"You are one now, at any rate. Were you bound to Appalachicola?" "Not just then, captain," chuckled Mike, who seemed to be amused and delighted to feel that he was telling the secrets of his late companions. "We were going to Appalachicola after a while, where we were to pilot out some vessels loaded with cotton." "Then there are cotton vessels at that port, are there?" asked Christy, pricking up his ears at this suggestion. "Half a dozen of them, and a steamer to tow them to sea." "Are you sure of this information, Mike?" "I did not see them there, Captain Passford; but it was your uncle's business to look after them, as he was doing in St. Andrew's Bay." "Then my uncle has vessels in that bay which are to run out?" inquired Christy, deeply interested in the revelations of the skipper. "Only one, sir: a steamer of five hundred tons, called the Floridian." "Precisely; that is the vessel we are after. But what was my uncle doing on board of your sloop, with Captain Flanger and the rest of your party?" "My master was the captain of the Floridian, and we came out here to see if there was any blockader near, that had come up in the fog. The steamer was to be brought out by the pilot, who has been on board of her for three days." "Who were the men with muskets on board of the sloop?" "Those were the coast guard, sir," replied Mike, chuckling again. "The coast guard? I don't understand that," replied Christy, puzzled at the expression. "Eight of them, sir; and they have been keeping guard on Crooked, St. Andrew's, and Hurricane Islands, to let them know inside if there was any blockader coming this way. They had sky-rockets and flags to make signals with." "But why were they brought off if the steamer is still in the bay?" "The Floridian was coming out this morning in the fog, if Captain Flanger made the signal for her to do so. Then the captain was to go on board of her, and I was to sail the rest of the party to Appalachicola," replied Mike, still chuckling with delight at his ability to give the commander such important information. "Then the Floridian is all ready to come out of the bay?" asked Christy, suppressing the excitement he was beginning to feel. "All ready, sir; and the signal was a sky-rocket, which the pilot could see over the fog." "We will not give them any signal, but we will treat them to some visitors. Is the steamer armed, Mike?" "No, sir; not a single big gun, and she has only hands enough to work her. Steam all up when we came out of the bay, sir," said Mike, laughing heartily, apparently in spite of himself. "Call all hands, Mr. Camden," said the commander in brusque tones.