Part 38 (1/2)

Jack and Walter stood confronting, in the glare of several electric lights, the portly form of Senor Ramo, who seemed ill at ease. The members of the mutinous crew stood about, rather shame-facedly, it must be confessed. Lieutenant Walling wore an air of triumph. He had brought the criminals to the end of their rope.

”Jack! Where are they?” asked Cora, impulsively.

”They--they're not here,” her brother answered.

”Not here? Then where are they? Oh, don't say they're--”

Cora's voice could not frame the words.

At this moment Inez caught sight of Senor Ramo. She was rather a timid girl, and her troubles and, tribulations had not made her any bolder, but now, at the sight of the man she believed had done, or who contemplated doing her father an injury, the Spanish maid's courage rushed to the fore.

Inez sprang forward and began to speak rapidly in Spanish. Cora, who had managed to pick up a few words, understood that Inez was making a spirited demand for the papers which she accused the fat man of having taken from her room. Over and over again she insisted on receiving them--here, now, at once, without delay!

So insistent was she that it looked, as though she meant to make a personal a.s.sault on-Senor Ramo, and take the papers from his ill-fitting frock coat.

”Whew!” whistled Walter, ”that's going some, isn't it?”

”Walter! How can you?” remonstrated Cora. ”At such a time, too!”

”Just can't help it!” he murmured. ”He's getting his deserts all right.”

Senor Ramo fairly backed away from the excited Inez, but she followed him to the very rail, where, as he could go no further, he made a stand, and continued to listen to her voluble talk.

”She certainly has some spirit,” murmured lieutenant Walling to Cora.

”Is that the fellow she suspects?” he asked, for he had been told the story of Inez.

”Yes,” answered Cora. ”But is my mother aboard? And Mr. and Mrs.

Robinson?”

”They're not!” broke in Jack. ”These scoundrels have put them ash.o.r.e--somewhere!”

”Oh!” cried Bess and Belle in chorus.

”Where?” demanded practical Cora.

”I am going to inst.i.tute an inquiry at once,” said Lieutenant Walling. ”I'll also have something to say to that fat Spaniard.

Better tell your friend so,” he suggested to the motor girls. ”She might cause him to act hastily. He might do something desperate.”

”She only wants some papers she thinks he has,” said Jack, ”and I guess she's going to get them,” for Senor Ramo was putting his hand to his inside breast pocket.

”I'll soon straighten out this tangle,” the lieutenant promised.

”I'll have the ring-leaders locked up, and then we'll get at the bottom of the whole affair. I'd better send ash.o.r.e for help, though.

May I use your boat?”

”Certainly,” answered Cora. She was keenly disappointed at not finding the lost ones aboard. She and the others had counted so much on this when they should have come up to the Ramona. Where could the pa.s.sengers be?

Jim and Joe were sent, in the Tartar, to bring aboard representatives of the English government, Palm Island belonging to Great Britain.

The mutinous crew had no spirit of resistance left. The erstwhile commander of the rebelling forces was locked in his stateroom, until Lieutenant Walling was reinforced, when others of the leaders were put in irons.