ition of about sixty persons to the full complement of the ship's
company of the Chateaugay made a considerable crowd on board of her; but
accommodations were provided for all, and in three days the ship would
deliver her human freight to the authorities in New York. The Dornoch
had gone to the bottom with all her valuable cargo; but her captors
would be remunerated in prize-money by the government, so that in a
material point of view she was not lost to them, and there was one less
cruiser to prey upon the commerce of the loyal nation.

Captain Rombold and Colonel Passford remained in the cabin all the rest
of the day; but the next morning both of them went on deck to take the
fresh air. Christy and Mr. Gilfleur were in the waist, and noticed them
as soon as they appeared. They had had some conversation the evening
before in regard to confronting the two most important prisoners, though
without arriving at a conclusion.

"Of course I must meet my uncle," said Christy. "I am not inclined to
skulk and keep out of sight rather than meet him. Though I have assisted
in doing him and his cause a great deal of mischief, I have done it in
the service of my country; and I have no excuses to offer, and no
apologies to make."

"I was not thinking of excusing myself, or apologizing for what I have
done," replied the detective quite earnestly. "That is not the point I
desire to make. Since I went to New York I have looked upon your country
as my own; and I would do as much to serve her as I ever would have done
for France."

"What is your point, Mr. Gilfleur?" asked Christy.

"I do not object to your fraternizing with your uncle, Mr. Passford, if
you are so disposed," continued the Frenchman; "but the case is quite
different with me. In the hotel at St. George's you were not presented
to Captain Rombold, and you did not allow the Confederate commissioner
to see and identify you. Neither of these gentlemen recognized you; but
the captain of the Dornoch would certainly know me, for I talked with
him a long time."

"Suppose both of them know us: what difference will that make?" demanded
the young lieutenant.

"It will explain to them in what manner we obtained our knowledge of the
force and weight of metal of the Dornoch. While we had as good a right
to be on shore in the Bermudas as the Confederates, if we were
recognized our method of operations would be betrayed, and in my opinion
that would be very bad policy, especially a