the papers," replied his
father.

"A commission!" exclaimed Christy, as he opened the first one. "I am
promoted to the rank of lieutenant!"

"And, though you are my son, I must say that you deserve the promotion,"
added Captain Passford. "I have read your report of the capture of the
Ocklockonee and the Escambia, and you have won your spurs, my son. I did
not ask for this promotion, or even suggest it to any one."

"Well, I am astonished, confounded, overwhelmed!" exclaimed the young
lieutenant, as we are now permitted to call him. "And the commission is
dated back far enough to put me over the heads of not a few others of
the same rank."

"Perhaps it will please you quite as much when I inform you that the
officers you recommended for appointment as masters have been promoted
to that rank," added the captain.

"I am even more pleased at their promotion than at my own," replied
Christy, opening the other envelope, in which he was addressed as
"Lieutenant Christopher Passford." "Ah, ha!" he exclaimed, leaping out
of his chair in his excitement, to which he gave way on such an occasion
as the present.

"What in the world is the matter with you, Christy?" demanded his
mother, astonished at such an unusual demonstration on the part of her
son.

"I am appointed to the command of the Bronx, in place of Lieutenant
Blowitt, transferred to the Bellevite!" almost shouted the young
officer. "If I could have selected a position for myself, this is the
very one I should have chosen."

"I heard you say as much as that when you were appointed to the
temporary command of the Bronx, and I shall plead guilty of having
inserted a hint where it would do the most good," added Captain
Passford.

"I am much obliged to you, father; for I don't object to that kind of
influence, though I could have commanded the Bronx just as well as a
master, which is the rank of her present temporary commander, Mr. Flint.
I desire to win my own rank, and not get it by influence. I am ordered
to proceed to the Gulf as soon as possible."

In three days he obtained passage in a store-ship steamer; and he spent
all this time at home, as perhaps he would not have done if Bertha
Pembroke had not been there. Before he reported on board of the
store-ship, he visited the Vixen, which was undergoing alterations and
repairs, and took leave of his officers. Before dark he was on board of
the vessel and on his voyage to the scene of his future operations,
w