to his head to do
so. I had no idea there was a Yankee gunboat in that direction, and I
don't believe the captain had. Besides, he don't know where he is in
this fog, and he needs me."

As he spoke, Christy tried to withdraw his hand from the grasp of
Lonley, as he had not succeeded in doing before when he tried. But the
privateersman suddenly fell upon him, and both of them went down. A
tremendous struggle followed, but before it was decided, two men rushed
out of the gloom, and took part in the affair; and they soon settled the
matter in favor of the Confederacy, much to the chagrin of the second
lieutenant of the Bellevite.

[Illustration: "A tremendous struggle followed."--Page 284.]

Flint had remained in the canoe, which had been partly drawn up on
the beach; but the moment he sprang out upon the sand to go to the
assistance of his officer, he was set upon by two men and secured. Both
of them were deprived of their weapons, and their hands tied behind
them. Beyond a doubt the lieutenant and the master's mate were prisoners
before they had any clear idea of the situation.

"Are you there, Mr. Folkner?" called Lonley, as soon as the prisoners
were secured, speaking now in an energetic tone, as he had not before.

"I am here," replied a man who seemed to be in a boat not far from the
spot. "You have kept me a long time waiting for you!"

"I wanted to give the Yankee boats time to get at least a mile from
the Teaser before anything was done. Shove off now, and make things as
lively as you can," said Lonley. "Go to your places in the boats,"
he continued to four men who had assisted in the capture of the two
officers.

By this time Christy had a chance to see that he was a victim of a trick
which was to eventuate in the recapture of the Teaser; and he was sorry
that he was not the only victim, as he looked at Flint. He realized too
that the scheme had been very well planned, though he was really happy
in the belief that it would be a failure in the end. Lonley seemed to
be the leading spirit in the affair, and managed the details. He had
intended that the boats should be sent from the Teaser to a point at
least a mile off.

He had taken it for granted that the steamer would come to pick them
up, or in other words, to capture the forty prisoners. If he was weak
in accepting as the truth Christy's statement that the boats had
been actually sent away, as desired, he could see no reason why the
Yankee officer s