A fire was burning on the ground in a depression of the surface, which
doubtless concealed its light from persons in the vicinity of the fort,
if there were any there. Around it could be seen four men, as the two
officers looked over the crest of the hill, who appeared to be engaged
in eating and drinking; and they were doing more of the latter than of
the former, for the bottle passed very frequently from one to another.

"It looks like a bivouac on the part of those fellows," said Christy in
a low tone.

"But who and what are they?" asked Graines.

"They may be deserters from Fort Morgan, though if they were they would
hardly bivouac so near it," replied Christy, who did not seem to his
companion to be at all disturbed by the discovery of the men. "They are
more likely to be sailors from some intending blockade-runner at anchor
off the point, who have come on shore to make a night of it; and they
appear to have made considerable progress in the debauch."

"They are not soldiers, for you can see by the light of the fire that
they are not dressed in uniform," added the engineer.

"This is the third year of the war, and uniforms for the soldiers are
not particularly abundant in the Confederacy."

"We can't see the waters of the bay till we reach the top of the knoll
yonder, and we don't know whether there are any vessels at anchor there
or not. But we can easily avoid these fellows by keeping behind the
ridge till we get where they cannot see us."