mastered
as to leave even the distrustful Cap in doubt as to its meaning. As a
matter of course, however, when distrust exists, it was not long before
the worst construction was put upon it.

As soon as Jasper and the pilot were below, the sentinel at the hatch
received private orders to pay particular attention to both; to allow
neither to come on deck again without giving instant notice to the
person who might then be in charge of the cutter, and to insist on his
return below as soon as possible. This precaution, however, was uncalled
for; Jasper and his assistant both throwing themselves silently on their
pallets, which neither quitted again that night.

"And now, Sergeant," said Cap, as soon as he found himself master of
the deck, "you will just have the goodness to give me the courses and
distance, that I may see the boat keeps her head the right way."

"I know nothing of either, brother Cap," returned Dunham, not a little
embarrassed at the question. "We must make the best of our way to the
station among the Thousand Islands, 'where we shall land, relieve
the party that is already out, and get information for our future
government.' That's it, nearly word for word, as it stands in the
written orders."

"But you can muster a chart--something in the way of bearings and
distances, that I may see the road?"

"I do not think Jasper ever had anything of the sort to go by."

"No chart, Sergeant Dunham!"

"Not a scrap of a pen even. Our sailors navigate this lake without any
aid from maps."

"The devil they do! They must be regular Yahoos. And do you suppose,
Sergeant Dunham, that I can find one island out of a thousand without
knowing its name or its position, without even a course or a distance?"

"As for the _name_, brother Cap, you need not be particular, for not one
of the whole thousand _has_ a name, and so a mistake can never be made
on that score. As for the position, never having been there myself,
I can tell you nothing about it, nor do I think its position of any
particular consequence, provided we find the spot. Perhaps one of the
hands on deck can tell us the way."

"Hold on, Sergeant--hold on a moment, if you please, Sergeant Dunham.
If I am to command this craft, it must be done, if you please, without
holding any councils of war with the cook and cabin-boy. A ship-master
is a ship-master, and he must have an opinion of his own, even if it be
a wrong one. I suppose you know service well enough t