th my feelings, I should blow my brains out
without any delay," said Captain Dinsmore. "I should not say as much as
this to any but a generous enemy; but I feel that I am ruined, and that
there is nothing more in the future for me."

Christy really sympathized with him, and could not help thinking how
he should feel if the situations were reversed. He realized that the
commander of the Scotian had been very careless in the discharge of
his duty in permitting any vessel to come alongside of her without
considering that she might be an enemy. This inefficiency was doubtless
the cause of his distress. Christy had kept uppermost in his mind the
advice of his father at the last moment before he sailed, and he asked
himself if, while the prisoner was thus exciting his sympathy and
compassion, the latter was not expecting the Arran would appear and
reverse the fortunes of war.

"I am sorry you take such a severe view of your situation," added the
captain of the Bronx. "But my first duty is to ascertain the character
of the vessel which you surrender."

"You shall have no doubt in regard to that, Captain Passford," answered
the commander of the Scotian, proudly. "I am not a dickering merchant,
trying to make money out of the situation of my country. The Scotian,
as you call her, is the Confederate steamer Ocklockonee, and here is my
commission as a lieutenant in the Confederate Navy," he added as he took
the document from his pocket and tendered it to his captor.

Christy looked at the paper, and then examined the other papers in
the packet. They left no doubt in his mind as to the character of the
Ocklockonee, if he had had any before. He folded up the commission and
politely returned it to the owner. The examination was completed so far
as he was concerned; but Captain Dinsmore did not seem to be satisfied,
though he made no complaint that anything was wrong in the proceedings.
He was evidently a very proud and high-strung man, and appeared to be
unable to reconcile himself to the situation.

"I am a ruined man!" he exclaimed several times; and when he looked at
the commander of the Bronx, measuring him from head to foot, as he had
already done several times, it seemed to increase his distress of mind,
and make him more nervous than before.

"While I regret that a brave man like yourself, captain, should be at
war with the government which I honor and love, I hope that personally
your future will be as bright as I am su