anxious to argue the point with Dandy, who, it seemed
to him, had never before in his life been so sharp and ill-natured. But
the skipper was too much excited by the tremendous issues of the hour to
be in a mood for argument.

By this time Dandy had cast loose the sails, and together they manned
the halyards, and hoisted the mainsail. It was large, and the fresh
breeze caused it to flap and beat with a fearful noise, which added not
a little to the excitement of the skipper.

"Stand by the moorings, Cyd, and have your jib halyards ready!" said
Dandy, as he took his place at the tiller.

"Hossifus! I'm dar, Massa Dandy."

"You needn't 'massa' me, Cyd. Stop!"

"Which'll I do, Massa Dandy, stand by de moorings, or stop?" demanded
Cyd, whose ivories were now distinctly visible in the gloom of the
night.

"Neither; jump into the bateau, and bring the wherry alongside," replied
Dandy.

"Gossifus! What you gwine to do wid de wherry?"

"Mind me, or go on shore!" said the skipper, sternly.

"I'se gwine. Golly! dat makes two boats apiece all round, for sartin."

"Go, quick!"

"I'se gone; 'pears like I'se only swapped off Massa Archy for Massa
Dandy."

But Cyd obeyed the order, and brought the wherry to the side of the
Isabel, to which she was secured, like the other boats. The bewildered
boy was not in the habit of doing his own thinking, and his faculties
were not, therefore, very fully developed, and an explanation would have
relieved him of a world of doubts and conjectures.

"Now, have your jib halyards ready, and stand by the moorings," said
Dandy.

"Yes, sar!" replied Cyd, putting a wicked emphasis on the complimentary
part of the answer.

"Let go the moorings!" shouted Dandy, as he hauled in the main sheet.

"All gone, Massa Dandy," replied Cyd, as the heavy rope by which the
boat was secured splashed into the water.

"Hoist the jib!" added the skipper, in the same loud tones, that he
might be heard above the noise of the flapping sail.

"Up she goes," responded Cyd, joyously.

The Isabel, released from her moorings, caught the breeze, and the
voyage of the young fugitives was commenced. She leaped like a
race-horse before the fresh breeze.

"We done gone!" exclaimed Cyd, as he walked aft, when he had secured the
jib sheet.

"We are off!" replied Dandy, as he cast an anxious glance in the
direction of the planter's great house, to assure himself that none of
its inmates witnessed their departu