,
risks his life by sending information to the defenders of the old flag,
he's got nerve. But I am sorry to hear that about Beardsley. He'll keep
on running the blockade until he is captured, and what if I should
chance to be aboard the schooner when that happens?"

Having given them all the information he could, the citizen went back to
his own seat, and the boys were at last left to themselves. They hadn't
learned much, and they did not learn any more when they reached Newbern.
The fortifications below the city were being rapidly pushed to
completion (negroes and poor whites did the work, the officers finding
life in town much more to their liking than digging in the trenches),
and there had been some talk of building gunboats to assist in the
defence of the place; but so far nothing had been done about it. But,
after all, there was no need of gunboats, for the thirty-one pieces of
heavy artillery that had been planted on the works below, would send the
Yankee fleet to the bottom in short order, should its commanding officer
be so foolhardy as to bring it into the Neuse River. There was nothing
to keep the boys in the city, for the _West Wind_, which Marcy wanted
much to see, had already sailed for Nassau with a cargo of cotton; and
after spending two days in making inquiries that did not bring them the
information they desired, they took the cars for home. Old Morris, whom
they found waiting for them at Boydtown depot, was both surprised and
disappointed because they did not ride on the box with him, as they
usually did; but as the boys wanted to be alone, they went inside.

"You haven't done much talking since we started," said Marcy, when
Morris cracked his whip and drove away from the depot. "What's the
matter?"

"I have been laying my plans," replied Jack. "But with all my thinking I
haven't been able to decide upon anything further than this: As soon as
it comes dark, we'll begin and load the _Fairy Belle_ with provisions
and such other things as we may be likely to stand in need of, and
to-morrow morning we'll slip down and out."

"To-morrow night, you mean," suggested Marcy.

"No, to-morrow morning; just as soon as we have had breakfast. I am
impatient to be off; and besides I really cannot afford to waste any
more time. We must go at once or run the risk of missing the Federal
fleet. It may be ordered somewhere else."

"But every one along the river will see us," protested Marcy.

"Who cares if they d