en
less suspicious."

"In the conversation to which Dave listened on the bridge, both of them
blundered, and let out their real names, though each of them reproved
the other for doing so. The second lieutenant's real name is Pawcett,
and that of the deaf mute is Hungerford."

"The last is decidedly a southern name, and the other may be for aught
I know. Hungerford, Hungerford," said Mr. Flint, repeating the name
several times. "It means something to me, but I can't make it out yet."

The first lieutenant cudgelled his brains for a minute or two as though
he was trying to connect the name with some event in the past. The
captain waited for him to sound his memory; but it was done in vain;
Flint could not place him. He was confident, however, that the
connection would be made in his mind at some other moment.

"The interesting question to us just now is to determine why these men,
eight in number, are on board of the Bronx at all, and why they are on
board at the present time," said the captain. "I happen to know that
Lillyworth was offered a better position than the one he now fills
temporarily; but my father says he insisted on going in the Bronx."

"Certainly he is not here on a fool's errand. He has business on board
of this particular steamer," replied Flint, speaking out of his musing
mind. "Ah! now I have it!" he suddenly exclaimed. "Hungerford was the
executive officer of the Killbright, or the Yazoo, as they called her
afterwards. I had a very slight inkling that I had seen the face of the
deaf mute before; but he has shaved off his beard, and stained his face,
so that it is no wonder I did not identify him; but the name satisfies
me that he was the first officer of the Yazoo."

"That means then that he is a regular officer of the Confederate
navy," suggested the captain; "and probably Lillyworth is also. The
only other name Dave was able to obtain was that of Spoors, one of the
quartermasters; and very likely he is also another."

"We have almost a double crew on board, Captain Passford, and what can
eight men do to capture this vessel?" asked Flint.

"I don't know what they intend to do, and I must give it up. Now I want
to read a letter to you that I have written; and you can tell me what
you think of it." The commander then read as follows from the sheet in
his hand, upon which appeared no end of changes and corrections:

"TO THE COMMANDER OF ANY UNITED STATES SHIP OF WAR, _Sir_:-- The
undersign