On The Blockade

father, had closed the cabin door, the portière remaining drawn as it was before. When he had taken

Christy. "I have my sealed orders, and I can not open the envelope unt

ated her speed," replied Lieutenant Flint, consulting his watch. "We are making fifteen knots an hour just now, and Mr. Sampson is not hurrying

sked Christy, much interested in th

o the Bronx," replied Flint, with a smile which was intended as a mild apology for his weakness. "I used

"I am sure I have not ceased to love the Bellevite; and in my eyes she is handsomer than any young lady I ever saw. I have not been able to

her way through the water when she is going fifteen knots. Why

s doubtless built on the Clyde. Not a few of them have been constructed for private yachts, and I have no doubt, from what I have seen, that the Bronx is one of the number.

est. By the way, Captain Passford, don't you think that a rather queer name has been given to our steamer? Bronx! I

me to the Department, and it was adopted. He talked with me about a name, as he thought

ld say that you had don

e names of rivers have been given to vessels. The Bronx is the name of a small stream, hardly more than a brook, in West Chester County, New York. When I was

d Flint. "Now that I know what it is and what it means, I shall take more kindly to it, though I am afraid we shall get to calli

e with girls without r

young lady by the name of Leatherbee; but she was a very pretty girl a

riend evidently intended to remove at n

ago. What was that noise?" asked the first

ork on the furniture; he had taken out the berth sack, and was brushing out the inside of the berth. The noise had been made by the shaking of the slats on which the mattress rested. Davis Talbot, the cabin steward of the Bronx, had been captured in the vessel when she was run out of Pensacola Bay some months before. As he was a very intelligent color

ed Christy, not a little astonishe

superiors. "I found something in this berth I did not like to see about a bed in which a gentleman is to sleep, and I have been through

ave attended to this

or he was afraid I would read some of his papers on the desk. He

with such companions. How long have yo

I think; and I have

e when I came i

I heard you talking wit

say to the o

rk to listen. I have been very busy, Captain Passford," answered Dave, begi

what we were tal

y troubled to find that he had done something wrong, though he had not the least i

lt to find thi

as solemn as a sleepy owl. "I would jump overb

n, with a pleasant smile, intended to remove the fears of

ll obey all of them; and I would give you the whole State of Flo

exclaimed the c

houted Dave, hastening to c

end, and I have tried to treat you as a gentleman, though you are a subordinate. But are yo

ted because I was afraid I had of

d not belittle yourself. This is my cabin; and I shall sometimes have occasion

talk confidently and what it is to talk confident

cabin, and this is the new rule," said Christy, as he went out of the room. "I know that I can trust you, Dave; but when

rtière aside at the same time. Not a little to his surprise, for he had not expected it, he found a man there; and the intruder was down on his knees, as if in position to place his ear at the ke

?" demanded Christy in th

gh to have given the young commander a deal of trouble if he had chosen to resist the force used upon him; but he appeared to be tame and submissive. He did not speak, but he seeme

ly to prevent his superior from misinterpreting the lightn

the capta

ntified the man. "He may be deaf and dumb, but he seems

ve not yet heard him speak a word," added the first lieutenant.

found him once before hangi

e, and I don't know what you are talking about." Christy read it, and then wrote, "What were you doing at the d