CHAPTER IX.
YSABEL SIXTY'S LOYALTY.
The astonishment of all three of the prisoners was overwhelming. YsabelSixty, the daughter of Captain Jim Sixty, the captured filibuster,there aboard the _Grampus_! She was so artfully disguised, too, thatthe prisoners would never have recognized her had she not taken thepains to reveal her identity.
Ysabel set the basket down on the floor.
"Fingal and all the others except Don Carlos are eating," said she, ina low voice. "The don has gone ashore to hunt for revolutionists. Myuncle made me get the meal for him and his men, and then sent me herewith something for you."
"You are still a friend of ours, Ysabel?" whispered Matt.
"Always!" the girl breathed.
"Does your uncle, Abner Fingal, know that?"
"Of course not! Why, he doesn't even know I am Ysabel Sixty!" She gavea low, sibilant laugh. "I have fooled him as well as the others."
It hardly seemed possible that the girl could hide her identity fromher uncle simply by donning male attire. And yet she looked vastlydifferent in boy's clothes.
"I'll not be able to stay here long," proceeded Ysabel, "so you hadbetter let me do most of the talking. The _North Star_, Abner Fingal'sschooner, lay off Belize part of the day, yesterday. She had beenrepainted, renamed, and was flying the Cuban flag. No one recognizedher as a filibuster's boat. Fingal came ashore and had a talk with DonCarlos, and together they plotted to capture the submarine. And I alsoplotted," said the girl. "That's how I happen to be here now."
"But how did you learn about the plot?" queried Matt breathlessly, "andhow did you manage it?"
"You remember my old friend, Pedro? The man who used to sail on myfather's ship, the _Dolphin_?"
Matt nodded.
"Well, as it chanced, Pedro came north on the schooner with AbnerFingal. My uncle values Pedro highly because he was with my father onthe brig, and it was from him that Pedro learned that the object ofthe schooner in going to Belize was to capture the submarine. Pedrowas sent ashore at Belize to find four or five white men to help outthe plot. He picked up three, and those were all he could get who,according to his ideas, were trustworthy. He called at the house in theevening, just before the schooner was to sail, and talked with me.
"When I learned that Fingal was trying to capture the submarine, andthat Don Carlos was planning to help, I was wild to get word to you,and warn you. But this was impossible. You were not at the hotel, Pedrosaid, and the doctor would not admit any one to talk with Captain Nemo,Jr. I would have gone to the American consul, but Pedro would not letme. He said that if I did such a thing I would get everybody intotrouble, himself as well as my uncle. I cared little about Fingal, butI did care a good deal about Pedro. He has always been a true friend,and a great help, to me. If I couldn't warn you, Matt, I made up mymind that I would sail with the schooner and do what I could to aid youin case Don Carlos' snare proved successful.
"Pedro tried to argue me out of that, but I insisted. At last he wentto a junk shop in town and bought a suit of boy's clothes for me, andthis stocking cap; then he cut off my hair"--the girl shook her headand set the short locks flying--"and I was soon changed into ManuelYbarra, a small brother of Pedro's. We went out to the schooner in theevening. Fingal was already aboard and waiting for us. After that wesailed south, and, in the first gray of morning, we hove to, and Fingalhimself climbed to the masthead with a glass. He watched carefullyalong our back track, and when he came sliding down to the deck he saidloudly, so all could hear, that Don Carlos had succeeded in luring thesubmarine away from Belize, and that now we must carry out our part ofthe programme.
"Pedro and three other men were lined up on the deck, and each wasgiven a revolver; then a small boat was put over and the four men gotinto the boat. Just as they were about to cast off, I jumped in.
"Fingal swore and ordered me back, but Pedro begged so hard for his'little brother' that I was allowed to stay. As soon as we had cast offfrom her side, the schooner bore away with all sail set; then our boatwas rowed off over the water and the oars were tossed into the sea.
"'We're shipwrecked sailors,' said Fingal, with a laugh. 'Play thepart, every man of you! The submarine will pick us up, an' then we'llcapture her.'
"My heart turned sick at that, for not until then did I understandwhat the plan was. I hoped that you would not see us and pick us up;but then, Don Carlos was on the submarine, and it was certain that hewould be on the watch for us. You know what happened after that. Didn'tyou see me motioning to you to keep away when you were in the conningtower?"
"I saw you motioning, Ysabel," said Matt, "but hadn't the least ideawhat you meant. You were well disguised, and that stocking cap is justthe thing. But be careful! If Abner Fingal should discover who youreally are----"
"He won't," she answered. "Pedro is looking after me. I am supposed tobe his brother, you know."
"Do you think you can help us recapture the _Grampus_?"
"That's what I want to do."
"Will Pedro help you?"
She was doubtful.
"Pedro won't do anything to get me into trouble, but whether he wouldhelp or not I don't know. You see, Matt, Pedro thought a lot of myfather, and he doesn't feel very kindly toward you and your friends.With me it's different. My father was never good to me, but was alwaysbeating me and forcing me to tell lies to help out his plans. But," sheadded, catching herself up, "we must only talk about important things.Pedro is on guard at the door, eating his meal with a revolver on hisknee. He will let me stay in here as long as I like, but if Fingalshould suspect anything----"
The girl winced and shrugged her shoulders.
"You'd better go now, Ysabel," said Matt. "If Fingal happened to findout who you are, at this time, it would be impossible for you to doanything for us."
"I'd better tell you all I can, that's of importance, while I'm here,"insisted the girl, pulling her cap down over her ears. "I may not haveso good a chance as this again."
"Where are we, Ysabel?" put in Dick.
"Tied up to an old landing, halfway between the mouth of the Izaral andthe place where the Purgatoire flows into the stream."
"Are there any soldiers near here?"
"There are, unless General Pitou has captured the fort. If the rebelshave won that, then they're probably all down at the mouth of theriver."
"Where's General Mendez?"
"Somewhere near the Purgatoire. He's coming down the river as fast ashe can, hoping to fight with the rebels before they can get to thefort."
"Why did Don Carlos go ashore?"
"To find General Pitou. If the general thinks it safe, he may come backwith Don Carlos."
"When does Don Carlos expect to get back here?" put in Matt.
"That depends on how far away the rebels are. He may return soon, andhe may not return until nearly night."
"About what time is it?"
"Nearly noon. Tell me, Matt, how you think I can help you! I'm notnearly so clever as you are, and you might be able to think ofsomething I could do."
Matt was thoughtful for a moment.
"Where are Gaines and Clackett?" he asked at last.
"They are shut up in the torpedo room. Fingal intends to keep them shutup all the time they are not needed for running the boat."
"By George!" exclaimed Matt.
"What now, matey?" whispered Dick.
"Why, if necessary, one of those fellows could shoot the other outthrough the torpedo tube! I got out that way once, you remember, inAtlantic City, and the _Grampus_ was submerged, at that. Here she's onthe surface, and the mouth of the tube isn't more than two feet underwater!"
"What good would it do for one o' them fellers to be shot out of theboat?" queried Speake. "He'd only find himself in the hands of thoseoutside."
"Well, Speake, if we got a chance to leave here and run therevolutionists off the boat, one of the men from the torpedo room wouldprove a big help to us. With Don Carlos gone, there are only Fingal,Pedro, and two more
against us--and perhaps Ysabel could keep Pedrofrom taking a very active part in the fighting."
"But there are the guns--consarn 'em!" growled Dick. "What could we doagainst four, or even three, armed men? They could riddle us before wegot close enough to use our fists."
"If I could take the cartridges out of the revolvers," said Ysabel,"wouldn't that help?"
"How could you do that?" queried Matt eagerly. "Aren't the weapons inthe men's pockets?"
"There were only four revolvers," went on the girl, "and one of the mengave his to Don Carlos. That leaves only three on the boat. Pedro hasone, Fingal has one, and one of the other men has one. If I----"
Just at this point the door opened and the swarthy face of Pedro wasthrust in.
"_Mujercita!_" he called softly.
The girl, with one last, quick look at Matt, hastened from the room.The door was closed and locked, and the prisoners could hear the hoarsevoice of Fingal rumbling through the periscope room. Matt glided to thedoor and listened. A moment later he drew a long breath of relief andturned away.
"I was afraid he might discover her," said he, "but he only came downto borrow some tobacco of Pedro."
"About all we can do is to wait," murmured Speake.
"That's all," said Dick; "wait for something to happen and hope for thebest."
"And let's not forget, while we're waiting," added Matt, "that we'vegot one loyal friend among our captors--and she's as brave as she isloyal."