THE SURRENDER OF THE REINDEER Christy looked over the side of the boat, and saw that the water was quite clear.

The channel, which lay in the middle of the bay, had four and a quarter fathoms of water at mean low tide, according to the chart the officer had with him.

He had brought several copies of the large chart with him from New York, and he had cut them up into convenient squares, so that they could be easily handled when he was on boat service.

But his authority gave no depth of water on the shoal sands.
In a short time the boat came to the verge of the channel, and Christy directed the bowman to stand by with the lead, with which the boat was provided.

The first heaving gave three and a half fathoms, and it gradually decreased at each report, till only two fathoms and a quarter was indicated, when the boat was between the two keys, the southern of which Quimp called the long key, simply because that was the longest in the bay, and not because it was a proper name.
"Now, Massa Ossifer, look sharp ober on de starboard side," said the negro.
"I don't see anything," replied Christy.
"No, sar, not yet; but look ober dat way, and you see somet'ing fo' yore t'ree minutes older, massa." Christy fixed his gaze on the point of the long key, beyond which Quimp intimated that the steamer would be seen.
"Now, Massa Ossifer, fo' yore two minutes nearer glory, you'll see de end ob de bowsprit ob de Reindeer," added Quimp, who was beginning to be somewhat excited, possibly in expectation of receiving his ten dollars; and perhaps he was regretting that he had not demanded twenty.
"How big is that steamer, Quimp ?" asked the officer of the cutter.
"Fo' hund'ed tons, massa; dat's what Cap'n Stopfoot done say, kase I never done measure her.