Even this menace did not induce the lieutenant to ring his bell to stop
the engine. The boat was doubtless full of men, and as he could not give
straight answers to all the questions that might be put to him, it might
provoke a fight to attempt to do so, and he decided not to incur the
risk. His prisoners might make trouble if he reduced the guard in charge
of them, as he would be obliged to do to beat off the attack of the
boat.

"What is this boat here for, Dave?" asked Christy, as he peered through
the gloom to obtain a glance at the craft.

"To keep the people at Fort Pickens from sending out any armed force,"
replied the intelligent contraband.

"Do they think a boat full of men could do that?"

"No, sir; but they could give the forts on the other side warning."

The sounds from the boat had come from the starboard bow of the steamer,
and it looked as though the guard-boat had intercepted her by accident,
since it was impossible that they could have seen the Teaser in the fog
and gloom. As the steamer dashed ahead at full speed, the sound of the
oars came from a point on the beam. But the boat seemed to be wasting
her time, for nothing had been done since the threat to fire into the
steamer.

"If a vessel is going to run out she has to satisfy this boat that she
is all right," said Dave.

But he had hardly spoken before a volley of musket-balls passed over the
Teaser; and perhaps the officer in the boat intended that they should
pass over her. At any rate no harm was done by them. Then a rocket
darted from the boat up into the air, which could be dimly seen from
the pilot-house.

"What steamer is that?" shouted a hoarse voice out of the gloom.

"The Teaser!" yelled Christy, with all the voice he could command.

The boat did not fire again; and if it had done so the steamer was out
of its reach. But a minute later the boom of a great gun came across the
bay. Fort Barrancas had evidently opened fire in response to the rocket,
which had no doubt been sent up as a signal to notify the garrison that
a vessel was going out or coming in, and that her movements were not
regular. The first shot was followed by others, and a shot dropped into
the water near the Teaser.

"Let the leadsmen sound, Beeks," said Christy. The order was repeated,
and the reports were made known in the pilot-house. Sampson seemed to
be testing the capacity of the engine, for he was doing his best in the
matter of speed; but the Teaser