ot heard anything like a triumphal shout," added Christy, very
quietly. "It is barely possible that your men have not carried the deck
of the Teaser."

"Of course, it is possible they have not; but I don't believe they have
failed," replied Lonley.

The privateersman listened for a few minutes in silence. He appeared
to be entirely confident that the victory must be with his men. He
evidently believed that the captors of the Teaser had sent her two boats
off to a distance of a mile, and thus weakened whatever force she had on
board of her. He did not seem to have any idea that the party he had
met in Pensacola Bay had been increased in numbers, or that the officer
in command had reported to the ship to which they belonged. Christy
realized what Lonley was thinking about, and he clearly believed that
the Teaser had been left in charge of not more than a dozen or fifteen
men, reduced by at least six then on boat duty.

"Help! help!" shouted a man in the water at no great distance from the
shore.

"What does that mean?" said Lonley, springing to his feet.

"It is a call for help, and, as my hands are tied behind me, I cannot
respond to it, as I would gladly do, be the man who needs it friend or
enemy," replied Christy. "There is the canoe in which we came ashore,
Lieutenant Lonley, and you can use that."

The privateersman sprang into the boat, shoved it off, and pulled in
the direction from which the appeal came. He disappeared in the fog in a
moment; but a little later was seen again approaching the shore. He had
not taken the sufferer into the boat, but he had clung to it. As he got
upon his feet, Christy saw that there were two of them, for one helped
the other up the beach.

"What does this mean?" demanded Lonley, very much excited. "Have you run
away from the others?"

"No, sir; but we were beaten in the fight, our boats captured, and all
hands taken prisoners except us two," replied the uninjured of the two
men.

Lieutenant Lonley, whatever his views of the morality of lying to the
enemy, uttered an exclamation which grated very harshly on the ears of
Lieutenant Passford. The result, as stated by the man who had swum to
the shore, was as unwelcome as it was unexpected. He had not deemed a
defeat even possible. He learned from the guard-boat that the steamer
had been captured. He had spent the time after he was landed with his
companions at Town Point, and organized his force for the recapture of
the Teas