anguage than I
ever before heard in the same time, but he absolutely refused to yield.
I could not give him the reasons that induced you to send me the order,
and I referred the matter to you."

The Snapper had been anchored within a cable's length of the Chateaugay,
and Mr. Birdwing had brought Captain Flanger on board of the ship, with
Percy Pierson, that the question of prize might be definitely settled by
the commander, for he was not quite satisfied himself. The captain of
the Snapper was still in irons, and he and his companion had been put
under guard in the waist. The man with the mutilated nose had not yet
seen Christy, and possibly he was still wondering what had become of his
chief officer and the two men who had been ordered to put the prisoner
on the ledge.

Christy had informed Captain Chantor, in his narrative, of the manner in
which he had turned the tables on his custodians, and he had not
forgotten that the party were still where he had left them. He reminded
the commander of the latter fact, and a quartermaster was sent in the
third cutter to bring them off, and put them on board of the Snapper;
where a considerable force still remained under the charge of Mr.
Carlin, the third lieutenant.

"Now we will settle this matter with the captain of the Snapper, and I
hope to convince him that his vessel is a lawful prize, so far as she
can be so declared in advance of the decision of the court," said
Captain Chantor. "Come with me, if you please, Mr. Birdwing. For the
present, Mr. Passford, will you oblige me by keeping in the shade till I
send for you?"

"Certainly, Captain Chantor, though I should like to hear what Captain
Flanger has to say in defence of his steamer," replied the passenger.
"But I will take care not to show myself to him till you are ready for
me."

"I do not object to that arrangement. I do not quite understand who this
Percy Pierson is, though you mentioned him in your report of what had
occurred during your absence," added the commander.

"He is the son of Colonel Richard Pierson, a Confederate commissioner,
who represents his government at Nassau, purchasing vessels as
opportunity to do so is found. His son is the person who tried to induce
me to take passage in the Snapper, with the promise that I should be
permitted to land at Key West. It was only a trick to get me on board of
the steamer; and when it failed, for I declined to fall into the trap,
I was captured by a gang of