ry
handsome vessel. She had a considerable deck-load of cotton, and
doubtless her hold was filled with the same valuable commodity.

"Is that steamer armed, Quimp?" asked Christy, who could see no signs of
life on board of her.

"She don't got no arms, but she hab two field-pieces on her for'ad
deck," replied the negro.

"How many men has she on board?"

"L'em me see: the cap'n and de mate is two, two ingineers, two firemen;
dat makes six; and den she hab two deck-hands."

"But that makes only eight in all," replied Christy. "Are you sure that
is all?"

"Dead shoar dat's all, Massa Ossifer."

"But that is not enough to handle the steamer on a voyage to a foreign
port, for I dare say she is going to Nassau," added Christy, who was on
the lookout for some piece of strategy by which his boat and its crew
might be destroyed.

"I don't know not'ing about dat, sar; but Cap'n Stopfoot is a pow'ful
smart man; and he's Yankee too. I done hear him say he gwine to j'in de
Yankee navy."

What Quimp said was rather suspicious; but Christy could see nothing to
justify his doubts. He directed the cockswain to steer the cutter as
closely to the side of the Reindeer as the movement of the oars would
permit, so that the field-pieces could not be brought to bear upon it.
The steamer lay at a sort of temporary pier, which had evidently been
erected for her accommodation, and the cotton had doubtless been brought
to the key by river steamers by the Suwanee and other streams from
cotton regions.

There was no habitation or other building on the shore, but a gangway
was stretched to the land, over which a couple of men were hastening on
board when the cutter reached the stern of the Reindeer. From
appearances Christy judged that the water had been deepened by dredges,
for a considerable quantity of sand and mud was disposed in heaps in the
shallow water a hundred feet or more from the rude wharf.

"Boat ahoy!" shouted a person on board, near the starboard accommodation
ladder, which the officer of the boat had noticed was in place.

"On board the steamer!" replied Christy.

"What is your business here?" inquired the person on the deck of the
Reindeer, though he could not be seen from the cutter.

"I will go on board and inform you," replied Christy.

As there were no signs of resistance on board of the vessel, the officer
of the cutter directed his men to make a dash for the accommodation
ladder, which had the appearance o