The policeman was kind and obliging. Drawing the boys out into the street, he pointed4 to a low, white building with the American flag flying over the door. There were palms and trees around the building, and a middle-aged5 man in white ducks was sitting in a canvas chair on the veranda6. He was Mr. Hays Jordan, and when the boys told him they were from the submarine Grampus, the consul got up and took them by the hand.
Bob lost not a moment in telling of the captain’s illness, and of his desire for a doctor and of comfortable lodging7 ashore8. The consul seemed disappointed by the news.
“I reckon that puts a stop to the work that brought the Grampus here,” said the consul.
“Not at all,” replied Bob. “The Grampus is at the service of the government within an hour, if necessary.”
“But who’s in charge of the boat?”
“I am.”
Mr. Hays Jordan looked Bob over, up and down, and started to give an incredulous whistle. But there was something in the youth’s bearing, and in the firm, gray eye that caused him to quit whistling.
“Well!” he exclaimed. “Pretty young to be skipper of a submarine, aren’t you?”
26
Here Dick interposed. “He’s old for his age, if I do say it, and Captain Nemo, junior, is a master hand at taking the sizing of a fellow. He selected Bob Steele to engineer this piece of work, and, if you keep your weather eye open, it won’t be long until you rise to the fact that the captain knew what he was about.”
“The captain ought to have a doctor without loss of time,” interposed Bob, impatient because of the time they were losing, “and he must have a place to stay.”
“We’ll not send a sick man to the hotel,” said Mr. Jordan, “but to a boarding house kept by an American. And we’ll also have an American doctor to look after him.” He slapped his hands. In answer to the summons a negro appeared from inside the house. “Go over to Doctor Seymour, Turk,” said the consul, “and ask him to come here.”
“We might be able to save time,” put in Bob, “if my friend went with your servant and took the doctor directly to the submarine.”
“Fine!” exclaimed the consul, and Dick and the negro hurried away.
“Sit down, my boy,” said the consul, waving his hand toward a chair, “and we’ll chat a little. I reckon I ought not to say much to you until I talk with Captain Nemo, junior, and make sure everything is right and proper. Still——”
“Here are my credentials,” said Bob, and handed over the letter which he had recently read aloud in the periscope9 room of the Grampus.
The consul glanced over the letter.
“I’ll take you on that showing, Bob Steele,” said he heartily10, as he handed the letter back. “If anything is done for my friend Coleman, it’s got to be done with a rush. The little states all around us are able to have a revolution whenever some one happens to think of it. There’s one on now, and Captain James27 Sixty was to help on the fighting by landing a cargo11 of guns and ammunition12. Sixty’s work, as you may know, was nipped in the bud, and the revolutionists are having a hard time of it. But they’re still active, and about two weeks ago, when Sixty failed to arrive with the war material and they were afraid he had been captured by the United States authorities, the hotheaded greasers planned reprisal13. That reprisal was about the most foolish thing you ever heard of. They spirited away my friend Coleman; then they sent me a letter saying that Coleman would be released whenever the United States government gave up Sixty—and, at that time, Sixty wasn’t in the hands of the authorities at all. He had just simply failed to show up with the contraband14 of war, and the revolutionists imagined he had been bagged. I communicated with Washington at once, and it was that, I reckon, that gave the state department a line on Sixty.”
“Is Mr. Coleman in any danger?” asked Bob.
“You never can tell what a lot of firebrands will do. They’re bound to hear of Sixty’s capture, and of the confiscation15 of his lawless cargo. The news will get to them soon, and when that happens Coleman is likely to have trouble. If possible, he must be rescued from the revolutionists ahead of the receipt of this information about Sixty and the lost guns. It’s a tremendously hard piece of work, and only a submarine boat with an intrepid16 crew, to my notion, will stand any show of success. If a small boat from a United States warship17 was to try to go to the rescue, the revolutionists would learn she was coming and would immediately take to the jungles of the interior with their captive. See what I mean?”
“Mr. Coleman’s captors are somewhere on the sea-coast?”
“Not exactly. They have a rendezvous19 on the River28 Izaral, which runs into the Gulf20 of Amatique, to the south of here. The revolutionists have tried to make people think that they have Coleman somewhere on the Rio Dolce, but that would put the whole unlawful game in British territory, and wherever the British flag flies you’ll find lawbreakers mighty21 careful.”
“I haven’t been idle, Bob Steele,” he went on, lowering his voice. “I have had spies at work, and one of them has reported the exact location of the revolutionists’ camp. Acting23 as a log cutter, he came close to the place. This man will lead you to the exact spot—and, as good luck has it, he’s a pilot and knows the coast.”
“I should think,” hazarded Bob, “that the United States government could make a demand on the president of the republic where all this lawless work is going on, and force him to rescue Mr. Coleman.”
The consul laughed.
“You don’t know Central America, my lad,” he answered. “It’s as hard for the president of the republic to get at the revolutionists as for anybody else. Meanwhile, Coleman’s in danger. We can’t wait for a whole lot of useless red-tape proceedings24. We’ve got to strike, and to strike hard and quick. But we’ve got to do it secretly, quietly—getting Coleman away before the revolutionists know what we’re doing. Understand?”
Bob nodded.
“We’ll not do any fighting if it’s possible to avoid it,” proceeded the consul, “for that would merely complicate25 matters. Besides, what could a handful of strangers do against a horde26 of rascally27 niggers? Softly is the word. We’ve got to jump into ’em, and then out again quicker than scat—and when we come out, we’ve got to have Coleman.”
29
“Are you going with us, Mr. Jordan?” asked Bob.
The consul started and gave Bob a bored look.
“Going with you?” he drawled. “Why not? It isn’t often we have anything exciting, here in Honduras, and I wouldn’t miss the chance for a farm. Coleman lives where he never knows what minute is going to be his last, and he’s continually guessing as to where the lightning is going to strike, and when. About all I do is lie around in a hammock, fight mosquitoes, take a feed now and then at Government House, and drop in at an English club here every evening for a rubber at whist. It’s deadly monotonous28, my lad, to a fellow who comes from the land of snap and ginger29.”
“I’ll be glad to have you along,” said Bob. “When had we better start?”
“This afternoon.” The consul picked his solar hat off the railing of the veranda and got up. “I’m going over to the boarding house,” he added, “to make arrangements for Captain Nemo, junior. It’s just around the corner, and I’ll only be gone a few minutes. Make yourself comfortable until I return.”
“I’ll get along all right,” answered Bob.
Jordan got up, descended30 the steps, swung away down the street, and quickly vanished around a corner.
The scenery was all new and strange to Bob, and he allowed his eyes to wander up and down the street. The houses were white bungalows31, some of them surrounded by high white fences, and with tufted palms nodding over their roofs.
Negro women passed by with baskets on their heads, dark-skinned laborers32 in bell-crowned straw hats slouched up and down, and a group of tawny33 soldiers from a West India regiment34, wearing smart Zouave uniforms and turbans, jogged past.
As soon as Bob had exhausted35 the sights in his30 immediate18 vicinity, he lay back in the chair and gave his thoughts to the captain.
He had always liked Nemo, junior. The captain had been a good friend to Bob Steele and his chums, and the young motorist hoped in his heart that his present illness would not take a serious turn.
While Bob was turning the subject over in his mind, two men came along the walk and started for the steps leading to the veranda of the consulate36.
Bob, suddenly lifting his eyes, was surprised to note that one of the men was Cassidy. The other was a white, sandy-whiskered individual in a dingy37 blue coat and cap and much-worn dungaree trousers.
Both were plainly under the influence of liquor. They came unsteadily up the steps and Cassidy made a bee line for Bob.
Cassidy’s weather-beaten face was flushed and there was an angry, unreasoning light in his eyes.
“I’m next to you, Bob Steele,” growled38 the mate, posting himself in front of the youth and clinching39 his big fists. “You’ve pulled the wool over the old man’s eyes in great shape, but you can’t fool me!”
Cassidy, when his mind was clear and when he was not under the delusion40 of a fancied wrong, was a good fellow. He had cared for Captain Nemo, junior, when he was lying ill in New Orleans, and countless41 times he had given Bob and his chums proof of his friendship for them. Cassidy was off his bearings now, but Bob felt more like arguing with him than showing authority.
“You are not yourself, Cassidy,” said the young motorist. “Why did you leave the Grampus?”
“Well, take my advice and go back there. No one is trying to deceive the captain.”
“You’ve wormed yourself into his confidence, and31 what has he done to me?” There was bitterness in the mate’s voice. “I’m the one that ought to be cap’n of the submarine, and, by thunder, I’m going to be!”
Bob got up from his chair, his eyes flashing.
“You’re going to obey orders, Cassidy,” said he, “if you want to stay with the Grampus. I’m in command, and I’ll give you just a minute to leave here and make for the wharf43. If——”
At that moment the mate’s crazy wrath44 got the better of him. With a hoarse45 oath, he lurched forward and struck at Bob with his fist. Bob avoided the blow with a quick side step.
“Now’s yer chance, Cassidy,” breathed the husky voice of the man who had come with the mate. “It’s now or never if you want to put him down an’ out.”
The fellow, as he spoke46, slouched toward Bob with doubled fists. Bob had not the same consideration for this stranger that he had for the mate, and immediately after evading47 Cassidy’s blow he whirled about.
“Who are you?” he demanded sharply.
For answer, the man tried to get in a blow on his own account. But he was not quick enough. With a nimble leap forward, Bob swung his own fist straight from the shoulder. The dingy blue cap flew off and its owner reeled against the side of the building. Just then Bob felt the arms of the mate going around him from behind.
At the same moment, however, footsteps came swiftly along the walk, mounted the steps, and Cassidy was caught by the throat in a firm grip.
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1
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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cuffs
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| n.袖口( cuff的名词复数 )v.掌打，拳打( cuff的第三人称单数 ) | |
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3
consul
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| n.领事；执政官 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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veranda
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| n.走廊；阳台 | |
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7
lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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8
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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9
periscope
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| n. 潜望镜 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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12
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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reprisal
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| n.报复，报仇，报复性劫掠 | |
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14
contraband
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| n.违禁品，走私品 | |
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confiscation
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| n. 没收, 充公, 征收 | |
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16
intrepid
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| adj.无畏的，刚毅的 | |
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warship
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| n.军舰，战舰 | |
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18
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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rendezvous
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| n.约会，约会地点，汇合点；vi.汇合，集合；vt.使汇合，使在汇合地点相遇 | |
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20
gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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22
hitched
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| （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
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23
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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complicate
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| vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂 | |
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horde
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| n.群众，一大群 | |
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rascally
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| adj. 无赖的，恶棍的 adv. 无赖地，卑鄙地 | |
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monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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29
ginger
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| n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气 | |
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30
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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31
bungalows
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| n.平房( bungalow的名词复数 )；单层小屋，多于一层的小屋 | |
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laborers
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| n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工 | |
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33
tawny
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| adj.茶色的，黄褐色的；n.黄褐色 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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35
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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36
consulate
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| n.领事馆 | |
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dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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38
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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39
clinching
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| v.（尤指两人）互相紧紧抱[扭]住( clinch的现在分词 )；解决（争端、交易），达成（协议） | |
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40
delusion
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| n.谬见，欺骗，幻觉，迷惑 | |
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41
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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42
snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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43
wharf
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| n.码头，停泊处 | |
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44
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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45
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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46
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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47
evading
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| 逃避( evade的现在分词 )； 避开； 回避； 想不出 | |
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