“You see, his boat is a submarine craft, and he can sink out of sight and reach in a moment.”
“Perdita! Senor shall tell me what to do?”
“Use a subterfuge; trick him!” cried Poole, fiendishly. “When you sight him lure him toward you! Fly a signal of distress; when he gets within range give him a shot that will cripple him, or he will get away.”
Don Azata’s eyes glittered.
“That would be an assault upon the American flag,” he began.
“Hang the American flag! Who will ever know the story? Sink the accursed submarine boat with every man on board! The secret will be well kept. All we want is the gold.”
The two rascals looked at each other for fully a minute. Then Don Azata said, softly:
“Senor, you are wise; I shall do as you say. It is true that we must have the gold. May le diable aid us!”
CHAPTER XII.
A TURNING OF TABLES—THE END.
The sunken isthmus had been discovered and explored. The mission of the Diver and its voyagers was thus accomplished.