CHAPTER XII.
CAPTURING THE GENERAL.
Matt, on the occasion of his former visit to the River Izaral, hadcaught a fleeting glimpse of General Pitou. Speake, who had been aprisoner in the general's hands for a brief time, was more familiarwith his appearance. Gliding to the periscope table, Speake took a lookfor himself.
"You're right, Matt," he whispered, "it's the old villain himself."
"I should think he was takin' chances coming so far from camp,"remarked Clackett, "and right in the direction of General Mendez andhis troops."
"Mayhap," chuckled Dick, "he was expecting to drop down the river inthe submarine. Let's not disappoint him, mates. He'll go down, but notwith the people he intended to have as companions."
"Hist!" warned Matt.
A deep silence reigned in the periscope room. Voices were heard on thelanding, and then a clattering rattle as the general landed on thedeck. Don Carlos followed more lightly, and stepped to the conningtower.
"Fingal!" called Don Carlos. "The general is here, and he feels thatthe prisoners must be dealt with in a summary manner at once. Hedoesn't think it advisable to wait until nightfall. Better bring themup."
Here, in a moment, a situation was developed which threatened Matt'splan for entrapping Don Carlos and Pitou. The don and the general werenot intending to come into the boat, but to wait on the deck while theprisoners were brought up.
"I say, below there!" called Don Carlos, in a louder voice. "Wake up,you! Where's Fingal?"
"Ahoy, don!" bellowed Matt, trying his utmost to imitate the raucoustones of Fingal's voice. "Bring the general down a minute!"
Matt's imitation was fairly good, but not good enough to deceive thekeen ears of Don Carlos.
With a yell of alarm, the don sprang ashore.
"This way, general!" he shouted; "hurry! There's something wrong here."
There followed a crash, a rattling slide of some object over thesloping deck of the boat, then a shrill "_Pardieu! Sacre, sacr-r-r-etonnerre!_"
Matt rushed up the ladder and looked out of the hatch.
The general was a little man, and he carried a prodigious sword andwore a pair of immense spurs on his cavalry boots. As near as Mattcould judge, from what he saw, the general had tried to leap ashore andhis spurs had caught in one of the guy ropes. Instead, therefore, ofleaping, he fell in a heap, and had clattered and banged along the deckuntil he was caught and held between the side of the boat and a pilethat formed part of the wharf.
The general was seeking in vain to extricate himself from hisdifficulties. Every time he tried to get up, his boots would slip onthe rounded plates, and he would sit down on the sharp points of hisspurs.
The air was fairly blue in his immediate vicinity, and a perfect bedlamof epithets went up from him. Don Carlos, seeing Matt in the top of thetower, guessed rightly that the prisoners had released themselves insome manner. The don did not return to assist the general, but dancedabout on the bank, tossing his arms frantically and shouting for him tomake haste.
The general was more than anxious to oblige, but fate was againstanything like haste. The sharp points of his spurs galled him, and whenhis spurs ceased from troubling, his long sword got between his legsand tripped him.
Matt had abundant time to slide over the top of the conning tower, grabthe general by the collar of his red coat and pull him erect on theridge-like spine of the deck.
With a howl of wrath, Pitou backed up against the conning tower, drewhis sword, threw his left arm over his face and proceeded savagely tocarve slices out of the air.
The situation was serious, from several points of view, but Matt, forall that, could hardly repress a laugh.
Then, to crown the ignominy that was being heaped upon the general,Speake suddenly hoisted himself above the top of the tower, noted thesituation, reached out calmly and passed his arms about the general'sbody under the shoulders.
The next moment Matt had a glimpse of a red coat, a pair of cavalryboots, and flashing spurs being elevated and dragged down into the mawof the tower.
It was a tragic disappearance--tragic for the general--for, in thisinglorious manner, he was leaving the scene of his military exploits.
As soon as Matt got below he found his friends enjoying the general asmuch as he had done. Clackett had taken his sword, Speake had pulledoff his boots, and Dick was sitting on the captive's breast, pinninghim to the floor while he affixed cords to his wrists and ankles.
"Fer goodness' sake," cried Speake, "get somethin' between his jaws!He's chatterin' more'n a cage o' monkeys."
Ysabel stepped forward with a bandage, and the general was soon silent.Dick finished by dragging him into the prison chamber and dropping himdown beside Fingal.
"Oh, what a fine general it is!" laughed Dick. "And he was tryingto make himself dictator of the country! I wonder what sort of apopulation they have here, to let a little wasp like that go on thewarpath and make trouble!"
"He is a little wretch!" exclaimed Ysabel, with flashing eyes.
"And that's the military phenomenon your uncle, Abner Fingal, wastrying to make you marry!" exclaimed Dick, suddenly recalling ahalf-forgotten episode in Ysabel's life.
The girl flushed crimson.
"Never!" she breathed fiercely.
"If it hadn't been for his spurs and his sword," said Matt, "he wouldhave been able to get away. But we're strangely reckless, friends,"he added, "to amuse ourselves with the general when we are in suchdesperate plight. We can't leave here until Gaines gets back, and notonly has one of Fingal's men escaped us, but Don Carlos has likewisegot away. Both will carry the news of what we have done to the camp ofthe rebels--and you can imagine what will happen when the rebels hearthat we have got their general below decks. We'll have the entire armyabout our ears--and that won't do; at least, not until we have Gaineswith us. After that, we can close the hatch, sink below the surface andglide down-stream without----"
Matt paused. He suddenly remembered what Pedro had said about thesubmarine mines at the mouth of the river.
"What's taken you aback, matey?" spoke up Dick. "You act as though youhad just thought of something."
"We may have a hard time getting out of the river," returned Matt."Pedro told Ysabel that the rebels had planted mines in the river bed,close to the fort, and that they were so low in the water we wouldprobably strike them if we tried to pass the fort submerged. Again, ifwe attempt to gain the gulf by keeping on the surface of the river, thecannon in the fort will bombard us."
"A plague on their mines and their cannon!" cried Dick recklessly."We'll run past the fort. If the soldiers are all as able as theirgeneral, they couldn't hit us with grape and canister."
"Well, that's a bridge for us to cross at a later time," said Matt."Just at present we have Gaines to think about. He ought to have gotback by this time. Clackett, go back to your post in the woods and keepa sharp watch for soldiers. We'll surely have a visit from them now. Upon deck with your hatchet, Dick, and stand ready to cut the cable atthe first sign of an attack."
"Aye, aye," responded Dick, picking up the hatchet. "I think, matey, wecould capture the whole rebel army if it came our way."
"We've had one experience with the rebel army, Dick," said Matt, "andit was far from pleasant. Let's not repeat the experience. Climb forthe deck, and----"
Events were happening for the young motorist and his chums that day!They were coming like the rapid reports of a Gatling gun, and hardlywas one issue met and vanquished before another was raised.
Dick and Clackett were on their way up the ladder when a rattle ofmusketry reached the ears of those in the submarine. It came from thedirection of the bank, and was followed by loud cries and a tremendousthrashing among the bushes.
"Hurry!" cried Matt. "Don Carlos must have met a detachment of Pitou'sarmy and have headed them this way! We can't wait any longer forGaines! Up with you and cut the cable!"
Clackett stepped off the ladder to make room for Matt, who sprang tofollow Dick
aloft.
When Dick reached the deck, he gave a shout of astonishment.
"Lively, matey!" he called.
When Matt was able to see what was going on, he was as greatlysurprised as Dick had been.
Coming down the bank, and traveling as fast as his long legs couldcarry him, was Gaines. He was clad only in shirt and trousers, andhis bare feet were bleeding from their contact with the sharp stones.Unmindful of this trying discomfort, he rushed down the bank withflying leaps, while bushes crackled behind him and little wreaths ofsmoke rose upward, marking the discharge of firearms.
Matt rushed along the deck and caught the hatchet out of his chum'shand.
"Go to the engine room, Dick," said he quickly, "and take charge of themotor. Send Clackett to the tank room. Let Speake take the wheel untilI come. Submerge when I give the word, and do it _quick_!"
It was no time for hesitation, and Ferral darted back down the hatch.
Motor Matt's Close Call; or, The Snare of Don Carlos Page 13
