CHAPTER VII.
THE LANDING PARTY.
During that night run down the coast the _Grampus_ was driven at fullspeed. The electric projector was fitted against the lunettes of theconning tower, and threw an eye of light far out over the dark water.
It was the hope of those aboard the submarine that they would be ableto overhaul and pass the schooner, _North Star_, which, presumably, wasrushing on ahead of them to interfere in some manner with the work cutout for the _Grampus_.
The schooner had about three hours' start of the submarine, but thelatter craft was keeping to the surface and traveling at such a speedthat it was thought she would surely overtake the other boat before themouth of the Izaral was reached.
However, in this Matt and Jordan were disappointed. They passed onesteamer, creeping up the coast, but not another craft did they see.
"The _North Star_ won't be able to ascend the Izaral, anyhow,"commented Jordan. "If Fingal communicates with the revolutionists, hewill have to send a small boat--and perhaps we can overhaul that boatbefore it reaches the headquarters of the insurgent force."
There was a certain amount of sleep for everybody aboard the _Grampus_,that night, but Motor Matt, Dick and Carl slept the first half of thenight, and, after that, relieved Gaines and Clackett; Speake caught catnaps off and on; Jordan stretched himself out on top of the locker inthe periscope room and took his forty winks with nothing to bother him;and Tirzal, when the submarine was in a fairly clear stretch of hercourse, was relieved by Matt and sent down to curl up on the floor andsnore to his heart's content.
The tireless motor hummed the song familiar in Matt's ears, and theexcitement of the work in prospect kept him keyed to highest pitch inspite of his loss of rest.
In the gray of early morning, an hour after Matt had turned off theelectric projector, he sighted the mouth of a river with high, bluffybanks on each side. On one of the banks, peeping out from a covert ofroyal palms, was a small village. Directly across the stream from thevillage, commanding both the river and the small harbor in front of thetown, was a rude fort.
Matt called Tirzal.
"She's de ruvver, all right, you bet," declared Tirzal, after taking alook at the periscope. "Stop um boat, boss," he added. "We no want depeople in de town to see um."
Matt halted the submarine with the touch of a push button.
"We'd better submerge, Matt," called Jordan. "That's the way we've gotto get up the river, and it's our proper course for dodging around thetown. Can you see anything of the schooner?"
"There are only a few small native boats in the harbor," answered Matt."The schooner isn't in sight."
"Beats the deuce what's become of the boat," growled the consul. "Ifshe sent a launch up the river, the schooner ought to be somewherearound waiting for the launch to get back."
"She may have pulled off down the coast just to keep clear of us. How'sthe water in the river?"
"Him planty deep to where we go, boss," spoke up Tirzal. "Sometime himt'irty feet, mos'ly fifty feet. Eberyt'ing go fine if we keep in dechannel."
"We'll be on the safe side," went on Matt, "and just swing along withthe water over our decks and the top of the conning tower. Ten footsubmergence, Clackett," he added through a speaking tube connectingwith the tank room.
"Aye, aye, sir," came back the voice of Clackett.
The hiss of escaping air as the water came into the tanks was heard,and Matt secured the hatch and came down the ladder.
The hissing ceased suddenly.
"We're ten feet down, Matt," reported Clackett through the tube.
"Take the wheel, Tirzal," said Matt.
With head under the periscope hood and one hand on the wheel, Tirzalrang for slow speed ahead. Matt and Jordan likewise gave theirattention to the periscope mirror and watched, with curious wonder,while the tropical river unfolded beneath their eyes like a movingpicture.
The Izaral was bank-full. As the _Grampus_ rounded the northern bluffand swerved into the river channel, the high, steep banks, covered withdense foliage, resembled a narrow lane with a blank wall at its fartherend. When the boat pushed into the stream, however, and fought thecurrent for three or four hundred yards, the seemingly blank wall gaveplace to an abrupt turn.
The submarine took the turn and entered upon another stretch of thelane.
This part of the river was as perfect a solitude as though removedthousands of miles from human habitations. At a distance of perhapstwo miles from the coast the high banks dwindled to low rises, and oneach side was an unbroken forest; the banks were overflowed; the treesseemed to grow out of the water, their branches spreading across so asalmost to shut out the light of the sun and were reflected in the wateras in a mirror.
Birds of gaudy plumage fluttered among the trees, and here and there ina bayou alligators could be seen stretching their torpid bodies in theblack ooze.
Tirzal kept his eyes glued to the periscope. The channel was crookedand dangerous, and a moment's neglect might hurl the submarine into amuddy bank, causing trouble and delay, if not actual peril.
For two or three miles farther Tirzal kept the river channel. Finallythey came close to a spot where a deep, narrow stream entered theIzaral on the right. Tirzal turned into this branch and, afterascending it for some fifty yards, had the propeller slowed until itjust counteracted the current and held the _Grampus_ stationary.
"We got to de place, boss," said Tirzal, lifting himself erect witha deep breath of relief. "Now we come to de top an' tie de boat to acouple ob trees on de sho'."
"Where are the revolutionists?" asked Matt.
"Dey a good ways off, boss. We hab to take to de bank an' go find um. Iknow de way. Here's where de boats come. You see um pitpan close by debank? Him rebel's boat."
"Do you suppose," queried Matt, turning to the consul, "that theschooner sent word to the rebels by means of the pitpan?"
Jordan shook his head perplexedly.
"They wouldn't do that. The pitpan is no more than a mahogany log,hollowed out, and would be a poor sort of craft to row against thecurrent of the Izaral while it's at the flood. I can't understand whywe don't see or hear something connected with the schooner. Perhaps,"and the consul's face brightened, "Fingal and Cassidy are on the wrongtrack, after all."
"You go to de top, boss," put in Tirzal, "an' me swim asho' wid rope;den we warp um boat close to de bank."
As a preparation for his swim, the half-breed began to divest himselfof his clothes.
Matt gave the order to empty the ballast tanks by compressed air, andthe _Grampus_ arose to the surface to the tune of water splashing fromthe tanks.
"A party will have to land for the purpose of reconnoitring theposition of the rebels," said Jordan. "I would suggest, Matt, that thelanding party consist of myself, Tirzal, of course, and some otherperson who you think can be easily spared. A strong force will haveto remain with the _Grampus_, for our situation is encompassed withdangers. Before we can plan our dash successfully, we shall have toknow something of the lay of the land and the disposition of the forcethat is guarding Coleman."
"You are right," returned Matt. "I ought to remain with thesubmarine----"
"And get a little sleep," cut in the consul. "You've been on duty allnight and must rest up so as to be ready for the sharp work when itcomes."
"I'll have Speake go with you and Tirzal," said Matt. "How long willyou be gone, Jordan?"
"Not more than two or three hours at the outside."
By then the _Grampus_ was at the surface, and Matt climbed the ladderand threw back the hatch. Gaining the dripping iron deck, he lookedand listened. The thick forest lay on every side, and the silence wasbroken only by the flapping of wings, and the lazy splash of alligatorsin a near-by bayou.
Tirzal, a rope around his waist, scrambled clear of the conning towerand slipped from the deck into the water. He swam swiftly and silentlyto the bank, pulled himself up, untied the end of the rope from abouthis waist and passed it around a tree.
Dick gained the deck, made the boat end of the rope fast to an ironring in the bow, and watched while Tirzal lay back on the cable withall his strength and hauled the bow shoreward, a foot at a time.
"The bank lays steep-to, matey," announced Dick, "and we can run thenose of the old flugee right into solid ground."
"That will make it easier for Jordan and Speake to effect a landing,"said Matt.
A few minutes of pulling on Tirzal's part brought the point of thesubmarine's bow against the bank. Speake had come up on deck with oneof the rifles. A moment later Jordan followed him, with Carl trailingalong in his wake.
Jordan carried two rifles, one for himself and one for Tirzal, and alsoTirzal's bundle of clothes.
"We're taking all the rifles, Matt," said Jordan, "but I have left mycartridge belt and six-shooters in the periscope room. If you should beattacked--which I hardly expect--your best defense will be to sink tothe bottom of the river. We'll be back in three hours. If we're not,you'll know something has gone wrong with us. But don't fret aboutthat. Tirzal knows the country, and he'll steer us clear of trouble."
Speake and Jordan made their way to the point of the bow and sprangashore. As soon as Tirzal had slipped into his clothes and grasped therifle, the three comprising the landing party waved their hands tothose on the deck of the boat and vanished into the forest.
"Dose fellers vas going to haf all der fun," grumbled Carl.
"I don't think anybody is going to have a monopoly of the 'fun,' as youcall it, Carl," said Matt grimly. "You and Dick stay on deck and keep asharp watch for rebels. I'm going to the periscope room to take a nap.In order to be on the safe side, Dick, you'd better let the _Grampus_slide back toward the middle of the stream. Leave the cable on the treeand pay it off from the bow of the boat."
"Aye, aye, matey," answered Dick.
"Call me if anything happens," said Matt, climbing into the conningtower.
On reaching the periscope room, he signaled Gaines to stop the motor,and told him and Clackett that the submarine was moored, and that theycould either sleep or go on deck, as they preferred.
Matt, thoroughly tired out by his long night vigil, stretched himselfon the locker and was soon sound asleep.
How long he slept he did not know, but he was suddenly aroused by apounding of feet on the steel deck, startled cries and a tremendoussplashing of water.
Thinking that Dick and Carl, who had comprised the anchor watch, hadbeen caught napping, and that the revolutionists were making an attackon the boat, he leaped up, caught the first weapon he could lay holdof, and darted for the iron ladder.
The weapon happened to be an old harpoon belonging to Speake, who hadonce had a berth aboard a whaling ship.
When Matt lifted his head above the rim of the conning tower hatch, astrange scene met his eyes.