Matt, his eyes fastened on the boat, gave no attention to the expanse of water in the other direction. Suddenly he heard a cry, coming from behind him, and turned his head. His amazement was complete when he saw a submarine rolling amid the waves. The mystery of the glistening red speck which had claimed his attention from the steamer was explained. It was the round periscope ball of the _Grampus_!
Some one--Matt could not see distinctly, for the spindrift was in his eyes--was half out of the conning tower of the submarine.
"Come aboard of us, Matt!" shouted the man, whirling a rope about his head and letting it fly.
The youth's ears were filled with the _poppety-pop_ of the submarine's motor, but he heard the request. He could only guess how the submarine happened to be there, and guesses were useless, for he would soon be told everything about the queer situation.
Motor Matt grabbed at the rope as it was thrown to him by the man in the submarine.
As he hauled himself toward the _Grampus_, hand over hand, he saw that the man in the conning tower was Townsend, or Captain Nemo, Jr., as he preferred to be called when afloat.
Presently the young motorist was hauling himself up on the slippery deck of the submarine.
"Are you all right, Matt?" cried Captain Nemo, Jr.
"All right, captain," answered Matt, "except that I'm as wet as a drowned rat and can hardly understand why I was thrown from the steamer."
"You were thrown overboard?" demanded the captain.
"_My_ man? I don't understand you. But we'll let that go for now. Dick and Carl are in that boat yonder. Shall we take them aboard?"
"I'd like to, sir, but we have some luggage on the _Santa Maria_ and the boys had better go back after it."
"Tell them to get the luggage and that we'll stand by to take them off." Nemo, Jr., threw a hasty look around at the sky, which was rapidly becoming overcast. "Ask them to hurry," he added, "for we'll be in for dirty weather before long and we must get them on the _Grampus_ before the storm comes down on us."
The rowboat by then had drawn as close to the submarine as safety would permit. The two sailors were lying on their oars and gazing at the craft in astonishment, while the rail of the steamer was crowded with passengers and crew, all staring at the strange scene going forward there in the waters of the gulf.