"Do as they bid, Fitz; it is our only hope," Pierre whispered, and I obeyed him.
"Come alongside and show your pass," the voice demanded, and I could hear the foot-falls of the sentry as he came from amidships aft and leaned over the rail that he might see us more clearly.
"We have no pass, sir," Pierre said meekly. "We have been sent over to Gloucester with a message from one officer to another, on what I count may be private business."
"Come alongside and show the message," the same voice demanded.
Then did I believe that little Frenchie was at the end of his rope; but instead of showing any confusion or fear he replied cheerily:
"It is no more than word of mouth that the major of Colonel Tarleton's legion come into York for a supper."
The sentry, or whoever it might be that had hailed us, hung in the wind a moment as if undecided whether to give further orders, and then said grudgingly, not being minded, as I fancied, to disgruntle any officers of my Lord Cornwallis's command:
"Go your way, then; but make certain to come directly back as soon as the message has been delivered."
"You can count on our getting into York again as soon as we may," Pierre replied laughingly, and added by whispering to me, "Now, lad, pull the best you know how, and the danger has passed!"
It was as he said. It could only have been blind luck which stationed a credulous and good-natured sentry of the Charon at that particular moment, for nineteen men out of twenty would have done their whole duty, which was to bring us alongside and report the matter to the officer of the deck.