Frank made no reply, but, after shaking hands with the captain and
officers, followed his cousin into the cutter, which floated off into
the darkness amid the whispered wishes for "good luck" from all the
ship's company who had witnessed its departure. Frank took the helm, and
turned the boat down the river. Not an oar was used, for the young
officer did not know but the rebels had posted sentries along the bank,
whom the least splashing in the water would alarm. Archie sat beside his
cousin, with his collar pulled up over his ears, and his hands thrust
into the pockets of his pea-jacket, heartily wishing that Frank had
chosen a pleasanter night for their expedition. For half an hour they
floated along with the current in silence, until Frank, satisfied that
he had gone far enough down the river to get below the sentries, if any
were posted on the bank, gave the order to use the oars, and turned the
cutter's head toward the shore, which they reached in a few moments.

The crew quietly disembarked, and as the sailors gathered about him,
Frank said,

"Now, men, I'm going to leave you here until the paymaster and myself
can go up to the house, and accomplish what we have come for. Tom," he
added, turning to the coxswain of the cutter, "you will have charge of
the boat, and remember you are in no case to leave her. We may be
discovered, and get into a fight. If we do, and are cut off from the
river and unable to get back, I'll whistle, and you will at once answer
me, so that I may know that you hear me, and pull off to the vessel.
We'll take care of ourselves. Do you understand?"

The crew of the cutter were old sailors--men who had followed the sea
through storm and sunshine all their lives. They had been in more than
one action, too, during the rebellion, and had gladly volunteered for