Matt, thoroughly tired out by his long night vigil, stretched himself on the locker and was soon sound asleep.
How long he slept he did not know, but he was suddenly aroused by a pounding of feet on the steel deck, startled cries and a tremendous splashing of water.
Thinking that Dick and Carl, who had comprised the anchor watch, had been caught napping, and that the revolutionists were making an attack on the boat, he leaped up, caught the first weapon he could lay hold of, and darted for the iron ladder.
The weapon happened to be an old harpoon belonging to Speake, who had once had a berth aboard a whaling ship.
When Matt lifted his head above the rim of the conning tower hatch, a strange scene met his eyes.
[CHAPTER VIII.]
CARL IN TROUBLE.
The most prominent object that met Motor Matt's startled eyes was a big bull alligator. The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the Grampus with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
Carl Pretzel was in the canoe, and he was wildly anxious to get back to the submarine. The alligator, however, was floundering around in the stretch of water between Carl and the Grampus.