appears. Lieutenant Frazier is to be in charge of those who
remain here, and you will act as his second in command. This is my
plan: You shall have seventy men or more, and as soon as we leave you
will make every craft ready for the torch; see to it that there are
combustibles on board in sufficient quantity to insure a clean job
when fire is applied. After that has been done, you will wait for the
British. Once it becomes certain that you cannot save the fleet, start
your fires, and put out for the American army, which will likely be
near Washington by that time."

"We've got some good boats with us, sir," Darius said thoughtfully.

"Ay, my old shell-back, and that is why I am determined that they
shall not be of service to the enemy. You who remain behind will have
more danger to face than those who move in advance, and because of
that it is necessary you keep the force well in hand. See to it that
every order, however trifling, is obeyed on the instant, and in event
of any disposition to shirk a command, or to loiter after the word has
been given, deal with the culprit as you would on shipboard. Quick
work is the only thing which will save you from being killed or made
prisoners."

When the commander spoke this last word the thought came to me that I
had, for the moment, entirely forgotten Elias Macomber, and I was
puzzled to know what could be done with him while we were destroying
the fleet, if it so chanced we were forced to such an extremity.

I spoke with Jerry about it; but he had no suggestion to offer, save
that I had better refer the matter to Joshua Barney.

"He's forgotten all about Macomber, as we did, an' now is the time to
find out what we shall do with him. It would hurt me mighty bad to let
the cur join his British friends simply because we couldn't take care
of him."

This last idea nerved me to do that which I would have shrunk from at
any other time, and, approaching the commander, I asked:

"What is to be done with our prisoner, sir? Jerry and I couldn't help
hearing what you said to Darius, and we don't want to let such as him
have a free foot after capturing him twice."

"Don't fear for that, lad," the commodore said with a kindly smile.
"Give your man breakfast now, so that he may be in condition to march,
and when you see that we are ready to set off, bring him to me. I
will see to it that he has a care-taker who won't wink at an escape."

Then the commander fell to pacing the deck