“If those officers get within reaching distance I’m afraid they’ll make us trouble.”
This from Case, who stood by Alex and Captain Joe, the latter looking disappointed at the apparently peaceful solution of the trouble.
Alex grinned and whispered to Captain Joe. The dog cocked up his ears and opened his jaws with a snarl.
“Say, mister,” Alex called out to the Spaniard, then, “I can’t control this dog much longer. Jump!”
“He doesn’t understand!” Case observed. “I wish he did!”
“Tell him, Frank!” Alex ordered.
As Frank ceased speaking, after this request, Alex let the dog out at arm’s length, holding only to the collar they had made for him. He made as if he were nearly exhausted holding the animal, now clawing the deck, and the Spaniard stepped to the side of the boat.
Alex let go his hold, the dog sprang forward, and the merchant jumped into the river, making a great touse as he struck the surface on his back and dropped under.
“Hope he’ll drown!” was Jule’s observation.
“No; he won’t drown. The row-boat is heading this way and will pick him up. Now, perhaps we’d better be on our way. I rather think we have committed assault and battery—or, rather, that Captain Joe has—on that chap, and he may want us all arrested.”