es. But de cap'n don't
live da' no more sense de Union men riz up in de night an' burn him
out."

"I don't care how many times he has been burned out, nor who did it.
What I want to know is if you can take my officers where they can put
their hands on him to-night."

Yes; Jonas was quite positive he could do that.

"All right; but look here, boy," said the captain, shaking his finger at
Jonas. "Tell me the truth now, or you will never see another sunrise.
Are there any rebels ashore between here and the place where those two
pilots live?"

"Oh, yes, sar; dere's plenty of dem at Plymouth, moster."

"I am as well aware of that fact as you are," interrupted the captain.
"What I want particularly to know is if there are any cavalry scouting
around who would be likely to pick up the men I shall probably send
ashore to-night."

"Not now, dey aint, sar; but a while ago dey was piles of dem. Dey go
round to all de plantations an' tooken away de black ones en' make 'em
wuk on de forts. I wuk on dem myself."

"Consequently there may be some cavalry out there now," said the
captain. "But I warn you, boy, that if you lead my men among them----"

"Who? Me?" exclaimed the negro, in accents of alarm. "'Fore de Lawd,
moster, you don't think Jonas would do dat? Why, sar, Ise been prayin'
fur you uns to come, an' so has all de black ones. Dem rebels kill me
suah, if dey see me wid de Yankees."

"And so will I if you take my men where the rebels can get hold of them;
so that will make twice you will be killed. That will do for the
present, but I may want to ask you some more questions by and by. Go
for'ad. Beardsley, Beardsley!" continued the captain, turning again to
his chief officer, who wore an acting-master's uniform. "I remember that
when I was a prisoner on board the _Osprey_ I heard one of the mates
address my captor by that name, and it somehow runs in my mind that this
pilot we have been talking about is the same man. I made the best effort
at escape that I could, but the _Hollins_ was so heavily loaded that she
moved through the water as though she had a hawser dragging over the
stern; and besides he had the weather gauge of me. I showed him some
pretty fair seamanship, and he might have given me and my men kind
treatment in return for it."

"Certainly, sir," answered the executive. "A brave man always respects a
brave foe."

"But he didn't, Mr. Watkins. On the contrary, when we got into Newbern,
and the mob on t