ng sunk the _Albemarle_.

There was little current in the river to help the cutters on their
journey, but the ebb tide presently came to their assistance, and under
its influence they went on their way with increased speed; still it was
almost daylight when Mr. Watkins's cutter and the two immediately astern
of it drew up to the gangway on the starboard quarter of Captain
Benton's vessel. The executive officer and Marcy stepped first upon the
grating, and Beardsley and the acting ensign who commanded the second
cutter followed them up the side to the deck, where Captain Benton was
waiting to receive them.

"I am aboard, sir," said Mr. Watkins, placing his hand to his cap, "and
have the honor to report that your orders have been carried out to the
letter. These are the pilots I was instructed to bring."

"Very good, sir," replied the captain.

At the word "pilots" Marcy Gray turned his head to see where and who the
other one was, and his amazement knew no bounds when he saw Captain
Beardsley's eyes looking into his own. His old commander was startled
too; for up to this moment he supposed that the object of the expedition
was to capture him alone. And if he was ill at ease to know that he was
wholly in the power of men whose flag he had insulted, he was terribly
frightened when he found himself confronted by Marcy Gray. The latter
knew too much about him and his business, for hadn't he as good as
confessed in the boy's presence that he had been a smuggler? If Marcy
remembered that fatal admission and felt in the humor to take advantage
of it, there was likely to be trouble in store for him. The man saw that
very clearly, even before the gunboat captain turned his steady gaze
upon him. Then Beardsley wished that the deck might open under his feet
and let him down into the hold. He cringed a moment, like the coward he
was, and then tried to call a smile to his face. He remembered his old
prisoner, the master of the _Mary Hollins_, and acting upon the first
thought that came into his mind, he took a step forward as if he would
have shaken hands with him; but Captain Benton turned on his heel and
walked away. This movement must have served as a signal to somebody, for
there was a slight but ominous jingling of chains close by, and the
master at arms clasped a pair of irons about Beardsley's wrists before
he could raise a finger to prevent it. The touch of the cold metal
aroused him almost to frenzy.

[Illustration: CAPT