at I could
not indorse Captain Folkner's opinion, and that I was obliged to take
sides with his men," said Christy, chuckling.

"I understand your position perfectly. Now, what do you mean by
finishing your work, Mr. Passford?" asked Captain Breaker, curiously.
"We have the Teaser, and we ought to be satisfied with your brilliant
success."

"I am not quite satisfied, sir."

"You ought to be."

"We put twelve men ashore at Town Point rather than have a fight with
them; and I have the feeling that we have a mortgage on those men,
to say nothing of thirty more at Pensacola who were to join the Teaser.
I told them they could get on board of their steamer from the island.
I shall be sorry to disappoint them, for I suppose the whole forty or
more are counting on a handsome allowance of prize money to be made for
them by the Teaser. I should be sorry to disappoint them," continued
Christy, chuckling all the time.

"Precisely so! I suppose you would be greatly grieved to blast their
hopes, and you propose to take them on board of the steamer."

"That is the idea, sir. Taking a more patriotic view of the question,
it would be a great pity to allow forty good sailors to waste their
energies in the service of the Confederacy."

"Undoubtedly it would," said Captain Breaker, his brow knitting under
his earnest thought. "What do you propose to do? Explain your plan
fully, Mr. Passford."

"The principal of the malcontents on board of the Teaser was a man by
the name of Lonley," Christy explained. "We left them at the point where
the rest of the Teaser's crew were to join them. They are all anxious
to get to sea in the Teaser, and I have no doubt they will come down
to-night."

"I should think they would," the captain assented. "But they will expect
to find the steamer in the sound, and not outside of the island. If the
Teaser could get through the sound at all, she would not be where you
intend to put her."

"I told Lonley to get upon the island, and be on the lookout for the
Teaser; and as they have to come from Pensacola in a boat, it will be as
easy for them to go to the island as to land at the point. Very likely
they will get the Times to bring them off, or some other steamer,"
Christy argued.

"It is certainly very desirable to capture these men, for it will do so
much to weaken the enemy; but I am afraid you are a little too audacious
in some of your movements, Mr. Passford," replied Captain Breaker, with
a soft