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The second lieutenant of the Teaser was duly impressed by what the first had said about a probable visit to the island in search of the missing midshipman, and he directed Folkner to march as rapidly as he could. He took the control of the party out of the hands of his superior, and very likely he wished he had done so sooner.
We all said we would not go with him; but a dozen of us came down with him when he told us that he had a way to float the steamer through, and he was sure it would work. We did not understand that we were to become mud-diggers. When we got here, we were satisfied that his plan amounted to nothing, and would not work." "I am satisfied that it will work," interposed Captain Folkner.
"Will that satisfy you, Captain Folkner?" continued Christy, appealing to him. "It would if I had the steamer in deep water," replied the captain. "But how am I to get her into deep water if my crew will not work?" "Run the blockade, according to the articles!" exclaimed Lonley. "When are the rest of the ship's company to join you?" asked Christy of the leader of the mutineers.
"I shall not make any trouble about the screw, Captain Folkner, for I don't think we shall have any difficulty about it. But I believe we had better not hoist it any higher out of water," added Christy. "I mean that I think we had better go out of the bay by the main channel." "That means to run the blockade?" said the captain. "That's the idea."
"I was sure there was fighting going on over there," added Christy. "You seem to be all alone, Mr. Lonley. Where are all your men?" "I told you before you came ashore that I had sent them all over to the place where they had left their bags, about a mile to the eastward of us. I suppose Captain Folkner has sent the boats over there for them before this time?"
She is to be driven ahead by her engine as she always is," replied Captain Folkner, suspending the work upon which he was engaged, and trying to see the face of the pilot through the darkness. "How do steamers generally go ahead?" "If they are screw steamers, they are propelled by the pressure of the blades of the screw," answered Christy.
Half a dozen men stood in a group by the side of the engine-room, confronting the man who had done the talking with the boat, as Christy knew by the sound of his voice. "We are not held by any papers we signed!" protested one of the men forward. "We are willing to do our duty, Captain Folkner, but we did not ship to burrow through the sand, and run the risk of being captured by the Yankees.
"I am not Gilder, though I found it convenient to answer to that name. It is reported that the Teaser is a very fast steamer, and I wanted her." "Do you mean to say that you are a pirate?" asked Captain Folkner, stepping back as if to emphasize his disgust at such a person. "I have told you that the Teaser is a privateer, and it seems that you want her more than I do; but I don't believe it."
"We will attend to this affair first, but I like the idea." They reached the Teaser in due time, and all hands went on board of her. Captain Folkner, with a couple of men he had contrived to retain, with two firemen, was at work on his apparatus to float a vessel drawing ten feet in six feet of water or less.
"And Captain Folkner is all ready to have them go on board," returned Christy, who had no doubt of the truth of what he said, though he understood that he was telling a "story" all the same. "I have no doubt he is. But I don't quite understand how you happen to be on this side of the island, and so far to the westward at this time in the morning.
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