CHAPTER XII.
A VISIT TO CHARLESTON.
All being ready, we steamed out of Nassau harbour, and were soon again in perilous waters.

We had a distant chase now and then--a mere child's play to us after our experience--and on the third evening of our voyage we were pretty well placed for making a run through the blockading squadron as soon as it was dark.

As the moon rose at twelve o'clock, it was very important that we should get into port before she threw a light upon the subject.
Unfortunately, we were obliged to alter our course or stop so often to avoid cruisers that we ran our time too close; for, as we were getting near to the line of blockade, a splendid three-quarter-size moon rose, making everything as clear as day.

Trying to pass through the line of vessels ahead with such a bright light shining would have been madness; in fact, it was dangerous to be moving about at all in such clear weather, so we steamed towards the land on the extreme left of the line of cruisers, and having made it out, went quite close inshore and anchored.
By lying as close as we dare to the beach, we must have had the appearance of forming part of the low sand-hills, which were about the height and colour of the vessel; the wood on their tops forming a background which hid the small amount of funnel and mast that showed above the decks.

We must have been nearly invisible, for we had scarcely been an hour at anchor when a gun-boat came steaming along the shore very near to the beach; and while we were breathlessly watching her, hoping that she would go past, she dropped anchor alongside of us, a little outside where we were lying--so close that we not only heard every order that was given on board, but could almost make out the purport of the ordinary conversation of the people on her decks.