"Why don't they want to go to Punta Arenas?" asked Matt.
Glennie put the question, and all four of the Chilians began to expostulate excitedly, while the wounded man redoubled his groans. Finally, when the clamor died out, the spokesman answered as follows, his words being faithfully translated by Glennie:
"They say they were suspected of being mixed up in a Chilian revolution, and that if they are landed at any Chilian port they will be arrested and shot."
"Py shinks," grunted Carl, "I hope dot ve ain'd going to have somet'ing more to do mit refoludions. I hat enough oof dot oop in Cendral America."
"We all did," seconded Dick.
"We're not going to be caught in any more revolutions," declared Matt. "These Sons of the Rising Sun are giving us plenty to think about. I hadn't intended to stop at Punta Arenas, but we'll have to put in there long enough to leave these men. If they don't want to take chances in the town, we'll leave them outside. The injured man we'll take with us, and do our best to look after him. Tell them, Glennie, that that is all we can do."
"And it's right, too," declared Dick. "We can't run the risk of getting into trouble on account of the revolutionists when we've got so much at stake. Why didn't these Chilians explain about the revolution business at the first? It looks like they were keeping something back."
Glennie's announcement was received with black looks and hearty objurgations in the Spanish tongue, but gradually the four men settled down to a sulky attitude which did not look promising.
"They're a grateful lot, I must say!" scowled Dick. "Look at 'em, mates. And to think that we risked our lives to pull 'em in out of the wet!"
"It don't make any difference who they are, Dick," returned Matt. "In rescuing them we did only our duty, and that's something we can chalk up to our credit. We've got to work through the three hundred and sixty miles of this strait just as quick as we can. We've sent that other boat around the Horn, and if we don't reach Smyth Channel ahead of her, all our trouble will go for nothing. The fact that we shall have to lay up nights makes it all the more necessary for us to travel at top speed by day. All these men will go ashore at Punta Arenas—the injured man into the bargain. There must be a hospital in the town, and he can be better taken care of there than here."