it blind and ought to consider carefully anything we hear."
"Right-o, matey," said Dick. "What have you heard that makes you thinkthe girl and her uncle are not dealing on the square with us?"
"Miss Harris said that her Uncle Archibald Townsend's real name isHarris, and----"
"Dot might be, Matt, for ve know dot Downsent uses odder names schustas he----"
"Wait a minute, Carl. Miss Harris also told us that her mother's maidenname was Sixty, and that Captain Sixty was her mother's brother."
"Also that Townsend was her father's brother," chimed in Dick. "I don'tsee anything wrong about that."
"Then," continued Matt, "Captain Sixty started to call Sadie Harris,Ysabel, but tried to explain away the break when the girl lookedat him. The captain also said that Miss Harris' mother was ofSpanish origin, and whoever heard of Spaniard by the name of Sixty?Furthermore, if the captain is a brother of Miss Harris' mother, thenthe captain ought to be a Spaniard himself."
It was hard for Carl to follow this line of reasoning, although Mattmade it as clear as he could. Dick, however, grasped the point Matt hadbrought up.
"Shiver me!" he exclaimed. "It's a wonder I didn't see that myself. Theold bucko stepped over his chalk mark, and the girl hustled him awaybefore he could say anything more. Great kedge anchors! What sort of adeal are we in on, anyhow? The girl's yarn don't hold together, and itwas Sixty himself who let the cat out of the bag. What's to be done? Wecould have the captain set us ashore, and then we could make our wayback to New Orleans and have a talk with Townsend."
"No, I don't think we'd better do that. After all, Dick, it may be thatTownsend has fixed this thing up, and that the girl and the captain aretalking according to instructions."
"Townsend never told them to pull the wool over our eyes, mate. He'snot that kind of a fellow."
"If it comes to that, he's not the kind of a chap, to my notion, to mixup with a man like Sixty. Still, everything may be all right. The girlknew that we were expecting word from Townsend; in fact, all her talkand actions prove that she knows more about Townsend's plans than shecould possibly know if Townsend hadn't taken her into his confidence.At least, that's the way I look at it. If we had the captain of the_Santa Maria_ put us ashore we might be spoiling Townsend's plans. Forthat reason I'm in favor of staying right where we are and waiting fordevelopments. But we can be careful, pards, and keep our eyes open. Ifthere is any crooked work on foot it will come to the surface in time."
"Aber ven id comes by der surface," spoke up Carl, with a good dealmore wisdom than he generally showed, "meppy id vill be too lade tododge drouple."
"If Miss Harris and Captain Sixty don't think we suspect anythingunderhand," answered Matt, "the advantage will be with us."
"Sure," averred Dick. "We can keep our own counsel and have a sharp eyeto windward all the time."
"Oof Downsent vants us," continued Carl, "und oof dis ain'd vat hevants us for, den, py shinks, ve vas spoiling his blans vorse as ve vasby keeping on mit der poat."
"What's your idea, Dick?" asked Matt; "to keep on, or have the captainput us ashore and go back?"
"Our course is laid, matey," responded Dick, "so let's hang to it."
"There's no escaping Honduras after we once strike the gulf."
"Then we'll go to Honduras. It's a bally layout, any way you look atit, but the chances are that we're on the right tack."
"What have you to say, Carl?"
"I don'd t'ink der girl iss fooling us, und dot's all aboudt id. I saymit Tick dot ve keep on like ve're going, mit our vedder eyes shkinnedbot' vays for preakers. Oof ve ged to Honturas, und Downsent don'd showoop, den ve can send him some caplegrams und say vere ve vas, und vy.Yah, ve hat pedder keep on."
"That's my idea. I can't see what motive any one would have for playingdouble with us. What enemies have we in New Orleans? And, if we had anythere, why should they go to the trouble of buying tickets for us onthe _Santa Maria_ and sending us to Belize?"
"Right-o," agreed Dick. "We'll play a square game, and if any onetries to run afoul of us with anything different, why, we'll bring 'emup with a round turn. The outward trip to Honduras isn't costing usanything, anyhow."
Having arrived at this decision the boys left their stateroom and wentdown to their dinner.
The passenger business between New Orleans and Central America was notextensive, and there were no more than twenty people seated around thetwo tables in the dining room.
Matt and his friends found themselves at the captain's table, withSixty and Miss Harris directly opposite. Miss Harris greeted themwith one of her engaging smiles, and Sixty grinned and nodded hisbullet-like head. But there was no talk across the board, although Carlwas visibly eager for a little conversation with the girl.
Following the meal the boys strolled about the deck, hoping that eitherSixty or Miss Harris would come looking for them and engage in talkwhich might either confirm their suspicions or else set them at rest.But nothing of the sort happened.
"They're sheering off from us," commented Dick. "Probably that's inaccordance with Townsend's plan, too. I wish I knew what our work is tobe."
"I've puzzled my brain over it till I'm tired," said Matt. "We've beena long while getting at the work, and while we've been waiting Townsendhasn't dropped a hint about what it was. We're just as much in the darknow as ever."
During the afternoon the _Santa Maria_ slipped through the lower end ofSouth Pass into the gulf, and began to roll and wallow in the heavierswell.
Carl became indisposed. He declared that he wasn't seasick, but themotion of the boat annoyed him. He made for his stateroom with theannounced intention of lying down and getting himself accustomed tothe pitch and tumble. Dick, in the hope of discovering the whereaboutsof Sixty and the girl, strolled forward. Matt was left alone on thestretch of deck aft of the bridge. An awning sheltered him from thesun, and the breeze that wafted itself across the broad reaches of thegulf was grateful and refreshing.
All the other passengers who had been occupying deck chairs in thatpart of the boat had gone away.
Matt, after half an hour's wait for Dick to return, got up with theidea of looking for him. As he passed a casual glance over the foamytrail left by the _Santa Maria_, his keen eye detected somethingappearing and disappearing in the tumbling waves that captured hisimmediate attention.
The object glistened in the rays of the afternoon sun and looked likea reddish ball. Sometimes he could see it quite plainly for a fewmoments, rolling and tumbling in the waters, and then a large wavewould sweep past and blot it from his sight.
The ball seemed to be following the ship, maintaining at all times thesame distance.
Was it some kind of a fish? Matt asked himself. If it was, then it wasa variety of fish of which he had never heard or read.
He looked around to see if there were any of the officers or deck handsin his vicinity, but there were none, and he was obliged to watch andwrestle with his curiosity.
It might be a piece of wreckage, he told himself; yet, if it was, whatkept it in the wake of the _Santa Maria_?
He continued to hang over the rail and watch the queer red object,waiting for some of the ship's officers or men to come to that part ofthe boat.
Presently he heard a muffled footfall close behind him. He turned hishead and saw Captain Sixty at his side. Beyond Sixty, and glidinghastily in his direction,
was Miss Harris.
There was a question on Matt's lips, but it died away quickly when theyouth saw the diabolical expression on Captain Sixty's face.
"Here's where you go over!" said Sixty hoarsely.
Then, before Motor Matt could make a move to defend himself, the burlyscoundrel seized him in a grip of iron, lifted him bodily and flung himfrom the rail.
A loud cry escaped Matt's lips. It was taken up by a shrill scream fromthe girl, and, the next moment, by a hoarse shout from the treacherousSixty.
"Man overboard! Man overboard!"
As Matt dropped into the lashing waves that frantic yell of Sixty'ssmote on his ears. Even in that perilous moment the reason for thescoundrel's alarm flashed through his brain. Matt's yell and the girl'sscream had aroused the officers and crew, and there was nothing elsefor Sixty to do but to give his alarm and hope that the speed of theship would take her so far away from Matt that rescue would not bepossible.
The first officer was on the bridge. Turning a look rearward he saw adark object in the smother of foam, far astern, clinging to one of theship's life-preservers.
It was the girl who had wrenched the life-preserver from the rail andflung it after Matt. She had succeeded in this before Sixty could reachher side and prevent the act.
Bells jingled in the engine room and the _Santa Maria_ lessened speedquickly. Dick and Carl, hearing the loud yell of Captain Sixty, and thebustle on the deck, joined the other passengers who were hurrying fromthe cabin.
"Who was it?" cried Dick.
"Your friend, Motor Matt," answered Sixty, who was close to Dick andCarl.
Miss Harris, white as death and half fainting, was leaning against thedeck-house. Sixty had his eyes on her, and their baleful influence heldher silent.
"He was watching something astern," explained Sixty, "and went over therail. I tried to get to him, but he slipped away from me."
"Matt!" whooped Carl, in a spasm of fear and apprehension. "It was ourbard dot tumpled oferpoard!"
Dick rushed for the boat which the sailors, under an officer'sdirection, were getting ready to lower.
"We're going along!" shouted Dick wildly.
"Keep away!" ordered the officer.
"I'm a sailor," answered Dick, "and I can help! Motor Matt's my mate,and I'm going to help save him!"
Without waiting for permission, both Dick and Carl sprang into theboat. There was no time to lose making the boys get back on the deck,or arguing the question, and the officer yielded his place to Dick.
"Lower away!" he shouted, and the blocks rattled as the boat droppedfrom the davits.