reward
anybody unless he thinks he sees a chance to make something by it, and
neither does he pay out a cent of his own when he can take what he needs
from the pockets of some one else. It is all yours, sir, and I am glad
to have the opportunity to give it to you."

"And I am glad to receive it, and to have the opportunity to shake hands
with such a young man as you are," said the captain; and suiting the
action to the word, he came around the table and gave Marcy's hand a
hearty sailor's grip.

CHAPTER XI.

MARCY IN ACTION.

Marcy Gray was somewhat surprised, though not at all abashed, to find
himself treated as an honored guest on board the gunboat. He took
breakfast with Captain Benton, who did not think it beneath his dignity
to acknowledge that he was glad to know he was seventeen hundred dollars
richer than he thought he was, and who listened with the deepest
interest to the boy's account of the various adventures that had
befallen him since the war broke out. When the story was finished the
captain believed with his executive officer that it required courage to
be loyal to the old flag in that country.

Breakfast over, the two stepped into the captain's gig and were taken on
board the _Southfield_ and into the presence of the officer who
commanded the naval part of the expedition. Flag-officer Goldsborough
was a native of Maryland, but he believed that the South was wrong in
trying to break up the Union, that she ought to be compelled to lay down
her arms since she would not do it of her own free will, and he was
doing all a brave and skilful man could to force her to strike the
strange flag she had hoisted in opposition to the Stars and Stripes. He
was very busy, but he found time to ask Marcy a few questions, and gave
him pencil and paper with which to draw a map of the channel that led
through Croatan Sound. When it was done he compared it with another that
lay upon his table, and Marcy learned, from some remarks he exchanged
with Captain Benton, that he was not the only pilot whose services had
been secured by force of arms.

We have spoken of an expedition similar to that of Mr. Watkins, which
left the fleet the night before, went as far as the mainland and stopped
there. It was in search of a pilot, and it brought him, too. He was now
on board the flag-ship, from which he was afterward sent to the vessel
that had been ordered to lead in the attack. There was still another
that Marcy did not kn