“Captain Andrews lost no time in ordering me to the wireless,” continued Ned hastily, “and as we steamed northward I kept pumping away at my key. At length, as you know, I got into communication with you. But as I did so there was a sharp and sudden shock through the _Sea King_, and she came to an abrupt stop. That shaft had parted again. There was nothing for us to do but to anchor. At almost the same time one of the crew shouted that a craft resembling the _Tarantula_ was on the southern horizon and overhauling us fast. It didn’t need a second look to show us that the strange vessel was indeed the _Tarantula_. As she drew close to us there was a flash and a puff of smoke from her bow, and ‘crash!’ our aerials parted,—shot through at the foremast. “There we were, crippled and helpless, and I didn’t even know for sure if my message to you was clear or no.” “One question,” put in Jack, “has the _Tarantula_ a wireless?” “Yes; I meant to tell you about that. She is fitted with a collapsible military mast, and, from what we overheard, Herrera has a complete plant at his plantation ashore likewise.” “That disposes of X. Y. Z.,” said Jack, glancing at Tom. “It’s plain enough now that some one ashore intercepted our message, just as we caught theirs, and flashed it to Herrera.” “Guess you’re right,” agreed Tom gloomily, “and we are responsible for giving away the exact location of the _Sea King_.” “How’s that?” asked Ned, in a wondering tone. “I’ll explain all about it later,” said Jack, “the thing is now to formulate some sort of plan to get out of this tangle. Is Captain Andrews or Chief MacDuffy about?” “MacDuffy is below, trying to fix the break in the shaft,” was the response. “Captain Andrews is asleep in his cabin. He was worn out, and I didn’t wake him when our rocket signals were answered by you.” “Well, I think we’d better rouse him now,” Jack was beginning, when the cabin door was flung open and a sailor, whose face was chalky beneath his tan, burst in. The group at the table looked up, startled and alert. Ned’s narration had taken almost an hour, and although they had not forgotten the dangerous proximity of the _Tarantula_, they had had no way of guessing in what way their enemy would next become active. “That yaller-faced Greaser’s craft is bearing down on us. Mister Bangs!” exclaimed the man. “She looks as if——” There was a sharp crash overhead, and the booming detonation of a gun resounded an instant later. The boys sprang to their feet and scrambled up the companion way, headed for the deck. CHAPTER IX—THE CHADWICK GAS GUNS As they went Jack flashed a swift word to Ned. “You say that the chests my father took such care of are still in the cabin?” “Yes; in the Professor’s stateroom.”