Can you take him off our hands, sir?"
"One of _your own_ men?" came back the question.
"Of course, sir."
"We'll send a marine guard to take him, on your complaint, Mr. Benson."
"Thank you, sir."
The gunboat's engines slowed down. Ere long her port side gangway was
lowered. Jack saw not only two marines and a corporal come down over the
side, but Lieutenant Commander Mayhew appeared in person. That officer
came over in the cutter.
"You've had treachery aboard, have you?" asked the lieutenant commander,
as he climbed up over the side.
"Rather. A new machinist, taken aboard just before we sailed from
Dunhaven. The same fellow who must have played the trick on the
'Pollard's' engines yesterday," Benson replied.
"I'll be glad to have a fellow like that in irons in the brig aboard the
'Hudson,' then," muttered Mr. Mayhew. "I couldn't understand, Mr. Benson,
how you were doing so badly in the full speed ahead dash."
"The prisoner below is the answer, sir," Captain Jack replied. He then led
the corporal and two marines below. The corporal produced a pair of
handcuffs, which he promptly snapped over Truax's wrists.
"You'll be sorry for this, one of these days," threatened Truax, with a
snarl that showed his teeth.
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