would have insisted on our saying the same
over and over again if an officer from the schooner had not come to
receive the prisoners.

The officer and the sailors went over the rail on being told that they
were to change quarters; but it was necessary that the traitors be
brought from the hold, and I proposed that Darius and Jim Freeman
attend to such duty, for I had no desire to set eyes on Elias Macomber
again.

"Let's you and I deliver some of these packages and messages with
which we are charged," I suggested to Jerry. "By so doing we shall
meet many old friends, and I would, if possible, have speech with my
father before seeing the commodore again."

"Why?" Jerry asked as if in surprise, when we went into the cuddy to
get the articles which were to be delivered.

I was at a loss to make reply. It would not be pleasant to tell the
lad that I wanted my father's advice before agreeing to serve under
the commodore, since he might believe that to be a coward's trick,
therefore I said after some hesitation:

"It is for him to say what I shall do; surely a fellow's father should
decide anything of this kind."

"But your mother the same as told you to come."

"Ay, and I am here; now I will see my father, which is but natural. Do
not spend so much time in idle words for I would be out of the pungy
before those curs are brought from the hold."

We had our arms full of packages by this time, and it did not take us
long to load them into the canoe, after which we paddled among the
fleet having a bundle or message for some person aboard nearly every
craft in the river.

It was not until our work was nearly done that I came upon my father
and he received me as if expecting I would come.

"When did you arrive at Benedict?" he asked.

"Yesterday noon, sir."

"You couldn't well have got here earlier because of the wind. I
allowed you would join us as soon as possible."

"Then you think, father, that I should serve under the commodore,
taking the chances of losing the pungy after having paid so much money
for her?"

"Don't you?" he asked sharply, and I could do no less than reply as he
expected I would.

Thus it was settled beyond a peradventure that the Avenger and her
crew should become a portion of Commodore Barney's flotilla, and I
really felt better in mind after the question had been definitely
decided.

We stopped long enough to give father a detailed account of our
adventures, and by the way he slapped