Would that Katharine and father could hear you now!" Seymour lifted his unwounded arm, and beckoned to Talbot.

"God bless you, Talbot," he said; "to hear you say that is worth a dozen cracks like this, and I feel stronger every minute.

If it were not for the old wound, I would n't mind this thing a bit.

But there is something you must do.

There is an armed cutter stationed up the river at Alexandria; send some one to notify the commander of the Virginia naval militia there.