IN WHICH THE HOLLAND XI. IS CAPTURED.
"Man overboard!"
Such was the cry which came from the lips of Marney.
He was at the foot of the ladder at the moment Hang Chang grappled
Oscar and disappeared with the young captain.
"Who's over?" came from Andy, as he rushed up.
"The cap'n!" went on Marney. "The Chink dragged him over! He had the
cap'n by the throat!"
Andy waited to hear no more, but bound up the ladder two steps at a
time.
All he could see was a slight disturbance in the water, where a few
bubbles were coming to the surface.
With Andy to think was to act, for he felt that Oscar was in a
dangerous situation.
With one leap he was down at the foot of the ladder again and calling
to George Dross.
"Watch for us! I am after Oscar!" he shouted, and then caught a knife
which was in Marney's belt.
Then he went to the deck again and taking a long breath, plunged into
the ocean, blade in hand.
In the meantime Oscar was having a bitter struggle with the madman, for
such Hang Chang had become.
The grip of the Celestial was like that of steel and could not be
broken.
Oscar kicked at him and turned and twisted, but all in vain.
Then there came a darkness over the eyes of the young captain and a
strange rumble in his ears.
He felt himself going down and down, the water each instant getting
colder and more lonely.
"It must be the end of all!" he thought. "Heaven alone can help me!"
He thought of the Holland XI., of his friends, of the many victories he
had gained--and of what he had hoped to do for the President's daughter.
Was this to be the end of all--this, a grave at the bottom of the
mighty Pacific?
Again he struggled, and this time he thought the grip on his throat was
somewhat relaxed.
But only for a moment, then it became even tighter than before.
The darkness increased and he believed himself dead and dreaming.
Of a sudden something brushed against his shoulder.
It was Andy's body, and opening his eyes he saw dimly a hand clutching
a knife.
Once, twice, three, the blade was plunged into the back of the
Chinaman. Then it came upward a fourth time and slashed across the
crazy man's wrist.
The sea was died with the blood of the Celestial and slowly but surely
that steel-like grip relaxed, until Oscar found himself free.
But he was almost too weak to help himself and Andy had to assist him
to the surface.
Here willing hands helped both to the deck of the new Holland and down
into the interior, where both sank on the floor exhausted.
Oscar looked white and faint, and not without reason, for never before
had he been so close to death.
"We are well rid of him," he said, after he and Andy had told their
stories. Then he caught his chum's hand. "Andy, that is another debt I
owe you."
For several days after this nothing unusual happened on board of the
new Holland.
Oscar had now determined to go in search of the Chinese cruiser, which
was said to have Martha Adams on board as a prisoner.
He felt that he must rescue the girl, no matter what the cost, for to
him Martha Adams was the loveliest young woman on the face of the
globe.
Day after day went by and at last they approached the coast of
California once more.
Here a stop was made for provisions and for some extra ammunition, and
Oscar reported to the authorities what had been done at Cape Nome.
But the news had already come in from Alaska by telegraph.
The Navy Department at San Francisco also had news for Oscar which
caused him much pleasure.
Congress had awarded him and his men a special medal for bravery and it
was broadly hinted that Oscar would soon be made a commodore.
"We'll get to the top of the naval ladder--if this war lasts long
enough," said Oscar.
"That's what we want," answered Andy. He was equally delighted, for he
scented a captaincy ahead.
From San Francisco the run was straight to Central America, and then to
the entrance of the great canal.
At the east end of the canal it was learned that several foreign
warships had been sighted in the Caribbean Sea off the south coast of
Cuba.
One of the warships was supposed to be the Chinese cruiser Green Dragon.
"We'll soon find out if it is the Green Dragon," said Oscar, grimly.
But, alas! just as they wished to crowd on all power, something got
the matter with the machinery and they had to lay-to two days for
repairs.
It was very hot, for they were not far from the equator, and so they
lay on the top of the ocean, with the trap-door open day and night.
By the second night the repairs were almost completed and George Dross
announced that they would be ready to continue their voyage by ten
o'clock the next day.
All had worked hard over the machinery, especially Oscar and Andy, and
were much exhausted in consequence.
The young captain and his lieutenant retired and were soon in the
land of dreams, and George Dross, Marney and several others followed,
leaving only Walton on guard.
It was a dark night and so close that it made Walton sleepy. He sat on
the companionway ladder smoking, but soon his head began to nod, and
though he didn't fall asleep he was not as alert as he might have been.
In the meantime from shore there had put off a long Spanish cutter
containing ten of the most daring Spanish and Italian naval men and
sailors to be found anywhere.
Slowly and silently the cutter crept up to the Holland XI. and the
leader of the party, Captain Roquez, stepped on the tiny deck of the
submarine craft.
He motioned his followers to be silent and then took from his pocket a
plaster of pitch.
Down the ladder he went like a ghost until he stood directly over
Walton.
The ammunition-man started in alarm, but ere he could say a word the
pitch plaster was clapped over his mouth and he was made a close
prisoner.
"Now for the others," whispered Captain Roquez. "We will show the
Americanos what we can do and wipe out the insult of the War of 1898!"
Slowly and cautiously the party moved forward until they came to where
Oscar and Andy slept.
They had brought leather straps along, and these were clapped on the
pair before they could sit up.
"What does this mean?" demanded Oscar, as soon as he could speak.
"It means that we have captured your ship and that you are our
prisoners!" chuckled the Spanish captain.