ough
Crooked Inlet as slick as falling off a log; and there was his arm
broken all the while, and hanging by his side as limp as a piece of wet
rope. Oh, he's a good one, and I don't for the life of me see how I am
going to get on without him. I've said as much in them letters I wrote
to the folks to home."

Under almost any other circumstances Marcy Gray would have been
disgusted; but as it was, he was quite willing that Beardsley should
talk about him in this strain as often as he felt like it.

"Perhaps it will help me with those secret enemies at home," he said to
himself, as he stepped upon the wharf and forced his way slowly through
the crowd, not, however, without being compelled to shake hands with a
dozen or more who wanted to know when and where he got hurt and who did
it, and all about it. "I should really like to see the inside of the
letters the captain gave me to hand to Shelby and the rest. I wonder if
he thinks I am foolish enough to open and read them? He'll not trap me
that way; but I wouldn't trust any letters to him that I didn't want him
to read, I bet you."

Arriving at a drug store which bore the name of a medical man upon one
of its doorposts, Marcy entered and asked where he could find somebody
to tell him whether or not his broken arm had been properly set and
cared for.

"Step right this way, and I will tell you in less than five minutes,"
said the man who stood behind the counter. "How did you break it?"

"I was knocked down," replied Marcy.

"Who knocked you down?"

"A Yankee!"

"Heyday! Bull Run?"

"No, sir; Crooked Inlet."

"Well, I thought you looked like a seafaring man. What vessel do you
belong to?"

"The blockade-runner _Hattie._ She used to be the privateer _Osprey._"

"Were you one of the brave fellows who captured the _Mary Hollins_?"
exclaimed the surgeon, giving Marcy a look of admiration. "It was a
gallant deed."

"I was there when she was taken," answered the boy, while the doctor was
helping him off with his coat. "Do you know what become of her crew?"

"They were paroled and sent North long ago. We didn't want such folks
among us."

"But they are not prisoners of war."

"That doesn't matter. They had to promise that they would not take up
arms against us until they were regularly exchanged; and if they do, and
we find it out, they will stand a fine chance of being strung up. You've
got a pretty good surgeon aboard your ship, and he has made a good job
o