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be * (MOTOR STORIES. 7
for the place wher. “ We can look over
the fence and jolly. __ -smate just as he gets
tuned up. How about a bit &f a lark??
“T’ll go you!” chuckled Matt, “but there’s no use start-
ing for two or three hours: yet. Midnight i 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 lass hasn’t an eye for him, matey, but
for you,’
“Oh, splash!” grunted Matt.
“That’s right—flog the cat.
But it’s a fact, all the
wouldn’t-turn your head to look at the handsomest girl
that ever walked. Gasoline motors are your hobby. . An ‘
explosive engine will. be your best: girl till the end of the
chapter.”
Matt enjoyed this. Dick. had. ‘a. Way, now and then, of
giving a subject a humorous turn that was highly divert-
ing. Just as Matt was on the point of giving some jest-
ing reply’, a voice came to them from without.
“Ahoy, de Grampus! Tumble out an’ pass us a line! 1"
Both boys gained their feet on the instant.
“That’s Sambo with his sailboat!” exclaimed Dick,
“He’s bringing visitors. Nice time, this, to receive callers
from Belize.” :
“Perhaps it’s Carl coming back,” answered Matt, half-
way up the iron ladder toward the conning-tower- hatch. -
“Tf it is,” went on Dick, laying hold of the ladder, “then
our fun for to-night is knocked in the head.” . 7
- As soon as Matt got his head out of the hatch he saw
a small sailboat hove to alongside the submarine. There
were several men in her, and two were standing forward
and aft to catch the ropes they were expecting ‘to ‘be
thrown. Because of the evening dusk it was impossible
‘to distinguish those in the boat, but it was plain that the
craft was the one which the crew of the Grampus used
for going ashore.
’ A dark shadow was- thrown: by the boat against the
lighter background of water—a hovering, ominous shad-
ow of treacherys—all the more ominous because neither
ramet ee Tet
ee meg ee on
those peaceable. waters off the British town of Belize.
CHAPTER IV.
DON ‘CARLOS LAYS ‘HIS SNARE.
“Ahoy, ° yourself” shouted Matt. “What do you
want?” /
“Dar’s a gemman here, Marse Cap’n, dat wants tuh
come on bo’d,” answered the voice of Sambo.
-same. The lass has‘taken a fancy to you, Matt, and you ,
of the chums were suspecting underhand work there in.
““Who is he?”. :
Here another form pushed forward and another | voice
took up the conversation. .
“Are you Motor Matt? P?. asked the voice:
Ves oe -
- “You: have charge of the submarine while Captain,
‘Nemo, Jr., is, sick ?” a
. “Ves, ” . . .
“Then you're the person I itish. to talk with, Tam Don
Ramon Ortega.”
"Matt was deeply impressed by the name. Everybody
in Belize had a good word.to say for, Don Ramon Ortega,’
the Spanish consul... He was ‘a, chivalrous gentleman of
‘the old school,’a friend of the United States when many.
other of his countrymen cherished a grudge against the.
country, and a philanthropic and Kindly man. in all his.
- dealings.
“T shall be very glad :to have. you come aboard, ‘Don
Ortega,” called Matt respectfully, “but it is against our.
tules to allow more than one stranger aboard the Granipus
at any one time.”
“Then I will come alone.”
Matt and Dick got out! of the tower and cach 1 hurled
a rope to those forward and. aft on the sailboat.: After
the two boats had been hauled as close together as- possi-
. ble, a plank was shoved-over the side. of the sailboat and
left with its outer end resting on the rounded deck of the
submarine. Don Ramon turned and handed something,
to Sambo.
’ “Haul off,” said hie,‘ ‘and wait until you receive a ‘signal
from me. If you don’t receive a signal, put back to the
fanding.” :
“AIL right, boss.”: : , :
Matt was‘a little surprised at this order, but presumed
that he would soon be told why it had-been given. Reach-
ing out, he caught the don’s hand and: helped him off the
end of the plank. ;
“T must: speak with you immediately,” said the tion, :
“Can we go somewhere for a little private talk?”-
“Certainly,” answered Matt, his* wonder continuing
to grow.
’ The-don catried’a canvas bag whose. contents . jingled
musically with every niovement. While Matt and Dick
escorted their caller below, those on the sailboat hauled ,
in the plank and stood off toward the shore.
Speake, Gaines and Clackett were still busy stowing the
supplies and ‘getting tlie Grampus shipshape below decks,
The two boys and their guest made themsely es comforta-
ble in the periscope room.
Don Ramon, as Matt looked at him now for the first
time, had ‘the appearance of a courtly gentleman. He
was swarthy, well dressed, and his dark eyes, as they
stared about him curiously, looked like points of polished
“jet.
The don took a card case from his pocket and extracted
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