he
prize-master, his face covered with smiles, and nervous from the excess
of his joy at the recapture of the Reindeer. Christy could not see what
had become of the rest of his men. He knew that three of them had been
secured, but he did not know what had become of the other six, and he
had some hope that they had escaped their assailants, and were in
condition to render him needed assistance, for it seemed impossible that
all of them could have been overcome.

In spite of his chagrin and mortification, Christy could not help seeing
that the affair on the part of Captain Stopfoot had been well managed,
and that the author of the plot was smart enough to be a Yankee, whether
he was one or not. It was evident enough now that the mate and the rest
of the crew had not "taken to the woods," but had been concealed in such
dens as could be easily made among the cotton bales.

"I hope you are not very uncomfortable, Mr. Passford," said Captain
Stopfoot, as he presented his smiling face before his late captor.

"Physically, I am not very uncomfortable, in spite of these bonds; but
otherwise, I must say that I am. I am willing to acknowledge that it is
a bad scrape for me," replied Christy as good-naturedly as possible, for
his pride would not allow him to let the enemy triumph over him.

"That would not be at all unnatural, and I think it is a very bad scrape
for a naval officer of your high reputation to get into," added the
captain. "But I desire to say, Mr. Passford, that I have no ill-will
towards you, and it will not be convenient for me to send you to a
Confederate prison, important as such a service would be to our cause."

"I judge that you are not as anxious as you were to get into the old
navy," added Christy.

"I confess that I am not, and that I should very much prefer to obtain a
good position in the Confederate navy. I hope you will excuse the little
fictions in which I indulged for your amusement. I was born in the very
heart of the State of Alabama, and never saw Long Island in all my
life," continued the captain. "By the way, my mate is not part owner of
the Reindeer, though he is just as faithful to her interests as though
he owned the whole of her; and it was he that pounced down upon you at
the right moment. I assure you he is a very good fellow, and I hope you
will not have any grudge against him."

"Not the least in the world, Captain Stopfoot," replied Christy.

"I hope I shall not be obliged to de