had seen enough of the British-lover; we had captured
him twice, which was our full share of such business, and if we did
spend time hunting him down, providing he yet remained in the city,
what could we do with the villain? He had forfeited all rights of
citizenship in our section of the country, and I had no doubt that
wherever he went his sins would find him out. It was better we leave
him alone, from whatever standpoint I viewed it.

Captain Hanaford decided that the river would be clear of drift by
morning, therefore we were agreed to set sail then, and, as a means of
passing the time pleasantly, we lads went over to the "stone house" to
see how the old shell-backs managed to escape so readily.

We found the building open and abandoned. The enemy had taken the
prisoners away, and we were not hindered in going over it thoroughly.

When that inspection was ended, we viewed the ruins in the different
parts of the city, paid a visit to the smoke-house, and returned to
the pungy late in the afternoon, well satisfied to bring our visit to
the capital to the earliest possible close.

On that evening Captain Hanaford brought aboard a surgeon, who cared
for my father's wound, and, what was better, declared that he saw no
reason why it should not heal speedily, leaving him none the worse for
having received it.

We were eager to be under way, as may be supposed, and as soon as the
day dawned on the 27th of August, we cast off from the dock, feeling
that the good God had been very kind in permitting us to return to our
homes when so many had been left at Bladensburg to fill soldiers'
graves.

It was as if everything favored us at the start of the homeward
journey. The river was free from the drift of all kinds which had
covered its surface; the wind was blowing gently from the north, and
the day gave promise of being clear.

The pungy slipped along as if conscious that she, like ourselves, had
escaped from great dangers, and was longing for another cargo of
oysters in her hold.

Bill Jepson acted as if he had suddenly lost his senses. He sang the
wildest kind of songs, danced two or three hornpipes, and then
insisted on Darius joining him, while Jim Freeman furnished the music
by whistling fast and furiously. As a matter of fact, all of us, even
including my father, were disposed to be exceeding jolly now that we
were homeward bound with the belief that the enemy was no longer in a
position to annoy us.

We lads t