"The captain of a ship is the authority to be respected, Lonley," said he, when he had made up his mind what to do.
"We might as well bury ourselves in the sands as try to go through there," replied the leader of the mutiny, who seemed to be a very intelligent man, and Christy concluded from his language and manner that he was not a common sailor.
"That may be; but the captain is supreme on the deck of his own ship," argued Christy.
"We are not on the high seas, and the Teaser has not yet gone into commission. It was only this afternoon in Pensacola that Captain Folkner told his ship's company that he was going to burrow through the sand in Santa Rosa Sound. We all said we would not go with him; but a dozen of us came down with him when he told us that he had a way to float the steamer through, and he was sure it would work. We did not understand that we were to become mud-diggers. When we got here, we were satisfied that his plan amounted to nothing, and would not work."
"I am satisfied that it will work," interposed Captain Folkner.
"The agreement in the articles was to run the blockade. If we got through the sound, it would take a week of constant drudgery, which we did not ship to do."
"Are you ready to do duty on board of the Teaser when she is in deep water, Lonley?" asked Christy.
"Every one of us; and every one of the party on shore!" protested the leader.
"Will that satisfy you, Captain Folkner?" continued Christy, appealing to him.
"It would if I had the steamer in deep water," replied the captain. "But how am I to get her into deep water if my crew will not work?"