al orders in regard to its preparation. He
seated himself and began to eat in a rather mechanical manner, and no
one who saw him would have mistaken him for an epicure. Dave stationed
himself in front of the commander, so that he was between the table and
the door. He watched Christy, keeping his eyes fixed on him without
intermitting his gaze for a single instant. Once in a while he tendered
a dish to him at the table, but there was but one object in existence
for Christy at that moment.

"Dave," said the captain, after he had disposed of a portion of his
supper.

"Here, sir, on duty," replied the steward.

"Open the door behind you, quick!"

Dave obeyed instantly, and threw the door back so that it was wide open,
though he seemed to be amazed at the strangeness of the order.

"All right, Dave; close it," added Christy, when he saw there was no
one in the passage; and he concluded that Mulgrum was not likely to be
practising his vocation when there was no one in the cabin but himself
and the steward.

Dave obeyed the order like a machine, and then renewed his gaze at the
commander.

"Are you a Freemason, Dave?" asked Christy.

"No, sir," replied the steward with a magnificent smile.

"A Knight of Pythias, of Pythagoras, or anything of that sort?"

"No, sir; nothing of the sort."

"Then you can't keep a secret?"

"Yes, sir, I can. If I have a secret to keep, I will give the whole
Alabama River to any one that can get it out of me."

Christy felt sure of his man without this protestation.

CHAPTER VI

A MISSION UP THE FOREMAST

Christy spent some time in delivering a lecture on naval etiquette to
his single auditor. Probably he was not the highest authority on the
subject of his discourse; but he was sufficiently learned to meet the
requirements of the present occasion.

"You say you can keep a secret, Dave?" continued the commander.

"I don't take any secrets to keep from everybody, Captain Passford; and
I don't much like to carry them about with me," replied the steward,
looking a little more grave than usual, though he still wore a cheerful
smile.

"Then you don't wish me to confide a secret to you?"

"I don't say that, Captain Passford. I don't want any man's secrets,
and I don't run after them, except for the good of the service. I was a
slave once, but I know what I am working for now. If you have a secret I
ought to know, Captain Passford, I will take it in and bury it away down