oward the
steamer's track on the windward side, and would soon run keel to keel
with her.

"Fetch your traps," said the captain. "I can get you on board, if you
are in time."

Mr. Belcher ran to his state-room, seized his valise, and was soon again
on deck. The pilot-boat was within ten rods of the steamer, curving in
gracefully toward the monster, and running like a race-horse. The
Captain had a bundle of papers in his hand. He held them while Mr.
Belcher went over the side of the vessel, down the ladder, and turned
himself for his jump. There was peril in the venture, but desperation
had strung his nerves. The captain shouted, and asked the bluff fellows
on the little craft to do him the personal favor to take his passenger
on shore, at their convenience. Then a sailor tossed them the valise,
and the captain tossed them the papers. Close in came the little boat.
It was almost under Mr. Belcher. "Jump!" shouted half a dozen voices
together, and the heavy man lay sprawling upon the deck among the
laughing crew. A shout and a clapping of hands was heard from the
steamer, "Number 10" sheered off, and continued her cruise, and,
stunned and bruised, the General crawled into the little cabin, where it
took only ten minutes of the new motion to make him so sick that his
hunger departed, and he was glad to lie where, during the week that he
tossed about in the cruise for in-coming vessels, he would have been
glad to die.

One, two, three, four steamers were supplied with pilots, and an
opportunity was given him on each occasion to go into port, but he would
wait. He had told the story of his bankers, given a fictitious name to
himself, and managed to win the good will of the simple men around him.
His bottle of brandy and his box of cigars were at their service, and
his dress was that of a gentleman. His natural drollery took on a very
amusing form during his sickness, and the men found him a source of
pleasure rather than an incumbrance.

At length the last pilot was disposed of, and "Number 10" made for home;
and on a dark midnight she ran in among the shipping above the Battery,
on the North River, and was still.

Mr. Belcher was not without ready money. He was in the habit of carrying
a considerable sum, and, before leaving Talbot, he had drained that
gentleman's purse. He gave a handsome fee to the men, and, taking his
satchel in his hand, went on shore. He was weak and wretched with long
seasickness and loss of sl