o'clock in the evening and four o'clock in the morning,"
added Captain de Banyan.

"How far?"

"Sixty-four miles."

"Good!" exclaimed Somers. "Did you walk all the way?"

"Every step."

"It was tip-top walking, De Banyan--a little more than nine miles an
hour."

"Do you doubt the story?"

"I don't doubt that it is a story."

"Now, that isn't kind of you, Somers, to be perpetually throwing
discredit upon everything I say," replied the captain, apparently much
hurt.

"You mustn't say such things, then. You don't expect any man in his
senses to believe that you walked over nine miles an hour, and followed
it for seven hours?"

"I was tougher then than I am now."

"And you can tell a tougher story now than you could then, I'll warrant."

"There it is again!"

"Now, my dear fellow, I'm afraid you will die with an enormous fib in
your mouth."

"Come, Somers, you are taking a mean advantage of my friendship. You know
that I like you too well to quarrel with you."

"Silence!" said Somers earnestly. "There is a boat coming out from the
rebel side of the river."

The water was covered with vessels of every description in the vicinity
of Harrison's Landing; and the boat had just emerged from this forest of
masts and smokestacks. It was time to be entirely silent again; for the
rebels were on the alert in every direction, watching to strike a blow at
the grand army, or to pick up individual stragglers who might fall in
their way. The boat which Somers had discovered was approaching from the
rebel side of the river; and to be seen by the enemy, at this point of
the proceedings, would be fatal to the expedition.

"Who goes there?" said a man in the rebel boat.

"Friends!" replied Somers.

"Who are ye?"

The tones were so unmistakably Southern, that there could be no question
in regard to the party to which the boat belonged.

"Officers examining the enemy's lines," replied Somers.

At the same time he ordered his crew to pull, and steered the boat so as
to run her alongside the other. On the way, he whispered to the men his
instructions; and, as soon as they were near enough, they leaped on board
the rebel boat, and captured her astonished crew before they had time to
make any resistance. No doubt they thought this was very rude treatment
to receive from the hands of those who professed to be their friends; but
they had discovered their mistake by this time, and it afforded a
sufficient explanation of