Cassidy. The other was a white, sandy-whiskered individual in a dingy blue coat and cap and much-worn dungaree trousers.

Both were plainly under the influence of liquor. They came unsteadily up the steps and Cassidy made a bee-line for Matt.

Cassidy's weather-beaten face was flushed and there was an angry, unreasoning light in his eyes.

"I'm next to you, Matt King," growled the mate, posting himself in front of the youth and clinching his big fists. "You've pulled the wool over the old man's eyes in great shape, but you can't fool me!"

Cassidy, when his mind was clear and when he was not under the delusion of a fancied wrong, was a good fellow. He had cared for Captain Nemo, Jr., when he was lying ill in New Orleans, and countless times he had given Matt and his chums proof of his friendship for them. Cassidy was off his bearings now, but Matt felt more like arguing with him than showing authority.

"You are not yourself, Cassidy," said the young motorist. "Why did you leave the Grampus?"

"That's my business," snarled the mate.

"Well, take my advice and go back there. No one is trying to deceive the captain."

"You've wormed yourself into his confidence, and what has he done to me?" There was bitterness in the mate's voice. "I'm the one that ought to be cap'n of the submarine, and, by thunder, I'm going to be!"

Matt got up from his chair, his eyes flashing.

"You're going to obey orders, Cassidy," said he, "if you want to stay with the Grampus. I'm in command, and I'll give you just a minute to leave here and make for the wharf. If——"

At that moment the mate's crazy wrath got the better of him. With a hoarse oath, he lurched forward and struck at Matt with his fist.

Matt avoided the blow with a quick side-step.

"Now's yer chance, Cassidy," breathed the husky voice of the man who had come with the mate. "It's now or never if you want to put him down an' out."

The fellow, as he spoke, slouched toward Matt with doubled fists. Matt had not the same consideration for this stranger that he had for the mate, and immediately after evading Cassidy's blow he whirled about.

"Who are you?" he demanded sharply.

For answer, the man tried to get in a blow on his own account. But he was not quick enough. With a nimble leap forward, Matt swung his own fist straight from the shoulder. The dingy blue cap flew off and its owner reeled against the side of the building. Just then Matt felt the arms of the mate going around him from behind.

At the same moment, however, footsteps came swiftly along the walk, mounted the steps, and Cassidy was caught by the throat in a firm grip.

CHAPTER V.

MOTOR MATT'S FORBEARANCE.

"What's all this? Jupiter! Two webfeet sailing into one lone-handed youngster! And he seems to be holding his own pretty well, at that. Let go, you!"

With that, Jordan wrenched Cassidy away and flung him heavily against one of the veranda posts.

The stranger, scowling and nursing a bruise on his chin, was gathering up his blue cap. Cassidy, panting and wheezing, was leaning against the post and glaring wrathfully at the consul.

"That man," said Matt, pointing toward the mate, "is Cassidy, second in command aboard the submarine. He takes it hard because Captain Nemo, Jr., placed me in charge, and he came ashore without authority. Who the other fellow is I don't know, but I presume it is some trouble maker the mate picked up."

"Trouble maker is right," went on Jordan. "That describes the rascal to a t, y, ty. I know him. He's Fingal, master of a shady schooner called the North Star, an all around bad one, and the authorities in a dozen ports in Central America will tell you the same. We'll land him in the skookum house. And as for Cassidy, it's against regulations for an officer to attack one who outranks him. We'll put him in the cooler, too."

The consul was about to call some one from the house with the intention of sending for an officer, when Matt interposed.

"I don't want to do anything like that, Jordan. These men have been drinking."

"That's no excuse."

"But Cassidy, when he's not half-seas over and got a fancied grievance, is a good fellow. He has proved that to me a hundred times. Besides, Captain Nemo, Jr., thinks a lot of him."

"Well, he can't think much of the captain," answered the consul dryly, "or he'd pay more attention to his orders. What do you want to do with the two men?"

"Let Fingal go about his business, if he has any. As for Cassidy, he can go back to the submarine and give his brain a chance to clear. After that he'll see things differently."

"I know my rights," snapped Cassidy, shuffling around belligerently, "and I'm going to hold out for 'em. I've been mate of the Grampus ever since she was launched. And now that the old man's laid up, I ought to be master. This here Motor Matt hasn't been on the submarine more'n two weeks, put together."

"Did you hear Captain Nemo, Jr., say that Motor Matt was to be put in charge of the craft?" queried Jordan.

"I heard it, but——"

"Did the rest of the crew hear it?"

"Yes, only they——"

"Everybody understands the situation, then?"

"I guess they do, if——"

"Then this is a case of all cry and no wool. You're making a fool of yourself, Cassidy, let alone showing mighty poor taste. Motor Matt is showing a whole lot more forbearance than I'd ever do, in the same circumstances. You made an attack on your commanding officer——"

"I don't admit he's that," broke in Cassidy fiercely.

"Nonsense, man!" cried the consul, out of patience. "You'd admit it quick enough if you wasn't drunk."

"What business you got buttin' into this, anyway?"

Jordan pointed to the flag.

"This is a patch of American soil right in the middle of a foreign country," said he. "That flag is yours and mine, and I'm here to adjust just such differences as this between my fellow-countrymen. Motor Matt is captain of the Grampus, and you've heard his orders. If you and Fingal don't clear out, I'll call a policeman and have the pair of you taken to the lock-up."

Fingal edged away toward the veranda steps. As he drew close to Cassidy, he muttered something. The mate gave a thick response, and the two lurched down the steps and out of sight along the walk.

"Fingal," said Jordan, after watching the two out of sight, "is setting the mate up to act as he's doing. His influence is bad, particularly as the mate appears to be a good deal of a numskull without much reasoning ability of his own."

"He has always been a first-rate hand," returned Matt regretfully, "up in his duties and entirely reliable. This sudden move of his is one of the biggest surprises I ever had sprung on me."

"That's the way with some people. Give 'em the idea that they've been imposed on, and they're just weak enough in the head to make all sorts of trouble. If you've got the rest of the crew with you, though, it will be easy enough to take care of Cassidy. However, if he wanted to he could make lots of trouble for this expedition."

"I'll see that he doesn't do that. If he shows a disposition along that line, I'll have him locked in the torpedo room. Why he ever came here and set upon me like he did, is a mystery. I guess it was because he was too drunk to know what he was doing."

"That's an easy way to explain it," was the consul's sarcastic comment. "On the other hand, he may have come here with the expectation of doing something to you that would make it necessary for you to be left in Belize with Captain Nemo, Jr."

"No," answered Matt firmly, "I can't believe that."

"You're altogether too easy," proceeded the consul. "If you were hung up here with a couple of fractured ribs, or a broken arm, Cassidy would be the