Mater. The venerable president received him with open
arms. He put Paul's picture in his gallery of the boys who were a
credit to the institution, and both talked over old times and life's
many changes with emotion, and laughed heartily over certain well
remembered experiences. Paul felt a deep pang of remorse at the praise
and the welcome, for his memory bore another record.

During Paul's sojourn at college, his family had moved from Alleghany to
New York. His father was an importer of sea-shells, corals, marine
curiosities anal oriental goods, of which he made annual sales in the
chief cities of the country. He took Paul with him and gave him the
first lesson in business. Travel suited Paul immensely; but business was
irksome and the civil war was still raging. Stirring accounts of
the conflicts in the south, and the martial air that pervaded the entire
country, filled Paul's soul with longing to go to the front.

CHAPTER III.

On the morning of April 15th, 1864, young Boyton presented himself at
the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and was enrolled in the United States Navy as a
sailor before the mast. After a few weeks drilling he was transferred to
the United States Steamer, Hydrangea, Captain W. Rogers in command.
Paul was now in his fifteenth year. He had no difficulty in passing the
scrutiny of the enlisting officers. He was of a powerful build and very
muscular. His outdoor life in the woods and on the river made him look
older than he really was. The Hydrangea was ordered to Fortress Monroe,
and Paul received his baptism of fire while the steamer was running up
the James river past Malvern Hill, where a confederate battery was
stationed. Much has been written about the war, and as this is simply a
story of adventure, it will be left to better writers to record war
history many of whom have already described scenes enacted in that
vicinity during the year 1864. The last engagement Paul was in, was
the memorable assault on Fort Fisher. When the war closed, he was
mustered out. At that time he held the position of yeoman.

Mr. Boyton discovered that Paul did not have much aptitude for
commercial pursuits, so he sent him to the West Indies for the
purpose of collecting and shipping all kinds of marine curiosities.
Paul's companion was a submarine diver whom his father had engaged. They
took passage on the bark, "Reindeer," bound for the Barbadoes. They had
all kinds of the lat