they happened
to know that I wasn't here to fight 'em that night?"

"That is a question I can't answer," replied Marcy, and then he waited
for Beardsley to say something about the Union men who had rescued him
and his mother, but that seemed to be a matter that the captain did not
care to touch upon.

"Don't it beat you what sort of stories get afloat these times?"
continued the latter. "There's plenty of people about here who believe
you uns have got money in your house."

"I know it. I told the robbers there wasn't a cent outside of the little
there was in mother's purse and mine, and asked them to look around and
see if they could find any more. They preferred to choke a different
story out of me, but they wouldn't have got it if they had choked me to
death. If there is a dollar in the house besides what I offered them, I
don't know it."

"Where's the prize-money I paid you?' asked Beardsley.

"That was safely concealed; but it wasn't what they wanted, and so I
said nothing about it. They were after money which they and some other
lunatics think my mother brought from Wilmington, when she went there to
buy goods."

"Have you any idea who they were?"

"If I had, I would give their names to the Union commander at Plymouth
before I was twenty-four hours older," said Marcy emphatically.

"I don't reckon they'll trouble you any more after the lesson they have
had," said Beardsley; and then he hastened to add: "I mean they won't
dare to pester you, now that the Union soldiers are here. And speaking
of the Yankees reminds me of another thing I wanted to ask you. Do you
reckon--aint I always stood your friend--yourn and your maw's?"

"You need not question me on that point. You know well enough how we
feel over your taking me to sea when you didn't need my services any
more than you need two noses," said Marcy, for once permitting his
indignation to get the better of him. "But I shall not do you any mean,
underhanded tricks, if that is what you mean."

"Why, Marcy, I never done you nary one," began Beardsley.

"Captain, I know you from main-truck to kelson," answered the boy,
gathering up his reins as if about to ride away. "You took me from my
mother for reasons of your own, not because you wanted a pilot; and you
have scarcely made a move since these troubles began that I can't tell
you of. You ought to let up now, and I tell you plainly that you had
better."

Beardsley was astounded. His victim had turned