the wounded commander, with a slight
smile on his pale face. "_Comment allez-vous ce matin?_" (How do you do
this morning?)

"_Tres bien, Monsieur le capitaine. Je suis bien fache que vous etes
blesse._ (Very well, Captain. I am very sorry that you are wounded.) You
need the attention of the surgeon, sir," replied the loyal officer.

"I take my turn with my men, Mr. Passford, and my officers do the same.
The fortune of war is with you again, and I congratulate you on the
success which has attended you. I saw that it was you who upset my plan
for receiving your boarders. I was confident, with that device of mine,
I should be able to beat off your boarders, and I intended to carry your
deck by boarding you in turn. I think your commander can give you the
credit of winning the victory for the Bellevite in his despatches; for
I should have killed more of your men with that thirty-pounder than you
did of mine, for I should have raked the column. You saved the day for
the United States when you ran up the mizzen rigging and unmasked my
battery. You are a gentleman and a magnanimous enemy, Mr. Passford, and
I congratulate you on your promotion, which is sure to come. But you
look pale this morning."

"One of your revolvers had very nearly pinked me when I was in the
rigging; for the ball passed between my arm and my side, and took out
a piece of the former, Captain Rombold," replied Christy, who was
beginning to feel languid from the loss of blood, for the drops of red
fluid were dropping from the ends of his fingers. "But you exaggerate
the service I rendered; for Captain Breaker, suspecting something from
the position in which your men were drawn up, had dropped a hawser port,
and intended to look through the aperture made by one of our solid
shots. He would have discovered your trap."

"He could not have seen the gun or the men." At that moment Christy sank
down upon the deck.

CHAPTER XVII

A MAGNANIMOUS ENEMY

It had not occurred to Christy Passford before Captain Rombold mentioned
it that his daring exploit had in any especial manner assisted in the
final and glorious result of the action. He was confident that, if he
had not unmasked the plan of the Confederate commander, Captain Breaker
would have discovered it, and perhaps had already done so when, without
any order, he had impetuously leaped over the rail, followed by a
portion of the second division, urged forward by lieutenant Walbrook,
to capture