who we were.

"So you lads have come back in haste, eh?" he said, on recognizing
Jerry and me. "Have you by chance lost the pungy?"

"No, sir; she is in the lower bay oysterin', with Darius in charge," I
made haste to say.

"And who is this you have with you?"

"Bill Jepson, sir, who has served under you twice; but is now a
deserter from his majesty's ship, Severn, having been pressed into the
British service nigh to three years ago," the sailor replied, rising
to his feet at imminent risk of overturning the canoe.

"I remember your face, my man. Come aboard at once, all hands of you."

We clamored over the rail, having made the canoe fast, and entered the
commodore's cabin.

"When did you desert from the Severn?" Joshua Barney asked, showing
more of excitement than I had ever seen him display.

"Last night, sir, an' it may be by so doin' I've upset some of your
plans; but when I asked for help it never struck me that Darius might
be there on special business."

"Tell me all the story," the commodore said, motioning toward me, and
without delay I gave him a full account of what we had done, save that
then I said nothing regarding Elias Macomber.

Then he questioned Bill Jepson regarding what he knew, and, if I am
any judge of such matters, he got considerable valuable information.

The sailor was able to give him the names of nearly all the vessels in
the two fleets, together with their probable weight of metal, and
repeated the gossip which had leaked from the Severn's cabin through
the marines on guard.

The commodore listened intently, making many notes as Bill spun his
yarn, and when it was come to an end he said:

"You did well to steer for here at once; but I am inclined to believe
that the enemy will move very soon. Is there anything else to be
said?"

"I would like to speak about Elias Macomber, sir?" I made bold to say.

"That was the prisoner who escaped? One of them got away, and there is
good reason to suspect that he received aid from some of our men. We
have no time to look into the matter now; but it shall be thoroughly
sifted later, and if there be a British sympathizer among us, it will
go hard with him."

Then I gave him all the information we had concerning the traitor, and
wound up by asking if there was any reason why we should not go back
and re-take the cur.

"You may as well make the attempt, although I question if he can tell
the enemy anything which is not already known. T