Deck was in hopes that the Confederates would bring forth their ammunition and the field-piece without delay; but such was not the case. They first went to work on the raft, a clumsy affair built of two logs and a dozen rough two-inch hemlock planks. The raft had become wedged in under the brush overgrowing the bank of the inlet, and the trio tugged and strained at a rope to bring her away. Evidently, like many other Southerners, they were not used to work, and the task proceeded with many growls from all hands. The raft brought over to the inner end of the inlet, the three Confederates took a breathing spell and passed around a bottle which the lieutenant carried. A plug of tobacco also went the round, each whittling off a piece to suit himself, with his jack-knife. Then the three started along a dry gully just above the inlet. A thrashing around in some brush followed. "Here we are!" cried the lieutenant. "What a pity we didn't have a chance to use that gun and the canister against the Yanks!" "Never mind, we'll use 'em another time," answered Peters. "Catch hold, Bolder," and he began to handle one of the ammunition cases. Deck had seen enough, and now he touched Life on the arm, and the two retreated to a distance where it would be safe to talk. "We've spotted the things," he said. "What do you advise as the next move to make?" "That is for you to say, Major." "See here, Life, don't major me so much. You used to call me Deck. Perhaps I had better address you as captain in the future." "Don't you do it, Deck," pleaded the Kentuckian. "I won't say major again, excepting when we are in the ranks." "All right. Now, what do you think? I want your advice." "Well, I reckon we want to capture the gun and the ammunition." "That goes without saying." "And we likewise want to take the fellows prisoners." "Certainly, if it can be done--and I think it can." "Then what more is there to say, Majo--, I mean Deck?" "Something quite important. Shall we move against them at once, or wait until the gun and the ammunition are loaded on the raft?" Life Knox stared at the speaker for a moment in perplexity. Then a grin overspread his good-natured face. "Reckon we'll let them do the work, seeing that the stuff will be better on the raft than off it. We can't do anything in the woods with such heavy luggage; but we might pole that raft to some safe place in the Union territory." "Now you've struck it, Life--just what was passing in my own mind. Come, we'll watch the work, and I'll give the signal to open the ball with them." When they reached their first point of observation, they discovered that two cases of ammunition had already been transferred to the raft. The third followed, and then a rope was attached to the field-piece, a small affair, but one capable of doing good execution in the hands of a skilful gunner.