ze Roch and Gaydon separately and bind and gag
them before they could cry out.

The Count d'Artigas and his companion wended their way to a creek
where one of the _Ebba's_ boats awaited them. The schooner was
anchored two cable lengths from the shore, her sails neatly rolled
upon her yards, which were squared as neatly as those of a pleasure
yacht or of a man-of-war. At the peak of the mainmast a narrow red
pennant was gently swayed by the wind, which came in fitful puffs from
the east.

The Count and the captain jumped into the boat and a few strokes of
the four oars brought them alongside of the schooner. They climbed
on deck and going forward to the jib-boom, leaned over the starboard
bulwark and gazed at an object that floated on the water a few strokes
ahead of the vessel. It was a small buoy that was rocked by the ripple
of the ebbing tide.

Twilight gradually set in, and the outline of New-Berne on the left
bank of the sinuous Neuse became more and more indistinct until it
disappeared in the deepening shades of night. A mist set in from the
sea, but though it obscured the moon it brought no sign of rain. The
lights gleamed out one by one in the houses of the town. The fishing
smacks came slowly up the river to their anchorage, impelled by the
oars of their crews which struck the water with sharp, rhythmical
strokes, and with their sails distended on the chance of catching an
occasional puff of the dropping wind to help them along. A couple of
steamers passed, sending up volumes of black smoke and myriads of
sparks from their double stacks, and lashing the water into foam with
their powerful paddles.

At eight o'clock the Count d'Artigas appeared on the schooner's deck
accompanied by a man about fifty years of age, to whom he remarked:

"It is time to go, Serko."

"Very well, I will tell Spade," replied Serko.

At that moment the captain joined them.

"You had better get ready to go," said the Count.

"All is ready."

"Be careful to prevent any alarm being given, and arrange matters so
that no one will for a minute suspect that Thomas Roch and his keeper
have been brought on board the _Ebba_."

"They wouldn't find them if they came to look for them," observed
Serko, shrugging his shoulders and laughing heartily as though he had
perpetrated a huge joke.

"Nevertheless, it is better not to arouse their suspicion," said
d'Artigas.

The boat was lowered, and Captain Spade and five sailors took their