The next instant Dick had leaped across the intervening stretch of water and had landed on the flat deck of the _Pom_.
Before his feet had struck the deck, however, Matt saw a Jap's head and shoulders push upward through the _Pom's_ hatch. If there had been time to feel anything so useless as surprise, Matt would certainly have been taken all aback.
Captain Pons had said that only five Japs had comprised the crew which had palmed themselves off as Chilians. One of these five had been left in Lota, a prisoner. According to Matt's reckoning, that left only four of the yellow men in charge of the _Pom_. Where, then, did this extra Jap come in?
Matt did not pause to let this drift through his mind. Making a short run across the _Grampus_, he flung himself after Dick, reaching the flat deck of the other submarine and only saving himself a fall over the opposite side of the craft by dropping to his knees.
Hardly had he landed when a pair of heavy feet clanged down behind him and a form collided roughly with his back. Once more Matt came within a hair's breadth of dropping off the port side of the _Pom_.
"Py shinks," puffed a choppy voice, "you don'd vas going to leaf me pehindt! Dere iss more Chaps on dis poat as we knowed aboudt, und----"
Carl's sentence was never finished. The Jap Matt had seen in the open hatch had gained the deck and had rushed at Carl like a whirlwind. Another showed himself, following close upon the heels of the first.
"Make the rope fast, Dick!" roared Matt. "Carl and I will look after these fellows."
Dick went down on his knees and began securing the rope. It was necessary to make it fast before the slack was all taken up, otherwise the tow line would have been jerked out of Dick's hands and the work would have had to be done all over again.
Matt caught the second Jap about the waist as he crawled through the hatch. There was a brief struggle, and it ended by Matt heaving the Jap over the side and into the water. The other Jap had performed a like service for Carl, and the Dutch boy, blowing like a porpoise, was floating around in the bay, trying to get hold of something and pull himself back on the deck.
The Jap started at once for Matt. Before he reached him, Dick, who had made fast the line, rushed him from the rear and literally bore him off the boat. He dropped into the water alongside his comrade.