he wharf began howling and calling us names, as they did
the minute they caught sight of us, Captain Beardsley made no effort to
stop them. He rather seemed to enjoy it. Give me a chance to take a good
look at him when he is brought on board, and if he is the man I think he
is, I want you to have him put into the brig without the loss of a
moment and into double-irons besides. That was the way he served my
crew. As soon as I have taken my coffee I will go down and tell the
flag-officer what I have learned and what I intend to do with his
permission; so I shall want my gig presently."

The captain went into his cabin, and when he came out again, a short
time afterward, he was dressed in full uniform and wore his side-arms.
He seemed to be in no particular hurry to leave the vessel, for although
breakfast had been served and eaten, the long red meal pennant was still
floating from the masthead, and the blue-jackets were smoking their
pipes on the forecastle; but Jonas was loitering around, looking as
happy as a darky always does after he has enjoyed a hearty repast, and
when he saw the captain beckoning to him he came aft. What the Union
officer wanted to question him about this time was as to the quickest
and safest methods that could be employed to take a company of, say
fifty men, through the country to Beardsley's house and Gray's, and
bring them back to the fleet. Would it be necessary for this company to
march overland, or could it go the whole or a part of the way in boats?
and was there any danger that the men would be forced to fight their
way? Jonas answered all his questions as readily as though he had known
beforehand what they were going to be; and when the captain brought the
interview to a close by sending the negro forward again, he held in his
hand a rude map of all the principal waterways that intersected the
mainland south of Plymouth and north and west of Middletown, and had
learned how the garrison at the first-named town could be easily and
safely avoided. Then he stepped into his gig, which was called away when
the meal pennant was hauled down, and was taken on board the flagship.

His superior officer must have approved of the plans which Captain
Benton (for that was the name of the Yankee skipper who had once been
Lon Beardsley's prisoner) submitted for securing the services of a pilot
who was familiar with the waters through which the fleet was to sail to
victory, although not very much was done