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_ done!
4 | | MOTOR STORIES.
“What were you doing in the other yard?”
Carl didn’t want to mention that part of it, but it
seemed necessary in order to convince the man of his
harmless intentions. ‘s
“Vell,” he answered diffidently, “I vent der mit mein-
seluf to serenate a yoong laty py der name oof Miss |
Sixdy——”
“Miss Ysabel Sixty?” the other again interrupted, even
more eagerly than he had done before.
““Vah, so!” beamed Carl. “You know der laty ?”
“Indeed, yes.
sefior. An English captain lives there—an officer in
charge of the constabulary. Miss Sixty is staying with |
friends a block farther down the street, and around the
corner,’ ’
“Vell, I tought I hat made some misdakes,” said Carl,
vastly relieved. “A parrel oof vater vas tropped on me,’
und I vas run off mit a pulltog, und—und . Blease,
haf you some clot’ patches und some neetles und t’read?
. IT youldt like to be respectaple vonce more.’
The man got to his feet slowly and then, his eyes
gleaming ominously, caught Carl’s atm in both hands.
“Let us not think so‘much of ourselves now, sefior,” he
said thickly, (‘but of others!”
“Vat aboudt id?” inquired Carl, wondering whether
the released gentleman was crazy or excited.
“T am Don Ramon Ortega,” answered the man.
This was another surprise. Carl had heard of Don
Ramon Ortega. He was the Spanish consul in Belize,
man of high lineage and of much importance.
. “How keveer dot I shouldt come py your house like
vat I dit, Ton Ramon!” muttered Carl. “TI hope,” he
added, in a tremor, “dot der laties von’t come ”
“There are none here but ourselves,” cut in the don.
“Ny family and all the servants haye gone to Mexico.
I myself was intending to go in the morning, but now I
shall not leave Belize until I make that scoundrelly Don
Carlos Valdez. answer for this rascally work he has
had
“Ton Carlos Valdez?”? repeated Carl. “TI don’d know
der feller. Vat has he dit?”
“JT will tell you,’ answered the don.
sit down for a moment. My limbs are not strong: yet,
and there is much to be done.”
Carl, excited and curious, dropped into a chair. The
don, after giving a cautious look outside, closed the door
and returned to Carl.. Drawing a chair close, he seated
himself.
“Tell me,” said he, “do -you know of a submarine boat
in the harbor called the Grampus? You are American,
and the boat is owned by Captain Nemo, Jr., an Ameri-
can. You should know of her.”
“Vell, py chiminy Grismus,” boomed Carl, “you bed
you! Vy, ton, I vas vone oof der crew. oof der
Grampus! I come mit her ven she arrifed, und I vas mit
But she does not live in the next house,
_ Was going abroad.
“Come, let us
‘her yen she got der American consul avay, irom der .
Vy, Modor Matt, who vas’:
repels in der-rifer Izaral.
boss oof - der poat ven she dit dot, iss my friendt, my
bard! . Und so iss Tick Ferral!
und sitevays. My name is. Pretzel, Carl Pretzel.”
Know der Grampus! - |
Py chincher, I know her insite und oudt, oop-und down:
Don Ramon Ortega was ‘altounded, but happily. so. a
Reaching out his hand, he’ clasped Carl’s convulsively.
“Ah, what good fortune!” he murmured; “what amaz-
ing luck!. Destiny is at work in all this,
to me to-night, amigo mio!’
“A pulltog hat more to do mit it as fate,” answered Ls
Carl simply.
“Listen!” proceeded the don hurriedly. .
gate. I went out and admitted”—anger throbbed in the
Spaniard’s voice—“Don Carlos Valdez! He is, what you
Americans call, a troublé: maker. I call him a pestilence,
an evil spectre who stalks through the devoted countries
and helps revolutionists overthrow established govern-
ments. Iam Spanish, but I love law and order! I hate
violence and bloodshed! I am for peace! But Don
Carlos is always. for war, and more war, for in that he
finds unholy profit. .Well, it was he who called-on me
to-night. He declared that he wanted a passport, for he
\ .I told him to go to my ‘secretary, at
the legation. -He said he had been there, but that the
secretary was not in, I could not refuse him the pass-
ae port if his intentions were peaceable and he paid the fee,
so he came back into the house with me. As I seated
myself and leaned over the table, the demon struck me_
from behind. I fell unconscious:. When I recovered, I
was bound as you'saw me, and I have laid so for hours.
But Don Carlos had not left when I regained conscious-
ness. He and I have long been at swords’ points, and he
taunted me with the base plans he intended to carry out.”
Don Ramon writhed i in his chair in a spasm ‘of fierce
anger.
“Vat it vas he iss going to do?” asked Carl,
“He has” designs on the submarine!” oroceeded the
don. “He thinks the, boat would be valuable to the reyo-
lutionists to the south. of us. They are threatening Port
Livingston, at the mouth of the Izaral, and are seeking -
to secure the fort there. The lawful authorities of the
state will send ships of war’ to defeat the revolutionists,
and Don Carlos wants the submarine to destroy the wat +
vessels,”
“Himmelblitzen ! ” gasped Carl. “Aber, ” he added
soothingly,.“don’d you be vorked Cop, ton, ‘Der scliemer
von’t.ged der supmarine. Captain Nemo, Jr. iss sick,
aber Modor. Mattyiss on der chob, und you bed you he
von’t let Don Carlos haf der Granzpus to helup oudt def
repels.”
“Diable, no! Motor Matt will Not hire the boat to the
rascally Don Carlos, but he is a Serpent for craft. He
Fate guided you ©
“T was here
alone in the early evening. Some one rang the bell at the
em fe Gey te a I
ee