The  boatman  had  come  off  from  the  shore  of  his
own  accord ;  he  had  not  been  solicited  to  give  any
information,  and  his  movements  had  been  entirely
voluntary  on  his  own  part.  Yet  Christy  was  sorry
that  his  punt  had  been  stove,  valueless  as  the  craft


AMONG  THE  KEYS  OF   TAMPA       303

had  been ;  for,  as  a  rule,  the  colored  people  were
friendly  to  the  Union  soldiers,  and  he  was  not
disposed  to  do  tliem  an}^  injury.
As  soon  as  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  boat  saw
that  the  bow  was  likely  to  strike  the  punt,  he
directed  the  cockswain  to  stop  and  back  her,  Avhicli
was  done,  but  too  late  to  save  the  flimsy  box  from
destruction.  The  two  bowmen  drew  in  the  negro
without  any  difficulty  ;  and  so  expeditiously  had
he  been  rescued  that  he  was  not  wet  above  the
hips.  He  had  been  caught  up  just  as  the  bow  of
the  cutter  cut  into  the  punt.
^'  That  was  well  done,  bowmen,"  said  Christy,
as  the  boatman  was  placed  upon  his  feet  in  the
fore  sheets.
The  negro  was  rather  small  in  stature,  and  black
enough  to  save  all  doubts  in  regard  to  his  parent-
age ;  but  there  was  an  expression  of  cunning  in
]iis  face  not  often  noticed  in  persons  of  his  race.
