After considerable urging, Frank finally asked and obtained permission
for Archie to accompany the expedition, at which the latter was
overjoyed. He was very far from realizing the danger there was in the
undertaking, and had as little idea of what would be required of him as
he had of the moon.

The cousins passed the afternoon in the pilothouse, watching the
movements of the guerrillas through spy-glasses, studying the "lay of
the land," the directions in which the different roads ran--in short,
nothing was omitted which they thought might be useful for them to know.
Just before night a storm set in; the wind blew, and the rain fell in
torrents; and, although Frank regarded it as something in their favor,
under any other circumstances he would have preferred tumbling into bed
to venturing out in it. The hammocks were not piped as usual, but all
hands were to remain on deck during the night, to be ready to lend
assistance in case it was required. At ten o'clock the cutter lay
alongside the vessel, the crew were in their places, and Frank and his
cousin, surrounded by the officers who had assembled to see them off,
stood on the guards ready to start.

"Paymaster," said Frank, turning to his cousin, "hadn't you better
remain on board?" (He addressed him as paymaster, for, of course, it
would have been contrary to naval rules to call him by his given name in
the presence of the captain.)

"No, sir," answered Archie, quickly buttoning up his pea-jacket with a
resolute air. "Do you suppose I'm going to back out now? If you do, you
are mistaken. I'm not afraid of a little rain."