shilling, worth very nearly
a quarter of a dollar; so that I have paid you over five dollars."

"Yes, sar, tank you, sar. Cap'n Stopfoot fotched over some ob de money
like dat from Nassau, and I done seen it."

"But I can't stop to talk all day, Quimp," continued Christy
impatiently. "If you are going to do anything to earn your ten dollars,
it is time for you to be about it."

"Yes, sar; I will told you all about it, massa."

"No long yarns, my man!" protested the officer, as Quimp seated himself
in the stern sheets as though he intended to tell a long story.

"Yes, massa; told you all about it in a bref. De wind done blow fresh
from de norf-west for t'ree days; dat's what Massa Cap'n Stopfoot say,"
Quimp began.

"No matter what Captain Stopfoot says!" Christy interposed. "Tell me
where the steamer is, if there is any steamer in the bay. We will stop
the foot and the mouth of Captain Stopfoot when we come to him."

"Well, sar, if you don't want to har dis nigger's yarn, he'll shet up
all to onct," replied Quimp, standing on his dignity.

"Go on, then; but make it short," added Christy, finding it would take
less time to get what he wanted out of the negro by letting him have his
own way. "Wind fresh from the north-west for three days."

"Yes, sar; and dat pile up de water so de tide rise six or eight inches
higher," continued Quimp, picking up the clew given him. "High tide in
one hour from now, and de Reindeer was gwine out den for shore. Dat's de
whole story, massa, and not bery long."

"All right, Quimp. Now where is the Reindeer?"

"Ober de oder side ob long key, massa. Dar's more'n four fadoms ob water
under dis boat now, and twelve feet 'tween de two keys," added the
boatman, whose tongue was fully unlocked by this time.

The crew of the cutter were directed to give way, and the negro pointed
out the channel which led inside the keys.

CHAPTER XXVIII

THE SURRENDER OF THE REINDEER

Christy looked over the side of the boat, and saw that the water was
quite clear. The channel, which lay in the middle of the bay, had four
and a quarter fathoms of water at mean low tide, according to the chart
the officer had with him. He had brought several copies of the large
chart with him from New York, and he had cut them up into convenient
squares, so that they could be easily handled when he was on boat
service. But his authority gave no depth of water on the shoal sands.

In a short time the boat ca