the one who was wounded?" asked Captain
Passford, prompted by his wife.

"No; he seems to have been too badly damaged for that; they left him
at the house of a workingman near the river, and I suppose he is there
now," replied Captain Mainhill. "I don't know that there is anything
more that we can do, and we may as well go home to breakfast."

"Do you know where the wounded person is to be found?" asked Captain
Passford.

"I do; and I have seen him. He is suffering a good deal of pain; but he
is as plucky as a mad snake, and he would not say a word in answer to my
questions."

"I shall be greatly obliged to you, Captain Mainhill, if you will land
me as near as you can to the house where this wounded man is, and show
me where it is. Mrs. Passford will go with me," said the owner.

"Very glad indeed to do it," replied the leader of the searching party.

Captain Passford instructed some of the men on board to summon all the
former ship's company of the Bellevite on board at once that could be
found, and then went on board of the Alert with his wife. They were
landed in a boat just below the bend, and Captain Mainhill conducted
them to the house where Corny was said to be.

They found him there, and the poor fellow was glad enough to see them.
No doctor had been called, and nothing had been done to alleviate his
pain; but he was immediately removed to the mansion at Bonnydale, with
his own consent, and Dr. Linscott was sent for.

CHAPTER XIV

THE BEGINNING OF A CHASE

Major Pierson still remained on board of the Bellevite, for no officer
had been sent on board for him, as expected; and he was under the
efficient care of Sampson. He was subjected to no restraint, and he took
his breakfast with the engineer. But he was not a welcome visitor on
board, and Captain Passford would have been very glad to get rid of him.

The owner sought him the next time he came on board, when he was not so
busy as he had been before. But he said nothing to him about his mission
at the North, and treated him as a guest rather than a prisoner. For
reasons of his own, though not difficult to conjecture, he was very
anxious to make a good appearance before the father of Miss Florry,
and he was a gentleman in his manners.

"Major Pierson, I am sorry to do anything that may be unpleasant to
you, but I have not the means of holding you as a prisoner," said the
captain, after they had been talking of indifferent subjects for a time