ed
to do by the captain; but I have the feeling, in spite of myself, that
we are crawling into a hornet's nest," added Mr. Blowitt, with some
anxiety in his tones. "You will call all hands quietly, and be ready to
repel boarders. It is well to be prepared for whatever may come. The
firing at the west end of the island indicated that something was going
on, and perhaps these men on the shore know about it."

Christy obeyed the order promptly, and the next minute, every seaman on
board was ready with his cutlass and revolver to meet an attack. But no
sound came from the shore just then, and the officers were in a state of
uncertainty in regard to the situation which allowed them to do nothing.
They waited for half an hour, when the leadsman reported that the water
was shoaling, which indicated that the Teaser was drifting towards the
island.

"On board the Teaser!" shouted Lonley, so distinctly that he could
hardly have been more than three hundred feet from the steamer.

"On shore," replied Christy, prompted by Mr. Blowitt.

"I am waiting for Gilder! Why don't he come on shore?" shouted Lonley,
his impatience apparent in his tones.

"Where are all the men?" demanded Christy, as requested by the second
lieutenant.

"They have gone a mile to the eastward where they left their bags."

"We will run down in the steamer for them," added Mr. Blowitt, talking
through Christy.

"Don't do that!" protested the speaker on shore. "There is a Yankee
steamer off in that direction. We heard her steam an hour ago."

"All right!" replied Christy.

"That settles the matter in my mind," said Mr. Blowitt. "They are trying
to play what they call a Yankee trick upon us. When we send our boats to
the eastward, we shall send them into a trap. If the boats are to bring
off forty men, they will expect them to go with only men enough to pull
the oars; and when they get possession of them, they expect to retake
the Teaser."

"I think you are right, Mr. Blowitt," replied Christy, who began to
believe that his scheme was rapidly approaching a failure, though he did
not give it up just yet.

"This Lonley is still on the shore near us," said Mr. Blowitt. "I should
very much like to know what has been going on to-night on the island,
and it may be that he knows all about it. As you are the representative
of Gilder, Mr. Passford, you may take the canoe that is astern, and have
a talk with Lonley at close quarters, if you don't object."

"