securing a rifle, went into the pilot-house, where he found Archie
engaged in reloading his gun, while the officers were complimenting him
on a fine shot he had just made.

"Mr. Nelson," exclaimed the doctor, as Frank made his appearance, "I
guess your white horseman is done for now. The paymaster lifted him out
of his saddle as clean as a whistle."

Frank looked out at one of the ports, and, sure enough, there was the
white horse running riderless about, and his wounded master was being
carried behind the levee. The officers continued to fire as often as a
rebel showed himself, but the latter seemed to have lost all desire for
fighting, for they retreated to the plantation-house which stood back
from the river, out of range of the rifles, where they gathered in a
body as if in consultation, now and then setting up defiant yells, which
came faintly to the ears of those in the pilot-house.

"They are saucy enough now that they are out of harm's way," said
Archie, turning to his cousin. But the latter made no reply. He stood
leaning on his rifle, gazing at the guerrillas, as if busily engaged
with his own thoughts, and finally left the pilot-house and sought an
interview with the captain.

"I have been thinking, sir," said he, as he entered the cabin and took
the chair offered him, "that if that house out there had been burned
long ago, we should not have had ten men killed by those guerrillas.
They seem to use that building as their head-quarters, and if it could
be destroyed they would cease to trouble us."

"That's my opinion," replied the captain. "But who is to undertake the