under."

"Indeed! Is it mounted?"

"It's on wheels, if that is what you mean."

"Do you know whether he has any ammunition for it?" asked the officer,
evidently much interested in the information I had given him.

"He has plenty of powder, and some tin cans----"

"Canister shot: just the thing for us," interposed the officer. "Is it
possible to have this gun brought down here?"

"I don't see why it isn't."

"It would be as good as twenty men to us in these breastworks. Couldn't
you take a couple of my men, and go after it?"

"Of course I could, and I will."

"You will do us a great service, for I may have to fight four times my
own force."

Two men were selected to go with me to the island, and taking them upon
the wagon, I drove back to the Castle. Mr. Gracewood readily gave me
permission to bring off the gun, but he wanted to know how I expected
to bring it over.

"In the boat," I replied.

"Do you mean my barge?"

"Yes, sir."

"How much do you think it weighs?" he asked, with a smile.

"I don't know--perhaps a hundred weight," I answered, comparing it with
a barrel of flour, which was my standard.

"Not less than six hundred," said he. "The barge will not carry it with
three of you besides; and if it would, you could not load it."

"I can get it over, I know," I replied, confidently, and rather pleased
to have a difficult problem to solve.

"Very well. The ammunition is in the blue box; and that will be a good
load for the barge."

"I will agree to get them both over here," I replied; and, jumping upon
the wagon, I drove down to the landing.

While I was securing the horses, the two soldiers put the barge into
the water. I was thinking all the time of the problem of transporting
the gun and ammunition. I was quite sure that I could do the job, and I
had my plan ready. I took a couple of axes from the shanty at the
landing, and we embarked. One of the soldiers rowed the boat.

"What are you going to do with the axes, Phil?" asked the soldier who
was seated in the bow.

"I thought we might want them, and so I brought them along," I replied,
not caring to discuss my plan with him.

"How big is the gun we are to bring?"

"Mr. Gracewood says it weighs about six hundred."

"Do you expect to bring a gun weighing six hundred in this little
boat?"

"We'll see," I replied.

"We are on a fool's errand."

"You wait and see."

"I think you are smart, Phil, after what you did last night; but