d that the
vessel was ready to be towed into the river. He had stopped there on his
way home from the post-office to warn the ship-keeper, and immediately
on his arrival at his own house, he had sent a dozen or more stout
negroes to man the yawl with which she was to be hauled out.

"Come here, you mokes, and set us aboard," said Captain Beardsley to the
negroes who were waiting in the yawl. "Now, let go the fasts and stand
by to take a tow-line out for'ard." Then he said to the ship-keeper, in
a low tone, "Is Tierney aboard?" and the man replied by pointing toward
the deck, indicating, no doubt, that the man who had "discharged
himself" could be found on the berth-deck whenever his services were
needed.

By the aid of the negroes, who were handy with a boat, the schooner was
towed from the bayou into Seven Mile Creek and thence into the Roanoke
River a short distance above Plymouth. The jib and foresail were hoisted
before she got there, and when they began to draw and the schooner to
feel their influence, the darkies were commanded to cast off the
tow-line and make the best of their way to the plantation. Marcy went to
the wheel, not because there was any piloting to be done in that open
river, but for the reason that he happened to be nearest to it, and
Captain Beardsley came aft and spoke to him.

"When she gets clear of Plymouth we'll run up the mainsail and then
she'll go a-humming," said he, rubbing his hands gleefully together.
"This is the first time I was ever in command of a vessel sailing by
government authority, and I feel an inch or two taller'n I ever felt
before on my own quarter-deck. But this is a gun-deck now, aint it?" he
added, stamping his foot upon it to see how solid it was. "If we only
had aboard the howitzer that belongs here so that we could salute
Plymouth as we skim by--You aint listening to me at all. What you
looking at so steady?"

The captain faced about, and, following the direction of Marcy's gaze,
saw the man Tierney slowly climbing the stairs that led to the deck.
When he got to the top he turned around and came aft in the most
unconcerned manner possible.

"Well, there," exclaimed the captain, dropping both his hands by his
side and acting as if he were too astonished to say more just then. "If
he aint got back I wouldn't say so."

Marcy's first thought was to give the wheel a fling, spill the sails,
and demand to be put ashore at once; but he did not do it. As Dixon once
to