emen of
your sort roaming around the Gulf."

"Your schooner is the _Mary Hollins_, bound from Havana to Boston with
an assorted cargo," said Captain Beardsley. "There is no attempt made to
'cover' either?"

"No, sir; it is an American vessel and her cargo is consigned to an
American house," answered the skipper, who knew it would be useless to
deny it with the plain facts staring Captain Beardsley in the face.
"But, captain, I protest against your putting my men in irons. They are
not felons, to be treated that way."

"Can't help it," said Beardsley shortly. "Can't you see for yourself
that I have a small crew, and that I must take measures to prevent your
men from recapturing the prize? I'll let 'em out as soon as we get
through Hatteras."

The master of the privateer exchanged a few words with his second mate,
and in a minute or two more the _Osprey_ came about and pointed her nose
toward Newbern, the _Mary Hollins_ following in her wake. The crew
stepped around with unwonted alacrity, and tugged at the sheets as
energetically as though the prize dollars the agent had promised them
were fastened to the other end. Everybody was happy except Marcy Gray
and the unfortunate skipper of the _Mary Hollins_. He took his capture
very philosophically, but Marcy was sure he did some deep and earnest
thinking while he stood on the privateer's quarterdeck, pulling his
whiskers, and looking back at the vessel he had lost. Marcy almost
wished that he could change places with him so that he could enter the
navy as soon as he was released, and assist in sweeping the sea of such
crafts as the _Osprey._ He dared not speak to him, for that would excite
suspicion, and the prisoner, who looked at Marcy now and then, probably
thought the boy as good a rebel as there was on board.

The low sand dunes about Hatteras Inlet, as well as the unfinished walls
of the forts that were to defend it, came up out of the sea shortly
after daylight the next morning, and at one o'clock the _Osprey_ and her
prize sailed through, loudly cheered by the working parties ashore. The
prisoner now reminded Captain Beardsley of the promise he had made
regarding the crew of the _Mary Hollins_, but Beardsley got out of it
by saying that he had no way of signaling to the prize, and could not
think of waiting for her to come alongside so that he could hail her.
The truth was Captain Beardsley believed that the Yankees would fight if
they were given half a chance.