You know all about my army experience.

My brother, the major, sends me a letter by every chance he can get, and has offered to have my indiscretion, as he called it, in leaving the camp, passed over, if I will save the honor of the family by returning to the army; but my father insists that I can render better service to the cause as his assistant." Christy led the way down the steps, and the two seated themselves in the bow of the boat.

The skipper shoved off after he had set his sails, and the boat stood out towards the Snapper, for he could hardly avoid passing quite near to her.
"What are you doing in Nassau, Christy ?" asked Percy.
This was a hard question, and it was utterly impossible to make a truthful reply without upsetting the plan of Mr.Gilfleur, and rendering useless the voyage of the Chateaugay to the Bahamas.
"I am in just as bad a scrape as you were when you were caught on board of the Bellevite," replied Christy after a moment's reflection.
"Are you a prisoner of war ?" "How could I be a prisoner in a neutral port like Nassau?
No; I do not regard myself as a prisoner just now," answered Christy very good-humoredly.
"But you have been a prisoner, and you have escaped in some vessel that run the blockade.

I see it all; and you need not stop to explain it," said Percy, who flattered himself on his brilliant perception.
"The less I say about it the better it will be for me," added Christy, willing to accept the situation as his companion had marked it out.
"But you must not let my father see you." "I never met Colonel Pierson, though I saw him once, and he would not know me if we should meet." "Then don't let him know who you are." "He will not know, unless you tell him." "You may be very sure that I will not mention you to him, or to anybody else, for that matter," replied Percy very earnestly.
But Christy did not put any confidence in his assertion.

Percy was really a deserter from the Confederate army, and he knew that he had in several instances acted the traitor's part.