himself, he
could not help laughing in sympathy with his superior.

"I am sorry you did not bring it all off with you, Mr. Passford," said
Captain Blowitt, as soon as he was able to speak, for his risibles
seemed to have obtained complete control of him.

"I have brought it all off with me, captain," replied Christy, though he
had not yet got at the point of the joke, and spoke at a venture.

"What, the whole State of Florida!" exclaimed the commander.

"No, sir; I did not bring it all off with me, for I did not think it
would be quite safe to do this, for it might set the Gulf Stream to
running in a new course, and derange navigation by making all our charts
useless," replied Christy, smoothing down the muscles of his face so
that he looked as sober as before.

"I thought from the appearance that you had brought it all off," added
Captain Blowitt. "Did I instruct you to bring it off?"

"No, sir; you were considerate enough to say that you did not expect me
to capture the whole State, and therefore I have not done it."

"But we heard heavy guns this morning," continued the commander, putting
on his sober face, for he could be as serious as a judge, though his
adipose structure compelled him to be a great joker at suitable times.
"You had no boat guns."

"No, sir; but we picked up four twelve-pounder field pieces, which you
see, two of them on carriages, on the forecastle of that steamer. We
found the garrison asleep, and we carried off the four guns with which
the battery was mounted. We put them on the Seahorse Key, and went into
the bay to see what was there, sir. We found two schooners, and on the
way we took the steamer. When we were hauling out the two schooners, the
garrison woke up, and attempted to drive us off with musketry. We beat
them off and sunk two boats with the field pieces. This is my report in
brief."

"And a very good report it is, Mr. Passford. I did not expect you to do
anything more than bring off full information in regard to the situation
at the port," added Captain Blowitt.

"But you ordered me to do anything I could to prepare the way for a
visit from the Bronx," suggested Christy.

"And you have prepared the way by bringing off everything at the port,
so that there is nothing for the Bronx to do there," said the commander
with a smile.

"When I found that the garrison were all asleep, I thought it was
my duty not to lose the opportunity that was thus presented to me.
Everything