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"Passing strange, I should say," answered Christy, who began to understand that he had fallen into a trap of some sort. "While you are thinking of it, I will go on board, and persuade Captain Folkner not to run the Teaser to the eastward if he should take it into his head to do so. I had no idea there was a Yankee gunboat in that direction, and I don't believe the captain had.
"I did not suppose they had even a dozen men left on board," Lonley explained, with humiliation in his tones. "I staid in the boat till I had seen all my men on deck," continued Mr. Folkner. "They surrounded our force, and tumbled them into the hold as though they had been pigs, slashing them with their cutlasses if they tried to get out.
"I think everything is clear, sir," reported Beeks, as Christy appeared on deck with Dave. "Stand by to get up the anchor, then," added the lieutenant. "No anchor down, sir," interposed Dave. "She is made fast to the buoy." "So much the better. I suppose Captain Folkner did not trouble himself about the forts, Dave, did he?" Christy inquired.
"Yes, sir, he did; Captain Folkner never slept a wink when he did not have Fort Pickens on his stomach for a nightmare," replied Dave, with a chuckle. "But Fort Pickens is all of four miles from the entrance to the channel of the sound." "He was in mortal terror of the guns, all the same." "How was it in regard to Fort Barrancas and Fort McRae?"
"You informed me a little while ago that Captain Folkner was on board of the Teaser; and I wish to ask if you are uniformly in the habit of speaking the truth?" continued Lonley. "Well, that depends upon circumstances. If I have not done so, you cannot expect me to contradict myself." "You claimed that you were Captain Gilder."
"I am perfectly satisfied with that arrangement," replied Lonley. "But I am not," interposed the captain, angrily. "What can I do without any crew to help get the steamer through the sound?" "I have men enough to take care of you and the Teaser, Captain Folkner; and the men in the boat will do everything that is required to be done on board of the Teaser."
"Perfectly willing; and so are the whole ship's company." "But I won't take the risk of running the blockade. They put a fast steamer on there to-day, and it is useless," replied Captain Folkner. The situation was certainly interesting to Christy and his companions. Captain Folkner of the Teaser was evidently somewhat timid, and he had heard of the arrival of the Bellevite.
"I have my sealed orders, and I can not open the envelope until we are in latitude 38, and that will be sometime to-morrow forenoon." "I don't think that Captain Folkner, who expected to be in command of the Teaser, as she was called before we put our hands upon her, overestimated her speed," replied Lieutenant Flint, consulting his watch. "We are making fifteen knots an hour just now, and Mr.
"I persuaded Captain Folkner not to do it," added the Bellevite's officer, very quietly. "He ought to have done just what I asked him to do; and that was to send his boats over to the place named for the men." "And I persuaded him to do that also," continued Christy, as unblushingly as though he had not been strictly in the habit of telling the truth all his lifetime.
"But I shall be under the painful necessity of confining you in your stateroom for the present, and I hope you will make yourself as happy as possible, Captain Folkner." The lieutenant directed Flint to have the prisoner conveyed to his stateroom, and to have a man stationed at the door to see that he did not escape, or do any mischief.
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