Lindley Pierson."

"Indeed? Then I begin to see through the matter," replied Captain
Passford. "He failed to obtain the steamer in Mobile Bay, and he came
up here after her. But I should like to hear the particulars of this
affair."

"And poor Corny Passford was wounded in the shoulder," said Florry, who
had hardly spoken before.

"You don't mean that you had a fight, Christy?" demanded the captain,
looking quite serious.

"Not much of a fight, father; we fired the long gun once, and disabled
an old steamer, and we sunk a boat that was trying to lay us aboard."

"Then it was a more serious affair than I had supposed."

"But, father, I think we had better be going on board; and I can tell
you the story on the way just as well as here," suggested Christy.

"But you must have your breakfast before you go, for there is nothing to
eat on board of the steamer," replied Captain Passford, as he led the
way down into the restaurant.

While they were waiting for the meal to be served, the captain went to
the house of a military officer, with whom he was intimately acquainted,
and requested him to take the prisoner off his hands. After the meagre
details of the affair he gave, the officer offered to put a company on
board of the steamer for her protection; but the captain thought this
was unnecessary.

After the breakfast, the party took a carriage for the pier. On the way
the captain ordered a supply of cooked provisions to be sent down to the
boat for the use of the men on board of the Bellevite. With this supply
the party went on board. On the way Christy had told his story, and by
the time they went on board Captain Passford had learned all about the
affair.

He had received the order to deliver the steamer at the Navy Yard on the
following Monday, and he decided to return to Bonnydale in her. Enough
of the former members of the ship's company could be obtained in a few
hours to hold the vessel against any enemy that was likely to appear
in the river. As the owner was now on board, the engineer put on full
steam, and she reached her anchorage, as indicated by the buoy of the
cable which had been slipped. It was hauled in, and the Bellevite was
replaced in her former position.

The tremendous report of the great gun in the small hours of the morning
had startled all the people in the vicinity, though it was not till they
left their beds that the news was conveyed to them. A party in the town
just below the scene