"I tell you I can't stay here in Punta Arenas for a week. The submarine must leave Sandy Point in the morning."
"If so," was the sarcastic rejoinder, "then she leaves without you."
Motor Matt had borne patiently with Captain Sandoval, but now his patience seemed to have given out.
"Captain Sandoval," he cried, "I defy you to go ahead and do your worst; and, at the same time, I warn you that the more trouble you make me the more you are making for yourself. I can't understand what you are trying to do, for your excuse for arresting me and taking me away from the submarine is as unreasonable as it is foolish. If----"
"Do you threaten me?" stormed the captain.
"Yes," was the calm response, "and defy you, at the same time. Now go ahead and let's see how far your crazy ideas will carry you."
The captain, in a tone that bespoke his fierce anger, gave orders for a third time to the marines who were with him.
The orders were obeyed, and the marines started.
"I'm a Fiji," whispered Dick, "if they're not coming this way!"
"I believe you're right," answered Glennie, carefully watching the direction taken by the dark forms.
"They'll pass close to the end of this pile of timber," continued Dick.
He spoke rapidly, and there was a good deal of excitement back of his words.
"I guess that's so, too. But what of it?"
"What of it?" repeated Dick. "Say, Glennie, if you're the right sort, now's the time to show it."
"I'm over my head," said Glennie. "What are you thinking about?"
"I'm on my mettle to-night," pursued Dick.
"From your excited condition I should judge that that might be the case."
"Do you want to see the _Grampus_ held up for a week in this blooming place at the south end of Nowhere?"
"Well, that's what will happen, sure as fate, if those fellows take Matt to a lockup. Neither the American consul, nor the British vice-consul, will be back for a week, or----"
"But there's the German consul we're going to call upon."
"Ten to one he'll play safe, and make us wait until the American consul gets back. Now we know Matt hasn't done a thing that calls for this sort of treatment. It's an outrage. But that's not the worst. The delay to the _Grampus_ may throw us into the hands of those Sons of the Rising Sun, and that _might_ prove the destruction of the submarine. Everything hangs on us, right here and now. Matt has given his defiance to the captain of the war ship. Let's match him, and go him one better by giving defiance to all the powers of Chili, naval and military."