Motor Matt's Submarine; or, The Strange Cruise of the Grampus — A Reader’s Guide

CHAPTER I. A STARTLING REPORT. CHAPTER II. MIXED MESSAGES. CHAPTER III. HURRY-UP ORDERS. CHAPTER IV. ACCIDENT OR DESIGN? CHAPTER V. SIXTY SHOWS HIS HAND. CHAPTER VI. AN UNEXPECTED RESCUE. CHAPTER VII. A FRUITLESS SEARCH. CHAPTER VIII. THE OVERTURNED BOAT. CHAPTER IX. ADRIFT IN THE STORM. CHAPTER X. THE DERELICT. CHAPTER XI. THE SCHOONER. CHAPTER XII. A STUNNING SURPRISE. CHAPTER XIII. CLOSING IN. CHAPTER XIV. THE "GRAMPUS" GETS A CLUE. CHAPTER XV. AN ULTIMATUM. CHAPTER XVI. "OFF WITH THE OLD, AND ON WITH THE NEW." The Chicken-hearted Tenderfoot.

CHARACTERS THAT APPEAR IN THIS STORY.

=Motor Matt=, a lad who is at home with every variety of motor, and whose never-failing nerve serves to carry him through difficulties that would daunt any ordinary young fellow. Because of his daring as a racer with bicycle, motor-cycle and automobile he is known as "Mile-a-minute Matt." Motor-boats, air ships and submarines come naturally in his line, and consequently he lives in an atmosphere of adventure in following up his "hobby."

=Dick Ferral=, a young sea dog from Canada, with all a sailor's superstitions, but in spite of all that a royal chum, ready to stand by the friend of his choice through thick and thin.

=Carl Pretzel=, a cheerful and rollicking German boy, stout of frame as well as of heart, who is led by a fortunate accident to link his fortunes with those of Motor Matt.

=Captain Nemo, Jr., otherwise Archibald Townsend=, a fast friend of the Motor Boys and skipper of the submarine, _Grampus_.

=Cassidy=, mate of the _Grampus_.

=Gaines, Clackett and Speake=, crew of the _Grampus_.

=Captain Jim Sixty=, a seaman of long experience who resorts to filibustering in order to gain big prizes in the lottery of Fortune. Master of the wrecked brig, _Dolphin_.

=Ysabel Sixty=, Captain Sixty's daughter, who plays an ignoble part, although against her better nature.

There is a speed limit for automobiles in the City of New Orleans, but a certain red touring car on this Wednesday morning gave little heed to the regulation. With two wheels in the air the car made a sharp turn into Prytania Street, slowed a little as it came within one of colliding with a two-wheeled milk wagon, swerved to one side and then leaped onward.

Besides the driver, the car contained only one man. This passenger sat in front, leaning eagerly forward and urging the driver constantly to a faster gait.

"That's the house," said the passenger finally, indicating a building with his stubby forefinger.

The car pulled up with a jerk and the passenger was out before the machine was fairly at a stop.

"Wait for me," he called as he rushed across the sidewalk, yanked the gate bell and then darted through and up the steps to the porch.

With savage impatience he jabbed at the push button beside the door and tramped fretfully until a colored servant answered his summons.

"Is Cap'n Nemo, Jr., in?" he flung at the darky.

"Dat's a new one on me, boss," was the puzzled answer. "Ah dunno no sich pusson. You-all must hab got de wrong----"

"Townsend, then?" broke in the caller. "Is _he_ here?"

"Yassuh, Mistah Townsend is in his room, sah, but dat odder man----"

Without pausing further, the man pushed roughly past the darky, to that person's intense astonishment, and went up the hall stairs three steps at a time. A moment later he had flung open a door unceremoniously.

There were two men in the room, and they started up quickly as the newcomer hurled himself in on them.

"Clackett!" exclaimed one of the men who had been in the room, facing the other with a good deal of surprise. "What's all this hurry for?"

"Sixty has sailed, cap'n!" exclaimed Clackett, dropped into a chair.

"Great guns!" gasped the third man. "Must have been kind o' sudden."

"When did he sail, Clackett?"

"Ten o'clock this morning, steamer _Santa Maria_, a fruiter bound for British Honduras."

"He ain't goin' to British Honduras," burst from the third man, "and don't you think it."

"I don't think so either, Cassidy," replied the captain, "but he's the fellow we were to watch, and if he's gone we've got to put out after him."

The captain looked at his watch.

"Ten-twenty," he mused, slipping the watch back into his pocket. "How did you get here, Clackett?"

"In one of them automobiles, cap'n. Street cars was too bloomin' slow."

"You're positive there's no mistake?"

"I know Jim Sixty as well as I know you, cap'n, an' I'll take my solemn Alfred it was him standin' on the _Santa Maria's_ deck when she steamed away from the dock."

"A mistake, you know," pursued the captain, "would put us on the wrong track and cause no end of trouble."