Seen in broad daylight, there was no striking resemblance between Corny and Christy, though they were of about the same size, and had some traits in common. As Corny and his companions came in the Florence, it was not very strange that Sampson should take it for granted that Christy was one of the evening visitors. The voices of the two cousins were not unlike, and the sound was all he had to guide his judgment. Then he was not in the enemy's country, and he could hardly have been on the lookout for an enemy several miles up the river. "Certainly no harm has been done, Sampson; but it is yet to be decided whether or not the Bellevite is to go into the navy of the United States or the navy of the Confederate States," added Christy, leaving the engine-room. "If we have snuffed the whole thing, I don't believe this steamer will ever wear anything but the Stars and Stripes," said Sampson stoutly; and there could be no doubt in regard to his loyalty, judging from his speech, though that is not always to be trusted in time of war. "Bellevite, ahoy!" shouted some one at the foot of the accommodation steps. "Have they come again so soon?" asked Sampson, as he rushed to the rail. "It is only a small canoe." "Is Christy on board?" called the visitor alongside. "That is Mr. Vapoor: tell him I am on board," added Christy. "Christy is on board, sir," replied Sampson to the hail. "Will you come on board, sir?" Paul Vapoor would and did come on board, and Christy gave him a hearty welcome, for he was more glad to see him than he had ever been before in his life. "Where have you been all day and all the evening, Christy?" asked the engineer. "Your mother and sister are very much worried about you, for they have not seen you for a long time, and they fear that something has happened to you." "Something is likely to happen to me and all the rest of us who expect to go to sea in this steamer," replied Christy, as he proceeded to inform his friend as briefly as he could of the great event of the evening. "Well, if we are not in the enemy's country, the enemy are in ours," replied Paul. "What is to be done?" "That is what I have been thinking of. I listened very attentively to all that passed between Major Pierson and Captain Carboneer, and I am satisfied that the latter has a considerable force somewhere on the river, and their headquarters are at the mouth of a creek five miles down the river." "How many have they?" asked the engineer. "I don't know; they did not mention the number in figures, but they have enough to work the ship, and even to fight her," replied Christy, very seriously. "That means forty or fifty, at least," added Paul. "This looks like a heavy matter, and it is quite time that something was done about it." "But what shall we do is the question," said Christy anxiously. "We have two men on board beside ourselves, and we can hardly expect to hold our own against fifty." "Who is this Captain Carboneer?"