your father, stolen at Havre, I played the
part of a dandy, and won the confidence of the stewardess, though I came
very near having to fight a duel with the _voleur_ who was her 'pal' in
the robbery."

"Of course it will not do for me to wear my lieutenant's uniform,"
suggested Christy.

"Not unless you wish to have your head broken by the crews of the
blockade-runners you will find at St. George's," replied the Frenchman
significantly.

"I have some old clothes in my valise," added the lieutenant.

"I don't like the idea of putting you in a humiliating position, Mr.
Passford, but I have not told you all my plans."

"I will take any position you assign to me, for I am now to be a
volunteer in your service."

"I intend to represent myself as a French gentleman of wealth, who has
passed the winter in the Bahama Islands in search of health, and found
it in abundance," said Mr. Gilfleur, with a pleasant smile on his face,
as though he really enjoyed the business in which he was at present
engaged.

"Have you ever been in the Bahamas?" asked Christy.

"All through them, including Nassau. If I had not, I should not have
brought that boat with me. I made a trip in an English steamer from the
Bermudas, which had occasion to visit nearly all the islands; and I
passed about two months of my stay in this region on that cruise,"
replied the detective.

"But how far is it from the Bermudas to the nearest point in the
Bahamas? Will people believe that we came even from the Great Abaco in
an open boat?" inquired Christy. "What is the distance?"

"I estimate it at about seven hundred and fifty miles. That is nothing
for a boat like mine, though I should not care to undertake it in the
hurricane season," replied Mr. Gilfleur. "By the way, we must borrow
some charts of this region from the captain, though only to keep up
appearances."

"You have not told me in what character I am to be your companion,"
suggested Christy.

"As my servant, if you do not rebel at the humiliation of such a
position, though I promise to treat you very kindly, and with all proper
consideration," laughed the Frenchman.

"I have not the slightest objection to the character; and I will
endeavor to discharge my duties with humility and deference," responded
the lieutenant in the same vein.

"Now let me see what sort of a suit you have for your part," added the
detective.

Christy took from his valise a suit he had worn as a subordinate office