uppose you try to do so just now, and tell me how many men your
people had on board of the Teaser."

"You must excuse me for the present, for I do not like to make
statements to one who will not believe what I say," answered Christy,
rather facetiously.

"You are a prisoner now."

"I am painfully aware of the fact, but I doubt if the government service
will suffer very much in my absence from duty."

"You are too modest by half, Mr.--but I have not even the pleasure of
knowing your name, and conversation is annoying under such
circumstances."

"I am simply Midshipman Passford, at your service."

"Only a midshipman!" exclaimed Lonley. "Upon my word, you ought to be a
commodore. Passford? Possibly you are a cousin of Colonel Passford of
Glenfield."

"Colonel Passford is my uncle. Do you know him?" asked Christy.

"I do know him; and there is not a finer man or a truer patriot in the
South than Colonel Passford. He is loading a schooner with cotton, and
he offered me the command of it. Then you are his nephew, I have heard
of you."

"I hope my uncle is quite well, for I have not heard from him for
several weeks, or since I left New York."

"I saw him ten days ago, and he was very well then. I am very happy
to have made a prisoner of his enterprising nephew, who appears to be
capable of doing our cause a great deal of mischief," replied Lonley,
looking earnestly in the direction of the Teaser.

"Thank you, Mr. Lonley; I certainly intend to do it all the mischief I
can in a legitimate way. I am speaking the truth now," said Christy.

"But you have not answered my question in regard to the number of men on
board of the Teaser when you left her."

"And you will excuse me for the present if I do not answer it," added
the Union lieutenant.

"Very well, Mr. Passford; I cannot compel you to answer it, though doing
so would do no harm to your cause, for I should judge that the question
of the hour is settled."

"What is the question of the hour, Mr. Lonley?"

"The question is which side is in possession of the Teaser, yours or
mine," replied the privateersman, still gazing out into the gloom.

"Is that question settled?" asked Christy, with interest.

"Of course I don't know, but I should think that it was. We hear no
more pistol shots and no more clashing of cutlasses," replied Lonley,
uneasily. "But I expected to hear the triumphal shout of our men when
they had carried the deck of the Teaser."

"I have n