l; "but if I were in your place, I wouldn't make
it so conspicuous. Now, when you go to Newbern to enlist in the army----"

"But if I go there, it will not be for any such purpose," interrupted
Jack. "On land I am as awkward as a mud-turtle; but when I am at sea, I
can get about with the best of them. I shall go into the navy if I can
get the chance."

"Never fear. You'll get the chance easy enough. When you return I should
like to have you tell me how things look on our side, and what the
Yankees are doing at the Inlet."

"You mustn't be surprised if I don't," answered Jack, "for I may slip
back and slip out again without taking time to say good-bye to anybody.
When I fail to come to town with Marcy, you may know that I am in the
navy."

When the boys went in after their mail, they found a silent and
sulky-looking company leaning against the counters. They said not a word
to the new-comers or to one another, but simply stared at the floor,
apparently absorbed with gloomy reflections. Jack and his brother were
glad to find them so, for it gave them an opportunity to secure their
mail without delay and get away by themselves, where they could exult to
their hearts' content over the victory at Hatteras.

"What is this new notion you have taken into your head all of a sudden?"
was the first question Marcy propounded. "You haven't any idea of going
to Newbern."

"Yes, I think it would be a good plan," said Jack. "I want to know just
where the Union fleet is, and what it is doing, and I can't depend upon
these lying rebel papers to tell me. So the only thing I can do is to
find out for myself; for of course I don't want to run outside in the
_Fairy Belle_ unless I know of a certainty that there is a gunboat there
to receive me. If Beardsley's schooner is in port I'll take a look at
her, and then I can tell whether or not she is the one that chased the
_Sabine_."

"She's the one," replied Marcy. "But you'll not know her. She is
disguised."

Jack said he didn't care if she had been painted a dozen different
colors since he saw her, she couldn't fool him. He would look at her
"general make-up;" and while he was describing some peculiarities in the
_Hattie's_ rigging that Marcy had not noticed himself, they rode through
the gate into the yard.

CHAPTER XIII.

UNION OR CONFEDERATE--WHICH?

For the first time since sailor Jack came home he was the bearer of goo