the oars, if that could be
possible, the labor serving in some slight degree to prevent me from
dwelling upon the disagreeable possibilities.

Our course brought us within mayhap an hundred yards of the _Charon's_
stern, and before we were on a line with her came that hail which I had
feared to hear:

"Cease rowing!"

"Do as they bid, Fitz; it is our only hope," Pierre whispered, and I
obeyed him.

"Come alongside and show your pass," the voice demanded, and I could
hear the foot-falls of the sentry as he came from amidships aft and
leaned over the rail that he might see us more clearly.

"We have no pass, sir," Pierre said meekly. "We have been sent over to
Gloucester with a message from one officer to another, on what I count
may be private business."

"Come alongside and show the message," the same voice demanded.

Then did I believe that little Frenchie was at the end of his rope; but
instead of showing any confusion or fear he replied cheerily:

"It is no more than word of mouth that the major of Colonel Tarleton's
legion come into York for a supper."

The sentry, or whoever it might be that had hailed us, hung in the wind
a moment as if undecided whether to give further orders, and then said
grudgingly, not being minded, as I fancied, to disgruntle any officers
of my Lord Cornwallis's command:

"Go your way, then; but make certain to come directly back as soon as
the message has been delivered."

"You can count on our getting into York again as soon as we may," Pierre
replied laughingly, and added by whispering to me, "Now, lad, pull the
best you know how, and the danger has passed!"

It was as he said. It could only have been blind luck which stationed a
credulous and good-natured sentry of the _Charon_ at that particular
moment, for nineteen men out of twenty would have done their whole duty,
which was to bring us alongside and report the matter to the officer of
the deck.

We were not disposed to grumble because the fellow had not done his
duty, however, and when we were beyond ear-shot I said warningly to the
little French lad:

"You have squeaked out of a mighty small hole, Pierre; but do not let it
encourage you overly much, for it is not within the bounds of reason
that we can take such chances again and have everything turn favorable
for us."

"We won't count on those chances that are in the future, Fitz Hamilton,"
Pierre replied cheerily; "but will hark back on this one, remembering