CHAPTER XVI.
"OFF WITH THE OLD, AND ON WITH THE NEW."
Carl had been unconscious for a long time, and it was two hours beforeMatt and Dick, working assiduously, succeeded in reviving him.
By that time, many things had happened. When Carl lifted himselfsuddenly to a sitting position on the locker, he stared dazedly intothe faces of his two chums.
"How dit you come on der prig, Matt?" he asked.
"We're not on the brig, Carl," replied Matt, "but in the periscope roomof the _Grampus_."
"Dot's a funny pitzness! Der lasdt I knew I vas going down der hatch toged oudt oof der vay oof der shooding. Den someding hit me, und I ventto shleep. Vat vas dot vat hit me, Tick?"
"It was a splinter, matey," replied Dick. "A solid shot tore up thebulwarks of the brig and you were knocked over with a piece of wood."
"I t'ought id vas der site oof a house. How long ago vas dot?"
"About three hours, I should say."
"Shimineddy! Dree hours!"
Carl put up his hands and felt of the bandage about his head.
"How do you feel, Carl?" asked Matt.
"Pooty goot," was the answer; "pedder as some fellers vat vas oudt oofder running for dree hours, I bed you. Vere dit der supmarine comefrom, Matt?"
Matt explained at some length. Carl's wonder grew as he listened.
"Say, Tick," said he, "Matt und der odder fellers has peen doingsomet'ing der same as you und me. Hey?"
"I should say so!" exclaimed Dick. "If this submarine hadn't bobbed upjust when she did, you and I would have been in a jolly hard row ofstumps, matey."
Just then a tremendous roar was heard, and the submarine shook in everypart.
"Vat id iss?" cried Carl, showing symptoms of panic. "Iss dot schoonercome pack?"
"No, Carl," laughed Matt, "the schooner made a get-away. That's thecruiser _Seminole_ doing that firing."
"Vat iss she firing ad?"
"At your brig. The boat is a derelict, and dangerous to shipping. Thecruiser is breaking her up."
"Dere vas some salfages to be got oudt oof dot prig," mourned Carl,"und now id vill all go py der fishes. Oof dot poat couldt haf peen gotto port----"
"Which she couldn't, matey," put in Dick. "The pounding that schoonergave her wrenched her badly."
"Dit dose fellers in der poats ged on der prig?" asked Carl, harkingback to the last thing he remembered.
"Well, I should say so!" answered Dick. "Sixty, and nine otherflatfoots."
"Dot makes sixdy-nine," bubbled Carl, happy, now that it was all over."Vat pecome oof dem?"
"They were taken to the cruiser and will be carried to the nearest portand tried for their criminal deeds."
"Pully! Dot vas pedder as I t'ought!"
"The officers on the cruiser have a clear case against Sixty. Thelieutenant who went aboard the brig saw the rifles and ammunition withhis own eyes. He had the manifest and the log, and that settled Sixty'scase for him."
"I vonder vere iss Sixdy's niece, Miss Harris?"
Carl's sentimental thoughts would return to the girl.
"Belay, on that!" growled Dick. "The girl fooled us and got us into apretty mess of trouble. Sheer off on that subject."
"She wasn't Sixty's niece, but his daughter," explained Matt. "And shewas no more a relative of Captain Nemo, Carl, than you or I."
"Too pad, too pad! She has gone to Honturas, eh? Vell, I vish I vasdere to hear vat she has to say for herseluf. Meppy she couldt oxblain."
Dick was disgusted.
"Vere iss Gaptain Nemo, Jr.?" was Carl's next question.
"A boat took him off to the cruiser for a talk with the captain," saidMatt.
At that moment some one could be heard springing to the rounded deck ofthe submarine.
"All right, captain?" called a voice.
"All right, lieutenant," answered the voice of Captain Nemo, Jr. "Muchobliged to you."
A few moments later, the captain came down the tower hatch.
"All right, Carl?" he asked, reaching out his hand.
"Fine und tanty," answered Carl, grasping the hand cordially, "only Ivas a leedle mixed oop mit all vat has habbened."
"We were all a little mixed for a while," laughed Captain Nemo, Jr."But everything is as clear as day, now. Sixty will go back to NewOrleans and have a trial. I don't know what will be done to the rascalswith him, for they are from Central America, and will probably claimthe protection of their own country. The graceless scoundrels! Theybelong to a pack of revolutionists, and Sixty was doing a littlefilibustering. The suspicions of the government officials were entirelycorrect. Through the aid of Motor Matt and his friends, the cruiser wasable to bag Sixty with the goods on, as the saying is."
"Did you have a talk with some of the prisoners, captain?" queried Matt.
"Yes, and a number of interesting things developed. Sixty and his men,having cleared successfully from New Orleans with an illegal cargo,ran into such rough weather in the gulf that they were compelled toabandon the brig, fearing every moment that she would founder. Sixtyand his crew got away in the boats and were picked up by a vessel thatcarried them to Tampa. While Sixty was in Tampa reports began to comein regarding a dangerous derelict. The wreck answered the descriptionof the _Dolphin_, and Sixty cabled to the schooner, at some point inCentral America, to look up the derelict and report her position tohim. The schooner reported the latitude and longitude of the derelictfrom Galveston, and her skipper received an answer from Sixty tellinghim to lay by in the gulf along the course of the _Santa Maria_ so asto take him off. After that Sixty and those on the schooner were totry and work the brig, in jury rig, to a Mexican port, the schoonerfirst taking off the arms and ammunition. In case the brig couldn't besaved, her contraband cargo was to be thrown overboard so as to avoiddiscovery by the naval authorities.
"Motor Matt and his friends jumped into the game when that telegram wasreceived from Galveston. You all know how that worked out. I think thisis about the strangest cruise the _Grampus_ ever made--although, quitelikely, she is in for one equally as strange."
"Vat's dot?" queried Carl, pricking up his ears.
Matt and Dick were equally interested.
"I have heard something on the cruiser that makes it advisable for meto proceed to Central America. The submarine can easily go that farwithout returning to the nearest port for fresh supplies. I am undersealed orders, and have only a hint as to what is required of me, butI imagine that the new work has something to do with the businessthat has just been accomplished. The question is, do you boys wantto go along? You all, especially Motor Matt, will be of invaluableassistance, but I would not want that to influence you one way or theother."
There was a moment of silence.
"If you do not think you can go," went on Captain Nemo, Jr., with anunder-note of disappointment in his voice, "I am to lay alongside thecruiser and put you aboard of her. She will be busy with the brig forthe rest of the day."
"How long is the cruise to be, captain?" queried Matt.
"That is something I cannot tell," was the reply.
"To Central America?" asked Dick.
"Yes."
"What part?"
"I don't know, and will not find out until I open my sealed orders. Ofcourse, I don't belong to the navy, but this submarine, which is oneof the most successful long-cruising boats ever launched, places mein a position to be of use to Uncle Sam. I have therefore placed theboat and myself and crew at my country's service. If we perform wellour mission, then I shall be able to dispose of the _Grampus_, and allmy own individual patents, for a very large sum. In view of that, andmy firm belief that the next cruise will be a complete success, I canoffer you lads a fancy figure to go with me. What do you say?"
"Think you can stand it, Carl?" asked Matt.
"Shtand id?" cried Carl. "Vy, bard, I vas as goot as efer."
"What's your word, Dick?" asked Matt.
"I'll sign the articles," said Dick.
"And so w
ill I," added Matt.
"Good!" exclaimed the captain, highly pleased. "Cassidy," he called tothe mate, who was below, "we'll lay a course south by west, as fast aswe can go. We're off for strange waters, and something worth while I amconfident."
"Off with the old and on with the new," laughed Matt. "It doesn't takeus long, eh, fellows?"
THE END.
THE NEXT NUMBER (16) WILL CONTAIN
MOTOR MATT'S QUEST
OR,
Three Chums in Strange Waters.
In the Depths--Out of the Jaws of Death--Sealed Orders--The American Consul--Motor Matt's Forbearance--"On the Jump"--The Landing Party--Carl in Trouble--A Friend in Need--Strange Revelations--One Chance in Ten--By a Narrow Margin--Waiting for Something to Happen--Motor Matt's Great Play--On the Way to Belize--A Dash of Tabasco.