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THE WAR LIBRARY.
17
modate me with a place to streteh myself,
eaptain?”
“T can, and shall be delighted to have you
honor me with your company.”
“Then, if you will excuse me for a few
minutes, "T will go on board the launch and
see that everything is all right,and will
{hen rs return and avail myself of your hospi-
lity.
Ho was surprised net to see something of
Jake when he drew near to the launch.
He had expected that he would be on the
watch for hisreturn; but he was not.
As his foot was placed on the boat he
heard the echo of a genuine seaman’s snore.
Jake had been made so comfortable in mind
by the ‘‘O K message that he had laid
down and gone to sleep.
He was wide awake in a second after Vol-
ney. ronounced his name.
“Well, how goesit?” he asked, in a low
on
“Tve succeeded in p lling the wool over
the captain’s eyes comp Petely. So far as
that goes, wehave no cause for fear. He
bas not heard anything of the muss on the
river and will not until to-morrow at threo
o’clock.”
Volney followed this up with an account
pf the danger to be apprehended.
When hehad finished, Jake slowly said:
“Tf this carrier doesn’t turn up to-morrow,
Captain Dixon will remain in ignorance of
what has happened?”
es.”
“And you don’t think it would be wise to
Jeave here now ?”
“Decidedly not; it is almost daylight
now. It would never do, to go out ont
river in the light of day.”
“Then there’s only one thing that can be
one,”
“And that is ?’”
“The earrier must not arrive to-morrow!”
CHAPTER XIV.
oFY,
When Volney shortly after entered the
eaptain’s quarters he was whistling a merry
tune.
If appearance went for aught he was as
light-hearted a3 a man well could be.
Accepting with thanks the bed offered
him by Dixon, he stretched himself out and
soon was soundly sleepin
It might be Expect “that his dreams
would be troubled, but they were not.
He had seen enough of danger to be ac-
sustomed to it, and to not permit it to inter-
fere with bis repose.
t to-morrow take care of itself,
He had done all he could—he must trust to
luck for the rest.
It was about ten o’clock when he awoke.
Rising at once, he washed himself and
made his simple toilet.
He was on the point of going out doors
when Captain Dixon entered.
He looked ratber the worse for the unusual
uantity of whisky he had imbibed, the ef-
ects of which showed most plainly in his
e
WG Good-morning to you!’’ he said, jocular-
ly. ‘Weil, we had something of a jolly
time, dicn’t we? Hang me, if I [ believe you
show itkalf as much as I do. Ready for
breakfast ?"’
“Yes; my appetite, is as keen as a razor.”
“Then come along.
It. was a really good breakfast to which
Volney seated himself, and he did not fail to
do it ample justice.
When he had finished, he said:
“Captain, I would like to send my engi-
neern piece of this ham and some of your
eorn-bread if you have no objections.”
“None in the world, my dear fellow.
Help yourself—and here you, Jim,”—to a
aegro boy—* just you take what this gentle-
an gives you down to the little steamer in
“the cove.’
* Yes, sah.’
ss And,” said Volney, ‘just tell him that I
will stroll down that way presently.”
“Yes, sah.
As the captain and his guest were leaving
the house where they had breakfasted, the
former inquiree ,
“Do you smoke?”
“ o.”’
“Then have a cigar with me. ”
“Tthank you. I imagine,” smelling of the
cigar, ‘‘ that you do not feel yourself called
upon to apologize for your weeds?”
‘No, can’tsay Ido. These are made on
my father’s plantation and sent to me, and
{I know them to be good.”
“That is just what they aro.
mind having astook of them.’
I wouldn’t
“Let me present you with a box. Ishall
be delighted to do so, and—and—if it hap-
pened that you gave one of them to
General Pemberton, and he remarked that
they were good, you should just men-
ion—
“Yes, yes, I understand,’’ said Volney, as
the other halted, feeling, perhaps, that he
was demeaning himself in attaching any
conditions to the present so freely offered.
At the captain’s quarters the box of cigars
was obtained, with which under hisarm
Volney made his way to the launch.
‘*Goeod-morning, Jake,"’ he said, in an off-
hand tone, as he drew near the Sprite, hay-
ing noticed thata man was within hearing
distance. ‘‘How did you make out last
night?”
“Fairly. After I got to sleep I put in the
time to good advantage, I guess. Wonder
how things are going at headquarters this
morning?”
“About ns usual, no doubt.’
By this time he was on board and beside
Jake.
Lowering his tone, he asked:
“Ts that fellow watching us, do you
think ?””
“That is my opinion.”
“ Do you think he suspects anything ”
“That is hard tosay. But he don’t exact-
ly like the way matters are shaping them-
selves, I can see that plainly. He is the
chum of the guard who hailed us last night,
and he has heard thatthe story you ‘old
him about being after a Yank, and the one
you told to the captain, didn’t agree.”
ery of vexation escaped Volney.
“Tnever thought of that. Sure itis, that
I told the captain a story thatin nomise
agrees with my replies to the sentry. Wha
is to be don
“There is no remedy,” was ane cool re-
joinder. **We must cheek it
“T’ve got the captain wherewe. want him.
Here is a box of cigars that he presented me
with, and in case General Pemberton should
ever be smoking one of them, I am to men-
tion Captain Dixon’snamein a kindly way.”
** Ha ha, ha!” roared Jake.
“The captain’s a nice fellow,” said Vol-
ney.
“So he is, 80 he is,’’ returned Jake, barely
able to speak from laughter. ‘Good heay-
ens! but isn’t this rich?’
Volney could not but agree with him that
it was decidedly so.
“If we can get along with everybody. as
easily as with the captain, we sh be able
to get through to Grant's headquarters in a
sort of Pignic st
“Now,” and Ake's voice took on a seri-
ous tone, “what about the mail-carrier?”
“That matter was settled last night.”
‘“‘Nothing has happened to change the
situation, and itis just as necessary as ever
that he shall not arrive here?”
“Exactly.”
“Then I will arrange my time to suit the
circumstances. I hope that I shall be able
to fix him without resorting to the harshest
measures.”’
“Thope so. But,as we have decided to
depend on this way of fixing | matters, he
must not put i in an appearance,”
* He shall n
‘Volney tould not help a feeling of un-
easiness.
He was to the last degree Joathful to coun-
tenance any cold-blooded killing.
Had only his own interests been at stake,
he would not have thought of making any
attempt on the carrier, but would have
trusted to circumstances to help him out of
his difficulty.
But more than his own interests were in-
volved; he was on a mission for the govern-
ment, the importance of which was not in-
considerable, and he could not afford to
throw away any chance of performing it
successfully.
He profterea the box of cigars to Jake,
sayin
ry one of the captain’ 3 cigars, old man,
and tell me how you like them.’
“Tw will. Where are you going to put, the
“ In the locker.”
“Tsay, Volneyl’”
‘What has struck you so suddenly ?”
“Willit be safe to leave the boat alone
this afternoon while Iam away?”
“Thad not thought of that—I am glad
that you have brought it tomy attention.
T will speak to the captain and have a guard
placed on it while we are both away.”
‘May be the captain will hear what the
guard has to say about the two different
stories that you have told, and he may be-
come suspicious and take advantage of your
request to have a search made.
‘Suppose he does? He cannot, as a mat~
ter of fact, discover anything to criminate-
us, and should he be suspicious and want to
make a search he has power to do so.”
“That's so. Well, are you going now?”
“Yes; I want to cultivate this captain
while we are here. A last word, Jake; don’t
resort to the last extremity with the car-
rier unless it becomes positively neces-
sary.
Jake nodded bis head.
“ Correct,’’ he lowly said.
t Volney went back to the captain’s quar-
ers.
As he was entering he saw a man leay-
ing, who, from his insignia, was a lieu-
tenant.
As they passed each other, the rebel gave
Volney 3 a penetrative look that was unmis-
The rebel lieutenant suspected him.
Aware of this, Volney yet eutered the:
gaptain’s presence with the utmost sang
Without appearing to do so, the daring
fellow began to study Dixon’s face.
t wore a half uneasy expression, which
plainly said that he had been listening to a
story that puzzled him nota little, although
he endeavored to hide it.
“Capital cigars—those of yours, my dear
captain!” remarked Volney, blowing a
cloud of smoke from his mout
yes—yes; nearly everybody who tries
them thinks so,” was the reply, given in a
tone that said his mind was Teoccupied:
‘*}Made on my father’s plantation—ur—ah!
gxeuse me,I believe I told you that be-
ore.
“Yes. My dear fellow, can you not devise:
some means of enlivening the day, since I
have concluded to spend it with you?”
The captain's face brightened.
oer guessed it was because he had ex--
press is intention of remaining all day.
t looked in the captain’s eyes like evidence
that Volney was what he represented him-
self. Were he not, he argued, he would
hardly remain from choice among his ene-
“Going to take pity on me and stay all
days are reyour”
“ ite ‘8 hardly necessary to say that I am
mee glad to have your company. Butas
etting up any diversion in this con-
tousded hole, it is an impossibility.”
“Well, ’ll accept the will for the deed.
Meanwhile, if that bottle is not emptied,
suppose we drink to each other’s health ?”
Nothing loath, the captain produced the-
bottle, and bya little dexterity Volney man-
aged to have him drink about ten times
what he took himself,even while to the
casual observer he would have appeared to-
be drinking the most.
As a consequence, it was not a great while:
before the captain was in a condition bor-
dering on the maudlin. Had this not been
the case he would never have let out the fact
that he had been told by one of his men that
there was good reason to suspect that he was
a Yankee spy.
On hearing this Volney laughed uproar-
iously.
* An excellent joke, truly !’’ he exclaimed.
“Me a Yankee spy? Oh, oh, it’s too good
alinost to keep!”
Captain Dison jo joined ip the laugh.
new it could not be the
easily fooled; ‘‘and when the lieutenant
came to me with the story that the guard
who hailed you last night believed he had
seen you on board one of Farragut’s vessels I
told him the man must be mistaken.”
‘* He believed he had seen me on board of
oneof Farragut’s vessels!” echoed Volney.
“How in the world could he bavedone that,
even if it were the truth that I belonged on
board of one of those Vessels ?””
‘Why, the man was enlisted on board for
the purpose of spying for the Confederate
cause, and some time ago, when he had done.
all he could, he deserted, and finally was sent
here to my command.”
Volney opened his eyes in surprise,
This being the truth, there was more dan-
ger than he had counted on in remaining
ereallday. If this deserter came right out
plump in his recognition of himself, Captain
ixon, no matter what his own opinion
might be, could not well help detaining the
Sprite and her crew of two until he knew
something of her more definite than he now
Masking all his fears, Volney set himself to