THE CENTRAL AMERICAN CANAL.
The great canal, in Central America, had just been completed by the
United States at a cost of thirty-six millions of dollars.
Other nations, especially France, had tried to push a canal through for
years, but had failed.
The United States now controlled all the land in the vicinity of the
canal, and, as previously stated, thought seriously of taking these
Central American States into our glorious union.
"Can we get through the canal?" questioned Andy.
"Yes. I figured it out long ago--when I thought we might be needed on
the western coast."
"Captain, you have a long head."
"Thanks, Andy, no compliments. Let's go to dinner." And there the
subject was dismissed.
Thirty-six hours later found the new Holland on her way southward.
Cuba was passed without special incident and then they ran into the
Caribbean Sea.
At the canal entrance a special message awaited them, urging them to
come on with all possible speed.
"The enemy are coming to the western coast as fast as they can," said
Oscar, after reading the message to Andy. "It is feared that they
intend to bombard the Hawaiian Islands on the way over, and capture
Honolulu and other important seaport towns."
"Can't we head them off?"
"Perhaps that is what we will be called upon to do," answered the young
captain of the Holland XI.
The weather was very hot everywhere and in the interior of the
submarine craft it was stifling.
"This isn't so much fun," grumbled old George Dross. "I expect some day
you'll find nothing but a grease spot left o' me."
"All right, George, we'll give the spot decent burial," answered Oscar,
dryly, and then a laugh went up.
With no time to lose, preparations were made to go through the great
canal with all speed.
In the meantime the enemy heard of the proposed trip and it caused all
foreign nations to worry a good deal.
They knew that if once the new Holland got into the Pacific Ocean she
could do incalculable damage to their warships.
A plot was at once instituted to blow up several of the canal locks,
thus rendering the artificial waterway useless.
This was to be accomplished when the Holland was half way to the
Pacific side, so that the submarine craft might be left high and dry
some seventy miles from either coast.
Ten miles from the Atlantic coast entrance, or more particularly the
Caribbean Sea entrance, the Holland put up for a few hours at the town
of Ambrose, a Spanish settlement.
Oscar went ashore for despatches and with him went Andy, glad to have
the chance of stretching his legs on Mother Earth once more.
The despatches filled Oscar with suspicion, for there was one from the
Pacific end of the canal which read as follows:
"Be on your guard, or the Holland XI. will suffer while coming through
the canal."
"Humph! Now what does that mean?" muttered the young captain.
"It means that there is more deviltry afoot," answered his lieutenant.
"We must be wide-awake. Perhaps the Spaniards down here are not so
friendly as they would like to appear."
Feeling hungry, the pair entered a restaurant not far from the edge of
the canal.
They sat close to an open window and while eating, caught some talk of
three Spaniards who rested in a small boat directly under the window.
The talk was about the new Holland, and Oscar gathered that the
foreigners were far from friendly to the craft.
"I vish she vas sunk," growled one Spaniard.
"Perhaps your vish vill come true, Carlos," said a second Spaniard.
"Remember, Pargloss ees vide awake."
"And Pargloss ees a vonderful man," added the third Spaniard.
Then the three rowed away in the darkness.
"Who can this Pargloss be?" mused Captain Oscar.
"I don't know. There used to be a Nathan Pargloss in the Treasury
Department, but he was kicked out on account of some crookedness."
"Then perhaps he is the man, Andy. Perhaps he wants to get square with
the United States."
The young captain had struck the nail on the head.
Nathan Pargloss was furious because he had been discharged from a
position paying five thousand dollars per year.
He was a dishonest man and for years had been in sympathy with Spain
and other foreign nations.
He had sold valuable treasury secrets to foreigners and the discovery
of these actions had caused his dismissal.
It was he who had concocted the scheme to blow up two of the canal
locks when the new Holland should reach about the middle of the long
water-course.
All of the next day Oscar thought of Nathan Pargloss and of what the
Spaniards had said.
When the second lock was gained he spoke to the keeper about Pargloss.
"Ha! I heard of him only yesterday!" cried the keeper. "He is around
here somewhere."
"Then we must set a trap and catch him," returned Oscar, decidedly. "I
cannot risk the loss of the Holland at such an important time as this."
It was decided to set a close watch all along the canal.
Trustworthy men were hired at Oscar's expense, the young captain
knowing full well that the Navy Department would reimburse him for any
outlay thus made.
The plan worked well, for about midnight a small boat was seen to
approach the lock.
It contained two men, Pargloss and a confederate.
Pargloss' craft contained a large can of dynamite and this was placed
close to the gate of the lock.
Pargloss was about to depart when Oscar and several men fell upon him.
"Halt!" ordered the young captain of the new Holland, and aimed a
pistol at Pargloss' head.
The wretched man, however, was game, and he flung himself upon the
young captain and both tumbled over the brink of the lock into the
waters below.
Pargloss had Oscar by the neck and the young captain was in peril of
either being choked to death or drowned.
Oscar tried to free himself but in vain.
Pargloss was a powerful man and could not be made to let go.
In desperation, Oscar pulled the trigger of his pistol.
He scarcely expected the weapon to go off, but it did, and the bullet
struck Pargloss in the shoulder.
The man was not seriously injured, but the sudden pain made him loosen
his hold and in another instant Oscar was free.
Coming to the surface he reached a ladder running up the side of the
lock and soon found himself once more above the canal.
In the meantime, Pargloss' confederate had been made a close prisoner
by the others.
"Where is Pargloss?" asked Andy.
"In the canal. Watch for him, he must soon come up."
They did watch, and in a few seconds the criminal appeared and gazed
around him savagely.
"Come up out of there!" ordered Oscar. "If you don't you are a dead
man!"
"I defy you! You shall never capture me!" shrieked Pargloss, and dove
out of sight again.
Ten minutes passed, but he did not come up.
They watched in vain, running up and down the canal bank and bringing
many torches to bear upon the scene.
"He went under to stay under," was Andy's sober comment.
Early in the morning they dragged the canal, and at the bottom came
upon Pargloss' body.
Rather than give himself up he had clung fast to an old tree stump and
thus drowned himself!