ns. I heard while I was in Newbern that there
aint no admiralty court in this country like there is in England, and
that the district court would most likely 'tend to the matter. As owner
of the schooner I will, of course, get the lion's share of the money,
and the rest will be divided up among the officers and crew. But I'll do
the fair thing by you, Marcy."

"By me!" exclaimed the boy.

"Yes. You know this coast like a book--"

"There are plenty of others who know it better," interrupted Marcy, who
now saw what the man's object was in coming there. It was two-fold: If
Marcy would help him, he would give him good wages and a big share of
prize-money to act as pilot; but if he wouldn't help him, then Mr.
Beardsley would denounce him among the planters as unfriendly to the
cause of the South, and that would be a bad thing for him to do. Marcy
read the whole scheme as easily as he could have read a printed page,
and if it had not been for his mother, he would have refused,
point-blank, any offer that the owner of the privateer could have made
him. But he would do anything rather than add to his mother's troubles.

"You must remember that I am not a professional pilot, and that a good
many months have passed since I sailed my schooner along this coast,"
continued Marcy. "I might run you aground at the wrong time. You can get
plenty of better men in Newbern or Wilmington."

"If I am willing to trust you it's all right, aint it? I don't want a
professional pilot. I want somebody who knows Crooked Inlet. You've been
through there often."

As Marcy could not deny it he said nothing.

"I aint going to follow the reg'lar routes of travel," continued Mr.
Beardsley. "If I was, I could sail my own vessel without hiring anybody
to act as pilot. My plan is to slip down to Newbern some dark night,
after I get notice that my application has been granted, take my guns
aboard, ship a good crew, and then run up to, and out of, Crooked Inlet.
That will bring me a good piece above Hatteras, and out of the way of
any war-ship that may be prowling along the coast. If one see me and
gives chase, I'll put back through the Inlet where she can't follow on
account of shoal water. What do you think of the scheme?"

Much against his will Marcy was obliged to say that he thought it would
work, provided the pursuing vessel did not happen to be a steamer fast
enough to cut the schooner off from the Inlet.

"And if she is, I won't go nigh her,