Then followed pleading and curses, but all to no effect. Finally Captain Roquez and another man came out into the passageway in front of the apartment in which Oscar and Andy were prisoners.
"Gabretti, you must do your best without their help," said the Spanish captain, earnestly.
"I will, captain," was the answer, in a strong foreign accent. "But it will be taking something of a risk."
"It ought to be all right. You once ran the engines on the old Holland."
"Zat ees true, captain, but ze new Holland is von great improvement on ze old. Ze machinery ees much more—vat you call heem?—complications, eh?"
"I suppose so—these accursed Yankees are forever improving things. But their engineer won't do a thing and so you must do your best. Only don't blow us up as you blew up the old Holland."
"Ha, ha! You make von joke on me, eh? I blow up ze old Holland because ve vant him blow up. I hate ze Americanos. But I not blow up ze new Holland, no, no! I make heem blow up two-seex-ten-a-hundred Yankee ships before I am done."
"Now you are talking," answered Captain Roquez. "But be careful, and if you can't manage her we will force that Yankee engineer to help us out, even if I have to cut off his ears to make him come to terms."
The two passed out of hearing, and presently Canelli was called away, leaving Oscar and his first lieutenant alone.
"Andy, that fellow is Gabretti, the rascal who blew up one of the old Hollands!"