Frank on the Lower Mississippi | Page 8

want to go with you. Will you take me?"
Frank thought of Archie's behavior but a few moments before, and
wondered what use he could posssibly be in an expedition like the one
proposed.

"If you do go," he answered, at length, "you'll be sorry for it. It requires
those who are accustomed to such business; and you have never been in
an action in your life. The undertaking is dangerous."
"I don't care if it is," answered Archie. "That's just the reason why I
want to go--to be with you; and I warrant you I'll stick to you as long as
any body."
"Besides," began Frank, "if any thing should happen to you"--
"I'm just as likely to get back as you are," replied Archie, excitedly,
"and I want to go."
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."
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 the
expedition, supposing that they were to accompany Frank wherever he
went. During the short time the latter had been on board the Boxer,
they had become very much attached to him. Although he was a very
strict officer, and always expected every man to do his duty promptly,

he always treated them with