"So you lads have come back in haste, eh?" he said, on recognizing Jerry and me. "Have you by chance lost the pungy?"
"No, sir; she is in the lower bay oysterin', with Darius in charge," I made haste to say.
"And who is this you have with you?"
"Bill Jepson, sir, who has served under you twice; but is now a deserter from his majesty's ship, Severn, having been pressed into the British service nigh to three years ago," the sailor replied, rising to his feet at imminent risk of overturning the canoe.
"I remember your face, my man. Come aboard at once, all hands of you."
We clamored over the rail, having made the canoe fast, and entered the commodore's cabin.
"When did you desert from the Severn?" Joshua Barney asked, showing more of excitement than I had ever seen him display.
"Last night, sir, an' it may be by so doin' I've upset some of your plans; but when I asked for help it never struck me that Darius might be there on special business."
"Tell me all the story," the commodore said, motioning toward me, and without delay I gave him a full account of what we had done, save that then I said nothing regarding Elias Macomber.
Then he questioned Bill Jepson regarding what he knew, and, if I am any judge of such matters, he got considerable valuable information.