"That I brought on board!" exclaimed the skipper of the Florence.

"Yes, sir: and I thought you had gone ashore with them," added the oiler.

"I brought no men on board, Sampson! What are you talking about?" demanded Christy impatiently.

"Didn't you bring two gentlemen on board, and 80 didn't one of them want to measure the carriage of the big gun?"

80

"No! I did not! I have not seen you before now this evening," protested Christy.

"Then I have lost my senses. Didn't you tell me to get up steam, because the steamer would be moved to the navy yard before daylight in the morning?" demanded Sampson, bewildered by the denial of the young man.

"I see now," added Christy. "You mistook Corny for me."

Sampson gave him all the details of the visit of the strangers.

81 

81

 CHAPTER VII

"In a word, Sampson, an attempt will be made to-night to capture the Bellevite, and you have been getting up steam for the conspirators," said Christy, when the ship-keeper had finished his narrative of the visit of the trio to the ship.

"Is that so?" exclaimed Sampson, opening his mouth and his eyes very wide at the same time. "Why, I had no more doubt that the young man who was talking to me was Christy than I have that he is talking to me now."

"You had better look at me again, and be sure that you make no mistake," replied Christy, rather disgusted at the failure of the man to identify him.

"I never once thought that it was not you. When the sailboat came alongside, I knew it was the Florence, and I supposed you were in her," pleaded Sampson. "But I spoke to you, as I supposed, when the boat came alongside."

82 "Did you? What did you say?" asked Christy.

82

"I said 'Is that you, Christy?' And you said 'Yes.'"

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