"What can I do without any crew to help get the steamer through the sound ?" "I have men enough to take care of you and the Teaser, Captain Folkner; and the men in the boat will do everything that is required to be done on board of the Teaser." "That's another thing," replied the captain, appeased by the implied promise.
"I can hardly blame your men because they are not willing to go through the sound with a steamer drawing ten feet of water when there is not more than six feet of water to float her," said Christy.

"Besides, if you do not get to the other end of the sound before morning, you will be seen by some of the blockaders, and they could blow this steamer to pieces, and kill half your people in a few minutes." "It may be dangerous, but so is running the blockade," added the captain.
"Going out in a dark night and spending a week in sight of the blockaders are two different things.

But we need not discuss the matter any more.

I will put your men on the point yonder, and then I will return and help you out of your present difficulty.

Am I to take off the men in the engine department ?" asked Christy, as he went to the side where the boat was.
"No; the engineers and firemen are all right, for they were not called upon to do any work out of the vessel." Christy and Flint stepped into the boat, and the crew followed them.
There were twelve of them, and the lieutenant thought they were all good seamen.