s me Christy, and you had better follow the fashion," replied the
captain.

"All right, Christy, and I will do so; for there are more Piersons on
board of this boat now than I wish there were," added Percy, glancing at
the face of his companion.

"What is your brother going to do, Percy? He seems to be arranging
something on the lower deck," continued Christy.

"I don't know: he didn't tell me any thing at all about it. He wanted to
use me: so he soaped me."

"If he knew you could steer this steamer, he would have something more
for you to do."

"Then I won't tell him. All I want is to get away from him. He will make
a common soldier of me, and I shall never get out of the ranks."

"But you will fight like a brave fellow, and you will be promoted,"
suggested Christy.

"If I get a bullet through my carcass, they will make a corporal of me.
Then if I had half my head shot off, they might make a sergeant of me.
I am not thirsting for any such glory as that, and I expected to stay
with my father at Nassau."

"Did your brother ask you any thing about the Bellevite, Percy?"

"Not a thing: he would hardly speak to me, for he says I have disgraced
the family. But, Christy, now I think of it, you are not on the South
side of this question."

"How do you know I am not?" asked Christy, laughing.

"I heard my brother say so; and that he did not wish to have you, on any
account, go near that other steamer."

"I think we won't talk about that just now," added Christy cautiously,
for he was not inclined to have Percy know too much about his affairs at
present.

"Why not? After all my brother has done, and is trying to do, to me,
I don't think I am exactly on the South side of the question any more
than you are," said Percy, looking with interest into the face of his
companion. "If your father is a Union man, as Lindley says he is, he
don't mean to have the Bellevite go into the service of the
Confederacy."

"That is not bad logic, with the premises on which you base it."

"Just talk English, if you please, Christy."

"The English of it is, that if my father is a Union man, as your brother
says he is, the Bellevite is not going into the Southern navy," replied
Christy, willing to encourage the major's brother.

"I can understand that, Christy. Now, you are going on board of your
father's steamer if you can get there."

"I certainly don't want to stay on board of this little tub any longer
than I am obliged to do