Matt did not pause to let this drift through his mind. Making a short run across the Grampus, he flung himself after Dick, reaching the flat deck of the other submarine and only saving himself a fall over the opposite side of the craft by dropping to his knees.
Hardly had he landed when a pair of heavy feet clanged down behind him and a form collided roughly with his back. Once more Matt came within a hair's breadth of dropping off the port side of the Pom.
"Py shinks," puffed a choppy voice, "you don'd vas going to leaf me pehindt! Dere iss more Chaps on dis poat as we knowed aboudt, und——"
Carl's sentence was never finished. The Jap Matt had seen in the open hatch had gained the deck and had rushed at Carl like a whirlwind. Another showed himself, following close upon the heels of the first.
"Make the rope fast, Dick!" roared Matt. "Carl and I will look after these fellows."
Dick went down on his knees and began securing the rope. It was necessary to make it fast before the slack was all taken up, otherwise the tow line would have been jerked out of Dick's hands and the work would have had to be done all over again.
Matt caught the second Jap about the waist as he crawled through the hatch. There was a brief struggle, and it ended by Matt heaving the Jap over the side and into the water. The other Jap had performed a like service for Carl, and the Dutch boy, blowing like a porpoise, was floating around in the bay, trying to get hold of something and pull himself back on the deck.
The Jap started at once for Matt. Before he reached him, Dick, who had made fast the line, rushed him from the rear and literally bore him off the boat. He dropped into the water alongside his comrade.
"Help Carl aboard, Dick!" called Matt.
Dick bent over and gave Carl a hand. Just at that moment the boat leaped forward under the sudden pull of the Grampus.