then　be　in　charge　of　the　cutter；　and　to　insist　on　his　return
  below　as　soon　as　possible。　　This　precaution；　however；　was
  uncalled　for；　Jasper　and　his　assistant　both　throwing　them…
  selves　silently　on　their　pallets；　which　neither　quitted　again
  that　night。
  〃And　now；　Sergeant；〃　said　Cap；　as　soon　as　he　found
  himself　master　of　the　deck；　〃you　will　just　have　the　good…
  ness　to　give　me　the　courses　and　distance；　that　I　may　see
  the　boat　keeps　her　head　the　right　way。〃
  〃I　know　nothing　of　either；　brother　Cap；〃　returned　Dun…
  ham；　not　a　little　embarrassed　at　the　question。　　〃We　must
  make　the　best　of　our　way　to　the　station　among　the　Thou…
  sand　Islands；　where　'we　shall　land；　relieve　the　party　that　is
  already　out；　and　get　information　for　our　future　govern…
  ment。'　　That's　it；　nearly　word　for　word；　as　it　stands　in　the
  written　orders。〃
  〃But　you　can　muster　a　chart　　something　in　the　way　of
  bearings　and　distances；　that　I　may　see　the　road？〃
  〃I　do　not　think　Jasper　ever　had　anything　of　the　sort　to
  go　by。〃
  〃No　chart；　Sergeant　Dunham！〃
  〃Not　a　scrap　of　a　pen　even。　　Our　sailors　navigate　this
  lake　without　any　aid　from　maps。〃
  〃The　devil　they　do！　　They　must　be　regular　Yahoos。
  And　do　you　suppose；　Sergeant　Dunham；　that　I　can　find
  one　island　out　of　a　thousand　without　knowing　its　name　or
  its　position；　without　even　a　course　or　a　distance？〃
  〃As　for　the　_name_；　brother　Cap；　you　need　not　be　particu…
  lar；　for　not　one　of　the　whole　thousand　_has_　a　name；　and　so
  a　mistake　can　never　be　made　on　that　score。　　As　for　the
  position；　never　having　been　there　myself；　I　can　tell　you
  nothing　about　it；　nor　do　I　think　its　position　of　any　par…
  ticular　consequence；　provided　we　find　the　spot。　　Perhaps
  one　of　the　hands　on　deck　can　tell　us　the　way。〃
  〃Hold　on；　Sergeant　　hold　on　a　moment；　if　you　please；
  Sergeant　Dunham。　　If　I　am　to　command　this　craft；　it
  must　be　done；　if　you　please；　without　holding　any　councils
  of　war　with　the　cook　and　cabin…boy。　　A　ship…master　is　a
  ship…master；　and　he　must　have　an　opinion　of　his　own；　even
  if　it　be　a　wrong　one。　　I　suppose　you　know　service　well
  enough　to　understand　that　it　is　better　in　a　commander　to
  go　wrong　than　to　go　nowhere。　　At　all　events；　the　Lord
  High　Admiral　couldn't　command　a　yawl　with　dignity；　if
  he　consulted　the　cockswain　every　time　he　wished　to　go
  ashore。　　No　sir；　if　I　sink；　I　sink！　but；　d…　me；　I'll　go　down
  ship…shape　and　with　dignity。〃
  〃But；　brother　Cap；　I　have　no　wish　to　go　down　anywhere；
  unless　it　be　to　the　station　among　the　Thousand　Islands
  whither　we　are　bound。〃
  〃Well；　well；　Sergeant；　rather　than　ask　advice　　that　is；
  direct；　barefaced　advice　　of　a　foremast　hand；　or　any　other
  than　a　quarter…deck　officer；　I　would　go　round　to　the　whole
  thousand；　and　examine　tbem　one　by　one　until　we　got　the
  right　haven。　　But　there　is　such　a　thing　as　coming　at　an
  opinion　without　manifesting　ignorance；　and　I　will　manage
  to　rouse　all　there　is　out　of　these　hands；　and　make　them
  think　all　the　while　that　I　am　cramming　them　with　my　own
  experience！　　We　are　sometimes　obliged　to　use　the　glass　at
  sea　when　there　is　nothing　in　sight；　or　to　heave　the　lead
  long　before　we　strike　soundings。　　When　a　youngster；
  sailed　two　v'y'ges　with　a　man　who　navigated　his　ship　pretty
  much　by　the　latter　sort　of　information；　which　sometimes
  answers。〃
  〃I　know　we　are　steering　in　the　right　direction　at　pres…
  ent；〃　returned　the　Sergeant；　〃but　in　the　course　of　a　few
  hours　we　shall　be　up　with　a　headland；　where　we　must　feel
  our　way　with　more　caution。〃
  〃Leave　me　to　pump　the　man　at　the　wheel；　brother；　and
  you　shall　see　that　I　will　make　him　suck　in　a　very　few
  minutes。〃
  Cap　and　the　Sergeant　now　walked　aft；　until　they　stood
  by　the　sailor　who　was　at　the　helm；　Cap　maintaining　an　air
  of　security　and　tranquillity；　like　one　who　was　entirely　con…
  fident　of　his　own　powers。
  〃This　is　a　wholesome　air；　my　lad；〃　Cap　observed；　in　the
  manner　that　a　superior　on　board　a　vessel　sometimes　conde…
  scends　to　use　to　a　favored　inferior。　　〃Of　course　you　have
  it　in　this　fashion　off　the　land　every　night？〃
  〃At　this　season　of　the　year；　sir；〃　the　man　returned；
  touching　his　hat；　out　of　respect；　to　his　new　commander
  and　Sergeant　Dunham's　connection。
  〃The　same　thing；　I　take　it；　among　the　Thousand　Is…
  lands？　　The　wind　will　stand；　of　course；　though　we　shall
  then　have　land　on　every　side　of　us。〃
  〃When　we　get　farther　east；　sir；　the　wind　will　probably
  shift；　for　there　can　then　be　no　particular　land…breeze。
  〃Ay；ay；　so　much　for　your　fresh　water！　　It　has　always
  some　trick　that　is　opposed　to　nature。　　Now；　down　among
  the　West　India　Islands；　one　is　just　as　certain　of　having　a
  land…breeze　as　he　is　of　having　a　sea…breeze。　　In　that　respect
  there　is　no　difference；　though　it's　quite　in　rule　it　should
  be　different　up　here　on　this　bit　of　fresh　water。　　Of　course；
  my　lad；　you　know　all　about　these　said　Thousand　Islands？〃
  〃Lord　bless　you；　Master　Cap；　nobody　knows　all　about
  them　or　anything　about　them。　　They　are　a　puzzle　to　the
  oldest　sailor　on　the　lake；　and　we　don't　pretend　to　know
  even　their　names。　　For　that　matter；　most　of　them　have
  no　more　names　than　a　child　that　dies　before　it　is　chris…
  tened。〃
  〃Are　you　a　Roman　Catholic？〃　demanded　the　Sergeant
  sharply。
  〃No；　sir；　nor　anything　else。　　I'm　a　generalizer　about
  religion；　never　troubling　that　which　don't　trouble　me。〃
  〃Hum！　a　generalizer；　that　is；　no　doubt；　one　of　the　new
  sects　that　afflict　the　country；〃　muttered　Mr。　Dunham；
  whose　grandfather　had　been　a　New　Jersey　Quaker；　his
  father　a　Presbyterian；　and　who　had　joined　the　Church　of
  England　himself　after　he　entered　the　army。
  〃I　take　it；　John　　〃　resumed　Cap。　　〃Your　name　is　Jack；
  I　believe？〃
  〃No；　sir；　I　am　called　Robert。〃
  〃Ay；　Robert；　it's　very　much　the　same　thing；　Jack　or
  Bob；　we　use　the　two　indifferently。　　I　say；　Bob；　it's　good
  holding　ground；　is　it；　down　at　this　same　station　for　which
  we　are　bound？〃
  〃Bless　you；　sir！　　I　know　no　more　about　it　than　one　of　the
  Mohawks；　or　a　soldier　of　the　55th。〃
  〃Did　you　never　anchor　there？〃
  〃Never；　sir。　　Master　Eau…douce　always　makes　fast　to
  the　shore。〃
  〃But　in　running　in　for　the　town；　you　kept　the　lead
  going；　out　of　question；　and　must　have　tallowed　as　usual。〃
  〃Tallow！　　and　town；　too！　　Bless　your　heart；　Master
  Cap！　there　is　no　more　town　than　there　is　on　your　chin；
  and　not　half　as　much　tallow！〃
  The　Sergeant　smiled　grimly；　but　his　brother…in…law　did
  not　detect　this　proof　of　humor。
  〃No　church　tower；　nor　light；　nor　fort；　ha？　　There　is　a
  garrison；　as　you　call　it　hereaway；　at　least？〃
  〃Ask　Sergeant　Dunham；　sir；　if　you　wish　to　know　that。
  All　the　garrison　is　on　board　the　_Scud_。〃
  〃But　in　running　in；　Bob；　which　of　the　channels　do　you
  think　the　best？　the　one　you　went　last；　or　　or　　or　　ay；　or
  the　other？〃
  〃I　can't　say；　sir；　I　know　nothing　of　either。〃
  〃You　didn't　go　to　sleep；　fellow；　at　the　wheel；　did　you？〃
  〃Not　at　the　wheel；　sir；　but　down　in　the　fore…peak　in　my
  berth。　　Eau…douce　sent　us　below；　soldiers　and　all；　with　the
  exception　of　the　pilot；　and　we　know　no　more　of　the　road
  than　if　we　had　never　been　over　it。　　This　he　has　always
  done　in　going　in　and　coming　out；　and；　for　the　life　of　me；
  I　could　tell　you　nothing　of　the　channel；　or　the　course；　after
  we　are　once　fairly　up　with　the　islands。　　No　one　knows
  anything　of　either　but　Jasper　and　the　pilot。〃
  〃Here　is　a　circumstance　for　you；　Sergeant；〃　said　Cap；
  leading　his　brother…in…law　a　little　aside；　〃there　is　no　one
  on　board　to　pump；　for　they　all　suck　from　ignorance　at　the
  first　stroke　of　the　brake。　　How　the　devil　am　I　to　find　the
  way　to　this　station　for　which　we　are　bound？〃
  〃Sure　enough；　brother　Cap；　your　question　is　more　easily
  put　than　answered。　　Is　there　no　such　thing　as　figuring　it
  out　by　navigation？　　I　thought　you　salt…water　mariners
  were　able　to　do　as　small　a　thing　as　that。　　I　have　often
  read　of　their　discovering　islands；　surely。〃
  〃That　you　have；　brother；　that　you　have；　and　this　dis…
  covery　would　be　the　greatest　of　them　all；　for　it　would　not
  only　be　discovering　one　island；　but　one　island　out　of　a
  thousand。〃
  〃Still；　the　sailors　of　the　lake　have　a　method　of　finding
  the　places　they　wish　to　go　to。〃
  〃If　I　have　understood　you；　Sergeant；　this　station　or
  block…house　is　particularly　private。〃
  〃It　is；　indeed；　the　utmost　care　having　been　taken　to
  prevent　a　knowledge　of　its　position　from　reaching　the
  enemy。〃
  〃And　you　expect　me；　a　stranger　on　your　lake；　to　find
  this　place　without　chart；　course；　distance；　latitude；　longi…
  tude；　or　soundings；　　ay；　d…　me；　or　tallow！　　Allow　me　to
  ask　if　you　think　a　mariner　runs　by　his　nose；　like　one　of
  Pathfinder's　hounds？〃
  〃Well；　brother；　you　may　yet　learn　something　by　ques…
  tioning　the　young　man　at　the　helm；　I　can　hardly　think
  that　he　is　as　ignorant　as　he　pretends　to　be。〃
  〃Hum！　　this　looks　like　another　circumstance。　　For
  that　matter；　the　case　is　getting　to　be　so　full　of　circum…
  stances　that　one　hardly　knows　how　to　foot　up　the　evidence。
  But　we　will　soon　see　how　much　the　lad　knows。〃
  Cap　and　the　Sergeant　now　returned　to　their　station　near
  the　helm；　and　the　former　renewed　his　inquiries。
  〃Do　you　happen　to　know　what　may　be　the　latitude　and
  longitude　of　this　said　island；　my　lad？〃　he　asked。
  〃The　what；　sir？〃
  〃Why；　the　latitude　or　lon