is fractional government. We need not
discuss such a subject as you suggest, captain."

Captain Lonley said no more, and retired to his cabin. Christy was ready
for the next question in order. Accompanied by Mr. Flint, he looked the
steamer over. The mate had lighted his pipe and seated himself on a
water cask; and he seemed to be the only officer besides the captain on
board. The engineers were next visited. There were two of them, but they
were red hot for the Confederacy, and nothing was said to them except to
order them on deck, where they were placed with the crew, and a guard of
seamen set over them. The firemen were negroes, and they were willing to
serve under the new master, and doubtless were pleased with the change.
The crew of the Bronx on board of the Havana were canvassed to find a
man who had run an engine, but not one of them had any experience.

"That's bad," said Flint, when they had finished the inquiry. "We have
not an engineer on board, and we shall have to send off to the Bronx for
one."

"Not so bad as that, Mr. Flint," replied Christy. "There is one loyal
engineer on board, and I am the one. You will take the deck, and Mr.
Amblen will go into the pilot house. I am not quite ready to go off to
the Bronx yet, for there are two or three cotton schooners in this port,
and we are so fortunate as to have a steamer now to tow them out."

"Very likely those soldiers have waked up by this time," said Flint.

"Let them fire those guns at us, if they can find them," laughed
Christy.

Then he took Mr. Amblen into the engine room with him.

CHAPTER XXV

THE NEW ENGINEER OF THE PRIZE STEAMER

While enthusiastically pursuing his studies as an engineer, Christy
had visited a great many steamers with Paul Vapoor for the purpose of
examining the engines, so that he could hardly expect to find one with
whose construction he was not familiar, whether it was an American or a
foreign built machine. At the first glance after he entered the engine
room of the Havana, he knew the engine, and was ready to run it without
spending any time in studying it. He had brought the pilot with him in
order to come to an understanding in regard to the bells, for in the
navy the signals differ from those in the commercial marine.

"This steamer is provided with a gong and a jingling bell," said
Christy, as he pointed them out to his companion.

"My little steamer on this coast was run with just such bells," replied