and I shall strive to emulate your noble example."

"You are extremely considerate, Captain; and we are friends till
the demands of duty require us to become technical enemies on the
quarter-deck each of his own ship," said Captain Rombold, as he grasped
the hand of the loyal commander.

"I heartily approve of the treatment of my friend Dr. Davidson, and
fully indorse his opinion that the wound of Mr. Passford is not a
dangerous or very severe one," interposed Dr. Linscott. "I agree with
him that the patient had better spend a couple of days or more in his
berth."

The Confederate surgeon had finished the dressing of Christy's wound,
and he was in a hurry to return to his duty in the cockpit. He shook
hands with Dr. Linscott, and both of them hastened to their posts. The
patient had been seated on a bench, and Captain Rombold had returned to
his former position. He had tied his handkerchief around his thigh, and
both of them appeared to be very comfortable.

"Well, Mr. Passford, if you are ready to return to the Bellevite, I will
assist you to the ward room," said Captain Breaker.

"Excuse me, Captain, if I detain you a few minutes, for I desire to
settle a point in dispute between Mr. Passford and myself, though it is
doubtless his extreme modesty which creates this difference between us,"
interposed the Confederate commander.

He proceeded to state his view of the exploit of Christy, by which he
had rendered inutile the scheme to slaughter the loyal boarders.

"I was absolutely delighted, Captain Breaker, when I realized that you
intended to board the Tallahatchie." he continued. "I was confident that
I should defeat your boarders, and board and carry your deck in my turn.
I have not yet changed my view of the situation. You can judge of my
consternation when I saw Mr. Passford leap into the mizzen rigging with
the agility of a cat, and especially when the order to board my ship was
withheld."

"Mr. Passford acted without orders, for I should hardly have sent him
into the rigging while we were alongside, for it was almost sure death,
for your men, armed with muskets and revolvers, were all looking for the
firing of the thirty-pounder," added Captain Breaker.

"He was as nimble as a cat, and it seemed to me that he was twice as
quick. But all he needed to unearth my scheme was a single glance at
the gun and its crew on the quarter-deck. In the twinkling of an eye he
dropped to the deck, called his boarders, a