he
direction of the bar. "Den de little steamers from up the bay take off
de loadin', and she done come in."

"With what was she loaded?"

"All sorts o' tings, massa; guns, and pistols, and close. Dis nigger
help take de tings out ob her."

"What is she doing now in the bay?"

"Loadin' wid cotton de steamers fotch down."

"Where does she lie now?"

"Jes' off de ole Fort Lafitte, whar de water's deep."

In less than half an hour the party reached the locality indicated by
Job. The officer could see the steamer which looked, in the gloom of the
night, as though she was a craft of about five hundred tons. She was
moored in the deep water so far in that she could not be seen by vessels
in the offing. On each side of her was a small river steamer, and she
seemed not to have completed her cargo.

"Do you know the name of that steamer, Uncle Job," inquired Mr. Pennant.

"Yes, sar; I knows it like my own name, but I can't spoke it if I die
for't," answered Job, laughing.

"Try to do so."

"No use, Massa Ossifer; dis nigger don't hab teef enough to do dat."

"Can't you spell it?"

"No, sar; can't spell noffin."

But Job was very obliging, and he made a hissing sound, followed by an
effort to sneeze which was a failure. Then he hissed some more, though
the loss of his front teeth interfered with the effort. Then he said
"fing."

"I know what he means," interposed the Russian. "I know that steamer,
for she came in at Cedar Keys when I was there. He means the Sphinx."

"Dat's it, Massa Ossifer!" exclaimed Job, apparently delighted to find
that he had made himself understood.

"Has she any big guns?"

"Yes, sar; she done h'ist two out ob her innards, and done took two more
from de fort."

"All right; I think we understand the situation up here," said Mr.
Pennant, as he led the way in the direction from which they had come.

They returned to the negro village, for the commander of the expedition
did not feel as though he had yet finished his mission on shore.

"Mind yore eye, Massa Gumboat!" exclaimed Job, in a low tone, but with
great earnestness.

"Dar's somebody comin' from de fort! He's comin' mighty quick shore."

The negro hurried the officer and Mike into one of the cabins, and
shoved them into a sort of closet, while he went to the door himself. He
passed out into the lane, as the man came into it from the middle of the
field, for he had not been near enough to the shore to discover the
boat.