"What shall I do with you then?" asked Christy, as he handed him two sovereigns and two shillings. "T'ank you, sar; dat's a pile ob money!" exclaimed Quimp, as he looked with admiration upon the coins. "It is what I agreed to give you. But what shall I do with you now? That is the question I want answered," continued the officer impatiently. "You can't do not'ing wid me, Massa Ossifer, and I must tooken my chance to go up in de boat. Better hab my froat cut 'n be chawed up by a big alligator. Was you ever bit by an alligator, Massa Ossifer?" "I never was." "I knows about dat, massa," added Quimp, as he bared his leg, and showed an ugly scar. Christy would not wait to hear any more, but ordered the cockswain to go ahead again. It looked to him that Quimp, now that he had received his money, and made fifteen dollars out of his morning's work, was intentionally delaying the object of the expedition, for what reason he could form no clear idea. "I spose, if Captain Stopfoot kill me for w'at I done do, you'll bury me side de old woman dat done gone to glory ten year ago?" continued the negro, who did not look old enough to have buried a wife ten years before. "I am not in the burying business, my friend, and after you are dead, you had better send for your sons to do the job, for they will know where to find the grave of the departed companion of your joys and sorrows," replied Christy, as the boat came in sight of the bowsprit of the Reindeer again. "My sons done gone away to Alabamy, sar, and"-- "That's enough about that. There are no alligators about here, and you can swim ashore if you are so disposed; but you must shut up your wide mouth and keep still if you stay in the boat. Heave the lead, bowman!" "Mark under water two, sir," reported the leadsman. In a few moments more the cutter had gained a position where the steamer could be fully seen. She was a side-wheeler, and appeared to be a very handsome vessel. She had a considerable deck-load of cotton, and doubtless her hold was filled with the same valuable commodity. "Is that steamer armed, Quimp?" asked Christy, who could see no signs of life on board of her. "She don't got no arms, but she hab two field-pieces on her for'ad deck," replied the negro. "How many men has she on board?" "L'em me see: the cap'n and de mate is two, two ingineers, two firemen; dat makes six; and den she hab two deck-hands." "But that makes only eight in all," replied Christy. "Are you sure that is all?" "Dead shoar dat's all, Massa Ossifer." "But that is not enough to handle the steamer on a voyage to a foreign port, for I dare say she is going to Nassau," added Christy, who was on the lookout for some piece of strategy by which his boat and its crew might be destroyed. "I don't know not'ing about dat, sar; but Cap'n Stopfoot is a pow'ful smart man; and he's Yankee too. I done hear him say he gwine to j'in de Yankee navy."