pper replied.

There was no denying that Tommy had impaled himself upon his own point;
not that he cared a hang whether they began shooting or not, but the
anxiety of Gates caused him to temporize, and he said:

"Bluff it! Sing across that we're the U. S. A. ordering 'em to stop. Say
it strong enough to make us believe it, too, Gates--so we'll feel
self-righteous when the scrap comes!"

Gates grinned and, cupping his hands, shouted:

"_Orchid_, ahoy! This yacht's chartered by the U. S. Secret Service, and
you're ordered to come about! Delay one minute and we blow you out of
the water!"

"Accomplished old liar," Tommy chuckled. "See anything?"

Gates, so earnest was he in this role of Uncle Sam, had his watch out,
marking off the seconds. When the sixtieth had ticked he called again,
in a more ferocious tone:

"Time's up, but I'll give you harf a minute longer! This is the larst
word!"

"Now," said Tommy, having waited the thirty seconds which brought no
response, "let's see you make good! Will you fire a torpedo, or one of
the fifteen-inch guns?"

But Gates was seeing no humor in the situation; neither was I; neither
was Tommy, if the truth were known. Our position was in a sense
desperate. We had bluffed and the bluff had been called. Five minutes
ago we might have turned back, but such a course now would make us
laughing-stocks even to ourselves. And there was Sylvia. What sort of a
quitter would she think me!

I saw that someone had to board that yacht, even though such a course,
almost to a certainty, meant a test of the professor's surgical skill--a
skill we knew he possessed along with his other attainments. But I could
not--I simply would not--risk any of our fellows on an undertaking so
hazardous. Conscious, however, of Tommy's utter pig-headedness I saw the
futility of merely asking him to stay behind; so my mind became
instantly made up and, turning to Gates, I sharply asked:

"Who commands here?"

"Why, I'm the captain, sir," he answered, surprised at my tone.

"But whose orders are absolute?"

"Yours, Mr. Jack, sir."

"Then take this man below and keep him there while you run your rail
alongside the _Orchid_. Nobody follows me until I call, or shoot. Be
lively, Captain!"

He looked his horror, but stiffly saluted, saying "Come" to Tommy who
had turned white with anger and murderously glared at me.

"Do you mean this dirty trick?" he asked, and I did not meet his eyes
when admitting it.