"Is Captain Nemo, Jr., helping you in this game you're playing?" queried Holcomb.
"Helping me?" Jurgens turned to his companion from the Crescent with a husky, ill-omened laugh. "That's pretty good, eh, Whistler?"
"The best ever," answered Whistler, echoing the laugh.
"Townsend has helped me to the extent of furnishin' something I'd about given up laying my hands on," went on Jurgens, again turning his eyes on Matt and the officer. "I want you two to tell him that I'm off for the Bahamas, and that he'll have to get up in the morning if he beats Lat Jurgens."
"Townsend?" queried Matt.
"Yes," scowled the other, "Townsend. That's the name he uses when he's ashore. When he's afloat, he's Captain Nemo, Jr."
Matt was astounded.
"Have you stolen this submarine, Jurgens," he asked, "as well as that paper that——"
"You know all you're goin' to," interrupted Jurgens. Turning to Whistler he added: "Cut the boy loose and make him strip. It's time we got rid of him and the policeman and cleared out of here. We're a fathom under water, but Townsend may think of some way to get at us if we stay here too long."
Whistler bent over Matt and removed the ropes.