ce in
history?" inquired Marcy.

"I am surprised at you," answered Jack. "Here you are, a North Carolina
boy born and bred, and you don't know the history of your own State.
Well, I didn't know it, either, until I happened to pick up an old
magazine, thousands of miles from home, and read something about it--not
because I cared a snap for history, which is awful dry stuff to me, but
because I had nothing else to do just then. Of course you know that many
of the Croatan Indians, who have gray eyes and speak the English
language of three hundred years ago, claim to be descendants of Sir
Walter Raleigh's lost colony, don't you? Well, that colony was planted
here in 1585 on the shores of Shallow Bag Bay, which lies on the seaward
side, and a little to the northeast of the fort we just passed. They
were the forerunners of the English-speaking millions now on this side
of the big pond. Here, on the 18th of August, 1587, Virginia Dare, the
first white American, was born. The county of which this island forms a
part was named after her family. Now tell Julius to bring up some
supper, and while we are eating it we'll take a slant over toward the
main shore. There may be some sailor men among those soldiers for all we
know, and, if they are watching our movements, we want to make them
believe that we are holding a course for the lower end of the Sound, and
that we have no intention of going near any of the inlets."

Up to this time Julius had kept below out of sight; but his forced
inactivity did not wear very heavily upon him, for he had been asleep
all the while. He was prompt to respond to Marcy's call, and took Jack's
place at the wheel while the two boys were eating the cold supper he
brought up for them. It was quite safe for him to stay on deck now, for
it was almost dark, and besides it was not likely that he would be seen
by any one on shore who knew him. When he had satisfied his appetite
Jack hauled down the Confederate colors and asked his brother where he
should hide them.

"It looks to me like a dangerous piece of business for you to hide them
anywhere," replied Marcy, who had been thinking the matter over. "It
looks sneaking, too. We are all right and we know it. We are never going
to get through Crooked Inlet without meeting that steam launch or
another one like her, and if the officer in command shouldn't be
satisfied with your story or with your papers either, and should take it
into his head to give the _Fai