"I mean Somers. The young pup isn't twenty-one yet, but he is the smartest man in the old navy, by all odds, whether the others be admirals, commodores, lieutenants, or what not." "That's high praise, Coles." "It's true. If he wasn't an imfernal Yankee, I would drink his health in this old Bourbon. Good liquor--isn't it, Langdon?" "Like the juice of a diamond." "I would give more for this Somers than I would for any four rear admirals. He has just been appointed to the Chatauqua; but he will be in command of some small craft down South, before many months, doing more mischief to us than any four first-class steamers in the service. He is as brave as a young lion; knows a ship from keel to truck, and is as familiar with every bolt and pin of an engine as though he had been a machinist all his life." "Big thing, eh, Coles?" "If I had this Somers, I could make his fortune and mine in a year, and have a million surplus besides." "What would you do with him?" "I would give him the command of my steamer. I would rather have him in that place than all the old grannies in the Confederate navy." Somers thought Mr. Coles was rather extravagant. He had no idea that Mr. Ensign Somers was one tenth part of the man which the amiable and patronizing Mr. Coles declared he was; and he was impatient to have the speaker announce his intentions, rather than waste any more time in such unwarrantable commendation. But instead of telling what he intended to do, he confined himself most provokingly to what he had failed to do, giving Langdon minute details of the capture of the Theban and the Snowden, dwelling with peculiar emphasis on the agency of Somers in the work. This was not interesting to the listener, but something better soon followed. CHAPTER IV. THE FRONT CHAMBER. "But I am going to get back the money I lost, and make a pile besides," said Coles, when he had fully detailed the events attending the loss of the Snowden. "If you can," added the sceptical Langdon. "Of course there is some risk, but my plans are so well laid that a failure is hardly possible," continued Coles. "It was possible before." "Nothing but an accident could have defeated my plan before. Everything worked to my satisfaction, and I was sure of success." "But you failed." "I shall not fail again." "I hope not." "Then believe I shall not," retorted Coles, apparently irritated by the doubts and fears of his companion. "It is not safe to believe too much," added Langdon, with a kind of chuckle, whose force Somers could hardly understand; "you believed too much before." "I have been more cautious this time, and I wouldn't give anybody five per cent. to insure the venture."