letter on this subject before you sail, Christy."

"My orders may come off to me to-day," added the acting commander. "I am
all ready to sail, and I am only waiting for them."

"If these two steamers sail in company, as they are likely to do if they
are about equal in speed, and if they take on board an armament, it will
hardly be prudent for you to meddle with them," said Captain Passford
with a smile, though he had as much confidence in the prudence as in the
bravery of his son.

"What shall I do, father, run away from them?" asked Christy, opening
his eyes very wide.

"Certainly, my son. There is as much patriotism in running away from a
superior force as there is in fighting an equal, for if the government
should lose your vessel and lose you and your ship's company, it would
be a disaster of more or less consequence to your country."

"I hardly think I shall fall in with the Scotian and the Arran, so I
will not consider the question of running away from them," said Christy
laughing.

"You have not received your orders yet, but they will probably require
you to report at once to the flag-officer in the Gulf, and perhaps
they will not permit you to look up blockade runners on the high seas,"
suggested Captain Passford. "These vessels may be fully armed and
manned, in charge of Confederate naval officers; and doubtless they will
be as glad to pick up the Bronx as you would be to pick up the Scotian
or the Arran. You don't know yet whether they will come as simple