was about to leave him.

"If you say that you will return to your place in your regiment, I will
release you at once," replied the brother.

"I won't do that," answered Percy without any hesitation. "But I want
to go into the navy. I am better fitted for a sailor than I am for a
soldier."

"The first thing is to wipe out the disgrace you have cast upon yourself
and your family," added the major warmly. "I induced your officers to
look upon it as a freak of a boy, and by returning to your duty you can
soon wipe out the stigma."

"I shall not become a common soldier if I can help it. My father and
mother will stand by me, if the rest of you do not," said Percy.

"That's enough; and you will go back to the army, whether or not you are
willing," added the major, as he turned on his heel.

Christy followed him to the forecastle of the tug, where a rather heavy
gun was mounted, which took up most of the space.

"Take a seat, Mr. Passford," said the major, giving him a stool, while
he took another himself. "It looks as though your father changed his
plans rather suddenly last evening."

"I was not aware of it," replied Christy.

"The Bellevite was taken from the wharf where you landed some time in
the evening, and came out into the bay, where she seems to be waiting
for something, I don't know what. As I understand the matter, your
father has sold the steamer to the Confederacy."

"Where did you learn that, Major Pierson?" asked Christy, who had not
heard any such story.

"You certainly came from Nassau?"

"We did."

"And you met my father there?"

"I did not meet him, but my father did."

"I understood that my father bought this steamer, or that he bargained
for her in some manner, for the use of the Confederacy."

"I was not present at the interview between your father and mine, and I
do not know just what passed between them."

"And I understood that he sent Percy to act as a sort of agent for the
delivery of the vessel; though it still puzzles me to comprehend how my
father should do such a thing, especially when he knew that the boy
would be arrested as a deserter if he showed his face anywhere near
Mobile."

Christy felt that his tongue might be a dangerous member, and he was not
disposed to talk about the matter at all. All the information which the
major had derived from Captain Passford and others had been accepted
from inference; for the owner of the Bellevite certainly had not said
that the