“What do you mean?” I asked, my curiosity provoked by his air of mystery. “Time will show, and you’re young enough to be willin’ to wait a few hours.” Having said this, old Silas turned away, as if his breath was too valuable to be wasted on one like me, and I went in search of Alec. He was in the commodore’s cabin, one of the officers told me, and I, not daring to venture there without special invitation, was forced to curb my impatience as best I might. An hour later, when I had heartily repented having spoken so hastily to old Silas, a sailor came with an order for me to present myself before the commander in his quarters. “The gunner has repeated what I said, and now I must confess myself a meddling fool before the one man above all others whose good opinion I wish to keep,” I muttered to myself while obeying the order, and when I finally stood in the presence of the commodore the expression on his face frightened me. He looked as grave as if about to pronounce sentence of death, and Alec, who sat on a locker near the bunk, was pale and nervous. “Surely,” I said to myself, “there is no good reason for their making so much ado about the words I spoke thoughtlessly;” for it seemed to me that I had been summoned solely because of what I said to old Silas. “Richard, did you know that Nathaniel Hubbard was a prisoner on board this brig?” Commodore Perry asked abruptly. “Silas Boyd told me, when I was so foolish as to question him.” “You must also understand that we cannot in justice take him into action, and it is certain we shall engage the enemy before many days have passed.” I nodded my head like any simple, wondering what connection there was between such a proposition and my hasty words. “You and my brother made a prisoner of the man, and thereby performed most valuable service, because if he had carried to the enemy information of what we were about to do, it is probable the fleet would not have gotten across the bar without a scratch.” Again I nodded, and thinking now of that interview, I can well understand what an idiot I must have appeared. “Because of the great service you performed, and also since I believe both you lads may be trusted implicitly, Captain Dobbins and myself decided, before getting under way, that you were the only two who should be allowed to know the outcome of the affair. The man deserves death, for I have no doubt but that he has played the spy upon the people of Presque Isle these many days, but it is an open question if he could be convicted of the dastardly crime, owing to lack of proof. Then, again, your father, Richard, is most eager to save an old neighbor and former friend.”