nd sold by the
Confederate government."

Captain Benton was greatly astonished. He looked hard at Marcy for a
minute or two, and then beckoned him to come into the cabin. Seating
himself on one side of the little table that stood in the middle of the
floor he pointed to a chair on the other side, and the boy dropped into
it. The captain continued to look closely at him for another minute, and
then said:

"I don't know whether I saw you on board the _Osprey_ or not."

"I don't wonder at it, sir," answered the young pilot. "You had so many
bitter reflections to occupy your mind, about that time, that you
probably do not remember a single one of the crew with the exception of
Captain Beardsley. But I remember you, sir; and when I saw you looking
over the _Osprey's_ stern at your own vessel which was following in our
wake, I felt sorry for you. I said then that I would never spend a cent
of your money, and I never have."

While he talked in this way, Marcy took the key from his pocket and
opened his valise. The first thing he brought to light was his Union
flag, the one his Barrington girl gave him, and which, we said, in the
first volume of this series, was destined to float in triumph over the
waters that he had once sailed through in Captain Beardsley's privateer.
The glorious day we then prophesied had dawned at last! The captain
looked on in surprise when Marcy took the flag from his valise, and
shook it out so that he could see it.

"I should think your rebel neighbors, if you have any, would destroy
that banner," said he.

"We have plenty of that sort of neighbors, sir, but they never saw this
flag," answered Marcy. "I keep it hidden in one of my bedquilts, and
sleep under it every night." And, being a boy of business, he came at
once to the subject that just then was nearest his heart. "Am I to
remain on this ship when she goes into action, sir?" he inquired.

"For anything I know to the contrary, you are," the captain answered
with a smile. "Of course, that will be just as the flag-officer says.
Why do you ask?"

"Because, if I am, I wish you would do me the favor to run this flag of
mine up to your masthead," replied Marcy. "The young lady who made it
for me, and who worked upon it while her rebel relatives were asleep,
would be very much gratified if she could hear that it had been carried
to victory by a Federal ship of war."

"Well, my young friend, whether you stay aboard of us or not, that flag
of