Dave had reported very faithfully to him all the details of the conversation between the Confederates, and they had claimed only six men.

If they had any hold on the extra men on board, they would have been likely to say so, or at least to speak more indefinitely than they had of their expectations.
"Have you any friends on board, Mr.Flint, among the crew ?" asked Christy suddenly, as though a solution of the difficult question of the loyalty of the men had suggested itself to him.
"I have at least half a dozen whom I worked hard to have drafted into the Bronx, for I know that they are good and true men, though they may not be able to pass the technical examination of the naval officers," replied the first lieutenant promptly.

"I can trust every one of them as far as I could trust myself.

One of them was the mate of my vessel at the time I sold her, and he has since been in command of her." "Who is he ?" "His name is Baskirk; and he is a quartermaster now.

I wrote to him, and promised to do the best I could to advance him.