“Pedro tried to argue me out of that, but I insisted. At last he went to a junk shop in town and bought a suit of boy’s clothes for me, and this stocking cap; then he cut off my hair”—the girl shook her head and set the short locks flying—“and I was soon changed into Manuel Ybarra, a small brother of Pedro’s. We went out to the schooner in the evening. Fingal was already aboard and waiting for us. After that we sailed south, and, in the first gray of morning, we hove to, and Fingal himself climbed to the masthead with a glass. He watched carefully along our back track, and when he came sliding down to the deck he said loudly, so all could hear, that Don Carlos had succeeded in luring the submarine away from Belize, and that now we must carry out our part of the program.
“Pedro and three other men were lined up on the deck, and each was given a revolver; then a small boat was put over and the four men got into the boat. Just as they were about to cast off, I jumped in.
“Fingal swore and ordered me back, but Pedro begged so hard for his ‘little brother’ that I was allowed to stay. As soon as we had cast off from her side, the schooner bore away with all sail set; then our boat was rowed off over the water and the oars were tossed into the sea.
“‘We’re shipwrecked sailors,’ said Fingal, with a laugh. ‘Play the part, every man of you! The submarine will pick us up, an’ then we’ll capture her.’
“My heart turned sick at that, for not until then did I understand what the plan was. I hoped that you would not see us and pick us up; but then, Don Carlos was on the submarine, and it was certain that he would be on the watch for us. You know what happened after that. Didn’t you see me motioning to you to keep away when you were in the conning tower?”
“I saw you motioning, Ysabel,” said Bob, “but hadn’t the least idea what you meant. You were well disguised, and that stocking cap is just the thing. But be careful! If Abner Fingal should discover who you really are——”
“He won’t,” she answered. “Pedro is looking after me. I am supposed to be his brother, you know.”
“Do you think you can help us recapture the Grampus?”
“That’s what I want to do.”
“Will Pedro help you?”