What remained of the port watch were on duty, and the rest of the men were dismissed.
Mr.Pennant had the deck, and the commander walked back and forth, considering the information he had obtained from the skipper of the Magnolia, of the correctness of which he had no doubt, for Mike impressed him as a truthful man, and, like all the contrabands, his interest was all on the side of the Union, which meant freedom to them.
For the first time he began to feel not quite at home in his new position.

He had been compelled to fight for it; but he absolutely wished that he were the first or second lieutenant rather than the commander of the vessel.
The traditions of the navy, and of all navies, forbade him to leave his ship to engage in any enterprise connected with his mission.

He had to take all the responsibility of failure, while he could not take an active part on such occasions as the present.

He had the glory of being a commander, and of whatever his ship accomplished; but it began to look like a life of inactivity to him, for he was not greedy of glory, and all his devotion was for the Union.
He had learned that several vessels were loading with cotton at Appalachicola, with the intention of running the blockade, if there was any blockader off Cape St.George.His uncle Homer was engaged in superintending the fitting out of these vessels, though whether on his own account or that of the Confederacy, he was not aware.

Christy felt that he ought to follow up the information he had obtained with decided action; but he was hardly in condition to do so, for he had fifteen prisoners on board, and he would be obliged to send a prize crew off in the Floridian when she was brought out, as he was confident she would be.