n to his home as soon as we can get along without
him."

"I shall have that promise to console me during his absence," said Mrs.
Gray. "Good-by, Marcy. When you come back to me I want you to be able to
say that you did your duty. Oh, is there no way in which this dreadful
state of affairs can be brought to an end?" she cried, once more giving
way to her tears when she felt Marcy's arm closing around her waist.

"Certainly there is," answered the officer. "The Richmond authorities
can end this war in an hour by telling their soldiers to lay down their
arms and stop fighting the government. That would be an easy thing for
them to do, and it is all we ask of them. Good-by, Mrs. Gray. I trust we
may meet again under pleasanter circumstances."

The executive turned away as he spoke, leaving the young pilot alone
with his mother. He did not prolong the leave-taking, but brought it to
an end as quickly as he could, shook hands with the three darkies, whose
laughter was now changed to weeping, looked around for Morris and
Julius, neither of whom was in sight, and in two minutes more was
marching by Mr. Watkins's side along the road that led past the ruins of
Captain Beardsley's house. If Marcy remembered that his old captain was
one of the best pilots for those waters that could be found anywhere he
did not think to speak of it, nor did he take more than passing note of
the fact that there was another squad of sailors standing in the road in
front of Beardsley's gate. They seemed to be waiting for Mr. Watkins,
for an officer walked up and exchanged a few low, hurried words with
him. Marcy afterward thought that the barking of Beardsley's dogs, and
the shrill frightened voices of the house servants and field-hands which
came faintly from the direction of the quarter, ought to have told him
that something unusual had been going on there, but he did not pay very
much attention to the sounds. He was thinking of his mother. "Very good,
sir," said Mr. Watkins, in response to the officer's whispered
communication. "Make all haste to the boats and shove off; but preserve
silence, and keep the line well closed up."

The officer, accompanied by Doctor Patten's boy Jonas, went back to his
own squad, which at once moved into the woods. That of Mr. Watkins
immediately followed, led by the master's mate, the executive and Marcy
bringing up the rear as before; but it was not until the men were all
embarked and the four boats were well on t