ncing at the
new captain of the Leopard.

Christy was quite as much excited over the conversation to which he
could not help being a listener, even if he had wished not to be so. It
was clear enough to him that the whole object of the voyage to Mobile
Bay had come out, and the major needed no further information to enable
him to act with promptness and decision. The fact that Miss Florry must
be on board of the Bellevite was doubtless an additional incentive to
make him do his entire duty to the Confederacy.

"I think I have told you the whole story, Major Pierson," said
Lieutenant Dallberg with another prodigious yawn.

"Then Captain Passford and his daughter are now on board of the
steamer," added the major; though he seemed to be musing on the fact,
rather than saying it to his companion.

"There can be no doubt of that," replied the other.

"As Captain Passford is a Yankee at heart, of course he don't intend
to remain in these waters much longer," continued the major, giving
utterance to his reflections.

"There is something more than that, which I forgot to tell you; for you
hurried me so that I could not keep my thoughts about me," interposed
the lieutenant.

"What more is there? You said you had told me the whole," said the
major, with a sneer on his lips.

"The Bellevite is intended for the Yankee navy, and she has already been
tendered to the Government for that purpose. More yet, Captain Passford
and the commander of the steamer have offered their services. The owner
is sure that all hands will be volunteers for the service as soon as she
returns from this trip," continued Dallberg, who had suddenly roused his
energies to the requirements of the situation.

"I had no doubt that Captain Passford would be with his brother in this
war," mused the major.

"He could not be any farther from him. He came down here after his
daughter, and his brother says he expected to remove him and his family
to the North at the same time."

"His mission will be a failure in every sense," added Major Pierson, as
though he regarded it as a matter of course.

"The colonel said his duty to his country and her cause would not allow
him to suffer his brother to take the steamer back to the North to be
handed over to the Yankee navy."

"That is where he was quite right."

"But the colonel does not like to do any thing to injure his brother
and his two children who are with him; and he wished to find Colonel
Dalheath, w