s to enter.

"Excuse me for leaving you so abruptly, Mr. Passford," continued the
captain while he was feeling in his pocket for the key of the door. "It
looks as though it were going to blow before night, and I must get ready
for it. Besides, the Bellevite may return on the present tide, and I am
informed that she is a very fast sailer, as the Reindeer is not, and I
must make the most of my opportunity; but when my fortune is made out of
my present cargo, I shall owe it largely to you. Adieu for the present."

Captain Stopfoot left the cabin, locking the door behind him. The hands
of the prisoners, ten in number, were tied behind them with ropes, for
probably the steamer was not provided with handcuffs. Christy examined
his men in regard to the manner in which they had been overcome. The
three men who had been left near the cabin door had been overthrown by
those who jumped down upon them when they were separated, one at the
stern, one on the bales, watching the Bellevite in the distance, and the
third asleep on a cotton bale. The lieutenant had seen the rest of the
enterprise.

"This thing is not going to last long, my men," said Christy, who
realized that he should never be able to stand up under the obloquy of
having brought out a blockade-runner for the enemy.

He caused the hands to march in front of him till he found one who had
been carelessly bound. He backed this one up in the rear of Calwood, the
quartermaster, and made him untie the line, which he could do with his
fingers, though his wrists were bound. It was not the work of three
minutes to unbind the rest of them.

Christy broke a pane of glass in the door, and unlocked it with the key
the captain had left in the keyhole.

CHAPTER XXXI

AN UNDESIRED PROMOTION

As Christy unlocked the cabin door, he discovered a negro lying on the
deck, as close as he could get to the threshold. The man attempted to
spring to his feet, but the officer seized him by the hair of the head,
and pulled him into the cabin.

"Here, Calwood, put your hand over this fellow's mouth!" said Christy to
the quartermaster, who laid violent hands on him, assisted by Norlock.

The latter produced a handkerchief, which he thrust into the mouth of
the negro, so that he could not give the alarm. All the men were alert
and eager to wipe out the shame, as they regarded it, of the disaster;
and those who had been stationed near the cabin had certainly been
wanting in vigilanc