"This course will bring us into the midst of the Yankee fleet in about twenty minutes," said Captain Column. "I'm not at all afraid of the Yankee fleet," replied Somers. "I'm not afraid of anything else," laughed the pilot. "Where are the torpedoes?" "Between us and Fort Morgan, which is only about a third of a mile distant, on our beam." "And the obstructions?" "We have passed them; they are of no account. Captain, I think all your troubles are yet to come," said the pilot, as he glanced ahead. "Why so?" "If we should happen to plump into one of those monitors, a fifteen inch shot would finish this craft in less time than it would take to read a man's epitaph." "I have prepared for all such accidents. The Yankees will not fire on me." "No?" exclaimed the pilot, wonderingly. "I think you don't know me." "I heard the first lieutenant say you were coming down here in one of the Yankee ships." "I did." "Did you, though?" "We will come to anchor, pilot, when we get within hail of the Yankee squadron." "Come to anchor, sir?" "Certainly; come to anchor, until the fog clears off, or we can get a little daylight. I don't want much." "Well, that beats me!" ejaculated Captain Column. "I shall hoist The Yankee flag over the Confederate; then the Yankees will think this ship is a prize, and will not fire into her." "That beats me!" repeated the pilot. "I came down here in a Yankee man-of-war, and I made the arrangements for carrying this thing through before I left her." "O, yes, I see!" laughed Captain Column. "You are playing them a Yankee trick." "Exactly so!" "Capital! capital!" exclaimed the pilot. Fifteen minutes later, the Ben Lomond came to anchor under the lee of Sand Island, to wait for a favorable time to continue her voyage. CHAPTER XXIII. A YANKEE TRICK. The rebel officers and crew of the Ben Lomond were greatly astonished when the order was given to let go the anchor. They were not in a condition to appreciate the policy of stopping the wheels, and waiting for daylight within hail of the blockading squadron, reënforced as it had been for the attack on the forts; but as the captain had the reputation of being a perfect tiger, a fire-eater of the most ravenous sort, they did not venture to grumble or make any complaints. Captain Column, the pilot, chuckled, and declared it was all right; the commander knew what he was about, and would get the steamer out of the scrape without even a shot from the Yankee men-of-war.