fore he even looked at the officer standing before him. The lieutenant from the moment the envelopes were opened and their contents exposed to the view of all present, h

Passford, for I have no doubt that is your real name

replied Christy,

hing to say in

f a veteran officer; and in the matter of demeanor, the Confederate Captain Carboneer h

f the remarkable situation in which you fi

t, I do no

ou to be would have had the effrontery to present such matter as evidence that he was an officer of the United States Navy," continued Captain Battleton, with

l envelope contained my

were taken from you, and the

, and you must excuse me from offering

asked the captain, apparently disappointed at the unw

our authority as the commander of the shi

lled to decide that you are not the son of Captain Horatio Passford, the dis

ou, I do not see how you co

n of the Homer Passford who supports the government of the Confederacy

re co

te who is on board of a United States ship for some purp

rrectness of yo

e Union officer, and therefor

ust deny that I am a Confederate, and procl

d you as a prisoner of war, and treat you as such," said the c

aptain Battleton," replied Chr

all be willing to accept your parole that you will engage in no hostile

uld be equivalent to an admission that I am a C

er on board as a passenger, for the reason that I had only one spare stateroom. There

my accommodations, whateve

ulder straps of a lieutenant on board

when the Teaser was captured," added Christy wit

a place for you to berth," said

aper in your envelope, Mr. Passford," said

oever took out my papers and put the blanks in their

ircumstance which will throw some light

umstances, and it would not be treating Captain Battleton with

t up a temporary berth for him. Christy opened his valise, and took from it his frock, which he put on after he had disposed of his coat. Then he looked like a common sailor. He was info

y to reflect upon the events of the day. Corny Passford was the present master of the situation. He had not been aware till he met him in the captain's cabin, that his cousin was even in the vicinity of Ne

erate point of view, it was exceedingly desirable that she should be prevented from doing any further injury to the maritime interests of the South. But it seemed almost incredible that Corny Passford should be employed to bring about her capture by stratagem

d made, Christy saw that the handwriting of the report he submitted as a copy of the genuine document was in Corny's usual handwriting. Where had he

would naturally do under the circumstances; but Christy had not a doubt that he was the man who had suddenly disappeared after the mysterious visitat

n his chamber, and Byron could have borrowed it for any length of time to enable Corny to make a copy. Whoever had visited his chamber in the night, whether Corny or the man-servant, he must have taken the o

ons was quite as obvious as the details of the scheme. Either the Vernon or the Bronx was to be captured, perhaps both, for of course Christy could not determine in wha

nd the fact that he was a prisoner hardly disturbed him. It was the prospective injury to the cause of his country which occasioned his solici

rrantable. He had no ill-feeling against his cousin, for he was trying to serve the cause he had espouse

een a veteran naval officer, could not carry out the plan alone. He must have confederates, in the double sense, on board of the Vernon. In the early stages of the war, men who had served in the navy as officers were coming home from all parts of the world to

om might be at work for the Confederacy. Christy thought he was in an excellent position to investigate the matter, and he decided

un to be quite "sloppy," and the Vernon was now laborin