ow anything about--a negro boy named Tom, who had
once called John M. Daniel of Roanoke master. He ran away on the same
night the expedition came into the Sound, and had been taken on board
Burnside's flag-ship. He afterward showed the general the landing at
Ashby's Harbor, and told him how the troops could be placed there
without being obliged to wade through the deep marshes at the foot of
the Island. At the beginning of the war the Confederates did not believe
that their own slaves would turn against them and give aid and comfort
to the Federals; but the blacks were sharp enough to know who their
friends were, and the information they were always ready to give was in
most cases found to be reliable.

"There is one thing I had almost forgotten to speak of, sir," said
Captain Benton, when the "commodore," as he had been called, intimated
that he had no more questions to ask. "What shall I do with that man
Beardsley, if you please?"

"I will give you an order to send him off to a store-ship, for of course
you don't want him aboard of you in action," was the answer. "What will
be done with him after we are through here, I can't say. If he had been
taken with his privateer he might be held as a prisoner of war; but as
it is, I presume he will be released after a while, to get into more
mischief after he returns within the Confederate lines."

"But it will put him to some trouble to get back," thought Marcy. "And
that will be a blessing."

As soon as the order referred to had been written, Captain Benton and
his pilot took their departure. When the former stepped upon the deck of
his own vessel the second cutter was called away, and Captain Beardsley
was brought out of the brig to be taken on board the supply ship, where
he would be out of harm's way during the fight that was soon to begin.
He did not yell and struggle now as he did when the irons were first
placed upon his wrists, for the fear of the gag had taken all that
nonsense out of him. His face was very pale, and he walked with his head
down, and did not appear to notice any of those he passed on his way to
the side. When he saw how utterly dejected and cast down his old
commander was, Marcy felt heartily sorry that he had said so much
against him; but after all he hadn't told more than half the truth. He
had promised himself that he would shut Beardsley up for a long time if
he ever got the chance, but now that it was presented, he hadn't the
heart to improve