off the coast
where a blockader occasionally wandered before the blockade was fully
established. Her paddle wheels indicated that she had not been built
very recently, for very nearly all sea steamers, including those of the
United States, were propelled by the screw.

As Mr. Amblen had predicted the steamer moved very slowly, and it was
all of a quarter of an hour before she came to the Seahorse Key. At the
right time Christy gave the word to the crew to "Give way lively!" and
the first cutter shot out from the concealment of the little island,
while Flint did the same on the other side of the channel. Almost in the
twinkling of an eye the two boats had made fast to her, and seven men
from each boat leaped on the deck of the steamer, cutlass in hand. No
guns were to be seen, and the watch of not more than half a dozen men
were on the forecastle; and perhaps this was the entire force of the
sailing department.

"What does all this mean?" demanded a man coming from the after part of
the vessel, in a voice which Christy recognized as soon as he had heard
half of the sentence.

"Good morning, Captain Lonley," said Christy, in the pleasantest of
tones. "You are up early, my friend, but I think we are a little ahead
of you on this occasion."

"Who are you, sir?" demanded Lonley; and Christy had at once jumped to
the conclusion that he was the captain of the steamer. "I have heard
your voice before, but I cannot place you, sir."

"Fortunately for me, it is not necessary that you should place me this
time," replied Christy. "It is equally fortunate that I am not compelled
to place you again, as I felt obliged to do, on board of the Judith in
Mobile Bay."

"Passford!" exclaimed Captain Lonley, stepping back a pace in his
astonishment.

"Passford, late of the Bellevite, and now executive officer of the
United States steamer Bronx, formerly the Teaser, privateer," answered
Christy, in his usual cheerful tones. "May I inquire the name of this
steamer?"

"This steamer is the Havana," replied Captain Lonley. "May I ask you,
Mr. Passford, in regard to your business on board of her?"

"I have a little affair on board of her, and my duty compels me to
demand her surrender as a prize to the Bronx."

"Caught again!" exclaimed Captain Lonley, stamping violently on the deck
in his disgust at his misfortune, and it was the third time that Christy
had thrown him "out of a job."

"The way of the transgressor is hard, Captain Lo