Taking the oars which they found in the boat, they pulled away from the
wharf without interruption from any source. Christy took his bearings
as well as he could, and they passed out into the fog and darkness,
to which experience within a few days had accustomed them both. They
crossed the Alabama River, and then followed the land to the southward.
Striking across an inlet they reached the land again, and by midnight
they reached a point of land where Christy felt entirely at home. He
recognized it by the dilapidated wharf, from which he had embarked in
the Leopard.

It was still a long pull to Glenfield, and they went ashore to partake
of a little refreshment. Flint was a smoker, and he had some dry matches
which enabled them to make a fire, more for its light than its heat. The
ham was good and so was the bread to hungry men like the fugitives. At
the end of an hour by the midshipman's watch, they felt like new men,
and they resumed their places in the boat, and pulled two hours longer,
which brought them to the inlet at Glenfield. At the rude pier where the
Bellevite had been moored lay a topsail schooner.

"I don't find any fault, Mr. Passford, but it seems to me that it is
rather dangerous for you to come here," said Flint, in a low tone, as
soon as they had made out the schooner at the wharf. "I can't see what
you are to make by it; and your uncle would hand you over to the rebel
officers as readily as he would eat his breakfast."

"I have no doubt he would do so; but I don't intend to give him the
chance to do so," replied Christy, resting on his oar. "You see this
schooner. She is loaded with cotton, and she is going to run the
blockade about this time. I intend to take passage in her."

"Then you knew about this vessel?" asked Flint curiously.

"I did; and that is the particular reason why I came here. Lonley told
me that my uncle had offered him the command of the schooner; and now
that he has lost his position on board of the Teaser, I have no doubt
he has already applied for the berth that was offered to him. I am
confident that he has seen my uncle, and it must have been he who told
him that I was a prisoner."

"I begin to understand you now, Mr. Passford," added Flint.

"If you do, we will say no more about it just now, for there may be some
one within earshot of us," replied Christy.

Nothing more was said, and the boat cautiously approached the schooner.
No one appeared to be on board of her, an