“Well, Herrera’s, man ashore soon informed them on board the _Tarantula_ that such was the case,” continued Captain Andrews, “and gave him a full, true and particular account of how they stopped us with that chain and that fusillade. He told Herrera that he had confined the gringos in one of the buildings used for the hemp crushers, and that they were as safe as if they were in a safe deposit vault. Friend Herrera then congratulated him on his astuteness, and said that he would run the bar first thing in the morning, only stopping, by the way, to blow the _Vagrant_ out of the water and send us all to Kingdom Come.” “Reckon he’s got another guess coming on that,” grinned Ned Bangs, looking at Jack. “I hope so,” said that lad; “but now that we are in possession of these facts it’s up to us to move quickly. Captain, do you think we can find that branch creek in the night?” “We’ve got to,” was the grim response, “if we don’t want to part with the good old _Vagrant_, and I’d hate to lose any ship I’ve trod the deck of.” “Then, let’s up anchor and get out of here,” said Jack. “Intercepting that wireless,” he went on, “has taken one great load off my mind. We know that those we are in search of are safe, and we know, in addition, that they are confined in one of the hemp-making buildings.” “And that’s a whole lot important to us right now,” supplemented Captain Andrews. “Whole campaigns have been won with less knowledge of the enemy’s country than we have.” They went on deck. Outside the bar a light showed where the _Tarantula_ lay at anchor. Herrera must have been chuckling to himself at that very instant. According to his knowledge of the situation, he had his foes completely “bottled up.” All that remained for him to do was to capture them and attain possession; of the coveted precious stones at his leisure. While the Mexican was pondering such thoughts as these and nursing his revenge, the company of the _Vagrant_ were busy,—very busy. It was too risky a thing to chance making the noise that raising the anchor would have caused. So the cable was slashed and the engine started with the underwater exhaust in operation. Noiselessly the little craft glided up the stream and then turned her nose toward the bank. A break in the line of trees, showing against the star-sprinkled sky, gave the location of the creek mouth, and, feeling his way with the utmost caution, Captain Andrews drove his temporary command into it. It was driving, in a literal sense, for the brush and trees overhung the creek so densely that the _Vagrant_ had to push her way among them. When she had proceeded about a hundred yards up the stream she was masked from the view of the river with complete effectiveness. “Glory be!” sighed Jupe, in a voice of intense relief, when Captain Andrews ordered the second anchor “let go.” CHAPTER XV—A DASH ALOFT