the masthead:

"Well, how do you find yourself by this time? Ain't you sorry now that
you didn't take out a venture when I wanted you to, so that you might be
shaking thousands in your pocket at this minute, when you've only got
hunderds? My respects to you, Mrs. Gray; but when me and this boy of
yourn get to talking we don't know when to stop. Hope you have been well
since I saw you last, and that the carrying away of your overseer didn't
scare you none."

Marcy was well enough acquainted with Captain Beardsley to know that he
did not rattle on in this style for nothing. The man was excited and
nervous, and tried to conceal his feelings under a cloak of hearty good
nature and jollity that ill became him. Marcy sat down and looked at him
in a way that made Captain Beardsley mutter to himself:

"I'd like the best in the world to wring that there brat's neck. He's
got the upper hand of me and Shelby and all of us, and dog-gone the
luck, he knows it. I'd give a dollar to know what he's got on his mind
this very minute."

After a little talk on various subjects that were of no particular
interest to anybody, Captain Beardsley introduced the subject of
blockade running, and gave a glowing description of the manner in which
he had hoodwinked the Yankee cruisers by dodging out of Ocracoke Inlet
while they were busy fighting the forts at Hatteras. He seemed to look
upon it as a very daring and skillful exploit, and yet it was nothing
more than any alert shipmaster would have done under the same
circumstances.

"After that we had fun alive," added the captain; and Marcy was
surprised to see him put his hand into the pocket of his overcoat and
bring out a good-sized canvas bag which was filled so full of something
heavy that it would not hold any more. "All we had to do was to run down
to Nassau, discharge our cargo, and load up and come back again; and all
the while we was making money till I couldn't eat nor sleep on account
of it, and the Yankees never showed up to bother us."

"You were fortunate," said Marcy, when Beardsley stopped and looked at
him.

"That ain't no name for it. We had the best kind of luck. I kept a
bright watch for that steam launch when we passed through Crooked Inlet,
but she had got tired of waiting and went off somewheres. We seen one or
two little blockade runners like ourselves, but no Yankees. Now there's
your share of the profits, Marcy," said the captain, and he got up and
placed the canv