early four years. My dear child, you
will not know me.

Let me then repeat, very briefly, the outline of this strange cruise;
and when the letters come, you can fill in the blanks.

The government had determined that the Florida must be returned to the
neutral harbor whence she came. They had put her in complete repair, and
six months of diplomacy had made the proper apologies to the Brazilian
government. Meanwhile Collins, who had captured her by mistake, had, by
another mistake, been made an admiral, and was commanding a squadron;
and to insure her safe and respectful delivery, I, who had been waiting
service, was un shelved, and, as you know, bidden to take command.

She was in apple-pie order. The engines had been cleaned up; and I
thought we could make a quick thing of it. I was a little dashed when I
found the crew was small; but I have been glad enough since that we had
no more mouths. No one but myself knew our destination. The men thought
we were to take despatches to the Gulf squadron.

You remember I had had only verbal orders to take command, and after we
got outside the bay I opened my sealed despatches. The gist of them was
in these words:--

"You will understand that the honor of this government is pledged for
the _safe_ delivery of the Florida to the government of Brazil. You will
therefore hazard nothing to gain speed. The quantity of your coal has
been adjusted with the view to give your vessel her best trim, and the
supply is not large. You will husband it with care,--taking every
precaution to arrive in Bahia _safely_ with your charge, in such time as
_your best discretion_ may suggest to you."

"_Your best discretion_" was underscored.

I called Prendergast, and showed him the letter. Then we called the
engineer and asked about the coal. He had not been into the bunkers, but
went and returned with his face white, through the black grime, to
report "not four days' consumption." By some cursed accident, he said,
the bunkers had been filled with barrels of salt-pork and flour!

On this, I ordered a light and went below. There had been some fatal
misunderstanding somewhere. The vessel was fitted out as for an arctic
voyage. Everywhere hard-bread, flour, pork, beef, vinegar, sour-krout;
but, clearly enough, not, at the very best, five days of coal!

And I was to get to Brazil with this old pirate transformed into a
provision ship, "at my best discretion."

"Prendergast," said I, "we will take