He had not been aware till he met him in the captain's cabin, that his cousin was even in the vicinity of New York.
With an amount of assurance for which he had not given him credit, Corny had undertaken to personate his nautical relative, and was now actually on his way to the Gulf to take command of the Bronx.
The little gunboat had certainly done a great deal of mischief to the Confederate interests, for she had captured two valuable vessels intended for the southern navy, to say nothing of half a dozen others loaded with cotton, and ready to sail.

From the Confederate point of view, it was exceedingly desirable that she should be prevented from doing any further injury to the maritime interests of the South.

But it seemed almost incredible that Corny Passford should be employed to bring about her capture by stratagem.

His cousin was not a sailor; at least, he had not been one the last time he had met him, and it was hardly possible that he had learned seamanship, navigation, and naval tactics in so short a time, and so far as Christy knew, with little practical experience.
He had seen the commission which Corny presented to the captain of the Vernon, and recognized it as his own.

In spite of the statements his cousin had made, Christy saw that the handwriting of the report he submitted as a copy of the genuine document was in Corny's usual handwriting.