"I have no doubt of that. But you are the smartest lot of young Dutchmen that I ever happened to come across. Are you all Dutchmen?" asked Gray. "Not one of us is a Dutchman." "But you told me you were." "I did not." "I will swear that you did!" protested the Scotchman. "I did not. When I told you my name was Belgrave, you said I must have come from Belgravia; and I added that I came from Von Blonk Park, which is quite true now as it was then." "But where can Von Blonk be except in Holland?" "It can be, and is, in the State of New Jersey, quite near to the city of New York, in the United States of America," replied Louis, stating the details very slowly so that the prisoner could understand them. "That accounts for it!" exclaimed Gray. "You are Yankees, and you would climb a greased rainbow, or the North Pole with the ice a foot thick on it. If I had known you were Yankees, I should have put you on shore in the Palmones River, for I should have known you would play off some trick on us," said Gray, disgusted to the last degree with his present situation. "You played off a scabby trick upon our party, and I can assure you that I am very happy to get even with you at your own game," replied Louis, as he heard the speed bell jingle, indicating that the Salihé was very near the New Mole. "I suppose the commander of the Guardian-Mother, as you call her, is also a Yankee," continued Gray. "He is; and also from Von Blonk Park." "Then his teeth are sharp enough to bite off a tenpenny nail. What do you suppose he will do with us?" "I have not the remotest idea; but he is a law-and-order man in the highest meaning of the phrase; and he is not inclined to let the guilty escape unpunished. You committed a piratical act upon us, and you may be sure he will not wink at it. I had the idea at first of taking you into the port of Algeciras and of handing you over to the police or custom-house officers; but it was too much bother, and I was afraid they would keep us there all night." "I am very glad you did not." The sound of the gong terminated the conversation, and Louis hastened to the standing-room to be in readiness to heave the line on board of the ship. But he found that the Guardian-Mother was still at some distance from the little steamer. "You can heave this line, Flix, when we get alongside," said he. "I have had a talk with Gray, and he don't feel good at all." "He has no right to feel good, the blackguard! He is not a bit better than a pirate," replied Felix. "I have kept watch of Captain Velazquizzer, and whenever he showed his head, I put a ball into the foremast. He hasn't cut the tow-line yet." "I see he has not; but stand by to heave the line," said Louis as he went forward. He found Morris stationed in the gangway within easy hail of the pilot-house, and Scott stated that he had placed him there to notify him if the Golondrina came too near the steamer as he slowed down.