“For Hivin’s sakes,” he cried, “it’s wan av thim prowlin’ Cuban cruisers. Phwat the divil are they up to? It’s mischief, I believe.”
“Golly, wha’ am we gwine to do? Reckon Marse Frank ought to be here!”
“Bejabers, I’ll put up the Yankee flag an’ they’ll never dare touch us then,” cried Barney.
And he ran up the Stars and Stripes. But the Cuban vessel continued to advance. She ran up a signal flag.
It read that she desired to speak the submarine boat. This was a reasonable request and Barney answered it.
On the quarterdeck stood Azata and Poole. The latter’s first proposition had been to creep up on the Diver and fire a ball through its hull.
But Azata had conceived a more cunning plan. The Meta was anchored in a cove some miles up the coast.
His game was to speak the Diver and make inquiry concerning the Meta. This would disarm the submarine voyagers and he would send a boat off to interview the captain.
Once his men were on the deck of the Diver quick work would be made. The submarine voyagers were to be overpowered and the boat seized.
Then it would be ransacked, the gold recovered, the voyagers shot and the craft confiscated. The two wretches had not decided further than this, but there were hints that the Diver would be a good craft to go seeking sunken treasure with in other parts of the world.