h his report in his hand, and both
of them were presented to the captain. The handwriting was as different
as possible in the two papers. Corny's was in a large, coarse hand, but
it was a fair copy, while Christy's contained several corrections and
inter-lineations. No one could recognize the writing of either of the
claimants, and the documents proved nothing at all. The captain was
evidently weary of the investigation, and nothing but the commission
seemed to throw any reliable light upon the claim of either one or the
other.

"Any further questions, Mr. Salisbury?" asked the captain, bestowing a
bored look upon the executive officer.

"Nothing more, Captain Battleton."

"Dr. Connelly?"

"Nothing, captain."

"Now, gentlemen, I will thank you to retire to the ward room, and I
will send for you to hear my decision," continued the commander, and
the cousins retired together, and both of them appeared to be as
good-natured as though they were in perfect accord on the question
in dispute.

"What is your opinion, Mr. Salisbury?" asked the captain, when the
claimants had retired, careful not to indicate his own conclusion.

"While I acknowledge that I am somewhat prepossessed in favor of the
Lieutenant Passford who came on board this morning, I do not think
he has established his claim to be the true Lieutenant Christopher
Passford. The other uses some peculiarly Southern phrases, as though he
had been 'raised' in the South, and he is not perfect in the geography
of Bonnydale. I think the commission is the only evidence upon which you
can properly rely," replied the first lieutenant.

"Your views, if you please, Dr. Connelly."

"One of these officers is evidently a Confederate, and the other a loyal
citizen. The commission, as Mr. Salisbury suggests, outweighs all the
rest of the evidence. One or the other of the two men is an impostor,
and without the commission, I should decide that my patient was the
false Lieutenant Passford," answered the surgeon.

"We appear to agree, gentlemen, for you have expressed my own views
as well as I could state them myself," added the captain. "But when I
decide that the holder of the commission, which I am satisfied is a
genuine document, is the loyal officer, and entitled to be received as
the future commander of the Bronx, I must declare that the other is a
Confederate; and not only that, but also that he is acting as a spy;
that he is on board of the Vernon with mischievous