tain Boggs was very much pleased with him, and in his report to
Farragut praised him warmly. He said that seeing the lad pass quickly he
asked where he was going in such a hurry. 'To get a passing box, sir,'
replied the lad; 'the other was smashed by a ball.' When the _Varuna_
went down Oscar disappeared. He had been standing by one of the guns
and was thrown into the water by the movement of the vessel. But in a
few minutes he was seen swimming toward the wreck. Captain Boggs was
standing on a part of the ship that was still above water, when the lad
climbed up by his side, gave the usual salute, and said, 'All right,
sir, I report myself on board.'"

"Ah," cried Walter exultantly, "he was a plucky American boy! I'm proud
of him."

"Yes," said the captain, "and the more men and boys we have of a similar
spirit the better for our dear land.

"But to go on with my story. Captain Bailey moved on up the river with
his crippled vessel, the _Cayuga_, leaving the _Varuna_ to continue the
fight at the forts.

"A short distance above Fort St. Philip was the Quarantine Station.
Opposite to it was a Confederate battery in charge of several companies
of sharp-shooters, commanded by Colonel Szymanski, a Pole.

"On perceiving the approach of the _Cayuga_, they tried to flee, but a
volley of canister-shot from her guns called a halt, and they were taken
prisoners of war.

"By that time the battle at the forts was over and the remaining twelve
ships presently joined the _Cayuga_. Then the dead were carried ashore
and buried."

"And where was Butler all this time, sir?" queried Walter.

"He had been busy preparing for his part of the work while the naval
officers were doing theirs," was the reply. "His men were in the
transports at the passes and could hear distinctly the booming of the
guns and mortars, but the general was at that time on the _Saxon_, which
was following close in the rear of Bailey's division, until the plunging
of shot and shell into the water around her warned Butler that he had
gone far enough. He then ordered the _Saxon_ to drop a little astern, an
order which was by no means disagreeable to her captain and was promptly
obeyed, for he had on board eight hundred barrels of gunpowder; a
dangerous cargo, indeed, when exposed to the fiery missiles of the
enemy."

"Wasn't it?" exclaimed Rosie.

"Where was Porter just then, sir?" asked Walter.

"He and his mortar fleet were still below the forts," replied