Part 29 (2/2)

”Every step.”

”It was tip-top walking, De Banyan--a little more than nine miles an hour.”

”Do you doubt the story?”

”I don't doubt that it is a story.”

”Now, that isn't kind of you, Somers, to be perpetually throwing discredit upon everything I say,” replied the captain, apparently much hurt.

”You mustn't say such things, then. You don't expect any man in his senses to believe that you walked over nine miles an hour, and followed it for seven hours?”

”I was tougher then than I am now.”

”And you can tell a tougher story now than you could then, I'll warrant.”

”There it is again!”

”Now, my dear fellow, I'm afraid you will die with an enormous fib in your mouth.”

”Come, Somers, you are taking a mean advantage of my friends.h.i.+p. You know that I like you too well to quarrel with you.”

”Silence!” said Somers earnestly. ”There is a boat coming out from the rebel side of the river.”

The water was covered with vessels of every description in the vicinity of Harrison's Landing; and the boat had just emerged from this forest of masts and smokestacks. It was time to be entirely silent again; for the rebels were on the alert in every direction, watching to strike a blow at the grand army, or to pick up individual stragglers who might fall in their way. The boat which Somers had discovered was approaching from the rebel side of the river; and to be seen by the enemy, at this point of the proceedings, would be fatal to the expedition.

”Who goes there?” said a man in the rebel boat.

”Friends!” replied Somers.

”Who are ye?”

The tones were so unmistakably Southern, that there could be no question in regard to the party to which the boat belonged.

”Officers examining the enemy's lines,” replied Somers.

At the same time he ordered his crew to pull, and steered the boat so as to run her alongside the other. On the way, he whispered to the men his instructions; and, as soon as they were near enough, they leaped on board the rebel boat, and captured her astonished crew before they had time to make any resistance. No doubt they thought this was very rude treatment to receive from the hands of those who professed to be their friends; but they had discovered their mistake by this time, and it afforded a sufficient explanation of the seeming inconsistency.

The capture of this boat involved the necessity of returning to the nearest steamer in the river to dispose of the prisoners. On the way back, Somers and De Banyan conversed with the rebels on general topics; for the latter refused to say anything which could be of service to their enemy. After the captives had been delivered on board the steamer, our party decided to take the boat which had been captured, instead of the one they had brought from the landing; for there were some peculiarities in its construction, which made it a safer conveyance in rebel waters than the other, the approach of which would excite suspicion if seen.

Again they pulled down the river, and pa.s.sed the point from beyond which the rebel boat had approached them. The sh.o.r.e was probably lined with pickets; and the wisdom of exchanging the boats was now more apparent to them than before. Somers steered into a little inlet or bay beyond the point, and at the head of it found a creek flowing into the river. It was wide and deep at the outlet; and he decided to ascend it.

”How was it, Andy?” said a voice from the sh.o.r.e, after the boat had advanced a few rods up the creek.

”All right!” replied Somers at a venture; though he was somewhat startled by the question.

”Have the Yankees any picket boats out?” demanded the man on sh.o.r.e.

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