im warmly by the hand.

"I ought to begin by scolding you, for breaking out of the fortress
without leave; but I am too pleased with the success of your
venture, and too much gratified at the spirit that prompted you to
undertake it, to say a word. Captain O'Halloran tells me that you
have brought in thirty cases of fruit."

"Yes, sir. I have ten cases of oranges, and twenty of lemons. I
propose, with your permission, to send half of these up to the
hospitals, for the use of the sick there. The others I intend for
the use of the women and children of the garrison, and townspeople.
Doctor Burke will see for me that they are distributed where they
will do most good."

"Well, my lad, I thank you most cordially for your noble gift to
the troops; and there is not a man here who will not feel grateful
to you, for the relief it will afford to the women and children. I
shall be very glad if you will dine with me, today; and you can
then tell me how you have managed what I thought, when I first
heard of your absence, was a sheer impossibility.

"Captain O'Halloran, I trust that you and Mrs. O'Halloran will also
give me the pleasure of your company, at dinner, today."

"If you please, sir," Bob said, "will you give these two boatmen a
pass, permitting them to go out after dark, tonight. I promised
them that they should not be detained. It is of the greatest
importance to them that they should get back before their absence
is discovered."

"Certainly," the governor said; and at once ordered one of the
officers of the staff to see that the pass was given; and orders
issued, to the officers of the batteries, to allow the boat to pass
out in the dark, unquestioned.

As soon as the governor walked away, with his staff, Bob was
heartily greeted by Captain O'Halloran and the doctor.

"You have given us a fine fright, Bob," the former said, "and your
sister has been in a desperate way about you. However, now that you
have come back safe, I suppose she will forgive you.

"But what about all those fish? Are they yours? Why, there must be
half a ton of them!"

"No; the men say there are five or six hundred pounds.

"Yes, they are mine. I thought of keeping a few for ourselves, and
dividing the rest between the ten regiments; and sending them up,
with your compliments, to their messes."

"Not with my compliments, Bob; that would be ridiculous. Send them
up with your own compliments. It will be a mighty acceptable
present. Bu