s your influence that saved me."

This remark seemed to put a new face upon the meeting. Christy had done
nothing to cause him to be set free; for the Bellevite, though she had
beaten off several steamers that attempted to capture her, was not in
the regular service at the time, her mission in the South being simply
to bring home the daughter of her owner, who had passed the winter with
her uncle at Glenfield.

"I am very glad I was able to do you a good turn," replied Christy, who
considered it his duty to take advantage of the circumstances. "I am
just going out to take a sail; won't you join me?"

"Thank you; I shall be very glad to do so. I suppose you are a Yankee
still, engaged in the business of subjugating the free South, as I am
still a rebel to the backbone," replied Percy, laughing very pleasantly.

"But you are not in the rebel army now, any more than you were at that
time," added Christy in equally good humor.

"I am not. You know all about my army experience. My brother, the major,
sends me a letter by every chance he can get, and has offered to have my
indiscretion, as he called it, in leaving the camp, passed over, if I
will save the honor of the family by returning to the army; but my
father insists that I can render better service to the cause as his
assistant."

Christy led the way down the steps, and the two seated themselves in the
bow of the boat. The skipper shoved off after he had set his sails, and
the boat stood out towards the Snapper, for he could hardly avoid
passing quite near to her.

"What are you doing in Nassau, Christy?" asked Percy.

This was a hard question, and it was utterly impossible to make a
truthful reply without upsetting the plan of Mr. Gilfleur, and rendering
useless the voyage of the Chateaugay to the Bahamas.

"I am in just as bad a scrape as you were when you were caught on board
of the Bellevite," replied Christy after a moment's reflection.

"Are you a prisoner of war?"

"How could I be a prisoner in a neutral port like Nassau? No; I do not
regard myself as a prisoner just now," answered Christy very
good-humoredly.

"But you have been a prisoner, and you have escaped in some vessel that
run the blockade. I see it all; and you need not stop to explain it,"
said Percy, who flattered himself on his brilliant perception.

"The less I say about it the better it will be for me," added Christy,
willing to accept the situation as his companion had marked it out