"I don't know not'ing about dat, sar; but Cap'n Stopfoot is a pow'ful
smart man; and he's Yankee too. I done hear him say he gwine to j'in de
Yankee navy."
What Quimp said was rather suspicious; but Christy could see nothing to
justify his doubts. He directed the cockswain to steer the cutter as
closely to the side of the Reindeer as the movement of the oars would
permit, so that the field-pieces could not be brought to bear upon it.
The steamer lay at a sort of temporary pier, which had evidently been
erected for her accommodation, and the cotton had doubtless been brought
to the key by river steamers by the Suwanee and other streams from
cotton regions.
There was no habitation or other building on the shore, but a gangway
was stretched to the land, over which a couple of men were hastening on
board when the cutter reached the stern of the Reindeer. From
appearances Christy judged that the water had been deepened by dredges,
for a considerable quantity of sand and mud was disposed in heaps in the
shallow water a hundred feet or more from the rude wharf.
"Boat ahoy!" shouted a person on board, near the starboard accommodation
ladder, which the officer of the boat had noticed was in place.
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