It was evident enough now that the mate and the rest of the crew had not "taken to the woods," but had been concealed in such dens as could be easily made among the cotton bales.
"I hope you are not very uncomfortable, Mr.Passford," said Captain Stopfoot, as he presented his smiling face before his late captor.
"Physically, I am not very uncomfortable, in spite of these bonds; but otherwise, I must say that I am.

I am willing to acknowledge that it is a bad scrape for me," replied Christy as good-naturedly as possible, for his pride would not allow him to let the enemy triumph over him.
"That would not be at all unnatural, and I think it is a very bad scrape for a naval officer of your high reputation to get into," added the captain.

"But I desire to say, Mr.Passford, that I have no ill-will towards you, and it will not be convenient for me to send you to a Confederate prison, important as such a service would be to our cause." "I judge that you are not as anxious as you were to get into the old navy," added Christy.
"I confess that I am not, and that I should very much prefer to obtain a good position in the Confederate navy.

I hope you will excuse the little fictions in which I indulged for your amusement.

I was born in the very heart of the State of Alabama, and never saw Long Island in all my life," continued the captain.