I am confident there is no battery on that side, and there can hardly be any need of one, for this one commands the channel, the only approach to the place for a vessel larger than a cutter." "I fancy this battery does not amount to much, and is probably nothing more than an earthwork, with a few field guns behind it.

Suppose we should wake it up, and have to make for the bay, can we get out of it without putting the boats under the guns of the battery ?" "Without any difficulty at all, sir.

We have only to pull around the North Key, and pass out to the Gulf, beyond the reach of any field gun that can be brought to bear on us," replied Mr.Amblen.
"If they have one or two field batteries here, they may hitch on the horses, and follow us," suggested Christy, who, in spite of the audacity with which he had been mildly charged, was not inclined to run into any trap from which he could not readily withdraw his force.
"We shall have the short line, and if they pursue us with the guns, we can retire by the way of the channel, which they will leave uncovered." "We are getting quite near the shore," continued Christy.

"How is the water under us ?" "The bottom is sandy, and we shall take the ground before we reach the shore if we don't manage properly.

But we can tell something by the mangroves that fringe the land," replied the pilot; "and I will go into the bow of the cutter and look out for them." Mr.Amblen made his way to the fore sheets, and asked Boxie, who was there, for the boathook, with which he proceeded to sound.