This fringe of keys extended up Tampa Bay for over twenty miles; and it was from behind one of them that the punt had put out when Christy's boat approached.

The negro had been obliged to paddle at least half a mile to come within speaking-distance of the cutter.
"You done broke my boat in two pieces!" exclaimed the boatman, gazing at the two parts of the floating wreck.

"Don't t'ink you is a frien' ob de colored man widin no limits at all, or you don't smash his boat like dat." "That was an accident, my friend," replied Christy.

"How much was the punt worth ?" "Dat boat wan't no punk, massa, and it was wuf two dollars in good money," replied the colored man, his eyes brightening, and his expression of cunning becoming more intense, when he realized the possibility of being paid for his loss.
"If you give me the information I desire, I will pay for the boat," added Christy, who proposed to do so out of his own pocket, for his father was a millionaire of several degrees, and the son had very nearly made a fortune out of the prizes, from which he had received an officer's share.
"Tank you, massa; I'm a poor man, and I git my livin' gwine fishin' in dat boat you done stove." "What is your name, my man ?" "Quimp, sar; and dat's de short for Quimple," replied the colored person of this name.
"Where do you live ?" "Ober on de shor dar, in de woods." "How deep is the water inside of these keys, Quimp ?" asked Christy, pointing to the long, narrow islands which lined the south-easterly side of the bay.
"Not much water inside dem keys dar, sar," replied the boatman, looking off in the other direction.
"But there are deep places in there, I am very sure." "Yes, sar; ten feet in some places," replied Quimp, suddenly becoming more communicative.

"When de wind blow from de west or de norf-west, dar's twelve foot inside de long key." "Do you know of any vessels, any schooners, or steamers, inside the bay, Quimp ?" asked Christy, pushing his inquiries a point farther.
"Couldn't told you, massa," replied the boatman, shaking his head.
"Do you mean that you don't know, my man ?" "Dis nigger done got but one head, and it's wuf more to him dan it is to any oder feller, massa; and it don't do for him to tell no stories about vessels and steamers," replied Quimp, shaking his head more vigorously.
"I suppose you have a family, Quimp ?" "No, sar; done got no family.