ded to describe his mission as indicated to his wife and son.
He fully stated the perils of the enterprise, with the fact that his
operations would be somewhat irregular; though he intended to make an
immediate tender of the vessel to the Government, with his own services
in any capacity in which he might be needed.

In spite of the solemnity of the occasion, the men broke out into
cheers, and not a few of the sailors shouted out their readiness to go
with him wherever he might go, without regard to danger or hardship. One
old sheet-anchor man declared that he was ready to die for Miss Florry;
and he was so lustily cheered that it was evident this was the sentiment
of all.

"I have called the tug at the quarter alongside to convey Mrs. Passford
to the shore, though Christy will go with me," added the owner.

At this point he was interrupted by a volley of cheers, for Christy was
a universal favorite on board, as Florry had always been; and the ship's
company regarded her as a sort of mundane divinity, upon whom they could
look only with the most profound reverence.

"In view of the danger and the irregularity of the enterprise, I shall
not persuade or urge any person on board to accompany me; and the tug
will take on shore all who prefer to leave the vessel, with my best
wishes for their future. Those who prefer to go on shore will go aft
to the mainmast," continued Captain Passford.

Officers and seamen looked from one to the other; but not one of them
took a step from his place on the forecastle, to which all seemed to be
nailed.

CHAPTER IV

THE FIRST MISSION OF THE BELLEVITE

Captain Passford looked over his audience with no little interest, and
perhaps with considerable anxiety; for he felt that the success of his
enterprise must depend, in a great measure, upon the fidelity and skill
of the individual members of the ship's company.

"My remarks are addressed to every person in the ship's company, from
Captain Breaker to the stewards and coal-passers; and any one has a
perfect right to decline to go with me, without prejudice to his present
or future interests," continued the owner.

More earnestly than before the officers and men gazed at each other; and
it looked as though not one of them dared to move a single inch, lest a
step should be interpreted as an impeachment of his fidelity to one who
had been a Christian and a trusty friend in all his relations with him.

"I know that some of you h