"Well, for one thing, if you blowed us up, Motor Matt's two pards would go with us. You ain't takin' no chances with——"
"The schooner! The schooner!" clamored those on the deck of the brig.
Through the lunette Matt could see the schooner, with all sail set, hustling off across the ocean, showing as clean a pair of heels as any sailing craft could.
"Come back here, blast you!" howled Sixty, trumpeting the words through his hands.
But, if any one on the schooner heard, they made no response. The craft kept to her course, hauling up every stitch of canvas possible.
"We've got her scared," remarked Captain Nemo, Jr., "for her skipper knows that if we could sink you with a torpedo we could also sink her."
"What d'you want?" demanded Sixty.
"We want you and your men as prisoners," replied the captain. "If Motor Matt's friend on the deck, there, is badly hurt, you'll all be held to answer for it. Not only that, but we want to examine the brig's cargo——"
"No need of that, captain," sung out Dick. "I've got her log and her manifest. There's enough guns and ammunition down below to arm a regiment—and they're not down in the papers."
With a swirling roar of rage, Sixty sprang toward Dick. The latter stepped away quickly.