is to me."

Lacy hesitated.

"Sempland, you're a fool, as I said before. You're running away from
the woman who loves you. You're risking your life."

"Never mind about that," returned the other. "She doesn't love me, and
I want to do it. For God's sake, old man, don't be selfish! Let me have
an opportunity!"

Sempland was ordinarily a reticent and a quiet man, but this
possibility awoke him into action. He pleaded so long and so hard, and
so determinedly that he overbore the other man, and finally wrung from
him a grudging assent to his request.

"If the general is willing, I'll give you my chance."

"Thank you. God bless you! If I don't come back, remember that you're
to make a man of yourself--for her."

"You will come back. You must come back!"

CHAPTER IV

OPPORTUNITIES EMBRACED

"General Beauregard," said Lacy, as the two young officers were ushered
into the general's office, "I have a most unusual request to make of
you, sir."

"What is it, Major Lacy?" returned the little general.

"I want you to relieve me of the duty of taking out the _David_
to-night, sir."

"What!"

"I want you to give it to Mr. Sempland here."

"You wish to avoid the danger?" queried Beauregard, gazing intently at
Lacy.

"He does it as a favor to me, General," interrupted Sempland. "He has
had his chance, and I have had none. I begged and implored him to allow
me to go, and only wrung a most reluctant consent from him."

The general turned his head away, his fingers tapped softly on the
desk.

"Things have not gone as we wished," he murmured half to himself, "the
South is hard pushed, indeed. The war has dragged on. It becomes harder
and harder, but we may not despair for our beloved country when her
sons strive for posts of danger and are emulous to die in her service.
Do you know what this means, Mr. Sempland?"

"What it means, General?"

"There is about one chance in a thousand of your coming back. Every
time that infernal submarine has been used she has done no damage to
the enemy and has drowned her crew. Payne was drowned in her with eight
men when she was first sent out. She was swamped by the wash of a
passing steamer on her next trial, and all hands were lost. Then she
sank at Fort Sumter wharf, carrying down six of her men. Hundley took
her into the Stono River and made a dive with her, hit mud, stuck
there, and every soul was suffocated. They raised her and fixed her up
again and tried her onc