the wind
again, and she was standing directly away from the man we had been so
eager to capture.

"Here!" Jerry cried sharply. "You must heave to till we get that
villain."

"How many people do you reckon are in the house?" Darius asked as he
twisted off a large piece of tobacco.

"We've only seen Macomber and Jenkins."

"Don't know anythin' more about the situation?"

"We haven't had time to learn anything more; but it don't stand to
reason there are other men."

"They've both of 'em got wives, who'd fight if it come to a pinch. No,
lads, the best you could count on in the way of time would be a full
day, an' we can't afford to waste an hour."

"But it wouldn't be wastin' time if we finally caught him," Jerry
cried hotly.

"That's where I don't agree with you, lad. The son of a sea-cook can't
give the Britishers any very valuable information, whereas we can tell
the commodore that which may be the means of savin' our whole fleet.
I'd like to lay Macomber by the heels as well as you would; but I
don't believe in usin' a salmon to catch a sprat. We'll run across him
some day; but jest now its our duty to get up the river in short
order. We'll try the canoe with a little bigger canvas, an' if she
sails faster than the pungy you shall go ahead, for an hour now is
worth a full day next week."

I was not convinced that the business of catching the traitor before
he could give his information to the Britishers, was less important
than that of carrying to the commodore word of preparation for
departure on the part of the fleet, more particularly since not a
vessel had as yet hove in sight; but when it came to arguing a point
with Darius I generally got the worst of it, therefore I held my
peace, although it went sadly against the grain to do so.

Jerry did not give in so readily; but insisted on heaving to the
vessel, declaring that he and I would do the work alone, while the
Avenger went on up the river.

"You'll do nothin' of the kind, lad," Darius said emphatically.
"There's no tellin' what Joshua Barney will decide on when he hears
the word I have for him, an' I don't count to leave you down here at
Hog Point to be gobbled up by the Britishers, for you're already under
suspicion of havin' had a hand in Bill Jepson's desertion."

"What do you mean?" I asked in surprise.

"Jest what I said. The officer from the Severn declared that you two
lads could tell what had become of Bill."

"I had actually forgot