Gilfleur on deck to take a look at her."

The Frenchman had no doubt the steamer was the Cadet, for she was
peculiar enough in her build to be identified among a thousand vessels
of her class. For some time they discussed the character of the vessel,
and minutely examined her build and rig. Neither of them had any doubt
as to her identity, and the passenger reported the result of the
conference to the commander, who immediately ordered the American flag
to be displayed at the peak; and gave the command to beat to quarters.

"We are over six hundred miles from any Confederate port, Mr. Passford,"
said the captain. "I should not like to have one of my captures
surrendered to her owners."

"Of course you have your law books in your cabin, Captain; but I have
studied them so much that I can quote literally from one bearing on this
case," continued Christy. "'The sailing for a blockaded port, knowing it
to be blockaded, is, it seems, such an act as may charge the party with
a breach of the blockade.' Besides the evidence of her course, and that
of the nature of her cargo, there are two witnesses to the declaration
of the captain that he was intending to run into Wilmington."

"She has come about, and is running away from you, Captain!" exclaimed
the passenger, who was the first on the quarter-deck to notice this
change.

The commander ordered a gun to be fired across her bow, for the Cadet
was hardly more than a quarter of a mile from the Chateaugay. No notice
was taken of the shot, and a moment later the midship gun sent a shot
which carried away her pilot-house and disabled the wheel.

CHAPTER XVI

AMONG THE BAHAMAS

"I am sorry to disturb you, gentlemen, but I feel obliged to ask you to
retire to my cabin until this affair is settled," said Captain Chantor,
addressing Colonel Passford and Captain Rombold.

"I beg your pardon, Captain Chantor, but do you consider that you have a
right to capture that steamer?" asked the late commander of the Dornoch,
who seemed to be very much disturbed at the proceedings of his captor.

"Undoubtedly; and I have no doubt I shall be able to procure her
condemnation on the ground that she is loaded for a Confederate port,
no other than Wilmington, and has the 'guilty intention' to run the
blockade."

"I don't see where you could have obtained the information that enables
you to make sure of her condemnation at the very first sight of her,"
replied the Confederate office