When, in due course of time, we passed the mill from which had been taken the prisoners, it bore the appearance of being deserted, therefore we had good reason for believing that Macomber was the only one of our capturing who succeeded in making his escape. It was late in the night before we came upon the fleet, and were brought to by a hail from the guard-boat. The commodore was yet with the flotilla on board the Scorpion, so the sentinels told us; but they were minded to prevent our having speech with him at that unseemly hour. Had Jerry and I been alone I believe of a verity we would have been forced to wait until morning before seeing Joshua Barney; but Bill Jepson could not be put aside as easily as two lads, and he roared out as if he had been an admiral of the blue at the very least: "Tell him that Darius Thorpe has sent word from the lower bay, an' it must be delivered straight away." [Illustration: "I remember your face, my man;" said the Commodore. "Come aboard at once." Page 153.] In the darkness, when it was impossible to see him, no one could say that Bill was not a person of the greatest importance, and the sentinels, judging from his voice, must have concluded that he, or the man whose name he gave, was some one high in authority, therefore they not only allowed us to approach the schooner, but went before to announce our arrival. The commodore was not the kind of an officer to keep any one in waiting simply that due respect might be shown to his station; but came on deck half-dressed, bidding one of the sailors to hold a lantern that he might see who we were. "So you lads have come back in haste, eh?" he said, on recognizing Jerry and me. "Have you by chance lost the pungy?" "No, sir; she is in the lower bay oysterin', with Darius in charge," I made haste to say. "And who is this you have with you?" "Bill Jepson, sir, who has served under you twice; but is now a deserter from his majesty's ship, Severn, having been pressed into the British service nigh to three years ago," the sailor replied, rising to his feet at imminent risk of overturning the canoe. "I remember your face, my man. Come aboard at once, all hands of you." We clamored over the rail, having made the canoe fast, and entered the commodore's cabin. "When did you desert from the Severn?" Joshua Barney asked, showing more of excitement than I had ever seen him display. "Last night, sir, an' it may be by so doin' I've upset some of your plans; but when I asked for help it never struck me that Darius might be there on special business." "Tell me all the story," the commodore said, motioning toward me, and without delay I gave him a full account of what we had done, save that then I said nothing regarding Elias Macomber. Then he questioned Bill Jepson regarding what he knew, and, if I am any judge of such matters, he got considerable valuable information.