Bob Steele

“ Bob Steele is captain of the Grampus, and you’ve heard his orders. If you and Fingal don’t clear out, I’ll call a policeman and have the pair of you taken to the lockup.”
Fingal edged away toward the veranda steps. As he drew close to Cassidy, he muttered something. The mate gave a thick response, and the two lurched down the steps and out of sight along the walk.
“Fingal,” said Jordan, after watching the two out of sight, “is setting the mate up to act as he’s doing. ”

“ Bob and Dick were both turning the subject over in their minds. When their eyes sought each other, dogged determination could be read in each glance.
“As you say, Ysabel,” said Bob, “we have an opportunity to get back to the submarine, but we can’t go and leave our friends behind us.”
“You—can’t go?” breathed the girl, staring at Bob as though she scarcely understood his words. “Why can’t you go?” she went on, almost fiercely. “Your friends are captured, and how can you hope to get them away from twenty-five armed men? Don’t be so foolish! ”

“ Speake and Clackett moved forward. Bob waved them aside.
“I’ll manage this,” said he. “Gaines, keep your eyes on the periscope. A fine fellow, this don of yours. You men ought to feel proud of the way you hooked up with him, and——”
Bob, while he was talking, had kept covert eyes on the don. At just that moment the Grampus gave a heavy roll. The don’s stool slid back against the steel wall and the point of the revolver was thrown, for the fraction of a second, toward the curving deck, overhead. This was Bob’s opportunity. ”

“ As Sin, who happened to be in the room, took a look at the periscope for himself.
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“Did we come near having a collision last night?” queried Glennie, looking up quickly.
Bob, who wished to be agreeable, narrated the incident.
“We made a lucky miss of it,” remarked the ensign, when Bob had finished. “I’ve no desire to go to the bottom in a steel sarcophagus like the Grampus. Strange I slept through it all, but I was tired, and I suppose I slept rather sounder than usual. That chink,” he added, putting down his cup, “is a poor coffee maker. Or is it the coffee itself that tastes so rank?” ”

“ By some error, Speake had mixed an overdose of tabasco sauce with the canned beans which he had warmed up on his electric stove.
“Glory!” sputtered Jordan, reaching for water. “Speake must have mixed a Whitehead torpedo in that mess of beans.”
“Only a dash of tabasco,” replied Coleman. “Haven’t you been in Central America long enough to like hot stuff?”
“Not long enough, anyhow, to acquire an asbestos stomach. Talking about a dash of tabasco, though, Bob Steele’s raid on the rebels must have been something of that variety. Reel it off, Bob. We’re all good listeners.” ”

“ Fortunately the negro had no firearms. He drew his machete, but before he could aim a stroke with it, Bob had leaped forward and struck his arm a fierce blow with the butt of Jordan’s revolver.
A yell of pain fell from the negro’s lips, his arm dropped at his side, and he jumped backward into the woods.
“Quick!” shouted Bob to those behind. “There may be others with him, and we’ll have to make a dash for the Grampus. Run on ahead, Dick, and get the submarine up and close to the bank. I’ll follow you with Ysabel.” ”

“ One evening, however, Carl, who sometimes was inclined to be sentimental and romantic, borrowed a guitar from a Spanish waiter at the hotel, and went out to serenade Ysabel Sixty, in true Spanish fashion.
He managed to escape, unnoticed by either Bob or Dick, and without confiding his purpose to them; so, well pleased with himself, he strolled on through the quiet streets.
It was a rare evening in old Belize. The moon was like a big yellow topaz pinned to a cushion of blue-black velvet, and around it lay the stars like scattered diamonds. ”

“ They felt better physically, even if they were not more hopeful.
Dick lay back on one of the cots and went to sleep;167 Speake pulled his hat down over his eyes and leaned against the forward bulkhead; Bob, flat on his back on the other cot, stared upward at the rounded deck, wishing that he could poke a hole through the steel plates and so gain freedom for himself and his friends.
Speake dozed a little. Something white, poked through one of the ventilator holes above his head, floated downward and landed on his knee. He stared at it drowsily, then brushed at it mechanically with one hand. ”

“ But,” and here the consul brought his fist emphatically down on the table, “I don’t think you can possibly meet any greater dangers than you have already met and successfully passed through. Bearing that in mind, I’d be willing to bet every dollar I’ve got that Bob Steele will make good, and deliver this old catamaran at Mare Island, right side up with care, and everybody303 smiling—except, of course, the Sons of the Rising Sun. I’ll back Young America against Young Japan any day. ”

“ The humming of the cylinders ceased, and the Grampus, anchored broadside on across the Izaral, tugged at her mooring chains.
“Where are we, Bob?” came the voice of Gaines through the motor-room tube. “I thought we were making a run to get away from the revolutionists.”
“Hardly, Gaines,” answered Bob. “We don’t want to run away and leave our friends in the hands of the rebels. Come into the periscope room, all of you, and I’ll explain what we are doing and why we are doing it.” ”

“ Vy, I’m vone of der crew of der Grampus! I come mit her ven she arrifed, und I vas mit her ven she got der American consul avay from der repels in der River Izaral. Vy, Bob Steele, who vas boss of der boat, is my friendt, my pard! Und so is Dick Ferral! Know der Grampus! I know her insite und oudt, oop und down und sitevays! My name is Pretzel, Carl Pretzel.”
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Don Ramon Ortega was astounded, but happily so. Reaching out his hand, he clasped Carl’s convulsively.
“Ah, what good fortune!” he murmured; “what amazing luck! Destiny is at work in all this. ”

“ The boys had been seen and a wild clamor came from the encampment. A fizzing sputter of firearms awoke echoes in the timber, and scraps of lead could be heard slapping and zipping through the leaves.
“We might be good for three or four,” panted Dick, as he stretched his legs along the path, “but we have to knock under when the whole rebel army gets after us.”
“Save your breath!” cried Bob. “Run!”
“Where? That other pack, with Fingal, is ahead.”
“Never mind. The largest force is behind.”
The dark-skinned rebels were tearing along like madmen. ”

“ While sitting on the deck, Gaines had been slowly recovering his strength. He was still muttering dazedly over Bob’s amazing disclosures, when Speake showed himself at the hatch.
“You fellows better come below!” he called “Dick said you wanted the boat submerged, Bob, an’ I guess that the quicker we do it the better. There’s an outfit of black soldiers, dead ahead, waiting for us.” ”

“ Tolo’s coffee is continuing to have its effect.”
Bob laughed, suddenly turned the old hat over, tore out the lining, and pulled forth a crumpled envelope, closed with a red seal.
Glennie gave a yell. “My dispatches!” And, with that, he staggered across the small room, grabbed the envelope, and waved it above his head. “My dispatches!” he repeated, his voice husky.
“I thought so,” said Bob. “They have been in that old slouch hat, in the locker, ever since we made that dive to get away from the Japs.”
“And I pud dem dere,” remarked Carl pompously. “How mooch is id vort’?” ”

“ Clackett rushed up the conning-tower ladder, and followed Speake out onto the curving plates of the deck. Bob went after the two men to direct operations from the conning tower.
Those in the boat—with the exception of the boy—appeared in the last stages of exhaustion. On seeing that their wild signals were to be answered, they dropped sprawling over the thwarts. The boy still stood erect and made gestures—stealthy movements with one hand which puzzled Bob.
“That youngster seems to have stood their hard luck better’n the men,” remarked Clackett, moving toward the bow with a coil of rope. ”

“ Thereupon Carl turned loose and told all about his disastrous serenade, and how he climbed into the premises of Don Ramon Ortega, found the don bound and gagged in his sitting room, released him, and then hurried with him to the hotel to find Bob, and then to the landing, only to discover that the submarine had left the harbor.
“After dot,” proceeded Carl, “der gonsul vas der feller for us. He say dot der Seminole vould be in der harpor in der morning, und dot he vould haf her go und look for der supmarine und Bob Steele. Und dot vas vat he dit, und py shinks I vent along. ”

“ During that time Gaines and Clackett were busy with the rope, hauling the submarine back to the bank, and Bob was listening for more firing.
No more reports came from the timber, however, and when Dick reappeared and handed Bob one of the revolvers, both hurried to the bow of the submarine and sprang ashore.
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“Don’t forget your orders, Gaines,” cautioned Bob.
“You can bank on it that I won’t, Bob,” answered the motorist. “You and Dick look out for yourselves. Don’t make a bad matter worse by letting the revolutionists get a grip on you. If they did, we’d be in hard shape for sure.” ”

“ First t’ing you know, I vill haf to be calling my olt pard Misder Bob, und my odder olt pard Misder Dick,279 und den if somepody ton’t call me misder, I bet you I preak his head.”
“That will do, Carl,” said Bob, noting the flush that crossed Glennie’s face.
“That’s all right, Mr. Steele,” spoke up the ensign. “I started that, and they’re within their rights, I suppose, when they rub it in. All I can say is that I didn’t understand your method of running this boat. Now, in the navy, we have to have discipline; we have to have our gun crews, our watches, and all that ”

“ You wouldn’t take the responsibility, but Speake and Clackett and me are willin’ to bear it.”
“Do you mean to say,” cried Bob hotly, “that you have deliberately sailed away from Belize without permission from Captain Nemo, junior, or from me?”
“That’s the size of it,” was the respectful but decisive answer. “We know that the cap’n would tell us to go ahead and help the don. We ain’t finding any fault with you for not doing it on your own hook, ’cause you’re a stickler for what you think’s your duty. We feel we’re doin’ right, though, and we want you to feel the same way.” ”

“ Midnight is the witching hour.”
“Carl’s showing good taste, anyhow,” continued Dick. “Ysabel Sixty is a fine girl. Now that her father, Jim Sixty, is put where he can’t interfere with her, she’s going to be happier than she ever was before. But Carl is off soundings. The girl hasn’t an eye for him, but for you.”
“Oh, rot!” grunted Bob.
“It’s a fact, all the same. The girl has taken a fancy to you, Bob, and you wouldn’t turn your head to look at the handsomest girl that ever walked. Gasoline motors are your hobby. You’re a born motorist. ”

“ Bob had got his head out of the hatch just in time to snatch a glance at the flukes of a big whale disappearing in the sea.
He signaled half speed ahead by the engine-room jingler. The elevation of the periscope ball gave Dick a much more extensive view of the surface than it did Bob from the top of the conning tower. The whale had come to the top again, and, while Bob was able to see the geyserlike column of water the creature threw up, Dick could take in the cachalot’s immense proportions.
“He’s lumpy all over,” announced Dick, “and every lump is an old harpoon mark. ”

“ He was sitting on his enemy’s chest, holding him down, and there were dabs of brown pigment all over Carl’s face. His hands were fairly coated with it.
“These savages have a yellow skin, Bob,” said Glennie, “and it must be that they paint themselves a brown color when they go on the warpath.”
“If what I have read is true,” returned Bob, “there are no savage tribes at the mouth of the Amazon. All the Indians in these parts are at least half civilized.” ”

“ Ysabel glided to the ladder. Before she could mount, however, some one was heard climbing over the top of the conning tower. As those below looked upward, a pair of booted feet swung down.
“Fingal!” gasped Ysabel, drawing away fearfully.
Bob motioned her out of the room. “Stand ready for him,” he whispered, “as he reaches the bottom of the ladder. The smallest mistake now means failure. Ready!!”
Scarcely breathing, Bob, Dick, Speake, and Clackett stood waiting for the burly ruffian who, jointly with Don Carlos, was responsible for all their troubles. ”

“ I don’d like how he uses dot tail of his.”
Carl fell to work with his paddle. By that time, however, the alligator’s temper was aroused, and, before Carl had got the pitpan turned, the big creature glided forward, opened its ponderous jaws and closed them about the forward end of the dugout.
There was a frightful crash, and the sides of the pitpan were stove in like an eggshell. One end of the52 wrecked boat was pushed high in the water, and Carl, at the other end, was in sore straits.
“Help, or I’m a goner!” yelled Carl, leaping into the water as Bob Steele made ready to hurl the harpoon. ”

“ Just how much it cost Glennie to make that apology probably none of the boys, not even Bob, could realize. But he made it right manfully, and Bob stepped toward him and put out his hand.
“Say no more, old fellow,” he cried heartily. “We all of us get out of our course a little, now and then. Before we get through with this cruise we all are going to understand each other a whole lot better. Carl and——”
Bob turned with the intention of making his Dutch chum take the hand he released, but Carl had faded mysteriously out of the periscope room. ”