did quite handily, with Darius and Bill Jepson in the boat, and
Captain Hanaford on deck, to keep the branches of the trees from
fouling with the rigging.

Half an hour before sunset the little vessel was at the mouth of the
water-way where she could be put into the stream with but a small
amount of labor, and Captain Hanaford ordered Jim Freeman and Dody
Wardwell to turn to at getting supper.

While the meal was being prepared the captain and the two old sailors
talked about the probable location of the enemy's ships, and when the
conversation was come to an end I learned that they counted on letting
the pungy take her own course, after rounding the point on which the
fort had been located.

It was to be a piece of blind luck all the way through, and I made up
my mind that if the vessel was afloat after we passed the ships, it
would be a sure case of interposition of that divinity which watches
over fools.

I seemed to be the only one, however, who was borrowing any trouble on
account of the proposed venture, and it can well be fancied that I
held my peace, although I did a power of thinking.

When supper had been eaten, and the last spark of fire in the
cook-stove extinguished lest it should be seen by the enemy, all
hands went on deck.

Of a verity the night was black enough, if that was the only thing
wanted to insure success. Standing at the tiller I could not even make
out the loom of the mainmast, and as for saying whether the pungy was
in the stream or the river, it was impossible.

Darius and Bill Jepson went about their portion of the task, however,
as if it was broad day.

The pungy was pulled out into the current, the old sailors came over
the rail, and we were fully committed to the venture.

I had supposed that some portion of the sails would be spread to give
us steerage-way if nothing more; but in this I was mistaken. A square
of white canvas could be more readily seen in the darkness than the
entire hull of the pungy, which was painted black, therefore we would
go through with only the empty spars to give an alarm, if so be the
enemy caught a glimpse of us.

We had hardly more than started when the rain began to fall heavily,
and Bill Jepson said with a chuckle of satisfaction:

"Everythin' is workin' our way. There ain't a barnacle aboard the
ships that'll stand up an' take all this water when he can keep
himself dry by seekin' the shelter of the rail."

"But suppose we run plump on to