Tom Longstone sat upon the thwart, occasionally indulging in his inward chuckle, and apparently enjoying the sport as keenly as a live boy relishes a game of “ball” or “high-spy.” Old Grummet was not at all satisfied with the position of affairs. He was a brave man, and ready to fight his gun while there was a plank to stand on; but he was an inveterate croaker. He was always afraid that the officers had made some mistake, or that they did not see the whole of the ground. Once in a while, he was kind enough to suggest the manner in which all three boats were to be blown up, sunk, or captured. He could see a hundred ways to get into a bad scrape; but he never troubled himself to consider how to get out of them. “S’posin’ another rebel steamer should come down upon us,” growled Grummet: “where should we be then?” “I reckon we should be just where we are now,” replied Tom, who was the only man that ventured to confront the grim sheet-anchor man, as he doled out his dismal notes of foreboding. “S’posin’ a company of rebel infantry should show themselves on the main shore there, not twenty fathoms from where we were just now?” “We’d have to give ’em a few charges of grape from that ’ere howitzer.” “There wouldn’t be a man left of us if that should happen, Tom Longstone; and you knows it.” “I should like to p’int that ’ere howitzer in among ’em, Grummet.” “Silence, forward!” said Mr. Granger in a low, stern tone. Tom’s body shook with his inward chuckle as he thought what an awful deprivation it would be for Grummet if he had to refrain from grumbling. “Forward, there!” said the lieutenant. “I want a man who is light and smart.” “I sir!” exclaimed Jack, springing up from his position under the lee of the old quartermaster, and touching his cap. Half a dozen others, answering to the description, sprang up at the same time, eager to perform any service which might be required of them. “Somers, you’ll do,” replied Mr. Granger. “Come aft.” Jack passed along between the rowers to the stern-sheets, and again touched his cap to the commander of the expedition. “Do you see the steamer?” asked Mr. Granger. “Yes, sir,” replied Jack, glancing at the Wizard’s smoke-stack, which could still be seen over the little island. “I will land you on the island; and you must creep on your face up to the highest part of the ground, and see if you can make out how many men there are on the steamer. Do you understand me, Somers?” “I do, sir.” “Now mind your eye, and don’t let them see you.” “Ay, ay, sir: I will be very careful.” “Now go forward, and be ready to jump ashore when the boat touches.” Jack saluted the lieutenant, and sprang forward to the bow of the cutter, proud and happy to be selected even for the humble duty to which he had been ordered. “Good boy, Jack!” said Tom Longstone, as our sailor-boy passed him on his way to the bow. “What may that ’ere mean?” queried Grummet. “Fight!” replied Tom.