"You sent him on a dangerous mission--a mission of murder," Ned said, presently.
"I don"t know what you are talking about."
"You sent him to wreck the Sea Lion."
"That is not true. I have not been on board the Shark."
"Well, some one sent him. Anyway, he came on board the Sea Lion and got caught. Now, what would you have done under the circ.u.mstances? You would have given him a banquet, I presume, if he had tried to murder you and got caught at it."
"I don"t care what he has done," stormed the Captain. "I want to know where he is now."
"He"s at the bottom of the sea!" Jack cut in.
The Captain staggered and turned a white face to the speaker. Ned was about to explain by saying that young Moore was at the bottom of the sea in the Sea Lion when Moore sprang toward him.
"You murdered him!" shouted the enraged Captain. "You murdered him, and I"ll have your life."
He lifted his pistol and fired, but the bullet went whistling through the air instead of finding the mark intended for it. Hans, seeing the peril Ned was in, had stepped forward and landed a knock-out blow on the Captain"s jaw.
"You loaver!" he shouted, standing over him.
The natives rushed forward as the Captain fell, uttering a jargon which no one understood save the trader. Hamblin saw the danger in the threatening looks of the fellows and sprang for the gun, which had dropped from Moore"s hand.
He reached it not a second too soon, for a brawny native was already s.n.a.t.c.hing at it. The fellow seized the trader"s wrist as he lifted the weapon and uttered a few words in a menacing tone.
This was enough for Hans, who stood close by, rubbing the bruised knuckles of his right hand. He struck out again, throwing the whole weight of his body into the blow. The native went down and the others drew away from the group about him.
"Great clip!" shouted Jack, as the trader threatened the natives with the gun. "You seem to be the White Man"s Hope!"
Hans rubbed the knuckles again and grinned, such a bland grin that both Ned and Jack burst into laughter.
"You sure have a punch!" Jack went on. "Where did you get it?"
"Py the verein just," was the reply.
"You"re all right, anyhow," Ned said.
The trader was now addressing the natives in a language--if it was a language--which the boys could not at all understand. They noted the result of the talk with joy, however, for the black-skinned group turned toward the village and soon disappeared in the thicket, taking the knocked out fellow with them.
Captain Moore now opened his eyes and staggered to his feet. His face was deadly pale and his eyes flashed like those of an enraged wolf.
"You shall pay for this!" he shouted.
"Jack did not finish his sentence when he told you that your son was at the bottom of the sea," Ned said, thinking that the deception had gone far enough. "He should have added that he was safe in the Sea Lion."
"Then I demand his release!" shouted the other.
"I can"t bring him to you," Ned said, "but I"ll take you where he is."
"And if I refuse to go?"
"You"ll go just the same."
"A prisoner?"
"Certainly--a prisoner charged with piracy on the high seas."
"You"re a meddling fool!" roared the Captain.
Ned paid no attention to the personal abuse of the angry man, but turned to Hamblin.
"I want to talk with you," he said, "but I must get this man on board the Sea Lion first. You"ll wait here?"
Before the trader could reply, a shout came over the water from the submarine, and a column of smoke came out of the open hatch.
"I guess you"ve got all the trouble on the Sea Lion you need there,"
snarled Moore, "without taking me on board. Your ship"s on fire!"
CHAPTER XV
A DESPERATE PRISONER
Just as the attention of Frank and Jimmie was called to the Captain and the natives advancing upon Ned and Jack from the thicket, they heard a great beating on a door or wall below. There was only one person in the submarine save themselves, and so they knew that it was the captive who was kicking up the row.
"He knows something unusual has been going on," Jimmie observed, "and wants to turn whatever takes place to his own advantage. Suppose we go below and see what he"s doing."
"He"s frightened half to death, I take it," Frank surmised. "The two b.u.mps the Sea Lion got from the Shark must have given him the impression that we had collided with a rock or reef."
"Serves him right," Jimmie replied. "He ought to be willing to take a little of his own medicine occasionally. He tried to kill us when he came on board."
The pounding below continued, and the boys went down to the door of the room where young Moore was held captive. The noise came from within, sure enough.
"What do you want?" demanded Frank, calling loudly so that his voice might penetrate the thick door.
"Let me out!"
"You"ve got your nerve!" answered Jimmie.
"Let me out, please!" continued the prisoner.
"Why?" asked Frank.
"Open the door and you"ll see," was the reply.