though they were
expected to return at any time. There was liable to be some
unpleasantness at any time between Fort Pickens and Fort Barrancas;
but everything was quiet just now.

Flint had come on board of the Teaser with Christy, but none of the
boat's crew had attended them. The situation was very novel to the
lieutenant, and he did not feel competent to arbitrate between the
contending parties. Besides, he was not willing to believe that he could
be entirely impartial, for he had a personal and patriotic interest in
the issue of the quarrel.

The seamen, under the leadership of Lonley, who appeared to be an
officer, were the more powerful party, and the more to be dreaded. He
was disposed to decide against them, if he could get them out of the way
by doing so. They were willing to leave the matter to him, and he began
at last to see his way through it.

"The captain of a ship is the authority to be respected, Lonley," said
he, when he had made up his mind what to do.

"We might as well bury ourselves in the sands as try to go through
there," replied the leader of the mutiny, who seemed to be a very
intelligent man, and Christy concluded from his language and manner
that he was not a common sailor.

"That may be; but the captain is supreme on the deck of his own ship,"
argued Christy.

"We are not on the high seas, and the Teaser has not yet gone into
commission. It was only this afternoon in Pensacola that Captain Folkner
told his ship's company that he was going to burrow through the sand in
Santa Rosa Sound. We all said we would not go with him; but a dozen of
us came down with him when he told us that he had a way to float the
steamer through, and he was sure it would work. We did not understand
that we were to become mud-diggers. When we got here, we were satisfied
that his plan amounted to nothing, and would not work."

"I am satisfied that it will work," interposed Captain Folkner.

"The agreement in the articles was to run the blockade. If we got
through the sound, it would take a week of constant drudgery, which
we did not ship to do."

"Are you ready to do duty on board of the Teaser when she is in deep
water, Lonley?" asked Christy.

"Every one of us; and every one of the party on shore!" protested the
leader.

"Will that satisfy you, Captain Folkner?" continued Christy, appealing
to him.

"It would if I had the steamer in deep water," replied the captain. "But
how am I to get her into d