up a fleet of small boats to protect the towns of the
bay, for by this time we were having mighty good proof that the United
States was at war with England, and it stands to reason that we lads
were eager to know all that was possible concerning this officer, who
had been the most successful of the privateers sailing out of
Baltimore.

We were on our way to Annapolis with half a load of oysters when the
news was given us by the captain of the Oriole, while he quoted the
prices he got for his cargo, and since the Avenger was creeping along
lazily, with about one-quarter as much wind as she needed, we had
plenty of time in which to discuss a matter that seemed to be of very
great importance to us.

"There won't be any foolin' when Joshua Barney gets here, no matter
how big or how little his fleet is," Darius said as he laid at full
length on the deck sunning himself, and in a twinkling it flashed
across me that the old man may have sailed with or under the gentleman
who was to command such a naval force as could be gathered in the
Chesapeake bay, therefore I asked:

"Do you happen to know the captain, Darius?"

We always called the old man by his first name, because he insisted so
strongly that we should; said it made him feel at home, and sounded a
good deal like putting on airs to tack on the "Mister."

"Know him?" the old man cried, rising lazily on one elbow and swinging
half around to look at me as I sat on the rudder-head. "I know him
lock, stock an' ramrod, lad. The last deep sea cruise I went on was
with him. He's a snorter, that's what he is, an' I've heard his whole
story a hundred times over. I tell you, lads, there's nothin' in a
book that can come up with Josh Barney's doin's."

"Give us the full yarn, Darius!" Jerry cried. "We're like to be
loafin' around here a good many hours, if this wind holds soft as I
reckon it will, an' we may as well make the most of the time."

Darius was always ready to spin a yarn, which was much in his favor
according to my way of thinking; but he couldn't seem to rattle the
words off easy like except when his mouth was full of tobacco,
therefore Jerry and I could always tell whether the story was to be
long or short, by the amount of roughly-cured plug he stowed between
his jaws.

It was a mighty big chew he took while making ready to tell of Captain
Barney, and I must say for Darius, that he never spun a yarn which
interested me more than the one I count on setting d