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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Stand By The Union, by Oliver Optic
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Stand By The Union
+       SERIES: The Blue and the Gray--Afloat
+
+Author: Oliver Optic
+
+Illustrator: L. J. Bridgman
+
+Release Date: July 13, 2006 [EBook #18816]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STAND BY THE UNION ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Louise Hope, David Garcia, Juliet Sutherland
+and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
+http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images
+generously made available by The Kentuckiana Digital
+Library)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+THE BLUE AND THE GRAY--AFLOAT
+
+Two colors cloth  Emblematic Dies  Illustrated
+Price per volume $1.50
+
+  TAKEN BY THE ENEMY
+  WITHIN THE ENEMY'S LINES
+  ON THE BLOCKADE
+  STAND BY THE UNION
+  FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHT
+  A VICTORIOUS UNION
+
+THE BLUE AND THE GRAY--ON LAND
+
+Two colors cloth  Emblematic Dies  Illustrated
+Price per volume $1.50
+
+  BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER
+  IN THE SADDLE
+  A LIEUTENANT AT EIGHTEEN
+  ON THE STAFF
+  (Other volumes in preparation)
+
+Any Volume Sold Separately.
+Lee and Shepard Publishers Boston
+
+
+
+
+  [Illustration: Mr. Galvinne is Subdued.--Page 166.]
+
+
+
+
+                      The
+
+               BLUE AND THE GRAY
+
+                     Series
+
+                 [Illustration]
+
+                By Oliver Optic
+
+               STAND by the UNION
+
+
+
+
+         _The Blue and the Gray Series_
+
+               STAND BY THE UNION
+
+                       by
+                  OLIVER OPTIC
+
+                   Author of
+"The Army and Navy Series" "Young America Abroad"
+"The Great Western Series" "The Woodville Stories"
+"The Starry Flag Series" "The Boat-Club Series"
+"The Onward and Upward Series" "The Yacht-Club Series"
+"The Lake Shore Series" "The Riverdale Stories"
+"The Boat-Builder Series" "Taken by the Enemy"
+"Within the Enemy's Lines" "On the Blockade" etc.
+
+
+                  BOSTON 1896
+          LEE AND SHEPARD  PUBLISHERS
+10 Milk Street Next "The Old South Meeting House."
+
+
+
+
+      Copyright, 1891, by Lee and Shepard
+             _All rights reserved._
+
+              Stand by the Union.
+
+
+
+
+                      To
+             My Two Young Friends,
+
+           MISS HELEN CAMPBELL SMITH
+                      and
+           MISS ANNA ROCKWELL SMITH,
+
+                The Daughters Of
+         My Friend Mr. George A. Smith
+                  Of Boston,
+
+                  This Volume
+          Is Affectionately Dedicated.
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE
+
+
+"STAND BY THE UNION" is the fourth of "The Blue and Gray Series." As in
+the preceding volumes of the series, the incidents of the story are
+located in the midst of the war of the Rebellion, now dating back nearly
+thirty years, or before any of my younger readers were born. To those
+who lived two days in one through that eventful and anxious period,
+sometimes trembling for the fate of the nation, but always sustained by
+the faith and the hope through which the final victory was won, it seems
+hardly possible that so many years have flowed into the vast ocean of
+the past since that terrible conflict was raging over so large a portion
+of our now united country.
+
+Though it is said that the South "robbed the cradle and the grave" to
+recruit the armies of the Confederacy, it is as true that young and old
+in the North went forth in their zeal to "Stand by the Union," and that
+many and many a young soldier and sailor who had not yet seen twenty
+summers endured the hardships of the camp and the march, the broiling
+suns, and the wasting maladies of semi-tropical seas, fought bravely and
+nobly for the unity of the land they loved, and that thousands of them
+sleep their last sleep in unmarked graves on the sea and the land. The
+writer can remember whole companies, of which nearly half of the number
+could be classed as mere boys. These boys of eighteen to twenty, who
+survived the rain of bullets, shot, and shell, and the hardly less fatal
+assaults of disease, are the middle-aged men of to-day, and every one
+of them has a thrilling story to tell. The boys of to-day read with
+interest the narratives of the boys of thirty years ago, and listen with
+their blood deeply stirred to the recital of the veteran of forty-five
+years, or even younger, who brought back to his home only one arm or
+one leg.
+
+In his youth the author used to listen to the stories of several aged
+Revolutionary pensioners, one of whom had slept in the snows of Valley
+Forge, another who had been confined on board of the Jersey prison-ship,
+and a third who had been with Washington at the surrender of Cornwallis.
+Not one lives to-day who fought in the battles of the Revolution; but
+a multitude of those who trod the battle-fields of the war that was
+finished twenty-seven years ago have taken their places, and have become
+as interesting to the present generation as the heroes of former wars
+were to the fathers and grandfathers of the boys and girls of to-day.
+
+In the official record of a certain regiment recruited up to the full
+standard, we find that 47.5 per cent of the non-commissioned officers
+and privates were under twenty-one years of age. We find a few in the
+list who were only sixteen and seventeen years. In this regiment, we
+find two captains only twenty-one years of age, and three lieutenants
+who were only twenty. This regiment was exceptional in regard to age,
+though we find that over twenty-five per cent of several companies,
+taken at random, were under age. Even boys of fourteen and fifteen were
+enlisted as musicians, "drummer boys," and served out their full term.
+It can, therefore, be truthfully said, that those who were literally
+"boys" did their full and fair share in fighting for the Union. Perhaps
+even a larger proportion of minors served in the navy than in the army;
+and the record of some of them could be recited to prove that in those
+days boys became men prematurely, and distinguished themselves by brave
+and daring deeds.
+
+The incidents of the story contained in this volume are suggested by
+actual occurrence during the Rebellion, though they are not absolutely
+historical details, but are as probable as many real events of the war.
+The enemy were busy in some of the Northern cities, and there were many
+daring operations undertaken by them which justify the story in its
+principal features. Most of the characters have been introduced in the
+preceding volumes of the series; and in the succeeding volume the hero
+will be presented in a somewhat different field of action, though in
+whatever sphere he moves he will continue to be engaged in "FIGHTING
+FOR THE RIGHT."
+
+  Dorchester, Mass., April 23, 1891.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+A Mysterious Visitation                                   15
+
+CHAPTER II.
+The Absconding Man-servant                                26
+
+CHAPTER III.
+Christy Passford is utterly confounded                    37
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+The Sick Officer in the Stateroom                         48
+
+CHAPTER V.
+Lieutenant Passford and his Apparent Double               59
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+The Conference in the Captain's Cabin                     70
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+The Announcement of the Decision                          81
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+The Prisoner of War                                       92
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+A Moral Philosopher                                      103
+
+CHAPTER X.
+A Change of Quarters in the Confusion                    114
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+Laying out a Plan of Operations                          125
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+A Lesson in Ordinary Politeness                          136
+
+CHAPTER XIII.
+The Opening of the Secret Orders                         147
+
+CHAPTER XIV.
+The Affray on the Quarter-deck of the Bronx              158
+
+CHAPTER XV.
+A Rebellious and Prejudiced Prisoner                     169
+
+CHAPTER XVI.
+The Disposal of the Prisoners                            180
+
+CHAPTER XVII.
+The Second and Third Lieutenants                         191
+
+CHAPTER XVIII.
+A Battle on a Small Scale                                202
+
+CHAPTER XIX.
+The Skipper of the Sloop Magnolia                        213
+
+CHAPTER XX.
+An Expedition to St. Andrew's Bay                        224
+
+CHAPTER XXI.
+A Non-combatant on Board the Bronx                       235
+
+CHAPTER XXII.
+The Stranger in the Captain's Cabin                      246
+
+CHAPTER XXIII.
+A Very Impudent Declaration                              257
+
+CHAPTER XXIV.
+A Critical Situation in the Cabin                        268
+
+CHAPTER XXV.
+The Destruction of a Prominent Facial Member             279
+
+CHAPTER XXVI.
+The Meeting with the Bellevite at Night                  290
+
+CHAPTER XXVII.
+The Planning of an Expedition                            301
+
+CHAPTER XXVIII.
+The Negro Village on the Isle Grande Terre               312
+
+CHAPTER XXIX.
+A Professional Visit to the Fort                         323
+
+CHAPTER XXX.
+The Attack upon the Fort                                 334
+
+CHAPTER XXXI.
+A Wounded Commander                                      345
+
+
+
+
+STAND BY THE UNION
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+A MYSTERIOUS VISITATION
+
+
+"Who's there?" demanded Christy Passford, sitting up in his bed, in the
+middle of the night, in his room on the second floor of his father's
+palatial mansion on the Hudson, where the young lieutenant was waiting
+for a passage to the Gulf.
+
+There was no answer to his inquiry.
+
+"Who's there?" he repeated in a louder tone.
+
+All was as still as it ought to be in the middle of the night, and no
+response came to his second inquiry. The brilliant young officer, who
+had just passed his eighteenth birthday, knew what it was even better
+than an older person to pass a whole night on difficult duty, without
+a wink of sleep, for he had been accustomed to spend a portion of every
+night in planking the deck on his watch; but at Bonnydale, his quiet
+home, far removed from the scenes of actual conflict, he was an
+industrious sleeper, giving his whole attention to his slumbers, as a
+proper preparation for the stirring scenes in which he was again about
+to engage.
+
+He slept soundly; but he had dreamed that some one opened the door of
+his room, or some one had actually done so. He was not a believer in
+dreams, and when an impression had fastened itself upon his mind, he was
+inclined to investigate it. It seemed to him that he had been awakened
+from his sleep by the opening of the door of his chamber. Some member of
+the family might be sick, and he might be needed to go for the doctor,
+or for some other service.
+
+He leaped from his bed when no answer came to his second demand, lighted
+his lamp, and put on his trousers. With the light in his hand, he opened
+the door; but there was no one there, and not a sound of any kind could
+be heard. He walked about the hall in his bare feet, and listened
+attentively at the doors of several of the chambers, especially at that
+of Mr. Pembroke, the invalid gentleman whom, with his daughter, he had
+brought home as a passenger in the captured Vixen.
+
+Christy heard nothing, and he silently descended the stairs to the lower
+hall. All was as quiet there as upon the floor above, and he had begun
+to think that the impression he had received had been given him in a
+dream, though he could not remember that he had been dreaming. But when
+he came to the front door, he found it was ajar. It was usually secured
+by a spring lock, and those who were liable to be out in the evening
+were provided with night-keys.
+
+At the present time his father was in Washington, and he could not have
+neglected to close the door. He had been to the railroad station to meet
+the last train, thinking it possible that his father might return, and
+he was confident that he had been the last to enter the house. He was
+very sure that he had not left the door unfastened, and this assurance
+made him confident that some person had entered the house. The noise at
+the door of his chamber was not an illusion or a dream: though it had
+been made by closing rather than by opening it, or he would have been
+likely to find the intruder in his room when he lighted his lamp.
+
+It seemed to him to be a matter of course that the midnight visitor had
+come into the mansion for the purpose of plundering its occupants, or of
+securing the valuables it contained. Putting his lamp on the table, he
+went out upon the veranda, and looked all about him. The grounds were
+very extensive, and a broad avenue led to the street. It was very dark;
+but as he cast his eyes in the direction of the grand entrance to the
+estate, he discovered some dark object in motion; but he lost sight of
+it in a moment.
+
+It was a living being, or it would not move, and he was certain that he
+had made a discovery. Then two regrets flashed through his mind as he
+stepped down from the veranda; the first, that he had not put on his
+shoes before he left his chamber, and the second, that he had not taken
+his pistols, for a bullet would travel a great deal faster than a
+barefooted officer, even of the United States Navy. But he ran with all
+his speed to the street, to the great detriment of his uncovered feet.
+
+He reached the grand entrance in an exceedingly short space of time;
+but he might as well have been in his chamber, for no ruffian, robber,
+or Confederate spy could be seen. He had no means of knowing which way
+the intruder at the mansion had turned, to the right or the left, or
+whether, like the timid colored gentleman in a trying situation, he
+had taken to the woods. Christy walked up the street, and then down the
+street; but the underbrush had recently been cut in the grove, and he
+did not venture to explore it without any protection for his feet.
+
+He peered into the gloom of the night with all his eyes, and listened
+with all his ears for over an hour; and then, watchful and careful
+officer as he was, there were five hundred chances against him to one
+in his favor, of finding the intruder, and he reluctantly returned to
+the mansion.
+
+Like the other male occupants of the house, the lieutenant was provided
+with a night-key. For one who had only just developed a tolerably
+thriving mustache, Christy was a prudent and methodical young gentleman.
+As a part of his method, he had a great many small drawers in his rooms,
+and a dozen or more keys; but he had never lost them, for the reason
+that he carried them chained to his nether garment. But he had two sets
+of keys, one for the house, and one for the ship. He had taken the
+night-key from the former, and put it in his vest pocket; and when he
+reached the front door of the mansion, the key he wanted was in his
+chamber, and he had been careful to shut the door when he left the
+house.
+
+He could not get in, and he walked around the building to find a window
+which had not been closed. His mother had a reasonable dread of robbers,
+and she always looked out for the windows before she retired. He did
+not wish to arouse the family by ringing the great gong bell, but it was
+too cold to spend the rest of the night out-doors in his half-clothed
+condition, for he was as liable to take a severe cold as any less
+brilliant individual, and he might have to spend a month in his chamber,
+instead of reporting to the flag-officer of the Eastern Gulf squadron,
+in command of the Bronx.
+
+He rang the bell, and the sound from it reverberated through the entire
+mansion. It was some time before a servant came to open the door; but
+the man who let him in was astonished to see him partially dressed, and
+wondered if he had not been walking in his sleep. In the lower hall, he
+was satisfied that the whole house was astir, for the gong which had
+sounded was the "emergency bell," used only when the ordinary one at the
+front door was not likely to be heard.
+
+"Walsh!" called Mrs. Passford from the head of the stairs.
+
+"Yes, ma'am," replied the man who had admitted Christy, and who was
+still wondering what fit, freak, or fancy had beset the young officer.
+
+"Who is it? What is the matter?" demanded the lady of the mansion, in
+tones which indicated anxiety if not alarm.
+
+"It is Mr. Christy, ma'am; nothing is the matter," replied Walsh;
+but then he appeared to think that he had replied without proper
+consideration, and he revised his speech. "I don't know that anything's
+the matter, ma'am," and still he gazed at the young gentleman, as though
+he deemed it possible that he had suddenly gone crazy.
+
+"Nothing is the matter, mother," called Christy. "I am all right."
+
+"But why are you out at this time of night, my son? It is nearly two
+o'clock in the morning," said Mrs. Passford, as she descended the
+stairs. "You are not half dressed, Christy."
+
+"But I am all right, mother, and there is not the least reason to worry
+about anything, for the ship is not going to the bottom just yet,"
+replied Christy, indulging in a forced laugh to assist in quieting his
+mother's fears.
+
+"But why are you out doors at this time of night?" Mrs. Passford
+insisted. "You will catch a cold that will lay you up, if you go out
+in that condition."
+
+"I should not have rung that bell if I had not been afraid of taking
+cold," added the son.
+
+"But, Christy, something has happened; and you must tell me about it, or
+I shall not sleep another wink to-night," persisted the lady, concluding
+that her son was trying to conceal something from her, as indeed he was,
+for he feared it would alarm her if he told her some one had come into
+the house.
+
+"There is nothing to be frightened about, mother; and I will tell you
+all about it," added Christy, as he took his overcoat from the stand and
+put it on. "I waked an hour ago, or more, with the idea that some one
+had opened the door of my room," and he related the circumstances to his
+mother, including his search in the grounds and the road.
+
+"Do you think any one came into the house?" asked Mrs. Passford, though
+with but little of the woman's terror that such a statement might have
+caused.
+
+"That is my decided opinion. A noise at my chamber door woke me; I found
+the front door ajar, though I know I closed it when I came in last
+night, and I saw something moving down the avenue, which could only have
+been a man. Of course, I conclude that it was a burglar; but none of us
+have been killed or harmed."
+
+Christy went to his room and completed his toilet. The house was warm,
+and he was soon comfortable enough after the out-door chill. By this
+time Miss Florry Passford had put in an appearance in the upper hall,
+with Bertha Pembroke. The alarm was again briefly explained, and the
+invalid gentleman was assured that nothing alarming had occurred. Then
+the young lieutenant and his mother proceeded to ascertain what the
+burglar had accomplished in the house.
+
+On the lower floor nothing appeared to have been disturbed. In the
+parlor a gold watch, adorned with diamonds, had been left on the table
+by Florry, who had forgotten it; but it had not been taken. The burglar
+could not have helped seeing it if he had explored the house as such
+gentry do on such occasions. In the dining-room no attempt to open the
+steel safe set in the wall, which contained a vast amount of silver,
+jewelry, money, and other valuables, had been made. In a word,
+wherever they examined the rooms, no sign of any depredations could be
+discovered. The burglar did not appear to have lunched in the pantry
+where some choice viands had been placed. The robber had certainly
+been very considerate, and had done no mischief either for plunder or
+diversion. He had evidently, in the opinion of Mrs. Passford and her
+son, undertaken a profitless enterprise.
+
+"But what could have been his object in coming into the house?" asked
+the bewildered lady.
+
+"I shall have to give it up, mother."
+
+"He might have taken Florry's watch, she was so careless as to leave on
+the table in the sitting-room," added she.
+
+"But he did not."
+
+"He could not have been disturbed until you spoke to him; and he might
+have ransacked the whole of the lower part of the house."
+
+"But he did not."
+
+They had given up the examination of the premises, and given up the
+conundrum, and Christy was leading the way up-stairs. He went into his
+room, followed by his mother.
+
+"He must have come into your room, my son, or you would not have heard
+him at the door. Perhaps he has robbed you," suggested Mrs. Passford.
+
+The young officer declared he had nothing there to steal. As he spoke,
+he took from his coat pocket on the bedpost an envelope containing his
+commission and other papers. It was safe; so were his purse and watch.
+
+The mystery was not solved till Christy embarked for the Gulf.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+THE ABSCONDING MAN-SERVANT
+
+
+Lieutenant Christopher Passford, in his two years' experience in
+the navy, had been under the fire of the enemy too many times to
+be intimidated by a burglar, and he felt a certain contempt for the
+midnight marauder, who had entered the mansion and disturbed his restful
+slumbers. He returned to his bed, therefore, and slept like a marine
+till the call bell woke him in the morning.
+
+As he dressed himself he could not help thinking of the mysterious
+visitation, and he asked himself a great many questions in regard to the
+object of the intruder, since it did not appear that he had entered the
+house for the purpose of robbing its occupants. He could not determine
+whether or not the fellow had actually come into his room; but his
+porte-monnaie, which contained a considerable sum of money, and his gold
+repeater, a very valuable watch, were just where he had left them the
+night before.
+
+In the breast pocket of his uniform coat he found the envelope which
+contained his commission as a lieutenant, received only two days before
+his orders, and some other papers. As a precaution against inquisitive
+persons, if the package should happen to be mislaid in the house, he had
+applied some mucilage in the library, and resealed the envelope. It had
+not been tampered with so far as he could discover, and he returned it
+to the pocket.
+
+The mysterious visitor at the mansion, whoever or whatever he was, could
+not be regarded as a burglar, or, if he was, he had strangely neglected
+his opportunities, for he had failed to appropriate at least five
+hundred dollars worth of watches and money, which he could hardly have
+helped seeing. His object was not plunder, and there was nothing to
+indicate the purpose of his visit. In retiring from the house the
+intruder had left the front door ajar: and Christy thought it would
+have been the most natural thing in the world to close it, in order to
+conceal the way by which he had left the mansion. But he might have done
+this to avoid the noise of shutting it, or had neglected it in his haste
+to escape.
+
+When he had completed his toilet Christy looked at his watch, and was
+rather surprised to find that it was a full hour later than usual when
+the call bell had been rung. He went down-stairs, and found his mother
+and Florry very busy in the dining-room, setting the table. This was the
+man's work, and the young officer was astonished to see his mother and
+sister doing it.
+
+"What has broken now, mother?" asked the lieutenant, glancing from one
+to the other of the busy couple.
+
+"I don't know that anything has broken," replied Mrs. Passford, with a
+smile, after she had said good-morning to her son.
+
+"You and Florry are not in the habit of setting the table, mother; and
+the first bell rang an hour later than usual," added Christy.
+
+"We were all disturbed last night, and I did not wake till the cook
+knocked at my door. She told me she could not find Walsh, and breakfast
+had been ready half an hour. That is the reason why everything is late
+this morning," Mrs. Passford explained.
+
+"But where is Walsh?" inquired Christy.
+
+"I am sure I do not know. I called in the coachman, and he has been to
+his room and looked all over the place without finding him."
+
+"That is very odd," mused the officer, wondering whether this sudden
+disappearance had anything to do with the principal event of the
+preceding night.
+
+"Peach says he has taken his valise with him, which indicates that he
+has gone for good."
+
+"Who is Peach?" asked Christy, who had been at home so little that he
+hardly knew the names of the servants.
+
+"He is the coachman. I am not sorry that Walsh has gone, for he has
+saved me the trouble of discharging him. Wilder, who had been with us so
+many years, took it into his head to enlist in the army, and I was not
+willing to persuade him to shirk his duty. Walsh has not been here quite
+two weeks. He said he was born in the West Indies; but he was always
+prying into matters that did not concern him, and I have several times
+found him standing at the door when we were talking about family
+matters. I reproved him for it; but it did no good. Your father intended
+to discharge him as soon as he returned from Washington."
+
+Christy went to the library, and busied himself in considering whether
+or not the sudden departure of Walsh had any connection with the
+mysterious midnight intruder. The two events had been near together in
+point of time; but he could establish no other relation between them.
+Then it flashed upon his mind that the man-servant had been the person
+who had opened or closed his door, and visited his room; but he was sure
+he had seen a man near the grand entrance of the estate. He had been all
+around the house, and Walsh could not have escaped his observation. He
+had answered the bell, and admitted him after his search. He concluded
+that the servant was not the person who had disturbed his slumbers.
+
+The morning mail brought a letter from Captain Passford, informing the
+family that he was detained in Washington, and that he could not be at
+home to say good-by to his son, who was to leave that day in the store
+ship Vernon. He wrote a special letter to Christy, containing not only
+his adieux, but the good advice he would otherwise have given him in
+person.
+
+The breakfast was rather a sad gathering on account of this parting, for
+Christy was to leave in another hour. Bertha Pembroke and her father
+were quite as sad as the mother and sister, and the young officer did
+his best to cheer up the family and the guests. He tried to make them
+laugh, but he found it was up-hill work.
+
+"You will be in command of a steamer, Christy, when you reach the Gulf.
+I hope you will not be rash, and try to do too much," said Mrs.
+Passford, as they rose from the table.
+
+"I don't think I am ever rash, mother; and if I have been exceedingly
+fortunate, it was more because the circumstances favored me than because
+I ran great risks," replied Christy very seriously, for he was sensitive
+on the point his mother had brought up. "Father has said a great deal to
+me on this subject, and I have always done my best to carry out his
+principles. It is not my fault that I have a friend at court, and have
+had opportunities that have not been offered to many others. But the
+tide may turn against me on my next cruise."
+
+"I hope it will not, my son," added his mother very earnestly.
+
+"No one knows what is going to happen, and I may spend the next year or
+two in a Confederate prison. I don't think my Uncle Homer would cry his
+eyes out if such should be my fate, for he has lost several vessels and
+cargoes of cotton on my account," returned Christy.
+
+"But I am sure he has no ill-will against you."
+
+"I don't think he has."
+
+"By the way, Christy, have you heard anything from him or his family
+lately?" asked Mrs. Passford.
+
+"Not a word, and I am not likely to hear from them. Corny Passford was
+exchanged, and sent back to the South a year ago or more; and I have no
+idea what has become of him since."
+
+After breakfast Christy packed his valise, where he placed the new
+uniform in which he intended to present himself on the quarter-deck of
+the Bronx. The carriage was at the door to convey him to the railroad
+station. The parting was not less tender than it had been on former
+similar occasions, and Mrs. Passford preferred that it should be in the
+house rather than at the railroad station, in the presence of curious
+observers. Many tears were shed after the carriage drove off, for the
+patriotic young man might find a grave in southern soil, or beneath
+southern waters.
+
+The young lieutenant choked down his emotions, and tried to think of the
+future; his case was not different from that of hundreds of thousands of
+others who had gone forth to fight the battles of their country, many
+thousands of whom slumber in hallowed graves far away from home and
+friends. As the train moved on towards the great city, he obtained the
+command of his emotions, and felt a new inspiration of patriotic ardor.
+
+On his arrival in New York he hastened across the ferry to the
+navy-yard. As he approached the opposite shore, he discovered a steamer
+getting under way. He had not seen the vessel on board of which he was
+ordered to report as a passenger, but when he asked a deck hand what the
+steamer was, he was informed that it was the Vernon. The ferry-boat had
+just gone into the slip, and Christy was terribly startled to learn that
+he was late. He was still two hours ahead of the time indicated in his
+orders, and the Vernon was actually getting under way.
+
+The young officer was more excited than he had ever been in the face of
+the enemy, for the present looked like a case in which his honor was at
+stake. He felt that it would be his ruin if the Vernon sailed without
+him. There had been some mistake in his orders, or in those of the
+commander of the store ship, and he was likely to be the sufferer for
+it. He rushed to the stern end of the ferry-boat in order to obtain a
+better view of the steamer; and at this moment he discovered a boat,
+pulled by one man, headed towards the navy-yard.
+
+"Boat, ahoy!" shouted Christy, with almost frantic earnestness.
+
+"On board the ferry-boat!" replied the man, resting on his oars.
+
+"Five dollars if you will put me on board of that steamer before she
+gets off!" added the officer.
+
+"I'm the one for your money," returned the oarsman, as he headed his
+boat into the slip.
+
+Without much difficulty Christy dropped his valise into the boat, and
+then dropped himself in after it. The belated passenger cast an earnest
+look at the Vernon, which had just begun to move, though at a snail's
+pace, and he hoped he should be able to get on board of her.
+
+"Naval officer, sir?" interrogated the boatman.
+
+"Yes; but I have no time to spare, and you must not stop to talk,"
+replied Christy rather sharply.
+
+"Time enough, sir, if you are going on board of the Vernon, and I will
+give you one of my oars if I don't put you on her deck," said the
+boatman very positively. "I hope you are nimble with your feet and
+hands, sir."
+
+"I will take care of that part of the matter if you will put me
+alongside the steamer," answered Christy. "No more talk, if you please,
+for you are wasting your wind."
+
+"I have plenty of it for this job. You said five dollars, I believe,
+sir," added the man, looking earnestly at his passenger.
+
+"Five dollars is just what I said," replied the lieutenant, as he took
+a bill of that denomination from his porte-monnaie, rolled it around the
+boat-hook, and fixed it so that it should not blow away.
+
+"Thank you, sir," said the rower, as he pulled with more vigor even than
+before, and did not say another word till the boat was alongside the
+Vernon.
+
+Christy found a rope hanging over the side, to which the boatman
+attached his valise, the young officer going up the line hand over hand
+as though he was used to that sort of thing. The oarsman secured his
+five-dollar bill, and Christy hauled up his valise. He felt that he had
+saved himself from the dishonor of failing to obey his orders, and he
+looked about him for some one who would be able to explain to him how
+the steamer happened to be sailing two hours before the time named in
+his orders. Three or four sailors were at work in the waist, where the
+lieutenant came on board; and Christy was not a little astonished to
+observe that Walsh, the absconding man-servant, was one of them.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+CHRISTY PASSFORD IS UTTERLY CONFOUNDED
+
+
+The appearance of Walsh, fully dressed in the garb of a seaman, was so
+great a surprise to Christy Passford, that he hardly noticed any other
+person on the deck of the Vernon. He had given no particular attention
+to the man when he saw him at his father's house, though he regarded him
+as a very good-looking and intelligent person for one in the situation
+in which he found him. The absconding man-servant had certainly made
+good use of his time since he left Bonnydale, for he appeared to have
+become a full-fledged sailor in the space of ten hours.
+
+For the size of the steamer, she seemed to be manned by a very large
+crew; but the letter he had received from his father that morning
+informed him that the greater part of the crew of the Bronx had been
+transferred to other vessels upon more active service, and that a large
+number of seamen were to be sent immediately to reinforce the squadron.
+This was not pleasant intelligence, for he had become acquainted with
+all on board of the Bronx, and he would have preferred to begin his
+permanent service as commander with the former ship's company of the
+little steamer. However, the exigencies of the service required the
+change, and he could not complain.
+
+It was probable that the greater part of his new crew would be made up
+from the men now on board of the Vernon; and this belief caused him to
+regard these men with more interest than he might otherwise have done.
+He had no fault to find after the glance he had bestowed upon them, for
+they presented a very trim appearance in their new uniform, and looked a
+great deal more tidy than they would after they had been on duty a few
+weeks.
+
+Lieutenant Passford was on board of the Vernon, and he had no further
+solicitude in regard to a literal obedience to his orders. The commander
+of the steamer, whoever he was, did not appear to have noticed the new
+arrival, and no one gave any attention to Christy. He walked forward
+to take a better view of the crew, and the seamen touched their caps
+to the shoulder straps of a lieutenant with which he had been careful
+to ornament his coat.
+
+The men at work in the waist finished their task as Christy was
+returning from his promenade, with the intention of presenting himself
+to the commander. Among those who saluted him in proper form was Walsh.
+He seemed to be a little diffident about encountering the son of his
+late employer, and turned his face away as he touched his cap. But the
+officer had fully identified him, and spoke to him, calling him by name.
+The sailor made no reply; but Christy had placed himself directly before
+him, and he could not escape without a breach of discipline.
+
+"I spoke to you, Walsh," said the lieutenant, in the tone he had learned
+to use when he intended to enforce respect and obedience.
+
+"I beg your pardon, sir; my name is not Walsh," replied the sailor, with
+all the deference the occasion required.
+
+"Your name is not Walsh!" exclaimed Christy with a frown.
+
+"No, sir; that is not my name, and I supposed that you spoke to some
+other man," pleaded the late man-servant of the mansion at Bonnydale.
+
+The lieutenant gazed earnestly into the face of the sailor, for he was
+willing to admit to himself the possibility of a mistake. Walsh, or
+whatever his name might have been, was a man of robust form, not more
+than an inch or two short of six feet in height. He was clean-shaved,
+with the exception of his upper lip, whereon he sported a rather long
+dark brown mustache, of which a Broadway dandy might have been vain. As
+a servant, he had been rather obsequious, though Christy had observed
+that he used very good language for one in his menial position. As the
+officer examined his form and features, and especially regarded the
+expression in general, he was satisfied that he could not be mistaken.
+
+"I did not speak to another man; I spoke to you," added Christy, as he
+intensified the gaze with which he confronted the man, resorting to the
+tactics of a sharp lawyer in the cross-examination of an obdurate
+witness.
+
+"I ask your pardon, sir, but you called me Welch, or some such name,"
+replied the late servant, as Christy was sure he was in spite of his
+denial.
+
+"I called you Walsh; and that is the name to which you responded at two
+o'clock this morning," persisted the lieutenant.
+
+"That is not my name, sir; and I refer you to the ship's papers to prove
+it. I am not the man to be ashamed of my name, which is not Welch or
+Walsh, sir, if you will excuse me for saying so."
+
+"Will you deny that you were employed as a servant at the house of
+Captain Passford, at Bonnydale on the Hudson?" demanded Christy, with
+not a little energy in his tones and manner.
+
+"Where, sir, if you please?" asked the sailor, with a sort of bewildered
+look.
+
+"At Bonnydale!"
+
+"Boddyvale? I never heard of the place before in my life, sir," answered
+the runaway servant.
+
+Possibly the man under examination was not wholly responsible for his
+distortion of the name of Captain Passford's estate, as Christy was
+beginning to reap the penalty of his imprudence the night before, in
+exposing himself barefooted and half-clothed to the chill midnight
+air, and was developing a cold in the head that already affected his
+enunciation.
+
+"Bonnydale!" repeated the officer, after using his handkerchief, and
+thus improving his utterance of the word.
+
+"I never heard of the place before, sir," persisted the seaman.
+
+"Byron!" called a boatswain's mate from the forecastle.
+
+"That's my name--Byron, sir, at your service," said the man, as he
+touched his cap to the lieutenant, and rushed forward in answer to the
+call of his superior, evidently glad to escape from the inquisition to
+which he had been subjected. "On deck!" he added, as he made his way to
+the forecastle.
+
+Christy was a passenger on board of the Vernon, and he had nothing to
+do. The commanding officer appeared to be engaged in the details of his
+duty, though the steamer was in charge of a pilot. He could see from
+his shoulder straps that he was an ensign, and the officers in the waist
+and on the forecastle were of the same rank. If there were any other
+passengers on board of the vessel who were commissioned officers, they
+were not visible on the deck, though they might be in their staterooms,
+arranging their affairs for the voyage.
+
+The young lieutenant leaned against the rail, and gave himself up to the
+consideration of what had occurred since he came on board. He had been
+bewildered by one mystery the night before, and he could not help asking
+himself if the conduct of Walsh had anything to do with the visit of the
+intruder at Bonnydale. He could not trace out any connection between the
+two events; but, on the other hand, he was unable to satisfy himself
+that the mysterious visit, the sudden disappearance of the man-servant,
+and the denial of his identity by the latter, were not in some manner
+related to each other.
+
+He had no premises on which to base an argument for or against one thing
+or another. All was dark to him, and he could not get hold of anything.
+After he had raised up a variety of suppositions, and combated
+vigorously with them, the darkness seemed only to become more dense,
+and he was compelled to abandon the subject without arriving at any
+reasonable explanation. Under the instruction of his father, he had
+cultivated "a judicial mind," which compelled him to reject all mere
+speculation.
+
+Christy was not disposed to believe that he was a brilliant officer,
+or to accept unchallenged the extravagant praise that had been bestowed
+upon him. He endeavored to follow the Gospel injunction "not to think of
+himself more highly than he ought to think." But while he tried to keep
+the flower of modesty in full bloom in his soul, he could not deny that
+he had given the enemies of his country a great deal of trouble, and
+subjected them to some heavy losses. Then he recalled the conspiracy on
+board of the Bronx while he was acting-commander of her; and though it
+was for the interest of the Confederacy to get rid of so active an
+officer, he believed it was the vessel and not himself that the
+conspirators desired to obtain.
+
+Before the Vernon reached The Narrows, everything on her deck had been
+put in order by the large crew, and less activity prevailed on board.
+Christy thought it was time for him to report to the commander, and he
+moved aft for this purpose. He did not even know the name of this
+gentleman, and he saw no one to introduce him formally; but the ensign
+in command had doubtless received an order to take him as a passenger to
+the Gulf.
+
+Before he reached the sacred limits of the quarter-deck, Christy met a
+quartermaster, of whom he inquired the name of the commander.
+
+"He has a good name for the captain of a fighting ship," replied the
+petty officer, respectfully touching his cap to the shoulder straps of
+the inquirer. "The commander is Captain Battleton."
+
+"Captain Battleton," repeated Christy, to assure himself that he had
+correctly understood the name.
+
+"Captain Battleton," added the quartermaster. "I hope you are feeling
+better to-day, sir."
+
+"I am feeling very well to-day, except that I have started a cold in the
+head," replied Christy, astonished at this display of interest in the
+state of his health.
+
+"I am glad to hear it, sir, for you appeared to be quite sick last night
+when you came on board," added the quartermaster.
+
+"Did I, indeed? I was not aware of it. I came on board last night? I was
+not aware of that fact," said Christy.
+
+The petty officer did not hear his remarks, for he had been called by
+the second lieutenant in the waist, and, with a touch of his cap,
+hastened away. The lieutenant opened his eyes very wide, as he looked
+down at the seams in the deck, and wondered whether he were asleep or
+awake. He had been quite sick, and he had come on board the night
+before! It was very strange that he was not at all aware of either of
+these facts. He felt reasonably confident that he had slept in his own
+chamber at Bonnydale the night before, and at that time he was certainly
+in a very robust state of health, however it might be at the present
+moment. Even now, he could not complain of anything more severe than an
+embryo cold in the head, which the medicine his mother had given him
+would probably reduce to a state of subjection in a day or two.
+
+At first, he was disposed to be amused at the answers the quartermaster
+had given him, for it was evident to him then that he had been mistaken
+for another person. It looked as though some officer had come on board,
+and reported under his name, for he had not yet learned anything in
+regard to the gentleman who had appeared to be quite sick when he
+reported himself. It had the elements of another mystery in it. But the
+petty officer could easily have made an honest mistake; and this was the
+solution he accepted, without bothering his bewildered brain any further
+about it.
+
+The commander appeared to be less occupied at this moment than he had
+been before, and Christy stepped forward to the quarter-deck, and
+politely saluted him. Captain Battleton was not less punctilious in his
+etiquette. He was a young man, though he was apparently six or seven
+years older than Christy. He was an ensign, and looked like a gentleman
+who was likely to give a good account of himself when he was called to
+more active duty than that of commanding a store ship.
+
+"Good-morning, Lieutenant Passford!" said Captain Battleton, as he
+extended his hand to his passenger. "I am glad to see that you are
+better."
+
+Christy was utterly confounded at this salutation.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+THE SICK OFFICER IN THE STATEROOM
+
+
+Captain Battleton spoke to Christy as though he had met him before, and
+needed no introduction. He was glad to see that the young officer was
+better, which indicated that he had been sick. He was confounded by the
+situation, for he had not been sick an hour, and he had never seen the
+commander of the Vernon in his life. The petty officer had told him that
+he appeared to be quite sick when he came on board the night before.
+
+What he had learned within the last few moments was even more perplexing
+than the mysterious visitation at Bonnydale. Then the appearance of
+Walsh on board, and his denial of his identity, were still in his mind,
+and he wondered whether or not all these strange circumstances had any
+connection. But he was standing in the presence of the commander of the
+steamer, and he had no time to reach a conclusion of any kind,
+satisfactory or otherwise.
+
+Christy took the offered hand of Captain Battleton, and looked earnestly
+into his face to determine whether he had ever seen him before; but the
+face was entirely new to him. He was quite confident that he had never
+seen the commander before. There was something rather ludicrous in the
+situation, and he felt as though he was taking part in a farce; at any
+rate, there was nothing serious or compromising in it, and in spite of
+the confusion in his mind, he could not help smiling.
+
+"I thank you, Captain Battleton, for your very kind interest in the
+state of my health, but with the exception of the first signs of a cold
+in the head, I never was better in my life," said Christy in reply to
+the salutation of the commander, still holding his hand.
+
+"Then you have improved wonderfully since last evening," added Captain
+Battleton.
+
+"I am glad to be informed of the fact, for I am not conscious of any
+such improvement as you describe. In fact, I am not in quite so good
+condition in a sanitary point of view as I was last evening, for I took
+my cold about midnight, or a little later, last night," added Christy,
+his smile becoming a little more pronounced.
+
+It was now the turn of Captain Battleton to be puzzled, if not
+mystified, by the statement of his passenger, and he looked inquiringly
+into his face as if to ascertain if he was not the victim of a practical
+joke. But naval officers on duty are not given to pleasantries; and if
+he had any such suspicion, he banished it at once, for there was nothing
+in the appearance of the lieutenant to warrant it.
+
+"Pardon me, Mr. Passford, but were you not sick when you came on board
+of the Vernon last evening?" asked the commander, with something like a
+frown upon his brow as the situation became more bewildering.
+
+"If you will excuse me for making an indirect reply, captain, I did not
+come on board of the Vernon last evening," answered Christy, his smile
+becoming still more decided; and if he had not been on the quarter-deck
+of a vessel in service, he might have suspected that he was himself the
+victim of a practical joke.
+
+"You did not come on board of the Vernon last evening!" exclaimed
+Captain Battleton, gazing very earnestly into the face of his passenger.
+
+"I did not, captain," replied Christy quietly, though he was amused
+rather than disquieted by the earnestness of the commander.
+
+"You did not?"
+
+"Certainly not; and if my simple affirmation is not enough, I could
+prove that I slept in my father's house at Bonnydale last night, took
+my breakfast there this morning, and was in the city of New York at ten
+o'clock this forenoon," answered Christy, in the best of humor.
+
+"This is very strange," said Captain Battleton, fixing his gaze upon
+the planks on which he stood, possibly considering whether he or his
+passenger was dreaming or out of his head.
+
+"If I were still at Brooklyn doubtless I could find the boatman who put
+me on board of the Vernon not more than an hour ago," continued Christy,
+willing to convince his auditor that he was entirely in earnest in his
+statement.
+
+"I beg your pardon, Mr. Passford, but I did not intend to question the
+truth of your reply to my question," said the commander, fearing that he
+had overstated his doubts. "I am simply bewildered, confused, confounded
+by this interview."
+
+"So am I, captain," added the lieutenant, laughing outright at the
+perplexity in which both of them were involved. "I have told you the
+simple truth in regard to my movements."
+
+"And you did not come on board of the Vernon last evening?"
+
+"Emphatically I did not."
+
+"You were not sick last evening?"
+
+"I was not; not even as sick as I am at this moment," replied Christy,
+using his handkerchief.
+
+"I don't understand it," said Captain Battleton, shaking his head.
+
+"Now, captain, will you permit me ask what you do not understand, for I
+assure you I am profoundly ignorant of the situation which perplexes
+you. I was ordered to be on board of the Vernon at one o'clock, and I
+found her under way at eleven. I happened to find a boatman before I
+left the ferry-boat, who put me on board, or I should have missed my
+passage. That is simply all I know about the matter."
+
+"When I called upon you in your stateroom this morning, you told me
+that"--
+
+"I beg your pardon, Captain Battleton, but I have not been in any
+stateroom, sick or well, on board of the Vernon, and I respectfully
+suggest that it was quite impossible for you to have called upon me this
+morning, or at any other time," Christy interposed, very pleasantly,
+though quite as perplexed as the commander.
+
+"Of course I shall not raise an issue as to your veracity, Mr. Passford,
+but after the statement you have made to me, I must change the form of
+my phraseology," continued the commander, using a smile to cover any
+possible doubts or suspicions in his mind. "When I called at the
+stateroom of the officer who reported on board last evening as
+Lieutenant Christopher Passford, he told me that I was expected to
+get under way and proceed to my destination as soon as the officer and
+the seamen were on board."
+
+"Did he bring you an order to this effect?" asked Christy more
+seriously.
+
+"He did not, and perhaps I have made a mistake, though my superior
+officer told me at the yard that it would be safe for me to obey the
+verbal order," replied Captain Battleton, looking somewhat troubled.
+
+"I have no intention to meddle with what does not concern me, captain.
+It appears that Lieutenant Passford has already reported to you," said
+Christy; and this was the astounding fact to him of the situation.
+
+He was absolutely confident that he was himself Lieutenant Christopher
+Passford, and as absolutely confident that the other officer could not
+be that person, whoever else he might be. The commander appeared to be
+considering what Christy had suggested to him in regard to his orders,
+and the passenger had a minute or two to think of the situation in which
+he found himself placed. But what was the use to think of it? He was at
+the end of a blind alley, where there was no light from any direction
+except that by which he had entered it. He had no premises from which to
+reason, and it was useless to consider the matter.
+
+"Mr. Passford, I find myself placed in a very unpleasant position," said
+the commander, after he had deliberated a few minutes. "I have stated
+the facts to you; and the deduction I have to draw from them is, that I
+have two persons by the name of Lieutenant Passford on board."
+
+"That seems to me to be a correct deduction," added Christy.
+
+"The brilliant officer who bears this name is too well known to hide his
+light under a bushel. I have not the honor to be personally acquainted
+with him, and therefore I am unable to decide which of the gentlemen who
+report to me under that name is the real one."
+
+"Precisely so."
+
+"You will pardon me if I add that I think one or the other of them must
+be an impostor," added Captain Battleton with some diffidence.
+
+"That is a perfectly justifiable conclusion; and it rests with you to
+decide which is the genuine Lieutenant Passford, and which is the
+impostor," replied Christy frankly. "You will be perfectly justified
+in calling upon both for all the evidence they are able to present.
+I suggest that each of them must carry his commission about him, as
+well as his orders from the department; and it seems to me that these
+documents will enable you to decide without any delay;" and Christy
+involuntarily put his hand upon his breast pocket, where he carried
+these valuable papers.
+
+He could feel the envelope that contained them, and he was satisfied of
+the triumph which awaited him when the evidence should be required of
+the two claimants of the name. At the same time he felt that he was
+moving in a cloud of mystery, which had begun to enfold him in the
+middle of the preceding night.
+
+"I thank you for the suggestion, Mr. Passford, and I must say that you
+seem to be entirely fair," said the commander.
+
+"If I am the impostor, I do not know myself; but I have no desire to
+forestall your decision. You saw the sick officer when he came on board
+last evening, and you have visited him in his stateroom to-day. Do I
+look enough like him to be taken for him?" asked Christy with a smile,
+as he placed himself in an attitude to be scrutinized by the commander.
+
+"I am sure that you do, sir; and when I saw you on the quarter-deck for
+the first time, I had no doubt you were the officer who came on board
+sick last evening," replied Captain Battleton.
+
+"That makes it all the more remarkable, for I was not aware that there
+was any officer in the navy who resembled me so closely," added Christy
+more bewildered than before, and beginning to scent a plot of some kind
+against him or his country.
+
+"I must say that any man who will take upon himself the position and
+reputation of the real Lieutenant Passford is a bold man, and even, if
+he succeeds in taking his place, he will fail in playing the _rôle_."
+
+"I should thank you, Captain Battleton, for the compliment, if I were
+not under suspicion of being some other person. May I ask when it will
+be convenient for you to settle the question, for it is not pleasant for
+me to feel that I am looked upon as even a possible impostor?"
+
+"I shall not regard you as an impostor, Mr. Passford, for I mean to be
+entirely impartial, and I shall not brand you even in thought until the
+evidence warrants me in doing so," replied the commander, as he called
+the surgeon who was just coming on deck. "How do you find your patient,
+Dr. Connelly?"
+
+"I find him--I thought I found him; but he appears to be on deck,"
+replied the surgeon, as he fixed his gaze upon Christy, preluded by
+a start, dramatic enough to prove that he was astonished to find his
+patient was not in his room below. "I left him not five minutes ago, for
+I have not yet been able to discover what ails him. He complained of a
+severe headache and pains in his bones; but he has not a particle of
+fever, or any symptom of anything that I can discover. I am glad to see
+you on deck, Mr. Passford. How is your headache?"
+
+"If I have had any headache, I have entirely recovered from it," replied
+Christy, laughing heartily. "I came on board only an hour ago, doctor,
+and I have had no headache, thank you."
+
+"Looking at you more closely, I see that you are not my patient, and you
+will excuse me for giving you a headache. But you resemble my patient
+very closely," added the doctor.
+
+"I did not answer your question, Mr. Passford," interposed Captain
+Battleton. "In an hour we will settle the question."
+
+Christy seated himself and began to consider the strange situation.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+LIEUTENANT PASSFORD AND HIS APPARENT DOUBLE
+
+
+The Vernon continued on her course, and in another hour the pilot
+had been discharged. Christy had puzzled his brains over the events of
+the day and the night before without being able to arrive at any
+satisfactory conclusion. He was extremely anxious to see the officer
+who had taken his name and assumed his character, as he was to obtain
+all the information within his reach. His reflections assured him
+that some one had chosen the _rôle_ of an impostor for the purpose of
+accomplishing some treasonable object, and he was anxious to fathom the
+mystery for his country's sake rather than his own.
+
+Captain Battleton would soon begin his investigation, and Christy was
+confident that the sick officer would be proved to be the impostor. He
+was not at all worried or even disturbed in regard to the result, for he
+felt that "truth is mighty and must prevail." His only solicitude was to
+unravel the plot. Bands of Confederates had been put on board of several
+steamers for the purpose of capturing them; and it was possible that
+this plan had been adopted to obtain possession of the Vernon, for she
+was a good vessel, and was fitted out as a man-of-war.
+
+It was plain enough to Christy that the remarkable attempt of one or the
+other of the officers on board as passengers to personate the other had
+been explained to those on the quarter-deck, for he observed that they
+all regarded him with curiosity, and were interested in the matter. As
+the surgeon passed near him he spoke to him.
+
+"Does your patient below seem to be improving, doctor?" he asked.
+
+"He still complains that his head and his bones ache, so that I cannot
+say he is improving," replied Dr. Connelly.
+
+"How old a man does he appear to be?"
+
+"I should take him for a young man of twenty or twenty-one, but he says
+he is only eighteen. He is a very young officer to be put in charge of
+a steamer, for I understand that he is ordered to the command of the
+Bronx. But then he has made a reputation as the commander of that
+vessel, which doubtless justifies his appointment."
+
+"Does he talk at all?"
+
+"Oh, yes; he has told me about some of his exploits; and as he seems to
+forget his aches when he speaks of them, I have encouraged him to talk
+as much as possible."
+
+"Is he really sick, doctor?" asked Christy, with a smile which meant
+something.
+
+"He says he is, and I have to take his word for it," replied the
+surgeon, with a corresponding smile.
+
+"I heard you tell the captain that you could not make out the nature of
+his malady."
+
+"I cannot so far, though that does not prove that he is not sick; but I
+will venture to say he could not get his discharge from the navy on his
+present symptoms. He may have drunk too much wine or whiskey recently,
+though he certainly was not in liquor when he came on board."
+
+"How is your patient, Dr. Connelly?" asked Captain Battleton, joining
+them at this moment.
+
+"About the same the last time I saw him. He ate all the toast I sent
+to him, and seemed to enjoy it. I don't think he is in a dangerous
+condition," replied the surgeon.
+
+"I am glad to hear it. Have you informed him that we have another
+lieutenant on board of the Vernon?" continued the commander.
+
+"No, captain: I have not. That is not my affair, and I don't meddle with
+what does not concern me."
+
+"An excellent rule. Is he aware of the fact that there is another
+Richmond in the field?"
+
+"If he is, he has said nothing to me about the matter."
+
+"Do you think he could go out into the cabin, doctor?" asked the
+captain. "I wish to see him on a matter of the utmost importance.
+Is he dressed?"
+
+"He is; he dressed himself this morning, and sits up part of the time."
+
+"Then you will oblige me by getting him into the cabin; I mean my cabin.
+I will be there in ten minutes."
+
+The surgeon went below, leaving the commander and Christy together.
+
+"Can you make anything of this affair yet, Mr. Passford?" asked Captain
+Battleton.
+
+"I can come to no conclusion in regard to it, though I may be able to
+do so when I have seen my double," replied Christy, whose curiosity
+in regard to the sick officer was strongly excited. "It looks like a
+conspiracy of some kind, but I can go no farther in the direction of a
+solution."
+
+The commander looked at his watch after they had conversed a little
+while longer, and then invited Christy to visit his cabin with him.
+The other Lieutenant Passford was seated in an arm-chair at the table.
+Christy looked at him with the deepest interest, but the back of the
+other was turned to him, and he did not get a full view of his face. The
+sick man was dressed in the naval uniform with the shoulder straps of a
+lieutenant.
+
+"I wish to introduce a gentleman to you; Lieutenant Passford, let me
+make you acquainted with Lieutenant Passford," said the commander as he
+led the way into the captain's cabin.
+
+"Thank you, Captain Battleton; I shall be very happy to make the
+acquaintance of Lieutenant Passford," said the occupant of the cabin,
+rising as he spoke, and approaching Christy. "Corny Passford!" exclaimed
+the sick officer. "I did not expect to see you here. This gentleman is
+my own cousin, Captain Battleton, though I am sorry to say that he is
+a rebel; but for all that he is one of the finest fellows in the known
+world, and you will appreciate everything about him except his politics,
+which I do not admire myself."
+
+Christy was not stunned or overwhelmed by this impudent speech. He
+looked at the speaker, and promptly recognized his cousin Corny. He was
+astonished at the brazen assurance of the other, for he had always
+seemed to him to be a fairly modest young man. Corny extended his hand
+to Christy, and it was accepted.
+
+"I am very glad to see you, Corny," said he of the South, "and not the
+less glad because the meeting is so unexpected."
+
+"It is certainly very unexpected on my part, Corny," replied Christy,
+who began to comprehend the object of his cousin; but there was
+something so ludicrous in the situation that he was more disposed
+to laugh than to look upon it seriously.
+
+"I am very glad to see you, Corny," continued he who bore that name in
+reality. "I did not expect to find you on board of the Vernon. How are
+uncle Homer, aunt Lydia, and Gerty?"
+
+"I have not seen _my_ uncle Homer for several months; but I had not the
+remotest idea that you had an uncle Homer," replied Christy, laughing
+heartily, for the situation seemed so amusing to him that the serious
+part of his cousin's obvious plan had so far hardly dawned upon him.
+"I should like to inquire of you, as one good turn deserves another,
+in regard to the health of your father and mother and Gerty."
+
+"My father is quite well, but he left Bonnydale last Tuesday to go to
+Washington, and had not returned when I left home. My mother is quite
+well, and so is Florry," replied the sick officer, who did not appear
+to be suffering from a very severe headache just then, for he was quite
+cheerful and animated.
+
+"This appears to be a family party," interposed Captain Battleton, who
+was very much amused to hear each of the young officers call the other
+by the same name, and both of them appeared to be Corny Passford.
+
+"It is a family party, captain," replied the sick officer, smiling as
+cheerfully as though he had never had any practical knowledge of
+headache and pains in the bones, which was the description of his malady
+given to the surgeon. "As I have hinted before, my cousin Corny is a
+rebel of the first order; and you can imagine my astonishment at finding
+him in the uniform of a lieutenant on board a United States naval
+vessel."
+
+"Good, Corny!" exclaimed Christy, dropping upon the divan of the cabin
+and laughing heartily.
+
+"I can easily imagine your astonishment, Mr. Passford, for it seems to
+me to be a very remarkable state of things," added the captain, as he
+looked from one to the other of the claimants. "One thing seems to be
+admitted by both of you, that you are both Passfords, and that you are
+cousins."
+
+"So far we do not disagree by the breadth of a hair. My cousin Corny was
+_raised_ in the South, while I was raised in the North," continued the
+sick passenger.
+
+"I don't like to contradict my cousin, but I was _brought up_ in the
+North," said Christy, hoping Captain Battleton would notice the
+difference in the phraseology.
+
+"Then you were both brought up in the North," suggested the captain.
+
+"Not at all, for, as I said, my cousin Corny was brought up in the
+South, at Glenfield, near Mobile," protested the ailing officer, who
+was careful this time not to use the word "raised."
+
+"Where were you yesterday, Corny?" asked Christy, suddenly suppressing
+his mirth.
+
+"I was in New York, preparing to come on board of the Vernon."
+
+"Then you were not at Bonnydale?" demanded Christy sharply.
+
+"Of course I was there; but it was a pretty day, and I went to the city
+to attend to some affairs of mine," replied the sick man, with the first
+signs of embarrassment he had exhibited.
+
+"In spite of the fact that it was a pretty day, I should think you would
+have spent your last day on shore with your mother and sister as I did,"
+replied Christy.
+
+"I was sick, and I wished to be as near the Vernon as possible. I felt
+better in the afternoon and attended to my affairs; but I got bad again
+in the afternoon, and I came on board in the evening, for I was afraid I
+should not be able to do so in the morning," answered the invalid,
+becoming as lively as before.
+
+"Gentlemen, this seems to be a strange muddle," said the captain,
+who was not disposed to listen any longer to the sparring between the
+cousins. "At the suggestion of the lieutenant who came on board this
+forenoon, I have taken the earliest opportunity to settle the question
+as to which is the original and genuine Mr. Passford who was ordered on
+board of the Vernon as a passenger for the Gulf, and who, I am informed,
+is appointed to the command of the Bronx. I have not much time to spare,
+and if you do not object, I shall call in the first lieutenant and the
+surgeon to take part in this conference. I am perplexed, and I desire
+witnesses if not assistants in these proceedings."
+
+"I have not the slightest objection to the presence of as many officers
+as you may choose to call in," added the invalid.
+
+"I shall be equally reasonable," said Christy. "The more witnesses there
+are the better it will suit me."
+
+Captain Battleton struck a bell on his table, and sent the steward who
+answered it to procure the attendance of the officers indicated, and
+they soon presented themselves.
+
+"Gentlemen, Lieutenant Salisbury, the executive officer of the Vernon,"
+said the captain. "Both of these gentlemen are Lieutenant Christopher
+Passford," he added, with a twinkle of the eye. "Dr. Connelly, you have
+both met."
+
+"Are we to understand that one of these officers is the double of the
+other?" asked the first lieutenant, who seemed to be disposed to take in
+the situation as a pleasantry of the commander.
+
+"Hardly; both of them claim to be the same officer, and I have invited
+you to assist me in deciding which is the real Mr. Passford."
+
+The entire party then seated themselves at the table.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+THE CONFERENCE IN THE CAPTAIN'S CABIN
+
+
+Captain Horatio Passford lived at Bonnydale on the Hudson. He was rich
+in several millions of dollars, but he was richer in the possession of
+a noble character, one of the most prominent traits of which was his
+patriotism. He had presented his large and fast-sailing steam yacht to
+the government of the nation at the beginning of the struggle. His motto
+was, "Stand by the Union," and from the first he had done everything in
+his power to sustain his country against the assaults of dissolution.
+
+  [Illustration: The Conference in the Captain's Cabin.--Page 70.]
+
+He had a wife, a daughter, and a son, and his family were as patriotic
+as he was himself. At sixteen Christy, the son, had gone into the navy.
+He had learned to be a sailor and an engineer in his repeated cruises in
+the Bellevite, his father's large steam yacht, now a man-of-war in the
+navy. In two years the young man had worked his way up to the rank of
+lieutenant. He was very large for his age, and his nautical and
+mechanical education had prepared him for service to a degree which
+made him almost a prodigy, though his courage and skill had been fully
+equalled, if not surpassed, by other naval officers not older than
+himself.
+
+Homer Passford, the only brother of his father, had early in life
+settled in Alabama, and become a planter, where he had made a
+respectable fortune, though he was a poor man compared with the northern
+brother. He had a wife, a son, and a daughter. At the beginning of the
+war of the Rebellion he had promptly espoused the cause of the South,
+and from his point of view, he was fully as patriotic as his brother on
+the other side. He was ready to give himself, his son, and his fortune
+to the independence of the South. His character was quite as noble as
+that of his brother, and he had done all he could in person and with his
+wealth to insure the success of the Southern cause.
+
+His son Cornelius followed the lead of his father, and was faithful
+to the teachings given him in his southern home. He had enlisted as a
+soldier; but when it was found that he could be more serviceable to the
+Confederacy in certain irregular enterprizes, he was detached for this
+service. He had been engaged in an attempt to capture the Bellevite in
+connection with older and more skilful persons. The plan had failed,
+Corny had been severely wounded, and while on parole had lived at
+Bonnydale. From there he had been sent to a military prison, and had
+been exchanged. From that time, Christy knew nothing about him until he
+met him on board of the Vernon.
+
+Corny was two years older than Christy; but the latter looked even more
+mature than the former. The resemblance between them had hardly been
+noticed by the two families, though Christy had spent several months
+at different times at the plantation of his uncle. But the resemblance
+was noted and often spoken of by persons outside of the families,
+the members of which, being in the habit of seeing them often together,
+did not notice the similarity of features and expression. Both of them
+resembled their fathers, who were often mistaken the one for the other
+in their early years.
+
+After he found that the sick officer was his cousin Corny Passford,
+Christy began to apprehend the object of his southern relative in
+presenting himself as the bearer of his name and rank in the navy,
+though he had no time to consider the subject. Corny had given him no
+opportunity to look the matter over, for he had talked most of the time
+as opportunity was presented.
+
+Captain Battleton seated himself in the armchair which Corny had
+abandoned, and placed a quire of paper before him as though he intended
+to take notes of the proceedings. Christy was not at all disturbed
+by the formal aspect the affair was assuming, for he felt entirely
+confident that poor Corny would be a prisoner of war at its conclusion.
+He had his commission and his orders in his pocket, and he was positive
+that they would vindicate him.
+
+"I reported to the department that I had only a single vacant stateroom
+in the ward room of the Vernon, and I was ordered to receive Lieutenant
+Christopher Passford as a passenger, as I could not take another
+officer," said the captain. "It is not a serious question compared
+with others at issue, but the occupation of the single room, now in
+possession of the gentleman who came on board last evening, depends
+upon the result of our present inquiry."
+
+"I should say there would be no difficulty in settling this question,"
+said Mr. Salisbury.
+
+"These gentlemen are cousins, and both of them bear the name of
+Passford," added the captain, as he raised his finger, pointing to
+Corny. "Will you give us your name in full, if you please?"
+
+"Christopher Passford," replied the invalid officer, with the most
+unblushing effrontery.
+
+"Your father's name?"
+
+"Horatio Passford."
+
+"Where does he live?"
+
+"At Bonnydale, on the Hudson," replied Corny confidently.
+
+"Excuse me, Captain Battleton; may I ask a question?" interposed the
+first lieutenant.
+
+"Certainly, Mr. Salisbury. This is not a court-martial, but an informal
+investigation, and I shall be glad to have you and Dr. Connelly entirely
+free to ask any questions you please," replied the captain, who was
+anything but a martinet.
+
+"Where did you say your father lived, Mr. Passford?" asked the executive
+officer.
+
+"At Bonnydale, on the Hudson," answered Corny, as we may call him now
+that the reader knows who he is.
+
+"Is Bonnydale the name of the town or city in which your father lives?"
+
+"It is the name of my father's place," replied Corny; and Christy, who
+was observing him very closely, saw that he was a little disturbed.
+
+"Bonnydale sounds like a fancy name, such as any gentleman might give to
+his estate, as Sunnyside was the home of Washington Irving. Is this the
+fact?" asked Mr. Salisbury.
+
+"I suppose it is," answered Corny, with increasing confusion.
+
+"Don't you know?"
+
+"We always called it Bonnydale; and I know no other name for it."
+
+"But Bonnydale is not an incorporated town. In what city or town is your
+father's place situated?"
+
+"I know no name but Bonnydale," replied Corny; and the flush of fever or
+something else was on his cheeks now.
+
+"Nothing more, captain," said the first lieutenant; and the stock of the
+other claimant mounted a little.
+
+"Mr. Passford," continued the captain, indicating Christy with his
+finger, "your father's name, if you please."
+
+"Horatio Passford," replied Christy with a smile.
+
+"Where does he live?"
+
+"At Bonnydale, on the Hudson."
+
+"Permit me, Captain Battleton," interposed Mr. Salisbury; and the
+commander nodded his acquiescence. "Is Bonnydale the name of the town
+or city in which your father lives, Mr. Passford?"
+
+"It is the name of my father's place," answered Christy, using the same
+words that Corny had.
+
+"Bonnydale sounds like a fancy name, such as any gentleman might give
+to his estate," continued Mr. Salisbury, smiling, as he repeated the
+phrases he had used before. "Is this the fact?"
+
+"It is; the name was given to the estate by my mother," replied Christy,
+unable to follow Corny any farther.
+
+"In what town or city is your father's estate situated?"
+
+"It is within the limits of the town of Montgomery."
+
+"Nothing further, captain," said the executive officer; and the stock of
+this particular Lieutenant Passford mounted another trifle.
+
+"Your cousin, who, according to your statement, was raised in the South,
+seems to be better informed in regard to the geography of Bonnydale than
+you do," added Captain Battleton.
+
+"He is always inquiring into things that I don't care a straw about,"
+replied Corny, vexed that he had been tripped up in a matter so simple.
+
+The commander was disposed to carry the investigation a little farther
+in the same direction, and he sent Christy into the ward room, where
+he was instructed to remain until he was sent for. Captain Passford,
+senior, was well known to all the officers present by reputation, and
+he had assisted Dr. Connelly in procuring his appointment, so that the
+latter had had occasion to visit Bonnydale three times.
+
+The captain asked Corny a hundred questions in regard to the estate,
+making memoranda of his answers. Once he suggested to the surgeon that
+he had better examine the pulse of his patient, for he did not wish to
+overtask him in the investigation. The subject of the inquiry declared
+that his headache had almost disappeared, and he needed no indulgence on
+account of his health.
+
+After half an hour of questioning, Corny was sent to the ward room, and
+Christy was called to the captain's cabin. About the same questions were
+put to him as to his cousin; but both of them were prompt in their
+answers. In the last two years, Corny had been more at Bonnydale than
+Christy, and he was quite as much at home there, so that there was no
+reason why he should not be able to describe the mansion and its
+surroundings as accurately as the genuine Lieutenant Passford.
+
+So far, Corny, with the single exception of his failure to give the
+geography of the estate, stood quite as well as his cousin. Then the
+first lieutenant questioned them both, as they were seated at the table,
+in a very general way. In their answers, Corny used the word "raised,"
+while Christy was "brought up." Several phrases in more common use at
+the South than at the North were noted in his answers, which did not
+appear in the diction of Christy.
+
+When the questioning was finished, the leaning of the trio of officers
+was in favor of Christy; but not one of them said anything in the
+presence of the two Passfords. The captain declared that he had already
+used up too much time in the inquiry, and he must close the conference
+very soon. Then he asked if either of the gentlemen had any papers they
+wished to present in support of his identity.
+
+"I have my commission as a lieutenant, and my orders to take passage
+in the Vernon, and to take command of the Bronx on my arrival at the
+station of the Eastern Gulf squadron," said Corny, as he pulled a huge
+envelope from his breast pocket; and Christy could not but notice the
+perfect confidence with which he spoke.
+
+"I have precisely the same papers," added Christy, with as much
+assurance as his cousin.
+
+"I had nearly forgotten the most important evidence that can be
+presented in this matter," said the captain with a smile. "I dare say
+that each of the gentlemen will produce his commission, his orders, and
+his appointment to the command of the Bronx; and I don't know how we can
+decide between the papers. It looks as though the Bronx was likely to
+have two commanders."
+
+"Here are my papers, captain," added Corny, as he passed his envelope
+across the table to the commander.
+
+"This is not an official envelope," said the captain, as he took the
+package, and then fixed his gaze on the owner of the documents.
+
+"No, sir; it is not. I had the misfortune to leave it on the table at
+Bonnydale, and Walsh, the man-servant, supposing it to be of no value,
+threw it into the fire," replied Corny promptly.
+
+The commission and other papers were all right in every respect. Christy
+handed his envelope to the commander, and he broke it open. It contained
+nothing but a lot of blank paper.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE DECISION
+
+
+When Captain Battleton took from the envelope the blank papers, no one
+seemed to be inquisitive as to the result, for, as the commander had
+suggested, they all expected to find the commission and other papers
+regularly and properly made out and signed. Several sheets were unfolded
+and spread out upon the table, and Christy was hardly more surprised
+than the others at the table.
+
+"Your papers do not seem to be altogether regular, Mr. Passford," said
+the captain, as he held up one of them so that all could see it.
+
+"I see they are not," answered Christy blankly.
+
+"But they are enclosed in an official envelope," added the captain,
+as he held up the cover of the papers. "In this respect they have the
+advantage of those presented by the other gentleman. You appear to be as
+much surprised as any of the rest of us, Mr. Passford. Can you explain
+the fact that you present nothing but blank papers instead of your
+commission and orders?"
+
+"At present I cannot; after I have had an opportunity for reflection
+I may be able to do so," replied Christy, from whom a more decided
+demonstration than he made was expected.
+
+"It is evident from what we have heard, and from the documents submitted
+to me that one of these gentlemen is Lieutenant Christopher Passford,"
+said Captain Battleton; "but we have no means of identifying the
+officer. In what vessels have you served, Mr. Passford?"
+
+"My first service was in the Bellevite, and my last in the Bronx, of
+which I was acting commander on her voyage from New York to the Gulf,"
+answered Christy, to whom the question was addressed.
+
+"Is there any officer on board with whom you have served?"
+
+"So far as I have seen, there is not."
+
+"Any seaman?"
+
+"I have not noticed any seaman whose face was familiar to me."
+
+"If I am correctly informed, you came home as prize master of the Vixen,
+convoying quite a fleet of steamers and schooners," continued Captain
+Battleton, looking about the cabin as though the inquiry had become
+wearisome to him.
+
+"I did; you were correctly informed," answered Corny, as the wandering
+gaze of the commander rested upon him.
+
+"Both of you were in command of the Vixen, I suppose," added the captain
+with a smile.
+
+"I was, captain; but I cannot speak for my cousin Corny," replied the
+possessor of the commission.
+
+"I can say with entire confidence that I was in command of the Vixen,"
+added Christy.
+
+"A considerable number of officers and seamen must have come with you in
+the Vixen and the other vessels," said the captain, raising his finger
+to indicate that the question was addressed to Christy.
+
+"Yes, sir; the Vixen was fully armed and manned to protect the fleet of
+prize vessels she convoyed."
+
+"Do you remember the names of the officers who served with you in the
+Vixen?" asked the captain.
+
+"I could not very well forget them in so short a time," replied Corny,
+upon whom the gaze of the commander had again rested as he looked about
+him.
+
+"Very well; perhaps you had better answer the question;" and the captain
+pointed at Corny. "Who was your first lieutenant?"
+
+"Ensign Gordon Fillbrook," replied Corny promptly.
+
+This was a correct answer, and Christy saw that his cousin had fully
+armed himself for his daring scheme, whatever it was.
+
+"Your second lieutenant?"
+
+"Ensign Frederick Jones," answered Corny, with some hesitation.
+
+"Now will you inform me, Mr. Passford, who your officers were?" The
+commander pointed at Christy. "Your executive officer?"
+
+"My cousin gave his name and rank correctly."
+
+"And the second lieutenant?"
+
+"Ensign Philip Bangs."
+
+"Here you differ. Did you make a report of your voyage home, Lieutenant
+Passford?" continued the captain, pointing at Corny.
+
+"I did, sir; for we captured a privateer on the voyage," answered Corny.
+
+"Did you keep a copy of that report?"
+
+"I did, captain; I keep copies of all my reports. I have them in my
+valise," answered he of the South in a matter-of-fact manner.
+
+Christy laughed in spite of the importance of the investigation at the
+coolness and self-possession of his cousin; but he could not understand
+how Corny would be able to produce a copy of his report, which was in
+his valise with several such papers.
+
+"I must trouble you to produce it, Lieutenant Passford," added the
+commander.
+
+"Perhaps I ought to say in the beginning that it is not in my own
+handwriting, for after I had written it, Mr. Jones copied it for me,"
+Corny explained, and, perhaps, thought he might be called upon to give a
+specimen of his chirography.
+
+"That is immaterial," added Captain Battleton, as Corny left the cabin
+to procure the document. "Have you a copy of your report, Lieutenant
+Passford?" He pointed to Christy.
+
+"I have, captain; and it is in my own handwriting," replied the officer
+addressed.
+
+"Produce it, if you please."
+
+He had placed his valise in the gangway, and he had not far to go to
+procure the report, his first draft of the document, which he had
+revised and copied at Bonnydale.
+
+"I don't think we are getting ahead at all, Mr. Salisbury," said the
+captain, while the cousins were looking for their reports.
+
+"I confess that I am as much in the dark as I was in the beginning,"
+replied the executive officer.
+
+"I can make nothing of it," added the surgeon. "It looks to me as though
+the commission alone would have to settle this matter."
+
+"I don't see how I can go behind the official documents," replied the
+commander as Corny presented himself at the door.
+
+A minute later Christy appeared with his report in his hand, and both
+of them were presented to the captain. The handwriting was as different
+as possible in the two papers. Corny's was in a large, coarse hand, but
+it was a fair copy, while Christy's contained several corrections and
+inter-lineations. No one could recognize the writing of either of the
+claimants, and the documents proved nothing at all. The captain was
+evidently weary of the investigation, and nothing but the commission
+seemed to throw any reliable light upon the claim of either one or the
+other.
+
+"Any further questions, Mr. Salisbury?" asked the captain, bestowing a
+bored look upon the executive officer.
+
+"Nothing more, Captain Battleton."
+
+"Dr. Connelly?"
+
+"Nothing, captain."
+
+"Now, gentlemen, I will thank you to retire to the ward room, and I
+will send for you to hear my decision," continued the commander, and
+the cousins retired together, and both of them appeared to be as
+good-natured as though they were in perfect accord on the question
+in dispute.
+
+"What is your opinion, Mr. Salisbury?" asked the captain, when the
+claimants had retired, careful not to indicate his own conclusion.
+
+"While I acknowledge that I am somewhat prepossessed in favor of the
+Lieutenant Passford who came on board this morning, I do not think
+he has established his claim to be the true Lieutenant Christopher
+Passford. The other uses some peculiarly Southern phrases, as though he
+had been 'raised' in the South, and he is not perfect in the geography
+of Bonnydale. I think the commission is the only evidence upon which you
+can properly rely," replied the first lieutenant.
+
+"Your views, if you please, Dr. Connelly."
+
+"One of these officers is evidently a Confederate, and the other a loyal
+citizen. The commission, as Mr. Salisbury suggests, outweighs all the
+rest of the evidence. One or the other of the two men is an impostor,
+and without the commission, I should decide that my patient was the
+false Lieutenant Passford," answered the surgeon.
+
+"We appear to agree, gentlemen, for you have expressed my own views
+as well as I could state them myself," added the captain. "But when I
+decide that the holder of the commission, which I am satisfied is a
+genuine document, is the loyal officer, and entitled to be received as
+the future commander of the Bronx, I must declare that the other is a
+Confederate; and not only that, but also that he is acting as a spy;
+that he is on board of the Vernon with mischievous intentions. It will
+be my duty to regard him as a prisoner of war, at least. What do you
+think of it, Mr. Salisbury?"
+
+"I do not see how you can escape that conclusion," replied the first
+lieutenant.
+
+"I am a sort of peace officer," added Dr. Connelly, when the captain
+glanced at him, "and I will express no opinion as to the status of the
+officer, though it appears to be as you describe it."
+
+"This is an informal conference, doctor, and I hope you will express
+your views freely," said the captain.
+
+"There is something in the situation which I cannot explain. I will only
+say that it is just possible there is a conspiracy at the bottom of the
+whole affair; and I should think it would be well to keep a close watch
+upon both of these officers. Why, on the voyage of the Bronx to the
+Gulf, Ensign Passford, as he was then, discovered two Confederate
+officers in his crew, and squarely defeated their efforts to capture
+his ship in the action with the Scotian, I believe it was."
+
+"I have heard of it; and in quite a number of instances, Confederates
+have been put on board of steamers for the purpose of taking them from
+their officers," added the captain. "At the same time, I do not see that
+I can decide this question on any other evidence than that of the
+commission and other official documents."
+
+Both of the other officers assented to this view, and the captain sent
+for the two claimants. Neither of them had spoken a word to the other
+during their stay in the ward room. Christy looked upon his cousin as a
+Confederate who was serving what he called his country, and he had not
+the slightest disposition to quarrel with him, and especially not to
+lead him to utter any unnecessary falsehoods. Possibly Corny was
+somewhat diffident about playing his assumed character before his cousin
+when they were alone, for they had always been the best of friends.
+
+"Gentlemen, I have come to a decision in this matter," said the captain,
+when the two claimants had placed themselves before him in a standing
+position. "I cannot go behind the commission presented by the officer
+who came on board last evening, and I consider it my duty to regard him
+as the real Lieutenant Passford, recently promoted to his present rank.
+There is nothing more to be said."
+
+"Of course I expected that would be your decision," replied Corny, as
+he took the papers which the captain returned to him, including his
+commission and report.
+
+"You may retire now, if you please, Mr. Passford," added the commander.
+
+Corny bowed politely to the officers at the table, and left the cabin.
+He did not even glance at Christy, and his face did not look like that
+of one who had just won a decided victory. Christy remained standing
+where he had placed himself; and he began to wonder what disposition
+would be made of him under present circumstances.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+THE PRISONER OF WAR
+
+
+After rendering his decision it was evident that Captain Battleton had
+something to say to Christy, for he waited in silence till Corny had
+closed the door behind him before he even looked at the officer standing
+before him. The lieutenant from the moment the envelopes were opened and
+their contents exposed to the view of all present, had fully expected
+the result just announced. Whatever he thought, suspected, or surmised
+when he saw the blank papers taken from his official envelope, he kept
+to himself.
+
+"You have heard the decision I have just given, Mr. Passford, for I have
+no doubt that is your real name," said the captain, when the cabin door
+was closed.
+
+"I have, captain," replied Christy, bowing respectfully.
+
+"Have you anything to say in regard to it?"
+
+"Nothing at all," replied Christy, bowing again, and bearing himself
+with the dignity of a veteran officer; and in the matter of demeanor,
+the Confederate Captain Carboneer had presented to him one of the best
+models he had seen, both in action and as a prisoner.
+
+"You do not wish to make any explanation of the remarkable situation in
+which you find yourself placed at the present moment?"
+
+"At present, I do not, captain."
+
+"You certainly could not have been aware that your official envelope
+contained only blank paper. I cannot believe that one more simple-minded
+than I believe you to be would have had the effrontery to present such
+matter as evidence that he was an officer of the United States Navy,"
+continued Captain Battleton, with a look of greater severity than he had
+before assumed, possibly because he realized that the real Lieutenant
+Passford was higher in rank than he was himself.
+
+"I supposed the official envelope contained my commission and orders."
+
+"You believe that your papers were taken from you, and the blanks
+substituted for them?"
+
+"I cannot explain the matter at present, and you must excuse me from
+offering merely vague suspicions and conjectures."
+
+"Do you realize your present situation, Mr. Passford?" asked the
+captain, apparently disappointed at the unwillingness of the young man
+to attempt an explanation.
+
+"I think I do, captain, and I submit to your authority as the commander
+of the ship," answered Christy, with a dignified bow.
+
+"As I said before, I have no doubt you are a Passford; and I have been
+compelled to decide that you are not the son of Captain Horatio
+Passford, the distinguished gentleman who has done so much for his
+country in the present war."
+
+"With the evidence before you, I do not see how you could have decided
+otherwise."
+
+"Whether the decision be just or not, I am obliged to regard you as son
+of the Homer Passford who supports the government of the Confederacy.
+You and the other Mr. Passford have recognized each other as cousins."
+
+"We are cousins."
+
+"Then it follows that one of the two must be a Confederate who is on
+board of a United States ship for some purpose not yet explained, but
+fairly supposed to be hostile."
+
+"I admit the correctness of your conclusion."
+
+"I have already recognized the Union officer, and therefore you must be
+the Confederate."
+
+"Without reflecting upon your decision, I must deny that I am a
+Confederate, and proclaim that my motto is 'Stand by the Union!'"
+
+"In spite of your denial and your motto, I shall have to regard you as
+a prisoner of war, and treat you as such," said the captain, rising from
+his chair, the others following his example.
+
+"I submit to your authority, Captain Battleton," replied Christy, bowing
+to the commander.
+
+"But I do not wish to subject you to any unnecessary restraint, and I
+shall be willing to accept your parole that you will engage in no
+hostile movement on board of the Vernon," continued the captain, in
+milder tones.
+
+"I cannot accept a parole, captain, for that would be equivalent to an
+admission that I am a Confederate; and I claim to be a loyal officer."
+
+"If you are, I am sorry that you are unable to prove your claim. I have
+only one officer on board as a passenger, for the reason that I had only
+one spare stateroom. There is no place for you in the ward room, and it
+does not appear that you are an officer."
+
+"I shall find no fault with my accommodations, whatever they are,"
+replied Christy.
+
+"I must object to your wearing the shoulder straps of a lieutenant on
+board of the Vernon," added Captain Battleton.
+
+"I have a plain frock in my valise which I wore when the Teaser was
+captured," added Christy with a smile. "I will remove my coat and wear
+that."
+
+"Now I will see where I can find a place for you to berth," said the
+captain as he left the cabin.
+
+"I am sorry you did not explain the blank paper in your envelope, Mr.
+Passford," said the surgeon, as they were leaving the cabin.
+
+"I cannot explain it--how can I?" replied Christy. "Whoever took out my
+papers and put the blanks in their place, did not make me his confidant
+in the operation."
+
+"But can you not recall some event or circumstance which will throw some
+light on the mystery?" persisted Dr. Connelly.
+
+"I can; but I have not had time to consider any events or circumstances,
+and it would not be treating Captain Battleton with proper respect to
+submit a string of crude conjectures to him."
+
+At this moment the captain appeared in the gangway, and interrupted the
+conversation. He informed the prisoner of war, as he chose to regard
+him, that he had directed the carpenter to put up a temporary berth for
+him. Christy opened his valise, and took from it his frock, which he put
+on after he had disposed of his coat. Then he looked like a common
+sailor. He was informed that his berth was just forward of the steerage,
+in that part of the steamer where the men slung their hammocks. The
+third lieutenant was directed to show him to the place indicated.
+
+The carpenter and his assistants were still at work on the berth, and
+Christy, placing his valise near it, seated himself by it. For the first
+time since he came on board of the Vernon he had an opportunity to
+reflect upon the events of the day. Corny Passford was the present
+master of the situation. 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. Where had he obtained the commission, and where the
+original report? These were not hard questions, now that the
+preliminaries of the plot had been fully developed.
+
+Walsh, the man-servant at Bonnydale, was now a seaman on board of the
+Vernon, under the real or assumed name of Byron. He denied his identity,
+as he would naturally do under the circumstances; but Christy had not
+a doubt that he was the man who had suddenly disappeared after the
+mysterious visitation of the night before. Doubtless, Corny had been the
+visitor at the mansion, and had procured the contents of the official
+envelope on this occasion.
+
+He appeared to have been unwilling to trust Byron, as the seaman
+preferred to be called, and had attended to the business in person with
+the assistance of his confederate. The report was lying on the table in
+his chamber, and Byron could have borrowed it for any length of time to
+enable Corny to make a copy. Whoever had visited his chamber in the
+night, whether Corny or the man-servant, he must have taken the official
+envelope to the library, or some other part of the house, for it had
+been carefully opened, and restored to its former condition after the
+genuine documents in it had been replaced by the blank paper.
+
+It was now all as clear to Christy as though he had observed the
+proceedings of the conspirators, and taken notes of all they had done.
+The purpose of all these operations was quite as obvious as the details
+of the scheme. Either the Vernon or the Bronx was to be captured,
+perhaps both, for of course Christy could not determine in what manner
+the mischief was to be accomplished. Prisoner of war as he was, he never
+felt burdened with a greater responsibility than when he realized the
+actual situation.
+
+This responsibility was not of a personal nature. He did not have the
+feeling that he had been vanquished in the contest before the captain,
+and the fact that he was a prisoner hardly disturbed him. It was the
+prospective injury to the cause of his country which occasioned his
+solicitude. His object was to save the Vernon, the Bronx, or both, from
+being handed over to the enemy without a struggle to save them, one or
+both.
+
+He had no fault to find with the captain for his decision against
+him, which seemed to be natural and warrantable. He had no ill-feeling
+against his cousin, for he was trying to serve the cause he had
+espoused. He was even willing to believe that he would have done the
+same thing himself under like circumstances.
+
+After he had considered the subject for a couple of hours he went back
+to one of his first points, relating to the fitness and capacity of
+Corny to accomplish the task he had undertaken. It was evident enough
+on the face of it that his cousin, even if he had been a veteran naval
+officer, could not carry out the plan alone. He must have confederates,
+in the double sense, on board of the Vernon. In the early stages of the
+war, men who had served in the navy as officers were coming home from
+all parts of the world to take part on one side or the other in the
+struggle. Those even who were disloyal could obtain commissions in
+the loyal navy if their consciences would let them take the oath of
+allegiance with a mental reservation. Christy had encountered several
+of this kind.
+
+Many of the seamen were foreigners who cared little on which side they
+served, and one or more of the four officers in the ward room might be
+at work for the Confederacy. Christy thought he was in an excellent
+position to investigate the matter, and he decided that this should be
+his first duty. Among the crew there must be some who were to take part
+in the plot of Corny, whatever it was.
+
+Before the close of the conference the Atlantic had begun to be quite
+"sloppy," and the Vernon was now laboring in an ugly cross sea, which
+caused her to roll heavily.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+A MORAL PHILOSOPHER.
+
+
+The temporary berth was finished, the bedding put into it, and Christy
+took possession of it. For the present he had done all the thinking he
+cared to do, and he felt that his present duty was in action. He was a
+prisoner of war, and as such he was in disgrace in a loyal ship's
+company; at least, he felt that he was so under present circumstances.
+He was not disgusted at his failure to establish his identity, nor
+disheartened at the prospect before him. More than ever before in the
+two years of his experience as a naval officer, he realized that it was
+his duty to "Stand by the Union."
+
+The watch below were all around him. Some of them were mending their
+clothes, others were reading newspapers they had brought with them, but
+the greater part of them were in squads engaged in talking about the
+events of the war. The nearest group to Christy were conversing about
+the two lieutenants who claimed to be the real officer ordered to the
+command of the Bronx. It seemed rather strange to the listener that they
+should know anything about the events which had happened in the secrecy
+of the captain's cabin, and this circumstance led him to believe that at
+least one of the officers of the ship must be a confederate of Corny.
+
+There was nothing necessarily secret in the proceedings in the cabin,
+and the stewards might have heard what was said in the ward room after
+the decision had been rendered, reporting it to members of the crew,
+who had circulated it as the latest news. At any rate, the group near
+Christy were talking about the two officers who claimed to be Lieutenant
+Passford. They spoke in low tones, and Christy could hardly hear what
+they said. His berth was ready for him, and he concluded to lie down in
+it. He took no notice of the speakers, and soon pretended to be asleep.
+
+"Do you know who is in that berth, Warton?" asked one of the four men,
+speaking in a low tone, but loud enough to enable Christy to hear him.
+
+"I don't know; do you, Rockton?" replied the one addressed; and it was
+evident to the listener that the men were at least persons of average
+education with but little of the common sailor in it.
+
+"I do; one of the officers told me all about it not half an hour
+ago," answered Rockton. "The fellow who is asleep there is the other
+Passford."
+
+"Is that so? Then we mustn't talk here," added Warton, apparently
+somewhat alarmed. "Who told you so?"
+
+"I said one of the officers; and you know as well as I do which one."
+
+The speakers said no more, but leaving the locality near the berth, they
+moved forward in a body. Christy was sorry he was not to hear any more
+of the conversation; but he felt that he had made some progress in his
+work. He had obtained the names of two of the men, and ascertained that
+one of the officers in the ward room was a Confederate. With this
+information he could the more readily obtain more. Christy did not wish
+to sleep, and he felt that he could not afford to spend his time in that
+way. He sat up in the berth, and wrote the two names he had heard in his
+pocket-diary, in order to make sure that he did not forget them. While
+he was thus engaged Dr. Connelly came into the quarters of the crew.
+
+"Well, Mr. Passford, are you all right?" asked the surgeon, as soon as
+he discovered Christy in the dim light of the place.
+
+"All right in every respect," replied the young officer cheerfully.
+
+"You are not sea-sick?" inquired the doctor, laughing.
+
+"Sea-sick! No, sir; I believe I never was sea-sick in my life."
+
+"You are more fortunate than your cousin, for he is having quite a hard
+time of it," added the doctor, who seemed to be very much amused that
+the future commander of the Bronx, who had been to sea so much, should
+be afflicted in this manner.
+
+"He was always sea-sick when he first went out, and it appears that he
+has not yet got over the habit. He was so badly off on one occasion that
+my father thought of taking him on shore, and sending him back to Mobile
+by land."
+
+"Do you refer to the lieutenant appointed to the command of the Bronx on
+our arrival in the Gulf?" asked Dr. Connelly, laughing.
+
+"I do not; I am that person myself," replied Christy very decidedly. "By
+the way, I wonder that the commander did not subject the two claimants
+to an examination in navigation and seamanship. It might have thrown
+some light on the subject."
+
+"Probably Captain Battleton did not think of that, taking it for granted
+that you were both sailors; but the other Mr. Passford is not in
+condition to undergo such an examination at present."
+
+"I do not ask for it, though of course I am anxious to have the truth
+come out, for just now I am in disgrace as an impostor, to say nothing
+of being regarded as an enemy of the Union," replied Christy. "He
+who occupies a stateroom in the steamer is my own cousin, and the
+pleasantest relations have always subsisted between our families. I have
+nothing against him personally, and I would do him a kindness as readily
+as ever before in my life."
+
+"But he has placed you in a very awkward position, Mr. Passford."
+
+"I am willing to believe that he is doing his duty to his country, and
+his grand mistake is in believing that the fraction of it in rebellion
+is his country."
+
+"If you are the genuine Lieutenant Passford, in spite of the captain's
+decision, your cousin has told lies enough to-day to swamp a reprobate,
+to to say nothing of a Christian," added the surgeon, seating himself at
+the side of the berth.
+
+"I do not regard his statements as lies in any proper sense of the word,
+Dr. Connelly," replied Christy with considerable spirit. "I have had
+occasion to deceive the enemy on several occasions; and nearly two years
+ago I looked up the morality of lying on the field of battle and its
+surroundings. I think my father is as good a Christian man as draws the
+breath of life, and I found that I simply held to his opinions."
+
+"Your father is good authority," added the surgeon.
+
+"I studied history a little in relation to this subject, for I wanted
+to know whether any lies I might tell in serving my country were to
+be registered against me. I know that I would not tell a lie in the
+ordinary relations of life; but I am sure that I should have been a
+traitor to the Union if I had told the enemy the simple truth on several
+occasions. I captured a schooner loaded with cotton by pretending to be
+what I was not. If it is justifiable to kill a man in war, it must be
+justifiable to tell a lie to the enemy."
+
+"I think you are right, Mr. Passford. You spoke of history."
+
+"George Washington is regarded as one who could not tell a lie from the
+time the little hatchet story had birth to the end of the Revolution. We
+read that he strongly impressed Clinton with the belief that he intended
+to attack New York; and the school history says that this deception was
+so successfully practised, that Washington was some distance on his way
+to Virginia before Clinton suspected where he was leading his army.
+
+"Bancroft says that Clinton was deceived by letters which were written
+to be intercepted. The books say that Washington used every art in his
+power to deceive Clinton. He wrote letters containing the barefaced
+lie that he intended to attack New York when he intended to attack
+Cornwallis. It was not a mere white lie, for he intended to deceive. We
+don't regard Washington as a liar, and he was not a liar in any proper
+sense of the word. All the high-toned generals on both sides in the
+present war do not hesitate to deceive the enemy, for it is a part of
+their duty to do so. In my judgment, a lie that is acted is the same as
+a spoken lie."
+
+"You are a moral philosopher, Mr. Passford," said the surgeon, laughing
+at the earnestness of the speaker.
+
+"Hardly, doctor; I looked up the subject for my own benefit. I simply
+mean to say that I do not consider my cousin a liar," replied Christy,
+who was an earnest debater when he became warm in his subject.
+
+Dr. Connelly left him, and made his tour of inspection among the men.
+The steamer was still rolling heavily, and the prisoner found himself
+more comfortable in his berth than on the lower deck. He had not yet
+learned whether or not he was to remain confined in his present
+quarters, and when the surgeon returned from his tour, he asked him
+to inquire of the captain in regard to his limits. He was informed that
+he could go on deck for an hour in the forenoon, and an hour in the
+afternoon. It was nearly night and he did not avail himself of this
+permission.
+
+For the next three days it blew a gale, moderating at times, and then
+piping up again. To a sailor it was not bad weather, but Christy learned
+from the surgeon that his cousin was confined to his berth during all
+this time. The prisoner went on deck for the time permitted each
+forenoon and afternoon. He had his eyes wide open all the time, on the
+lookout for anything that would afford him further information in regard
+to the plot in the midst of which he was living.
+
+He identified Rockton and Warton, but not the other two who had formed
+the group near his berth, on his first visit to the deck. On the fourth
+day out, he saw one of these men talking cautiously to the second
+lieutenant. Following up this clew he satisfied himself that Mr.
+Galvinne was the black sheep in the officers' quarters. Corny came on
+deck that day, for the sea was comparatively smooth, and took a seat on
+the quarter-deck.
+
+Christy did not go near him, but he watched him very closely. He had not
+long to wait before Mr. Galvinne, who was then the officer of the deck,
+spoke to him, and they had quite a long conversation. He could not hear
+a word of it; but the fact that they were intimate enough to hold what
+appeared to be a confidential interview was enough to satisfy the
+prisoner that the second lieutenant was the principle confederate of his
+cousin. How many of the crew were "packed" for the enterprise he could
+form no idea.
+
+The weather continued favorable till the end of the cruise, and then on
+the eighth day the Vernon arrived near her destination off Pensacola
+Bay. Thus far no attempt had been made to capture the steamer, and the
+plot was as dark as it had been in the beginning. Christy thought that
+Corny was becoming somewhat nervous when the vessels of the squadron
+were made out in the distance.
+
+"There appear to be only three steamers in sight," said the captain, who
+had come into the waist to observe the fleet.
+
+"That is the flag-ship, I think, anchored the farthest from the shore,"
+replied Mr. Galvinne, to whom the remark had been addressed.
+
+"I suppose that is the Bronx astern of her," added Captain Battleton.
+"It is the smallest of the three, at any rate. Mr. Salisbury, you will
+run directly for the flag-ship," he added to the executive officer on
+the quarter-deck.
+
+Christy recognized the Bronx if others did not, for none of the officers
+had been on this station before. He wondered if the present deception
+was likely to be carried out to the accomplishment of the end the
+conspirators had in view. He could see nothing to prevent its
+accomplishment.
+
+"I must ask you to report below, Mr. Passford," said the captain rather
+sternly; and perhaps he did not care to be charged with over-indulgence
+of his prisoner.
+
+He bowed submissively, and went to his berth in the men's quarters. The
+anchor had been cast loose, and the cable put in condition to run out.
+Christy had hardly reached his berth before he heard the rattle of the
+chain, and the voyage was ended.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+A CHANGE OF QUARTERS IN THE CONFUSION
+
+
+Christy obeyed the order of Captain Battleton when he was directed to
+report below; but he felt that he was permitting the plot of his cousin
+to be carried out without any opposition, and without any attempt to
+check its progress. But he was a prisoner, and he realized that he could
+do nothing. His case had been tried, and he had been condemned to his
+present condition. It was useless to appeal to the captain, for he had
+already passed upon all the facts that had been presented before him.
+
+Seated on the side of his berth he considered the situation very
+faithfully. The Bronx lay off St. Rosa's Island; she was on the
+blockade, evidently ready to trip her anchor, whenever occasion should
+require. In regard to her officers Christy only knew that Mr. Flint was
+in temporary command of her, in place of Mr. Blowitt, who had become the
+executive officer of the Bellevite. The other officers must have been
+appointed for temporary service.
+
+As Christy viewed the matter, there appeared to be no obstacle to the
+success of Corny's scheme for the capture of the Bronx, unless it was
+Mr. Flint, who might or might not discover that the new commander was an
+impostor. If his old associate saw the two cousins together, he would
+have no difficulty in determining which was his former commander; seeing
+Corny alone he might be deceived. With the flag-officer, who had seen
+Christy but once or twice, he was not likely to suspect that Corny was
+an impostor.
+
+The Bronx had but one officer on board who had been permanently
+appointed to her, and at least two others must be selected to serve
+on board of her. It would be an easy matter for Corny to procure the
+appointment of Mr. Galvinne, who was doubtless competent to handle the
+vessel as the impostor certainly was not.
+
+When he realized that the scheme of his cousin, or whoever had devised
+it, was in a fair way to accomplish its object, Christy felt that he
+must do something. Though he was a prisoner and in disgrace, he did not
+feel that he was absolved from the duty of attempting to save the Bronx
+to the Union. He had refused to accept a parole, or anything of that
+kind, and his honor as an officer did not require him to submit to the
+discipline of his situation. He was a prisoner; but the responsibility
+of retaining him as such belonged to the captain of the Vernon for the
+present.
+
+His reflections relieved him of all scruples in regard to any action he
+might resolve to take. He was held in confinement as a Confederate. When
+he had been taken by the enemy and locked up as a Union prisoner, he had
+considered his duty, independently of his desire to be free, and he had
+effected his escape with Flint. In the present instance his confinement
+was not irksome, but he felt more keenly than before that he ought to do
+something to save the little gunboat; and he could do nothing without
+first getting into a position where he could act.
+
+Between the decks of the Vernon, he could do nothing; he could not even
+see what was going on, though he had no doubt the captain was in the act
+of reporting to the flag-officer. Probably Corny would go off in the
+first boat to report for duty, and receive his orders. The seamen
+who were simply passengers on board of the steamer, were below in
+considerable numbers, gathering up their bags, and preparing for the
+transfer to the flag-ship, or to the Bronx, for there were no other
+vessels near to receive them.
+
+Christy felt very much like a caged tiger. He had hoped that the
+Bellevite would be on the station when he arrived, for there were plenty
+of officers and seamen on board of her who could identify him beyond the
+possibility of a doubt. In that case he intended to make a strong appeal
+to Captain Battleton, for he would then have the means of arriving at a
+correct conclusion. Then he could explain in what manner he had been
+robbed of his papers with some chance of having his statement accepted.
+
+The prisoner walked up and down the lower deck, doing his best to
+conceal the agitation which had taken possession of him. No one took any
+notice of him, for the seamen had become accustomed to the presence of
+the captive officer. While he was struggling to contain his emotions, he
+heard the rattle of the cable again, and saw the chain descending to the
+locker below.
+
+"What does that mean, my man?" asked Christy of one of the men near him.
+"They appear to be weighing the anchor."
+
+"That is what they are doing," replied the man indifferently.
+
+"What is that for?"
+
+"The flag officer has not told me yet what he is about, and I am not
+good at guessing, though I am a Yankee," replied the man chuckling,
+as though he believed he had said something funny.
+
+"The flag-officer has signalled for the Vernon to come alongside,"
+interposed another seaman who had heard the question.
+
+"Thank you, my man," replied Christy, beginning at once to consider how
+this change would affect him.
+
+"The Bronx is getting under way also," said the civil tar, who evidently
+had some sympathy for the prisoner. "Probably she is also ordered
+alongside. Twenty-five of us have been detailed to serve on board of
+her, and I am one of them."
+
+"Then I may see you again, my friend. Thank you for your information,
+and will you give me your name?" added Christy.
+
+"My name is Ralph Pennant; I have a sea-going name, and I suppose
+that is the reason why I went to sea," replied the seaman, with a
+good-natured laugh. "I have been the mate of a steamer, but I could not
+get any better position than that of able seaman, and I wanted to be in
+this stir-up."
+
+"I have no doubt you will work your way up in good time," added Christy,
+who saw that Pennant was an intelligent and reliable man, though it was
+possible from the appearance of his face that he had been in the habit
+of imbibing too much whiskey for his own good.
+
+In a short time the Vernon was alongside the flag-ship. Christy had put
+his uniform coat in his valise, and still wore the frock he had taken
+from it. He had removed his linen collar, and put on a woollen shirt and
+a seaman's cap, for he did not care to be taken for an officer among the
+crew. He carried his valise to the vicinity of the forehatch, and looked
+up through the opening to ascertain what he could of the movements on
+board.
+
+"There comes the Bronx," said a seaman standing at the head of the
+ladder.
+
+"Ay, ay; and she is coming alongside the Vernon," added another.
+
+The store-ship had been made fast to the flag-ship, and at this moment
+came a call for all hands to go aft. Christy could not endure the
+suspense any longer, and taking his valise in his hand he went on deck,
+just as the Bronx came alongside. Mr. Flint was on duty with a couple
+of young officers, and gave the orders to make her fast to the Vernon.
+Captain Battleton was going up the side of the flag-ship, followed by
+Corny.
+
+Christy put his valise in a convenient place, and then concealed himself
+in the firemen's quarters under the top-gallant forecastle. He found a
+place beneath a bunk which would effectually conceal him unless a very
+thorough search should be made for him. But he only kept this place as a
+resort in case of emergency, for he placed himself where he could see
+out at the door; and it was a good location to overlook all that took
+place on the quarter-deck where the officers were, and the waist where
+the men had been assembled.
+
+The second lieutenant was calling over a list of names, which Christy
+concluded was the draft of seamen for the Bronx. Possibly Captain
+Passford had used some influence in this selection, for all the other
+hands were to be put on board of the flag-ship to be assigned to such
+vessels as needed to be reinforced by the officers of the staff.
+
+As the names were called the men passed over to the starboard side, with
+their bags in their hands, for there was evidently to be no delay in
+making the transfer. But it was a full hour before Captain Battleton
+and Corny returned from the flag-ship. The prisoner on the forecastle
+thought his cousin looked very complacent, and his return indicated
+that his plot had not miscarried, and that the flag-officer had not
+challenged the identity of the future commander of the Bronx.
+
+Corny's first movement on board of the Vernon was to take the hand of
+Mr. Galvinne, whom he appeared to be congratulating on a promotion or
+appointment. The second lieutenant promptly handed his lists to the
+third lieutenant, Mr. Winter, who proceeded with the calling of the
+names. Corny and Mr. Galvinne immediately went below, and Christy
+concluded that the officer he had spotted as the traitor had been
+appointed to the little gunboat, either as first or second lieutenant,
+and that they were making their preparations to go on board of her. In a
+few minutes they appeared with the steward of the ward room carrying
+their baggage.
+
+Corny politely saluted Mr. Flint, the acting commander of the gunboat.
+Mr. Galvinne was introduced, and there was plenty of bowing and formal
+politeness. Corny presented his commission and orders for the inspection
+of the officer in command, and for the present the formalities were
+completed. Corny was evidently in command of the Bronx; but Christy
+could not determine the position of Mr. Flint, and he watched his
+movements with intense interest for some time.
+
+The late acting-commander did not leave the deck, as he would have been
+likely to do if he had been relieved and ordered to report on board of
+the flag-ship, though he might have been superseded as executive
+officer,--a position which he was clearly entitled to hold. A little
+later, the draft of seamen were ordered to file on board of the Bronx.
+Then the observer saw Mr. Galvinne, with a rather pompous gesture point
+to the men who were coming on board, and say something he could not hear
+to Mr. Flint. He had evidently directed him to receive the seamen as
+they came on deck. This indicated that the late second lieutenant of the
+Vernon had been appointed executive officer of the Bronx.
+
+Christy felt that the time for action had come. Taking his valise in his
+hand he joined the file of men, and cleverly inserting himself between
+a couple of them, he went on the deck of the Bronx without being
+challenged as to his right to do so. Doubtless Captain Battleton had
+reported that he had a prisoner on board, though he had not had time to
+tell the whole story of the investigation, which had probably been
+postponed to a more convenient time. Mr. Flint went forward to receive
+the seamen as they came on deck, and he ordered them to pipe below and
+leave their bags there.
+
+"Where is your bag?" asked Mr. Flint, as Christy, the actual commander
+of the Bronx, passed him. "What are you doing with a valise?"
+
+"I have no bag, sir," replied Christy in submissive tones.
+
+"Find a bag, for we shall throw that valise overboard," added Mr. Flint.
+
+"I don't think you will, sir, after the circumstances have been
+explained."
+
+Suddenly the officer started back, and began to look very sharply at the
+presumed sailor. But the file pressed behind him, and Christy was too
+glad to move with it to delay a moment longer. He went below to the
+familiar quarters of the crew, and saw many of his old seamen still on
+board, though many of them had been taken to reinforce other vessels.
+
+Christy deposited his valise in a secure place near the door leading
+into the steerage. All hands were on deck attending to the transfer of
+seamen, even to the stewards. The way was clear, and the late prisoner
+promptly decided what to do. He thought the captain's cabin was the
+proper place for him, and he went there.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+LAYING OUT A PLAN OF OPERATIONS
+
+
+Christy had deposited his valise in a place where it was not likely to
+be seen unless a search was made for it. There was no one in the ward
+room to obstruct his advance to the captain's cabin. He had served as
+acting-commander of the vessel in a voyage from New York to the Gulf,
+and been the executive officer on board for a short term, and he was
+perfectly at home in every part of her. In the conspiracy on his last
+voyage in the Bronx, Pink Mulgrum had concealed himself under the
+berth in the captain's stateroom, where Dave, the cabin steward, had
+discovered him, though he might have remained there a month if his
+hiding-place had not been suspected.
+
+Christy thought this would be an excellent retreat for him, not only
+because it promised him the greatest security, but because it would
+permit him to hear what passed between the pretended commander and
+others, especially Mr. Galvinne. He had been reasonably confident of
+returning to the gunboat when he went to the North as prize master,
+though not as her commander, and he had left his trunk on board.
+
+It was a humiliating posture for the actual commander of the vessel, but
+he promptly got down upon the floor of the stateroom, and crawled under
+the berth. He placed the trunk and some other articles there so as to
+form a sort of breast-work, behind which he carefully bestowed himself.
+It was not an uncomfortable position, for the floor was carpeted and an
+old satchel filled with his cast-off garments furnished him a pillow
+sufficiently soft for a person on extraordinary duty.
+
+The cabin was to be occupied by Corny, though his cousin had no doubt
+that Mr. Galvinne was the real leader in the adventure of capturing the
+steamer. Both of them would be obliged to keep up appearances for the
+present. Christy's first thought after he had settled himself in his
+new quarters related to the cabin steward, who had served him very
+faithfully, and whom he had brought off in the Teaser, the former name
+of the Bronx. He had no doubt he was still on board, and probably acting
+in his former capacity, for Mr. Flint knew that he was attached to the
+man for the service he had rendered, not only to him but to his country.
+He was absolutely sure that Dave could be trusted under any and all
+circumstances, and the first thing he did would be to make a connection
+with him.
+
+Christy became rather impatient because the Bronx did not get under
+way; but he concluded from such sounds as came to his ears that she
+was taking in shot, shells, and powder, as well as stores and supplies.
+At any rate, neither Corny nor his first lieutenant came into the cabin,
+so far as he could ascertain. But he had not been in his hiding-place
+an hour before he heard a noise in the adjoining apartment. It was not
+the commander, for the noise was an occasional rapping; it was not an
+unfamiliar sound to him, for he had often heard it before when he lay in
+his berth. Dave was a remarkably neat person, and he was always dusting
+the cabin and stateroom when he had nothing else to do. He was sure that
+the rapping was caused by the steward's feather duster.
+
+In a few minutes, when he had made the cabin tidy for the reception of
+"Massa Cap'n Passford," he transferred his labors to the stateroom. He
+worked in the berth and all its surroundings, including the desk, which
+still contained the real commander's papers, and then gave his attention
+to the trunk beneath.
+
+"Dave," said Christy, after he had obtained a view of the back of the
+steward's head which satisfied him that he was the right man.
+
+"Mullygumps!" exclaimed Dave, as he suspended his labors on the trunk.
+
+No doubt he was greatly surprised to hear his name, pronounced as though
+it came up through the deck, as he had abundant reason to be.
+
+"Dave," repeated Christy, in a more decided tone after he had heard the
+voice of the steward.
+
+"Is that you, Pink Mulgrum?" demanded Dave. "I give you the whole State
+of Alabama, but I thought we done rid of you long ago. Who's there?"
+
+"Don't you know me, Dave?" asked Christy, speaking out plainly so that
+the steward might recognize his voice.
+
+"Maggywogs! That sounds like Massa Christy's voice; but I done seen him
+on deck five or ten minutes ago."
+
+"No, you didn't, Dave; that was Corny," replied Christy.
+
+"Gollywops! But he was in command of the Bronx, for I done seen Mr.
+Flint hand it over to him. Go 'way! You can't fool this colored person."
+
+"I tell you the truth, Dave; but things are mixed," added Christy.
+
+"I believe you; they be mixed if you be the captain when I done seen him
+on deck just now."
+
+"Sit down on the floor, Dave, and I will tell you all about it,"
+continued Christy, though the difficulty of convincing the steward was
+not unexpected.
+
+"Let me see your face before you told me anything," persisted Dave, as
+he pulled out one end of the trunk, and dropped upon his knees where he
+could see under the berth.
+
+Christy crawled to the front of the berth, and thrust his head out into
+the stateroom in as natural a position as he could place it.
+
+"Wollywogs! You look like Massa Christy, for sure," exclaimed Dave, as
+he gave himself up to a study of the face presented to him. "But the
+captain looks like Massa Christy too."
+
+"You have never seen my cousin Corny, I believe, Dave; but he looks like
+me. Now sit down, and I will tell you all about it."
+
+"I never saw Massa Corny; but I done hear enough about him when I was at
+Bonnydale. Show me your knife and your watch, Massa Christy."
+
+He complied with the request, as he saw that it was a very simple means
+of identification, for the steward had some skill as a mechanic, and
+he had frequently sharpened the knife, and knew the repeater of the
+lieutenant from having seen it so often, for it was a very peculiar
+watch. Dave's last doubt vanished when these articles were produced.
+
+"But the other Massa Passford looks just like you," added Dave.
+
+"If you saw us together you would not mistake him for me," replied
+Christy, as he proceeded to explain the situation to the steward, upon
+whom he depended for very important assistance.
+
+He related the incidents which had occurred at Bonnydale, the loss of
+his commission and orders, and the decision of Captain Battleton against
+him, concluding with the statement that he was then a prisoner of war,
+but had made his escape from the place where he had been required to
+remain.
+
+"A prisoner of war!" exclaimed the steward. "The commander of the ship a
+prisoner!"
+
+"That is exactly the situation, Dave. Can you tell me what they are
+doing on deck?" asked Christy, who began to feel more hopeful of the
+future.
+
+"The Bronx is taking in provisions, stores, and ammunition. They say the
+captain has his orders, but I don't know about that."
+
+"Can you tell me what position Mr. Flint has on board?"
+
+"He's just what he was before, when you was on board; he is the second
+lieutenant, and we have a new man for first, I believe they call him
+Gallivan," replied Dave, who was intelligent enough to comprehend what
+he saw on deck.
+
+"His name is Galvinne, and he was second lieutenant of the Vernon; but
+he is a Confederate. I think he is to be the real commander of the Bronx
+if they succeed in getting her into Pensacola," added Christy.
+
+"Into Pensacola!" exclaimed the steward, aghast at the remark.
+
+"Of course my cousin Corny intends to hand the vessel over to the
+Confederate government."
+
+"Gollywompus! My old master will get me back then!" groaned Dave, who
+had been very happy in his new service and at Bonnydale where he had
+spent considerable of his time while Christy was waiting for the fitting
+out of the Bronx. "I think I had better get on board of the flag-ship
+right off."
+
+"Don't do it, Dave, for I hope to save the vessel to the Union, and you
+can render me the most important service in this matter," added Christy.
+
+"Then I stay for sure; I don't go back on you, Massa Christy," protested
+the steward warmly.
+
+"Thank you, Dave."
+
+"There ain't no hole in this millstone for me," continued Dave, suddenly
+becoming very thoughtful. "I don't see how Massa Corny can run away with
+the steamer when she has her officers and crew on board."
+
+"I have just told you that the first lieutenant is a Confederate
+officer; and I have not yet learned who is the third lieutenant. Among
+the crew I know there are at least four men, and there may be twenty of
+them, who are to take part in this plot. The loyal men will not be
+likely to interfere with the officers unless they have a leader. The
+fact that the Bronx is headed into a Confederate port would not create a
+rebellion on board unless they were informed of the actual situation. By
+the time the Union men found out the plot, it would be too late for them
+to do anything, for the vessel would be under the guns of the forts."
+
+"But what are we going to do, Massa Christy?" asked the steward, dazzled
+by the situation.
+
+"We must recapture the vessel before she gets into port; and what I want
+most now is to see Mr. Flint. You must fix the matter in some way, Dave,
+so that I can see him. Now go on deck, and ascertain what is going on
+there. If you get a chance, speak to Mr. Flint; but be extremely
+careful."
+
+"You can trust Dave, Massa Christy," replied the steward, as the officer
+drew back into his hiding-place.
+
+Dave arranged the trunk and other articles to the best advantage for the
+concealment of the lieutenant, and then left the stateroom. Christy, as
+soon as he had become acquainted with the situation, had arranged his
+plan of action, and the new officers of the Bronx were likely to
+encounter a mutiny, either to inaugurate or end their sway. In less than
+half an hour, the steward returned to the stateroom with the information
+that he had spoken to the second lieutenant, and informed him that the
+real commander of the Bronx was concealed under the berth in the
+captain's stateroom.
+
+"Mr. Flint has not had his breakfast yet, and he will come below for it
+very soon," added Dave. "He was just coming down for it when he got the
+signal to come alongside the flag-ship."
+
+"Did Mr. Flint say anything?" asked Christy.
+
+"Not a word, sir; only said he would be down to his breakfast in a few
+minutes."
+
+The lieutenant took out his memorandum book, and looked at the names of
+the men he had spotted as disloyal, Rockton and Warton, to which he had
+added two others, Nichols and Swayne, after he had observed that they
+were very intimate with the two whose names he had learned from their
+own mouths.
+
+  [Illustration: Dave Identifies Christy.--Page 130.]
+
+"Now, Dave, I have another commission for you to execute," continued
+Christy, as he tore out the leaf on which he had written the names. "Not
+less than twenty-five of the crew of the Bronx came from New York in the
+Vernon. One of them is Ralph Pennant, and he is an intelligent man, and
+one that can be trusted. You will see him. Tell him the commander is an
+impostor. Do you know what an impostor is, Dave?"
+
+"I reckon I do, sir; your cousin Corny is an impostor," replied the
+steward promptly.
+
+"You will find this man, and give him this paper. The names on it are
+those of disloyal men. Tell him to look out for them, and find out as
+far as he can who are true to the Union."
+
+Christy had hardly finished his instructions to the steward before he
+heard footsteps in the cabin. Dave looked into the apartment and
+discovered Mr. Flint, who went into the stateroom at once.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+A LESSON IN ORDINARY POLITENESS
+
+
+Though the second lieutenant of the Bronx had not been to breakfast, it
+was not his stomach that made the first demand upon him. He directed the
+steward to remain in the gangway and apprise him of the coming of any
+person in the direction of the cabin and ward room. Dave took his
+station on the steps. Mr. Flint entered the stateroom, and the first
+thing he did was to drop down on his knees and thrust his right hand
+into the space under the berth. It was instantly grasped by Christy, and
+given a warm pressure.
+
+"Is it really you, Captain Passford?" asked the second lieutenant.
+
+"No doubt of it," replied Christy.
+
+"I thought you were somewhat changed in your looks when I saw you come
+on board of the Bronx, and then I felt that the greeting you gave me was
+rather stiff for an old comrade who had passed some time with you in a
+Confederate prison," added Mr. Flint.
+
+"We have no time to talk sentiment now. It is necessary for you to
+understand the situation better than you do," interposed Christy; and he
+proceeded to explain in what manner his cousin Corny happened to be in
+command of the Bronx, while he was himself nominally a prisoner of war.
+
+"Your absence from the between decks of the Vernon has been discovered,
+and Captain Battleton has caused the strictest search to be made for you
+on board of all three of the ships. The last I saw of him he was
+evidently talking with the flag-officer about you, as I judged from his
+looks and gestures," replied the second lieutenant.
+
+"He has not found me yet; and I think that the stateroom of the
+commander of the Bronx is the last place he will think of looking for
+me. But I have no time to talk of merely selfish matters, for I am not
+at all worried about my personal safety while we are within Union
+lines. If this plot succeeds, and the conspirators get the ship into a
+Confederate port, I shall feel differently about this matter. Has any
+third lieutenant been appointed, Mr. Flint?"
+
+"There has, captain; he is a young man by the name of Byron; but I did
+not learn his rank."
+
+"Byron!" exclaimed Christy, recalling Walsh, and the name he had
+insisted was his own when he first encountered him on board of the
+Vernon. "He may have a rank in the Confederate navy, but he has none
+in that of the Union. In other words, he is a Confederate officer or
+seaman, and he is the man who helped Corny steal my commission and
+orders."
+
+"We have a nest of them in the cabin--the captain and two officers.
+What is to be done? We cannot allow the Bronx to be captured by any
+such trick as this, with forty-five loyal seamen on board of her,
+to say nothing of myself as a loyal officer."
+
+"All the crew are not loyal," replied Christy, as he explained the
+instructions he had given to the steward.
+
+"But most of the crew must be loyal, for twenty of the old seamen
+remain on board, and every one of them is as true as steel," Mr. Flint
+insisted.
+
+"But the conspirators do not intend that any issue shall be raised
+until the vessel is under the guns of a Confederate fort. Doubtless Mr.
+Galvinne, whom I look upon as the actual commander of the steamer, for
+Corny is no sailor, will run into Pensacola Bay under the American flag.
+Probably he is a pilot in these waters, and knows what signal to make to
+the Confederate forts."
+
+"I don't believe he would attempt to run in while it is broad daylight,"
+suggested Mr. Flint. "Captain Corny already has his sailing orders. They
+are sealed, but he is to proceed to the eastward. I should say that he
+would obey orders, and when it is time for him to break the seals this
+evening, he will come about, hug the shore of St. Rosa's till he comes
+to the entrance of the bay, when he will go in."
+
+"If he does that, so much the better, for we shall have more time to
+prepare for a decided stroke," replied Christy. "I have my plan all
+ready, though of course it may fail, and to-night we may all be
+prisoners of war."
+
+"But don't you believe it will be better to appeal to the flag-officer?"
+asked the second lieutenant.
+
+"What good will that do?" demanded Christy. "My cousin has made out his
+case before the captain of the Vernon."
+
+"But you had no witnesses then. You have twenty or thirty of them now.
+I know you, and so do all the members of the old crew."
+
+"But it appears that you promptly accepted your commander in the person
+of my cousin," said Christy, laughing in spite of the gravity of the
+situation.
+
+"If I had seen you and Corny together, I should have known which was
+which," pleaded Mr. Flint.
+
+"Do you think if I should present myself on deck at this moment, wearing
+the frock and shirt of a common seaman, the men would identify me
+alongside Corny, who wears the uniform of an officer?"
+
+"I am not so sure of that."
+
+"I don't see how the commodore could go behind the commission which
+Corny carries in his pocket, with the orders of the department, any more
+than Captain Battleton could. I have thought of this, and I am afraid to
+trust myself to the chance," replied Christy very decidedly. "Besides,
+I desire to take the conspirators in the very act of running away with
+the Bronx; then I can make out a good case."
+
+"But how is this desirable end to be accomplished?" inquired the second
+lieutenant, who seemed to be troubled with some doubts.
+
+"Very easily, I think."
+
+"But you must not be rash, captain."
+
+"Will it be the highest prudence to permit the conspirators to take
+the Bronx into a Confederate port, Pensacola, or any other?" demanded
+Christy with more earnestness than he had yet manifested.
+
+"We may not be able to help ourselves."
+
+"By taking the bull by the horns in good season, I am confident we can
+prevent this mischief."
+
+Without discussing this matter any farther, Christy detailed his plan to
+Mr. Flint, which was certainly very simple, and the second lieutenant
+could raise no objection to it. He was requested to select the men who
+were to take part in the enterprise, and all the particulars were
+definitely arranged. There was nothing more to be done, and Christy was
+left to himself to consider what he had done. The hungry officer helped
+himself hastily from the table which was waiting for him in the ward
+room, and then hastened on deck.
+
+The transfer of cargo, so far as the Bronx was concerned, was completed.
+It appeared that the flag-officer was hurrying the departure of the
+steamer on her mission, whatever it was. He had just had a long talk
+with Corny, and doubtless there was danger that the object of the cruise
+might be defeated by delay. In a short time the Bronx was under way,
+headed to the eastward, in accordance with her verbal orders, for the
+sealed envelope was not to be opened till nine o'clock in the evening,
+as Christy learned from Mr. Flint.
+
+The deck was in charge of the second lieutenant, who was seeing that
+everything was put in order. But it might have been observed that he was
+more familiar with the men than was his habit. For the first time since
+he came on board, Corny went below to take a look at his quarters, Dave
+bearing his valise before him. At the same time Mr. Galvinne presented
+himself in the ward room to take possession of the stateroom of the
+first lieutenant, which was the farthest forward on the starboard side.
+It had been Christy's room during his service in the Gulf, though he had
+made himself at home in the captain's cabin when he was acting commander
+on the voyage from New York.
+
+"This is my cabin, is it?" said Corny, as he followed the steward into
+the apartment.
+
+"I think you ought to know it by this time, Captain Passford," answered
+Dave; and the remark was enough to condemn the impostor in the opinion
+of the servant. "You lived in here when you were in command of the
+vessel."
+
+"All right. You may go into the ward room and ask Mr. Galvinne to come
+in here," added Corny, who did not feel quite at home in the cabin, and
+was in mortal terror of committing some indiscretion in his unaccustomed
+position.
+
+"Invite the first lieutenant to the captain's cabin," said Dave. "Yes,
+sir;" and the steward left the cabin.
+
+It was some little time before Mr. Galvinne presented himself, for
+probably he did not feel bound to obey the orders of the bogus captain
+with especial promptness. However, he came after a quarter of an hour,
+and seated himself familiarly in an arm-chair at the table. He had the
+bearing of the superior officer, to which Corny made no objection.
+
+"We are all right so far," said Corny.
+
+"Perhaps we are; but you talk too much by half, Passford, and I have
+been dreading that you would make a slip of some kind," replied Mr.
+Galvinne rather crustily. "You were as stupid as a Kentucky mule when
+you stopped to talk with Byron in the waist."
+
+"And you were as stupid as an Alabama mule when you snapped at me for
+doing so in the presence of some of the sailors," replied Corny, with
+considerable spirit; and Christy, who heard all that was said, was glad
+to have him maintain the dignity of the family in his new situation.
+
+"I hope you will not make a donkey of yourself before we have finished
+this business," added the executive officer for the time being. "Now
+have you looked at your orders?"
+
+"I have not; they are sealed orders, and I am not to open them till nine
+o'clock this evening," replied Corny.
+
+"I believe you have lost all the wits you ever had, Passford," said Mr.
+Galvinne contemptuously.
+
+"If I did, you did not pick them up."
+
+"I am not going to banter with you, Passford. Where are your orders?"
+demanded the first lieutenant in a tyrannical manner.
+
+"They are in my pocket," replied Corny sourly.
+
+"Hand them over to me, and let us have no more fooling."
+
+"I will take care of the orders myself."
+
+"What! Are you not going to give them to me?" demanded Mr. Galvinne,
+apparently as much in astonishment as in anger.
+
+"Not till you change your tone. I wish you to understand that I am in
+command of this ship, and I have my commission in my pocket. I intend to
+be treated with decency at least."
+
+"Well, this is pleasant; and it will be my duty to report your conduct
+to my superior officer. In command of this ship! Why, you don't know
+enough to lay off the course of the ship, or even to box the compass."
+
+"I know enough to understand when I am treated like a gentleman. Change
+your manners, or I will order you to leave my cabin. You talk to me as
+though I were a small boy, and had nothing to do with the enterprise in
+which we are engaged," returned Corny.
+
+"Do you expect me to obey your orders?" demanded the executive officer
+in a sneering tone.
+
+"If you don't, I will send for the second lieutenant and a file of men
+to put you out of my cabin."
+
+There was a silence for a few moments.
+
+"This will never do, Passford," said the tyrannical officer.
+
+"I don't think it will, Galvinne. Behave like a gentleman, and we shall
+have no difficulty," added Corny.
+
+"Will you permit me to see your orders, Mr. Passford?" said the officer.
+
+The breach was closed, and Corny produced the sealed envelope.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+THE OPENING OF THE SECRET ORDERS
+
+
+Christy listened with interest to the conversation in the captain's
+cabin, though so far it had afforded him no information in regard to the
+present situation, and it was hardly likely to do so, for he had already
+been told by Mr. Flint what the next movement of the Bronx was to be.
+She had already been ordered to proceed to the eastward, and her sealed
+instructions would reveal the enterprise in which she was to engage.
+
+The steamer had been so successful while in command of Captain Blowitt
+in breaking up the shipping of cotton in a port where a larger vessel
+could not operate, that Christy promptly concluded that she was to
+be used in a similar enterprise. The listener was amused rather than
+impressed by the conversation which was in progress so near him, and
+especially at the display of dignity and authority on the part of his
+cousin.
+
+Mr. Galvinne had proved himself to be a very gentlemanly officer in what
+little Christy had seen of him on the voyage from New York; but the
+situation was entirely changed so far as he was concerned. It appeared
+from the conversation, as the listener had for some time supposed,
+that the second lieutenant of the Vernon was the real leader of the
+enterprise of which Corny was the nominal head. Probably the restraint
+of over a week imposed upon him had fretted his spirit, and when he
+found himself alone with his incompetent superior, he became conscious
+of the superiority his knowledge and training gave him.
+
+Christy rather sympathized with him in his contempt for the one who was
+only nominally his superior, though that could not excuse the breach of
+good manners of which he had been guilty, whether in the old or the new
+navy. He felt that Mr. Galvinne was a man of ability, and that he was
+the only person whom he had to fear in carrying out his plan for the
+recovery of the vessel.
+
+"I am not a naval officer, though I have given a good deal of attention
+to the study of nautical subjects in connection with this enterprise,
+and I am not a cipher," continued Corny, after he had handed the sealed
+envelope to his companion. "I expect to be treated with reasonable
+consideration, even while I defer to you in all nautical matters. Let
+us understand each other."
+
+"I acknowledge that I was altogether too brusque with you, Mr. Passford,
+and I beg your pardon for my rudeness," said Mr. Galvinne.
+
+"I am entirely satisfied, Mr. Galvinne; and here is my hand," added
+Corny, who doubtless felt that he had fully vindicated himself.
+
+"I have been living on a hot gridiron for the last ten days, and in
+the first moments of freedom I overstepped the limits of propriety.
+I hope we understand each other now, for we are engaged in an important
+enterprise, and we cannot afford to be at variance," replied the naval
+officer. "Our work is yet unfinished, though it has progressed admirably
+so far. Have I your permission to open this sealed envelope?"
+
+"Certainly, Mr. Galvinne; I had heard so much about sealed orders in the
+instructions given me for this undertaking, that I was under the
+impression that they were not to be seen till the time marked on the
+envelope."
+
+"It is not necessary to obey the orders of the Yankee flag-officer under
+present circumstances," answered Mr. Galvinne in a chuckling tone, as it
+sounded to the listener.
+
+The naval officer read the orders aloud for the benefit of his
+associate. The flag-officer had obtained information that a steamer
+was loading with cotton at St. Andrew's Bay, and Captain Passford was
+instructed to visit that locality and capture the vessel, and any others
+that might be found there.
+
+"Why was it necessary to give secret orders for such an expedition as
+this?" asked Corny.
+
+"It was wise on the part of the Yankee commodore to make his orders
+secret; for information might have been sent by telegraph or otherwise
+to St. Andrew's, which would have enabled our people to get the steamer
+mentioned out of the way, or to prepare a successful resistance to the
+gunboat sent to capture it," Mr. Galvinne explained in the tone of one
+who enlightens an ignorant person.
+
+"I see; that is plain enough," added Corny. "How far is it to St.
+Andrew's?"
+
+"If I remember rightly it is eighty-three sea miles from the entrance
+to Pensacola Bay. But you do not run away with the idea that it is
+necessary for you, as the present commander of the Bronx, to visit this
+place?" asked the naval officer.
+
+"Of course we are not bound to obey the orders of the Union
+flag-officer," added Corny. "But now you know the situation thoroughly,
+Mr. Galvinne, and I suppose you are ready to arrange your plans for the
+future."
+
+"There is not much planning to be done; all we have to do is to run into
+Pensacola when we are ready to do so," replied the naval officer.
+
+"Do you think it advisable to do so at once?" asked Corny; and his
+motive seemed to be simple curiosity, for he was not competent to give
+advice on a naval question, though he was in nominal command of the
+steamer.
+
+"Certainly not; for as soon as it was seen on board of the flag-ship
+that the commander of the Bronx was disobeying his orders, we should be
+chased by the two ships on the station and fired upon."
+
+"How shall you manage it?"
+
+"We shall be well out of sight of the flag-ship by dark, or sooner, and
+then we can come about, and keeping closely under the lee of the land,
+we shall reach the entrance of the bay before morning; and then all we
+have to do is to run in."
+
+"But the flag-ship will make out the steamer," suggested Corny.
+
+"We shall be too far in for her to do us any harm, for the water has not
+less than four fathoms anywhere along the shore of St. Rosa's Island."
+
+"But she will signal the fort to fire upon us."
+
+"They can't make us out soon enough to do us any harm, or not much,
+at any rate," replied Mr. Galvinne confidently.
+
+"I hope it will all come out right, but I have some fears," added the
+impostor.
+
+"You need not have. You have played your part remarkably well, Mr.
+Passford, and it was an excellent idea on the part of Major Pierson, who
+suggested this plan of putting you in the place of your cousin. He had
+seen you and your relative together, I believe?"
+
+"He had, for we were both prisoners of war after our unsuccessful
+attempt to capture the Bellevite, on the Hudson."
+
+"I have heard about that; and I know that your cousin Christopher is no
+chicken."
+
+"He is what the Yankees call smart, and I know he is all that," added
+Corny. "What do you suppose has become of him? When Captain Battleton
+sent for him in order to let the commodore see us both together, he
+could not be found. As you know, all three vessels were very thoroughly
+searched without any success."
+
+"There are a great many hiding-places on board of any vessel, and I am
+very clear in my own mind as to what became of him. Of course, the
+flag-officer, seeing both of you together, would have been as much
+perplexed as the captain was, and he would have been compelled to accept
+the evidence of the commission and the orders in your possession."
+
+"But Christy would have found plenty of witnesses here: the second
+lieutenant and the seamen on board of the Bronx, for example."
+
+"The evidence might have perplexed him; if he had done anything, he
+would have been more likely to retain both of you on board of the
+flag-ship, and appointed a new officer in command of the Bronx, rather
+than go back of the evidence of the commission," argued Mr. Galvinne.
+
+"But Christy has disappeared all the same; and where do you suppose
+he is?"
+
+"I have no doubt he is concealed on board of the Vernon, with the
+intention of returning to New York, where he has plenty of influential
+friends to fight his battle for him. But I must go on deck, or something
+may go wrong in my absence."
+
+Christy heard the footsteps of the late second lieutenant of the Vernon
+as he left the cabin. He had listened to the details of the plan formed
+by the naval officer, and it agreed with the prediction of Mr. Flint.
+While he was thinking of what he had just learned, he heard the step of
+Corny--for it could not be that of any other person so soon--coming into
+the stateroom; then he saw his feet from behind his barricade of bags
+and baggage.
+
+He had not expected his cousin to make any full examination of the room
+to be occupied by the commander of the gunboat, for his stay on board
+would be short, and he could not feel any great interest in the room.
+His curiosity might lead him to make a closer examination of the
+interior of the apartment than would be agreeable to his cousin. He felt
+that he was in danger of being discovered in his hiding-place; but he
+instantly made up his mind as to what he would do in the event of such
+an accident. He had hoped to be spared from any personal conflict with
+his cousin, and he had made his plan so as to avoid any such
+disagreeable necessity.
+
+But if Corny carried his investigations too far for his safety, and
+especially for the success of his enterprise, he decided that the
+ties of blood should not prevent him from doing his whole duty as he
+understood it. He was therefore prepared to muzzle the intruder, and
+confine his hands behind him with a strap he had taken from his valise.
+Happily Corny did nothing more than look under the berth while still
+standing in the space in front of it, and in this position he could not
+see the fugitive. The impostor wandered about the cabin for a time, and
+then Christy heard his footsteps on the stairs as he ascended to the
+deck.
+
+He had hardly left the cabin before the steward entered the stateroom,
+and reported that he had seen Ralph Pennant, and that he had told him
+all he knew about the loyalty and the disloyalty of the new hands in the
+crew. Ralph reported that he had "spotted" the four seamen whose names
+had been given him before the Vernon reached the station.
+
+"What does he say in regard to me?" asked Christy.
+
+"He said he believed you were bony fido commander of the Bronx, and he
+is ready to obey your orders. Mr. Flint had a talk with him while the
+first lieutenant was below; he talked to Boxie, and three more of the
+men, and he did it mighty sly, too, for the third lieutenant was on the
+deck all the time. There's eight bells, Massa Christy, and the second
+lieutenant will have the deck."
+
+"I did not think it was so late; but that reminds me that I have eaten
+nothing since my breakfast was brought to me early this morning," said
+Christy.
+
+"I hope to drink up every drop of water in the Alabama River if I
+did not forget all about that! Gollywomps! Dave is getting stupid,"
+exclaimed the steward, springing to his feet. "I can't bring you a
+regular dinner, Massa Christy, but I will do the best I can."
+
+"Never mind the regular dinner; but bring me something to eat, if it is
+only some crackers and cheese," added Christy; and the steward hastened
+to his pantry.
+
+He soon returned with a huge slice of ham and some cold biscuits. The
+hungry fugitive, who had not left his appetite at home, immediately
+attacked the provision as though it had been an enemy of the Union, and
+stood by it till he had devoured the whole of it; and it proved to be
+just a pattern for his empty stomach, and he declined Dave's offer to
+bring him another.
+
+He had hardly finished it before Mr. Flint paid him another visit, and
+reported everything ready for the recapture of the steamer.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+THE AFFRAY ON THE QUARTER-DECK OF THE BRONX
+
+
+Christy was satisfied that all was going well in regard to the capture
+of the Bronx, and he went to sleep after he had disposed of his dinner,
+and arranged the final details of the enterprise with the second
+lieutenant. Mr. Flint was somewhat impatient to carry out his plan; but
+Christy insisted that nothing should be done till the orders of the
+flag-officer had been actually disobeyed. It was decided that coming
+about, and heading the Bronx to the westward would constitute
+disobedience.
+
+When Christy awoke it was dark, or at least dusky, as far as he could
+judge in his concealment. He heard the rattle of dishes, knives and
+forks in the cabin, and he understood that the captain was taking his
+dinner. A conversation was in progress, and Christy concluded from the
+voices he heard that Corny had invited his first lieutenant to dine with
+him.
+
+"I think we shall be in Pensacola Bay by daylight," said Mr. Galvinne;
+"and we have just the right kind of weather for our enterprise. It is
+cloudy, and it looks as though we might have a fog, for they often come
+up after dark when the wind is as it is now."
+
+"What time shall you come about?" asked Corny, apparently from curiosity
+rather than any especial interest in the navigation of the steamer.
+
+"About nine o'clock; perhaps sooner. Byron will have the deck from eight
+bells for the first watch; I hope and expect Flint will turn in at that
+time, for he will have the mid-watch. It might be a little awkward if he
+happens to be on deck when we change our course from east to west."
+
+Christy did not believe that the second lieutenant would turn in at the
+time indicated, though he might make a pretence of doing so, and shut
+himself up in his stateroom. Mr. Galvinne proceeded to say that he
+should have Rockton and Warton ready to make Mr. Flint a prisoner in
+case he became too inquisitive. Nichols and Sayles would be available
+near the quarter-deck in case any demonstration was made by any portion
+of the crew.
+
+"But there will be no trouble of any kind," added the first lieutenant.
+"We are not carrying sail, and I shall quietly give the word to the
+quartermaster to make the course west instead of east. Flint is the only
+man on board who is at all likely to question the regularity of the
+proceedings on board; and I do not see how he can do it, for he knows
+nothing at all about the orders under which we are sailing. In fact,
+we shall be on the other tack before the time comes to open the sealed
+envelope."
+
+"I hope it will all come out right," added Corny.
+
+"You may depend upon it that we shall be under the guns of Fort
+Barrancas, or farther up the bay, before daylight," replied the actual
+commander.
+
+"What am I to do, Mr. Galvinne?" asked Corny.
+
+"Nothing at all; you can turn in as soon as you like and sleep through
+the whole, for there will be nothing at all to disturb you. As I said,
+Flint is the only person on board who is likely to make the least
+trouble, and he will be asleep in his berth. If he asks hard questions
+when he comes on deck at eight bells for the mid-watch, our men will
+secure him. That is the whole of it. I must go on deck now, for I can
+smell the fog."
+
+"How are you going to get to the entrance of the bay in a fog?" inquired
+Corny.
+
+"If we keep her due west we shall be all right; and I know this coast as
+well as I do my father's plantation," replied Mr. Galvinne; and Christy
+heard him open the door.
+
+"I think I shall go on deck and see the fun, if there is any, and turn
+in if there is none," added Christy.
+
+The dishes rattled for a moment, and then the fugitive heard the step
+and the voice of Dave in the stateroom.
+
+"I done bring you something more to eat, Massa Christy," said the
+steward, who appeared to have suffered some lapse in his grammar and
+pronunciation during the absence at the North of his instructor; and as
+he spoke he handed in a piece of pie and a large slice of cake.
+
+Christy was not very hungry after his late dinner, but he ate the
+dainties brought to him, and found that the cook of the Bronx had lost
+none of his skill. He might not have an opportunity to eat again very
+soon, for he did not lose sight of the fact that failure was possible,
+and he might soon be an occupant of a Confederate prison with Flint,
+as he had been once before.
+
+Dave busied himself in clearing the cabin table, and Christy impatiently
+waited the time for the decided action which had been planned. About
+half an hour later, when he realized from the condition of the stateroom
+that it was quite dark, the sounds coming to him assured him that the
+course of the Bronx had been changed as indicated by Mr. Galvinne.
+No noise or confusion on deck followed it, and the naval officer's
+prediction seemed to be in a fair way to be realized.
+
+Another half hour elapsed, and except the monotonous plaint of the
+screw, no sound was to be heard. A footstep came from the cabin, where
+Dave was at work, or appeared to be, for he had been stationed there for
+his part of the programme which was presently to be carried out.
+
+"Steward, light the lamp in my stateroom," said Corny; and Christy was
+glad to find that he intended to retire for the night, for he had no
+duties to perform unless there was a disturbance on the quarter-deck.
+
+The lamp on gimbols was lighted, and Corny took possession of the room,
+and had not a suspicion that he was not its only occupant. He lay down
+in his berth after he had removed his coat and shoes, and in a few
+minutes Christy judged that he was asleep from the sound of his
+breathing, which soon degenerated into a mild snore. Mr. Flint was to
+make a beginning in the project, or, as Dave called it, "open the ball."
+
+In less than another half hour, Christy heard a knock on the cabin door,
+which was the signal from the second lieutenant that it was time to
+begin operations. He crawled to the front of the space beneath the berth
+at the sound, and at the same moment Dave came in at the door of the
+stateroom, which had been left open.
+
+The steward lost no time in acting his part, the first step of which was
+to jam a handkerchief into the half-open mouth of Corny Passford; but he
+had been counselled to use no more force than was necessary to subdue
+him. Dave then turned him over on his back in spite of his aimless
+struggles, for, as he was roused from his sound slumber, he was too much
+bewildered to accomplish anything like an effective resistance. The
+strap which Christy had provided for the purpose was used in fastening
+his hands behind him, and so far as Corny was concerned, the battle was
+fought and the victory won.
+
+Christy had crawled out of his narrow quarters under the berth as soon
+as Dave began to operate on the sleeper above him, and he stood ready to
+assist the steward if his services were required; but there was hardly
+anything like a struggle, for Corny had been so completely surprised
+that he was incapable of doing anything in self-defence. With his hands
+strapped behind him, and with the gag still in his mouth, he was
+permitted to remain in the berth under the guard of Dave.
+
+Not a particle of noise had been made in the stateroom; at least, none
+that could be heard on the deck above. Christy hastened from the little
+apartment through the cabin to the gangway, where he found Mr. Flint at
+the head of the stairs prepared to execute the part of the work assigned
+to him, which was to fall upon Mr. Galvinne; but he did not appear to be
+in a favorable position for the attack.
+
+"What are you waiting for, Mr. Flint?" asked Christy in a whisper, as he
+joined the second lieutenant.
+
+"He has gone into the waist," replied the officer in waiting. "He will
+be back in a moment."
+
+Christy had looked into the ward room as he passed the door, for the
+captain's cabin was not provided with a separate companion-way, as is
+usual on men-of-war, for the space could not be spared in so small a
+vessel. All was still there, but two men stood near the door waiting for
+the signal to rush to the deck.
+
+"What are those men doing aft, Mr. Byron?" demanded the first
+lieutenant, with some excitement in his manner. "They were very
+nearly on the quarter-deck, and they seemed to be very reluctant to
+go forward."
+
+"I am sure I don't know, Mr. Galvinne; I did not order them there,"
+replied the third lieutenant, who was in charge of the deck.
+
+"I suppose they have seen that the course of the ship has been changed,
+and I thought they might have come aft to ask some questions, though the
+men ought to be better trained than that," added Mr. Galvinne, as he
+came quite near the companion-way where the second lieutenant was
+waiting for him, with Christy behind him, and ready to support him.
+
+Mr. Flint sprang upon the quarter-deck and threw himself upon Mr.
+Galvinne, closely followed by Christy. At the same time, and as soon
+as the gangway was clear, the two men who had been stationed in the
+ward room leaped upon the deck, and threw themselves upon the third
+lieutenant. At the same moment, the six men who had been lurking in the
+waist, and who had attracted the attention of the executive officer,
+hastened to the scene of the conflict. Rockton, who had been made a
+quartermaster, and the helmsman, Warton, went to the assistance of the
+first and third lieutenants.
+
+Neither of the two disloyal officers of the Bronx was an infant, and
+each struggled like a brave man against the force that attacked them.
+Mr. Flint had fallen upon Mr. Galvinne from behind, and had thrown him
+down at the first onslaught. He fought like a tiger, but with the aid of
+Christy and two of the men from the waist, he was subdued, and Christy
+had a strap ready to confine his hands behind him. Then he was drawn
+over to the rail and made fast to a belaying pin.
+
+Byron was not less energetic than his superior in his own defence, but
+the two stout sailors who had been selected to capture him were more
+than doubly a match for him, and he was carefully secured. At the same
+time there was a free fight between Rockton and Warton on the one side,
+and the sailors who had come aft, but the disloyal tars were conquered
+in the end. The prisoners were all bound and made fast to the rail. The
+entire watch had come aft while the battle was in progress, and those
+who had been instructed in the situation and had taken part in the
+recovery of the ship explained to their loyal companions the meaning of
+the affair which had just been brought to a conclusion. Involuntarily
+they gave three tremendous cheers, and then three more for the genuine
+commander.
+
+Not a few of them who had served with Christy in the Gulf declared they
+had not believed that the person who was the nominal captain was their
+old first lieutenant; they knew that something was wrong, they said,
+though they could not tell what. Perhaps they found the captain less
+active than formerly, and considered him somewhat changed after his
+visit to the north; but doubtless they were as much blinded by the
+resemblance as others had been.
+
+"Mr. Flint, I appoint you acting first lieutenant of the Bronx," said
+Christy, as soon as the affray was over. "You will restore order on
+board."
+
+The new executive officer sent the men forward, called out one of the
+old quartermasters to con the wheel, and placed a loyal seaman under
+his charge as helmsman. Order was almost instantly restored under
+his direction, and the men had enough to talk about to last them the
+entire night. Mr. Flint had his doubts in regard to the security of the
+prisoners; their bonds of straps and rope were removed, and their places
+supplied by iron handcuffs.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+A REBELLIOUS AND PREJUDICED PRISONER
+
+
+"Well, Mr. Flint, we have been more successful than I feared we might
+be," said Christy, after the prisoners except Corny had been put in
+irons, though they consisted of only five officers and seamen.
+
+"As usual, you are the hero of the adventure," replied the new first
+lieutenant, laughing. "But I must say it was the stupidest enterprise in
+which rational men ever engaged."
+
+"I decline to be regarded as the hero of the adventure, as you call it;
+and it was not so stupid as you suggest," replied Christy, with the
+greatest good-nature.
+
+"Perhaps you builded better than you knew; but if you had not escaped
+from the Vernon, and managed the whole affair, it would have been a
+success," added Mr. Flint.
+
+"Then the scheme cannot be considered so stupid as you represent it."
+
+"But it had not one chance in ten of success. Your cousin looks more
+like you than he did the last time I saw him."
+
+"He fixed himself up to pass for me, and that helped his case very
+greatly. He put on a uniform like mine, such a one as you have never
+seen him wear."
+
+"He did not look quite natural to me; but I could not make out what
+made the change in his looks," continued Mr. Flint. "You can see for
+yourself, that the plot would have been a success if you had not been on
+board of the Bronx to tell me what had happened. Whatever passed between
+the flag-officer and Captain Battleton, nothing at all was said among
+the officers about the decision the commander of the Vernon had been
+obliged to make when he accepted your cousin as the genuine Christopher
+Passford, ordered to the command of the Bronx. While I thought you were
+somewhat altered in appearance, and that your greeting to me was rather
+cold and formal when you came on board, I did not suspect that the
+officer who represented you was an impostor."
+
+"Do you think you should have let these conspirators run into Pensacola
+Bay without meddling with the matter?" asked Christy.
+
+"I am sure I should, for I could not have helped myself. The captain had
+his orders, to be opened about this time; and I should have supposed you
+were going into the bay to shell out Fort Barrancas."
+
+"You could hardly have supposed that a little gunboat like the Bronx was
+sent all alone on such a mission."
+
+"I obey my orders without question, and I should not have suspected
+anything was out of the way. I was rather cut up when I found that
+Galvinne had been appointed executive officer; and that, with the cold
+greeting you gave me, led me to ask in what manner I had lost your good
+opinion."
+
+"Of course Corny asked for his appointment, for Mr. Galvinne was the
+real leader of the enterprise. I think you and some of the rest of us
+have narrowly escaped a Confederate prison."
+
+"That is plain enough; and we only escaped it because you took it into
+your head to leave the Vernon at the time you left her. I think the
+Bronx would have gone into Pensacola Bay without the least trouble, for
+I have no doubt Galvinne knew just what signals to make to Fort McRae,
+and just as well what ones to make to Fort Pickens. The ship would have
+been there by midnight, and up to that time I should have been asleep in
+my stateroom; and they would not have taken the trouble to call the
+watch below at that hour."
+
+"No matter; we have the Bronx again, and she is not yet to become
+a Confederate cruiser. But Corny had the sealed orders of the
+flag-officer, and I heard Mr. Galvinne read them. The Bronx is ordered
+to St. Andrew's to attend to the case of a steamer loading there to run
+the blockade. Shall I obey the orders, or return to the flag-ship?"
+
+"The commodore hurried us off, for he feared any delay might allow the
+steamer to escape."
+
+"We have five prisoners on board; and we can take care of them well
+enough," replied Christy; "but the principal difficulty is that we have
+no officers."
+
+"But we have plenty of good men, and some of them will make good
+officers," suggested the first lieutenant.
+
+"We have no surgeon, I believe, for Dr. Spokeley is sick, and was to be
+sent home before I left in the Vixen for New York," added the commander,
+now restored to his own right on board.
+
+"Oh, yes; we have a surgeon, for Dr. Spokeley is to go to New York in
+the Vernon, and the doctor of the store-ship is appointed to the Bronx."
+
+"Dr. Connelly!" exclaimed Christy.
+
+"Just so; and I dare say he is asleep in his stateroom at this moment."
+
+"Then we had better obey the sealed orders of the flag-officer; we will
+come about, and head her for St. Andrew's. Fortunately I have been there
+myself in the Bellevite, and I have been up the harbor and bay in boats,
+for the yacht, as she was at the time, drew too much water to go into
+the bay, for it is shoal inside. Come about, Mr. Flint, and make the
+course due east."
+
+"I hope we shall do as well as we did at Cedar Keys," replied the first
+lieutenant, when he had given the order to come about to the
+quartermaster.
+
+"Look up the log slate, for I suppose they have made the entries, and
+when we have run eighty knots from the station, keep a sharp lookout for
+the land. Now I will go to my cabin, and find the envelope that contains
+the orders, and look them over."
+
+Christy went below, and found Dave in the stateroom, apparently
+unwilling to take his eyes off the prisoner who still lay in the berth.
+He went to the table in the cabin, and found upon it the sheet upon
+which the orders had been written. They were of no use to Galvinne, and
+he had thrown them down as soon as he had read them. He sat down at the
+table and read the paper; but the order was very simple, and left all
+the details to the discretion of the commander, for it was understood
+that Captain Passford was well acquainted with the coast as far as St.
+Mark's.
+
+Christy was still clothed in the frock and cap of a common sailor, and
+he realized that it was time for him to put on his uniform. He went to
+the quarters of the men where he had concealed his valise, and carried
+it back to the cabin, where he proceeded to make the change. In a short
+time he had put himself in proper condition to take his place on the
+quarter-deck in command when his presence was required. He had nothing
+to do at present, and he concluded to write his report of the remarkable
+proceedings on board since the Bronx left the station. He wanted his
+desk, and he went to the stateroom.
+
+"Well, Dave, how is your prisoner?" he asked, halting at the door.
+
+"I got him safe, Massa Cap'n," replied the steward, exhibiting most of
+the teeth in his mouth, for he was pleased with himself after he had
+executed the commission assigned to him, and did not feel as much like a
+contraband as he might.
+
+"I am in command, Dave, and there must be no more 'massa' now," added
+Christy.
+
+"I done forget all about my talk, Captain Passford," replied Dave.
+
+"That is bad grammar," said the commander, laughing, for he was in an
+exceedingly pleasant humor, as may well be supposed. "You know what is
+right, and you must not talk like a contraband."
+
+"I won't do so any more, Captain Passford," protested the steward,
+showing his ivory, though he was not a very black man, and the contrast
+was not as great as in many instances.
+
+"How do you find yourself, Corny?" asked the captain, turning to the
+berth.
+
+"I am all right, Corny; but I should like to have you or some one tell
+me what has been going on in this steamer, for this black rascal will
+not say a word to me," replied the prisoner.
+
+"I don't blame him, if you call him a black rascal," added Christy. "But
+you need not call me by your own name any longer, cousin, for it will
+not help your case any more. Your game is played out, and you have been
+beaten with your own weapons. When you want to play another Yankee
+trick, you had better remember that you are not a Yankee, and you are
+not skilled in the art of doing it."
+
+"What do you mean by that, Corny?" asked the prisoner, disregarding the
+advice of his cousin.
+
+"Corny again!" exclaimed the captain.
+
+"I am the commander of this steamer, and I have been assaulted in my
+berth!" replied the sufferer, warming up a little.
+
+"Whew! Then you are still the commander of the Bronx?" repeated Christy,
+laughing at his cousin's persistence.
+
+"You know that I am. Wasn't the commission decided to be mine?"
+
+"But we have concluded to reverse the decision of the commander of the
+Vernon, and submit the case to the flag-officer for final adjustment. In
+the mean time, I have taken possession of the steamer, and put all your
+confederates in irons. For the present, at least, I am in command of the
+Bronx, and I want my stateroom. With Dave's assistance, I must ask you
+to turn out of that berth."
+
+"I decline to give up my stateroom, or my command of the steamer,"
+replied Corny in a sulky manner. "I should like to know how you happen
+to be on board of the Bronx, Corny."
+
+"Did you believe that I intended to let you take possession of this
+steamer, and run her into a Confederate port, Corny? My name is Passford
+as well as yours, and I am not a traitor, and don't believe I am a
+coward. At a time which suited my convenience, I left the Vernon and
+came on board of the Bronx."
+
+"Where did you hide, for the vessel has been searched in every part of
+her for you?"
+
+"I have been under the berth in this stateroom, a hiding-place which was
+suggested to me by one of your people who used it as such, and was
+caught, as I was not."
+
+"No one thought you would hide in the captain's cabin."
+
+"That is the very reason why I chose this place. I have had the pleasure
+of listening to all your conversations with Mr. Galvinne, and I knew
+your plans from beginning to end."
+
+"You have been under this berth since the steamer left the flag-ship!"
+exclaimed Corny, apparently amazed at the fact.
+
+"I have; but I have no more time to enlighten you. I can only say that
+with the assistance of the only loyal officer left on board, and the
+loyal seamen, I have recaptured the vessel, and now we are on our way to
+St. Andrew's to obey the orders which the flag-officer delivered to you
+when you were a rebel in disguise. Now Dave will help you out of the
+berth."
+
+"No, he won't! If I was to be captured at all, Corny, you insulted me
+when you set a nigger to do the job," said the prisoner angrily.
+
+"You are playing a farce now, cousin; but I cannot stay to fool with
+you. Take him out of the berth, Dave."
+
+"Will you set a nigger upon me again, Christy?" using the commander's
+proper name for the first time.
+
+"If you will get out of the berth yourself, I will allow you to do so,"
+added Christy.
+
+"I will," replied the prisoner.
+
+He made the attempt to do so, but he would have fallen to the floor,
+with his hands fastened behind him, if Christy and Dave had not received
+him in their arms. The steward hugged him like a brother, perhaps
+maliciously, and carried him to a divan in the cabin. Corny had
+apparently abandoned his cause, and his cousin gave him a berth in
+the ward room for the rest of the night.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+THE DISPOSAL OF THE PRISONERS
+
+
+Before Christy could begin his report he was called to the deck by the
+first lieutenant, though everything had appeared to be quiet and orderly
+there. Ralph Pennant had been at work among the crew, and was unable to
+discover that any of the men were disloyal; but the commander had
+better information obtained by his own investigations. Ralph was in
+consultation with Mr. Flint when Christy went on deck.
+
+"I think the men are all right, and, so far as I can ascertain, not a
+man is a rebel," said Ralph in answer to a question of the executive
+officer.
+
+"You have the names of the four men that I sent to you by the steward,
+have you not?" asked Christy.
+
+"I have, captain; Rockton and Warton took part with Mr. Galvinne, but
+Sayles and Nichols did nothing, and they seem to be as in earnest on the
+right side as the other two were on the wrong side," replied Ralph.
+
+"I should not be willing to trust them. I know they were the intimate
+associates of Rockton and Warton, for they were in council together on
+board of the Vernon. In carrying out our orders, we may have a fight
+either with a battery or with some vessel, and we must not have any
+black sheep in the crew,--one who might speak a word or make a sign that
+would ruin all our calculations," added Christy.
+
+"Of course I can't say that Sayles and Nichols are not rebels; but they
+have done nothing that is suspicious, and one of our men has pumped them
+both," answered Ralph.
+
+"Have them closely watched, or they may play us some trick when we least
+suspect it, and in some critical moment," said the commander.
+
+"But I wished to see you in regard to the prisoners," interposed Mr.
+Flint. "We have four of them here made fast to the rail, and Galvinne
+complains of his treatment; he says he is cold."
+
+"I should think he might be, for the night air is very chilly," replied
+Christy. "I should have preferred to get rid of these men before we went
+into any enterprise, for they are dangerous persons to us."
+
+"With their arms locked together behind them, they are not in condition
+to do any harm," added Mr. Flint.
+
+"I will go below and see what can be done with them. I desire to make
+them as comfortable as possible, though I do not believe they will be
+satisfied with any location to which I may assign them."
+
+"I think you need not be too particular about them; they have made their
+own nest, and now they must live in it," said the first lieutenant.
+
+"You may come with me, Ralph," added Christy, as he descended the
+companion-way.
+
+The commander found Dave keeping close watch over Corny Passford, though
+he was fast asleep in his berth. Passing through the ward room and
+steerage, Dave unlocked the door that led into the quarters of the crew.
+Next to the bulkhead, or partition, was space enough for the prisoners,
+and the steward was required to bring five berth sacks, which were
+placed on the deck.
+
+"The only objection I have to this as prison quarters is that Sayles and
+Nichols will be too near them; but I shall keep a sentry over them all
+the time," said Christy.
+
+"I should think they would be safe with a guard," added Ralph.
+
+"Now, Dave, you will wake your prisoner, and I will relieve you of all
+responsibility in regard to him. He is dressed, is he not?" continued
+the commander when they reached the ward room.
+
+"He is, Captain Passford, for he did not undress when he turned in last
+night," replied the steward.
+
+"What is the matter now?" asked the prisoner in the ward room, after he
+had rubbed his eyes for a time.
+
+"Nothing is the matter now on our side of the house, but I must put you
+with the other prisoners," replied Christy. "You may unbuckle the strap,
+Dave, so that he can get out of the berth."
+
+"Who are the other prisoners?" demanded Corny, as though he had a right
+to know.
+
+"They are your confederates in the plot, Corny. Who do you suppose they
+are? Jeff Davis is not one of them. The most important one, not even
+excepting yourself, cousin, is Mr. Galvinne, late first lieutenant of
+the Bronx."
+
+"Is he a prisoner?" asked Corny, as he got out of the berth.
+
+"Of course he is. Do you think I should let him lie around loose on
+deck? The next one is the man-servant at Bonnydale by your appointment,
+formerly Walsh, but now Byron. He is a very good actor, but he has
+played out his _rôle_."
+
+"He was by profession an actor in Mobile," added Corny.
+
+"I should think he might have been. By the way, Corny, where is my
+commission that you and he stole from my pocket at Bonnydale?"
+
+"That is my commission," replied Corny, putting his hand involuntarily
+on his left breast, where he had carried his papers on board of the
+Vernon.
+
+"You stole it, cousin, and you must give it back to me," added Christy,
+very decidedly.
+
+"I shall not," replied Corny, with quite as much firmness.
+
+"Take it from him," said the commander.
+
+The hands of the impostor were now free, and he placed himself in a
+defensive attitude; but Ralph Pennant, who was rather above the average
+stature, threw his arms around him, and he was pinned as tightly as
+though he had been put into a strait jacket. Corny was probably stiff in
+his arms from their confinement, and he was unable to make a very
+spirited defence. While the seaman held him, Christy took the envelope
+from his breast pocket, and transferred it to his own. But there was
+considerable noise made in the brief scuffle, which waked some of the
+sleepers. From one of the staterooms an officer rushed out, and demanded
+the cause of the disturbance. The person proved to be the surgeon.
+
+"We are putting things to rights on board," replied Christy, who had not
+seen the doctor before, for he had retired early to his room.
+
+"I don't quite understand this matter," said the surgeon. "What are you
+doing, Mr. Passford?"
+
+"Captain Passford, if you please, Dr. Connelly, for I have the honor to
+be in command of the Bronx at the present moment. This is Mr. Passford,"
+added Christy, pointing to his cousin.
+
+"Then you have reversed the decision of Captain Battleton?"
+
+"For sufficient reasons, I have; with the assistance of the loyal
+members of the ship's company, I have taken possession of the
+vessel, and we are now on our way to carry out the orders of the
+flag-officer.--Conduct the prisoner to his future quarters," said
+Christy, in a very business-like manner.
+
+During this conversation, Ralph, still holding his prisoner, had sent
+the steward on deck for a pair of handcuffs, which the seaman proceeded
+to apply to the wrists of Corny.
+
+"What are you about?" demanded the prisoner, attempting to shake off his
+captor when he felt the cold iron.
+
+"Just giving you a pair of bracelets," replied Ralph, as he grappled
+again with his victim, and asked Christy to adjust the handcuffs. "Just
+for ornament, you know."
+
+In the grasp of such a powerful man as Ralph Pennant, Corny was
+powerless, and he was compelled to submit, though his opposition
+appeared to be merely a matter of form with him, for he could not help
+realizing that it was utterly useless; but he had not been in the affray
+on deck, and he had not learned the full lesson from experience. The
+irons were locked upon his wrists, and the seaman was directed to
+conduct him to the place assigned to all the prisoners.
+
+"This is mean of you, Christy, to put me in irons," said Corny
+reproachfully as he turned to his cousin; "I might have asked Captain
+Battleton to put you in irons on board of the Vernon; but I did not."
+
+"If he had done so, I should not have complained. I have been a prisoner
+of war, and I had to take my chances. We may be in action for aught I
+know in a few hours, and I do not mean to have half a dozen rebels at my
+heels to trip me up if I can help it. The circumstances are entirely
+different from those on board of the Vernon."
+
+"I don't think so," muttered Corny. "You treat your own flesh and blood
+as though blood was nothing but water with you."
+
+"I stand by the Union, and those on the other side must keep out from
+under. When I was in a Confederate prison, my uncle Homer, your father,
+did not do a single thing for me. Lead on, Ralph."
+
+Dr. Connelly was so much astonished at the proceedings that he did not
+turn in, but completed his toilet, and came out into the ward room
+again. He looked troubled, for he had heard nothing of the struggle on
+the quarter-deck, and the situation was a revelation to him. He looked
+and talked as though he thought that Christy and his associates who had
+captured the vessel were simply mutineers. The captain sent the steward
+for Boxie, and, giving him a pair of pistols and a cutlass, informed
+him that he was to stand guard over the five prisoners until he was
+relieved. The old man, who had been one of the seamen on board of
+the Bellevite when she was a yacht, took his place forward of the
+berth-sacks, and began his march athwartship.
+
+"You know me, don't you, Boxie?" said Corny as he recognized the old
+salt, who was the sheet-anchorsman of the crew, and who was generally
+their spokesman.
+
+"You will hold no conversation with the prisoner, Boxie; but you may
+let them talk among themselves, and note what they say if it is of any
+importance. You will be relieved with the first watch."
+
+Ralph Pennant and three seamen conducted the other prisoners to their
+quarters. They were supplied with blankets, in which those from the deck
+wrapped themselves up. Corny and Galvin began to compare notes at once;
+but Boxie kept his ears open as he marched up and down within two feet
+of his charge.
+
+"I hope you have not committed any rash act, Mr. Passford," said Dr.
+Connelly as the party passed through the ward room.
+
+"I do not stand on mere forms, Dr. Connelly; but if you continue to call
+me simply 'mister,' I shall understand from it that you do not recognize
+me as the rightful commander of the Bronx," replied Christy, as he
+invited the surgeon with a gesture to enter the captain's cabin.
+
+"I beg your pardon, Captain Passford; I used the title of 'mister' from
+habit, and not as meaning anything," replied the surgeon. "I was forced
+by the evidence, and quite as much by the lack of evidence, to concur
+with Captain Battleton in his decision."
+
+"I find no fault with you on that account, doctor," added Christy.
+
+"You made no protest to the flag-officer, but suddenly disappeared.
+When I went to my stateroom in the evening, your cousin was in command,
+and had sailed to execute the orders given him. You can judge of my
+astonishment when I learned just now that the captain and his officers
+were prisoners," the surgeon explained.
+
+"I do not propose to submit to another investigation by you, or any one
+but the flag-officer; but for your information I am willing to give you
+the facts," said Christy with dignity, of which he had a full supply
+whenever it was needed. "As long as the officers in charge of the
+Bronx continued to obey the orders of the commodore to proceed to
+the eastward, I did nothing; but when they headed the steamer to the
+westward, which they did as soon as it was dark, I understood very well
+that they were disobeying their orders, and intended to run the Bronx
+into Pensacola Bay, and deliver her to the Confederate authorities. Then
+I carried out my plan and captured the vessel."
+
+The surgeon was satisfied with this evidence.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+THE SECOND AND THIRD LIEUTENANTS
+
+
+The surgeon went on deck with Christy, where he was presented in due
+form to Mr. Flint, though he had been introduced to him before in his
+former position as second lieutenant. The commander went forward to the
+bridge and pilot-house, and consulting the log slate, found that the
+last entry gave seventy-eight knots from the station. But it was foggy,
+as Mr. Galvinne had predicted that it would be, and the quartermaster
+conning the wheel said it was as "dark as a stack of black cats."
+Nothing could be seen in any direction, and the commander decided that
+it was not prudent to proceed any farther.
+
+The leadsman was ordered to sound, as the screw was stopped, and he
+reported sixteen fathoms with the deep-sea lead. Christy ordered the
+quartermaster to go ahead again, and keep the hand-line going all the
+time. Mr. Flint came forward, and took his place on the bridge, where
+the officer of the deck was usually stationed on board of the Bronx.
+
+The reports of the leadsman were satisfactory, and the steamer went
+ahead for an hour. Then they began to give a diminution of the depth of
+water, indicating, as Christy stated it, that the vessel was approaching
+the land. He looked over the log slate, and found that the course had
+been due east till the order had been given to head her in the opposite
+direction. She had sailed rather more than an hour on that tack, during
+which the recapture of the steamer had been made.
+
+"Mark under water twelve!" shouted the man with the hand lead.
+
+"We are coming up with the shore," said Mr. Flint, as Christy joined him
+on the bridge.
+
+"Yes; but you will get four or five fathoms almost up to the beaches.
+When I was here, the Bellevite was anchored outside, and we went gunning
+and fishing in St. Andrew's Bay. The bay is about thirty miles long; but
+it is as crooked as a ram's horn, and there is no town on it, though
+there are some scattered houses," added Christy. "We shot fat ducks, and
+caught plenty of red snappers and pompana there."
+
+"And a half ten!" shouted the leadsman, as though he meant to have his
+figures understood, as they indicated the shoaling of the depth.
+
+But Christy gave no order to reduce the speed of the vessel, and seemed
+to feel so thoroughly at home that Mr. Flint began to be a little
+nervous. The young commander had carefully studied the chart of the
+coast with the practical knowledge he had of the locality.
+
+"Can you form any idea where we are, Captain Passford?" asked the
+lieutenant.
+
+"I figured up the course a while ago, and I think we are off St.
+Andrew's Bay. If they had not put her about and run for an hour or more
+to the westward, I should be satisfied in regard to my position; as it
+is, I am not quite clear in regard to it," replied the commander.
+
+"Quarter less ten!" shouted the leadsman, with even more vigor than
+before.
+
+"That will do; stop her and anchor, Mr. Flint," said Christy, as he
+looked about him in an endeavor to penetrate the fog in which the vessel
+was buried.
+
+Then he listened for any sounds that might come to him from the
+direction of the shore; but all was as still as the tomb itself. The
+screw stopped in obedience to the order of the executive officer, who
+went down to the deck to supervise the anchoring of the steamer, as he
+had no inferior officer to attend to this duty.
+
+"Mr. Flint, drop a drift lead, and station a hand to observe it," said
+Christy, hailing the first lieutenant.
+
+"A drift lead, sir," replied Mr. Flint.
+
+This was a lead weighing twenty pounds, which is dropped on the bottom
+by men-of-war to determine if the anchor holds, or if the vessel is
+drifting.
+
+"Station a strong lookout, Mr. Flint, and send a man aloft on the
+foremast and another on the mainmast," continued Christy when the other
+orders had been obeyed.
+
+This completed the preparation for the night. The captain consulted his
+repeater, and ascertained that it was twenty minutes past twelve. The
+Bronx was in position to learn the fact if any vessel attempted to run
+out of St. Andrew's Bay, provided his calculations in regard to the
+locality of the Bronx were correct. Christy went down to the deck, and
+walked aft with Mr. Flint.
+
+"I think some of us need a little sleep to-night," said the commander.
+
+"Then you had better turn in, Captain Passford," said the executive
+officer. "We can do nothing more to-night except to keep a sharp
+lookout."
+
+"You are the only officer on board except myself," replied Christy. "We
+are still in the dark as to what we have to do here. We may have to send
+off a boat expedition, as we did at Cedar Keys, and we are in absolute
+need of more officers."
+
+"We have plenty of material out of which to make them, and we can do
+as we did after the fight with the Scotian and the Arran, when we made
+them," replied Mr. Flint. "We have men of good education in the crew,
+who have either commanded coasters, or been mates on steamers."
+
+"If you will name one, I will name another," added Christy.
+
+"Quartermaster Camden. He commanded a three-masted schooner in the coal
+trade. He is not college educated, but he is a remarkably well-informed
+man who shipped in the navy to learn the details of duty on board of a
+man-of-war."
+
+"I appoint him acting second lieutenant," added Christy.
+
+"I am sure he will get a commission as soon as he applies for it,
+captain," added the first lieutenant, pleased with the prompt decision.
+"Now, who is your man?"
+
+"Ralph Pennant. I had my eye on him while I was aboard of the Vernon,
+where he became a sort of oracle among the seamen on account of his
+abundant information on general subjects. He talks like a man with a
+good education, and he has been mate of a steamer of good size. But I
+know very little concerning him, and am afraid he has one out."
+
+"What is that, captain?"
+
+"I am afraid he is fond of whiskey, though I do not know that he is."
+
+"He can't get any whiskey here unless it is served out to him; so that
+habit, if it is his habit, will do him no harm," argued Mr. Flint.
+
+"I appoint him third lieutenant temporarily."
+
+"That will amount to their being made ensigns when you go north again if
+they prove to be worthy of promotion," added the executive officer, with
+a chuckle. "That was what happened to Baskirk and Amden."
+
+"If they are worthy, I shall certainly do the best I can for them,"
+added Christy, gaping.
+
+Camden was called aft and formally appointed second lieutenant, but
+Ralph was in the watch below, and was in his hammock. The commander
+retired to his stateroom, and, letting his report wait till another day,
+he was soon sound asleep.
+
+In accordance with the directions he had left with the first lieutenant,
+Christy was called with the watch at four o'clock in the morning. Though
+the first lieutenant is not a watch officer, he may be required to do
+duty as such when the number of commissioned officers is reduced below
+three, and Mr. Flint had remained in charge of the mid-watch, which had
+been called to the deck at midnight. The captain relieved him and
+Camden, and both of them went below, the new appointee taking the
+stateroom of the second lieutenant.
+
+"Pass the word for Ralph Pennant," said Christy, as soon as he reached
+the quarter-deck.
+
+"I have had considerable talk with Camden, and I am satisfied that he
+will make a capital officer," said the executive officer, as he moved
+towards the companion-way. "I suppose you have sent for Pennant with the
+intention of appointing him third lieutenant."
+
+"That is my purpose; and here he comes."
+
+"On deck, sir," reported Ralph, touching his cap to the commander,
+as Mr. Flint descended the steps to the ward room.
+
+"I think you told me that you had had some experience on board of
+steamers, Pennant," replied Christy.
+
+"I told you that I had been the mate of a steamer," answered the seaman.
+
+"What is your age?"
+
+"Twenty-eight years."
+
+"Then you are older than you appear to be," continued Christy; and he
+proceeded to question the seaman in regard to his education and
+experience as a seaman.
+
+He had not been mistaken in his estimate of the man, so far as he could
+judge from his answers. Pennant had taken a steamer home to New York
+from Havana after the captain had died there of yellow fever. He had
+expected to be given the command of the vessel; and when he failed to
+obtain the position he resigned his place as mate, but secured the same
+position in another and larger steamer.
+
+"Do you ever drink whiskey, Pennant?" asked Christy abruptly.
+
+"At present, no, sir," replied the seaman decidedly. "I learned a few
+months ago that I failed to obtain the command of the steamer I brought
+home from Havana because it was said I took too much whiskey. I knocked
+off then, and have not drank a drop since."
+
+"That was a sensible thing to do. You are aware that we are short of
+officers, I suppose," said the commander.
+
+"Yes, sir; and since I came on deck, I heard that Phil Camden had been
+appointed acting second lieutenant," replied Pennant.
+
+"That is true; and now I am going to appoint you acting third
+lieutenant. You will call the watch aft."
+
+"I am very much obliged to you, Captain Passford, for this favor; and I
+know you would not give me the place if you did not think me worthy of
+it," replied the seaman as he went forward and called the watch to the
+mainmast.
+
+"My men, I have just appointed Ralph Pennant acting third lieutenant;
+and you will obey and respect him as such," said Christy, addressing the
+watch, and then dismissing them.
+
+The men gave three hearty cheers as they were dismissed, proving to
+the commander that Pennant was a popular man among them, as Camden had
+also been proved to be when his appointment had been announced to the
+starboard watch. As in politics, legislation, war, and business, the
+masses of the people soon ascertain who are their natural leaders, the
+crew of the Bronx, or that portion who had come from New York in the
+Vernon, had been prompt in discovering the abilities of the two men now
+promoted.
+
+"Now, Mr. Pennant, you may remove your bag to the ward room, and the
+third stateroom on the starboard side, counting from the forward one,
+is yours for the present," continued Christy.
+
+"But I have no uniform, Captain Passford," suggested the appointee.
+
+"I have one in my stateroom; but it is altogether too small for you,"
+replied the commander, glancing in the gloom of the night at the
+stalwart form of the third lieutenant, lacking not more than an inch of
+six feet, and his weight could not have been less than one hundred and
+eighty. "We will see what can be done in the morning."
+
+"The crew all know me, and I dare say I can get along without a uniform
+till we get back to the station, where I could get one from the
+store-ship; but it is not likely that I shall need one then."
+
+"I cannot say as to that. When you go forward take a look at the
+prisoners, and report to me," added Christy, as Mr. Pennant went below.
+
+In a few minutes he reported that the prisoners were all fast asleep.
+Boxie had been relieved as guard, and another seaman was marching back
+and forth by their couches. It was still dark and foggy, and a hail came
+from the mast-head forward.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+A BATTLE ON A SMALL SCALE
+
+
+"On deck!" shouted the lookout at the foremast head. "Light on the
+starboard bow!"
+
+"Silence, all!" cried the commander, as soon as he heard the hail from
+aloft. "Go forward, Mr. Pennant, silence the hands, and direct the
+lookout to hail in lower tones."
+
+The third lieutenant sprang forward to obey the order, and Christy
+followed him at a more moderate pace, consistent with his dignity as
+the officer highest in rank on board. It was not so much a question
+of dignity, however, with him as it was the intention to preserve his
+self-possession. A light had been reported on the starboard bow; but
+Christy had no more means of knowing what it meant than any other person
+on deck. It suggested a blockade runner, a battery, or a house near the
+shore where he did not expect to find one.
+
+The captain went on the bridge; but he could not see the light. He
+descended to the deck, and then mounted the fore-rigging. The lookout
+saw him, and said he could not see the light any longer; it had been in
+sight a couple of minutes, and then had disappeared. It was useless to
+look for it if gone, and Christy returned to the bridge, where Mr.
+Pennant was attentively studying the compass.
+
+"In what direction is the head of the steamer pointed, Mr. Pennant?"
+he asked as he joined the lieutenant.
+
+"Exactly north-east, sir," replied Mr. Pennant.
+
+"Then the report of the light on the starboard bow places it directly to
+the eastward of us," added Christy. "That is about where the entrance to
+St. Andrew's Bay ought to be, if my calculations were correct. We have
+been running to the eastward since we left the blockaders' station off
+Pensacola Bay. My ruler on the chart gave me that course, and Mr.
+Galvinne followed it while he was in charge. We could not have got more
+than half a mile off the course in coming about twice. The shoaling of
+the water also indicates that we are all right."
+
+The body of the fog evidently lay near the water, and the lookout had
+probably seen the light over the top of the bank, as it could not be
+made out on the bridge. Christy expressed his belief that the sun would
+burn the fog off soon after it rose. No variation of the drift lead had
+been reported, and the Bronx was not even swinging at her anchor. For an
+hour longer entire silence was preserved on the deck, and the lookout
+made no further report.
+
+"There is some sort of commotion among the men on the top-gallant
+forecastle," said Mr. Pennant, while Christy was still studying the
+situation, and one of the men was seen in the act of hurrying aft.
+
+"I heard men's voices off to the eastward," said this man, when he had
+mounted the bridge, and touched his hat to the officers there; and he
+spoke in a whisper, in conformity with the orders given.
+
+"Could you hear any slapping of a paddle wheel, or other noises that
+sound like a steamer?" asked Christy in the same low tone.
+
+"No, sir; nothing but the voices; but I think the speakers must be in
+a vessel of some sort, for the sound since I first heard it, and could
+hardly make it out, comes from farther south," replied the man.
+
+"Take a force of twelve men, with pistols and cutlasses, Mr. Pennant, in
+the first cutter, and pull down to the south-east. Whatever you find in
+the shape of a vessel or a boat, capture it, and return to the Bronx.
+Get off with as little noise as possible, and muffle your oars."
+
+Silently Mr. Pennant selected his crew for the boat, saw them armed, and
+had the cutter lowered into the water. In a very short space of time the
+boat was off. The commander did not believe that anything very serious
+would result from this boat expedition, for he was confident there was
+no vessel of any size near the Bronx. The men in the cutter pulled very
+quietly, and hardly splashed the water with their oars, for they had all
+been trained by Christy himself to pull without noise when he was
+executive officer.
+
+This was the first responsible position Mr. Pennant had been called
+upon to fill, and he knew that his future depended in a large measure
+upon the skill and fidelity with which he obeyed his orders. His crew
+believed in him, and they were very painstaking in their efforts to work
+in silence. He had stationed quartermaster Vincent in the bow of the
+boat as the lookout, and he was industriously peering out into the gloom
+of the fog and darkness to discover a vessel or a boat. He had heard the
+sounds himself, and he knew there was something there. When the boat had
+pulled about fifteen minutes, Vincent raised his hand up into the air;
+this was a signal which the third lieutenant understood, for he had
+arranged several of them with the quartermaster.
+
+"Stand by to lay on your oars," said Mr. Pennant in the lowest tones
+that could be heard by the crew. "Oars!"
+
+At the last order the men levelled their oars, feathering the blades,
+and remained like eight statues in their seats. Vincent listened with
+all his ears in the dead silence which prevailed.
+
+"I hear the voices again," he reported to the lieutenant in the stern
+sheets, in a voice just loud enough to reach him; "they are more to the
+southward."
+
+"Stand by!" added Mr. Pennant, who had been duly trained in boat service
+at an oar. "Give way together! No noise!"
+
+The boat went ahead again, though only at a moderate speed consistent
+with the least possible noise. The quartermaster in the bow continued to
+gaze into the fog bank, though by this time there was a little lighting
+up in the east, indicating that the day was breaking. For half an hour
+longer the cutter continued on its course. Occasionally Vincent had
+raised his hand over his head, and then dropped it to his left,
+indicating to the officer in command that the sounds came from farther
+to the southward, and the cockswain was directed to change the course.
+
+In another half hour the noises could be distinctly heard by the third
+lieutenant, and he directed the course of the cutter without the need of
+any more signals from the bow. His first move was to make a more decided
+course to the southward. Then he hastened the crew in their work.
+
+"Sail, ho!" called Vincent, who had not abated his vigilance on the
+lookout; and he pointed with his right hand in the direction he had seen
+the craft.
+
+Mr. Pennant concluded that the sail could not be far off, or it could
+not be seen, and it would be useless to maintain the dead silence, which
+was painful to all in the boat. He stood up in his place, and, after
+looking for a couple of minutes, he made out the sail himself. So far as
+he could judge from what he saw, the craft was a small sloop of not more
+than thirty-five feet in length.
+
+"Give way now, lively!" said the third lieutenant, in his ordinary
+tones. "I make her out, and she is a small sloop. We shall not have much
+of a brush."
+
+Under the vigorous pulling of eight stalwart men, the cutter leaped
+forward at a speed that would have won an ordinary boat race, and in ten
+minutes more, the sloop could be distinctly made out, the cutter running
+across her bow. She was close-hauled, with the wind from the south-west,
+and very little of it. On board of her were at least ten men, as the
+quartermaster counted them, and there might have been more in her cuddy
+under the hail-deck forward.
+
+"Boat, ahoy!" shouted a man on the forecastle of the sloop.
+
+"On board the sloop!" replied Mr. Pennant, standing up in the stern
+sheets. "What sloop is that?"
+
+"The Magnolia, bound to Appalachicola," replied the spokesman of the
+craft. "What boat is that?"
+
+"The first cutter of the United States steamer Bronx! Heave to, and give
+an account of yourselves," hailed the officer in command. "Stand by to
+lay on your oars!" he added in a lower tone to his crew. "Oars!"
+
+But the boat seemed to be running too far away from the sloop, though it
+was near enough for the lieutenant and quartermaster to see that there
+was a decided commotion on board of her.
+
+"Hold water!" added the lieutenant. "Stern all!"
+
+The momentum of the cutter was checked, and the boat placed in a
+convenient position for a further conference with the sloop. Either by
+intention or carelessness the skipper of the sail-boat had permitted her
+to broach to, probably because he was giving too much attention to the
+boat and too little to the sloop. When the cutter lost its headway, it
+was not more than fifty feet from the sloop.
+
+"Hold the sloop as she is, and I will board you," said Mr. Pennant,
+as he saw the skipper filling away again.
+
+"Keep off, or we will fire into you!" shouted the man on the forecastle,
+who appeared to be the principal man of the party.
+
+"See that your pistols and cutlasses are ready for use," said the third
+lieutenant, in a tone loud enough to be heard by the crew only.
+
+"We are all private citizens," added the sloop's spokesman.
+
+"No matter what you are; I propose to overhaul you and judge for myself
+what you are," answered the officer in command of the cutter. "Let go
+your sheet, skipper!"
+
+Instead of obeying the order, the boatman hauled in his sheet, and the
+sloop began to fill away. Mr. Pennant could form no idea of what the
+party were. It was possible that they were private citizens, and
+non-combatants; if they were, they had only to prove they were such by
+submitting to a further inquiry.
+
+"Stand by, my men! Give way together, lively!" shouted the lieutenant as
+though he intended that those on board of the sloop should hear him as
+well as his own crew.
+
+The cutter darted ahead; but she had not advanced half the distance
+before the men on board of the sloop fired a volley with muskets at the
+approaching boat. Mr. Pennant dropped his left arm very suddenly, and
+the stroke oarsman went down into the bottom of the boat.
+
+"Come aft, Kingston!" called the third lieutenant to the nearest man in
+the bow, and the one indicated crawled aft with all the haste he could
+make. "Take Hilton's oar!" added Mr. Pennant, as with his right arm he
+drew the wounded man back into the stern sheets.
+
+The progress of the boat was hardly interrupted by the volley, and in
+less than a minute after the discharge of the muskets, her stem struck
+the bow of the sloop, though not till the lieutenant had checked her
+headway, and ordered the men to stand by to board the rebellious craft.
+The quartermaster made fast to the sloop, and then grasped his cutlass.
+
+"Lay her aboard!" shouted Mr. Pennant; and Vincent led the way, leaping
+directly into the midst of the eight men in the standing room.
+
+"Do you surrender?" asked the lieutenant of the principal man on the
+forecastle as he came alongside of him.
+
+"I don't see that we can help ourselves," replied the spokesman in
+a surly tone; for the prospect before him was not very pleasant,
+especially as a volley had been fired from the sloop, presumably by his
+order, for he was the one who had made the threat in the first place.
+
+"Don't strike, my men; they have surrendered," continued Mr. Pennant
+with a gesture to his men.
+
+"This is an outrage," said the man on the forecastle, who could not help
+seeing that the whole party were in a fair way to be annihilated if they
+made any further resistance.
+
+"I dare say it is, my friend," replied Mr. Pennant blandly, for he had
+been in the navy long enough to adopt the characteristic politeness
+which distinguishes its officers. "Take possession of all the muskets
+and other weapons you can find, Vincent, and put them in the cutter."
+
+This order was promptly obeyed. Before it was fully carried out an
+elderly gentleman crawled out of the cuddy, and stood up in the standing
+room; he was a man of dignity, and evidently of importance.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+
+THE SKIPPER OF THE SLOOP MAGNOLIA
+
+
+"You were very unwise to order these men to fire upon the boat," said
+the dignified gentleman, addressing the man on the forecastle of the
+Magnolia; "it was a great mistake, Captain Flanger."
+
+"That's so!" exclaimed Mr. Pennant, feeling of his left arm as he spoke;
+for he had been wounded there, though the injury had not for a moment
+abated his energy.
+
+"I did not mean to allow the sloop to be captured by a boat load of men
+like that," replied Captain Flanger; "and if our men had used their
+bayonets we should have been all right. I told them to fix their
+bayonets, but they paid no attention to me."
+
+"It was a great mistake," repeated the dignified gentleman, shaking his
+head.
+
+Mr. Pennant had time now to look over the craft he had captured, and the
+men on board of her. It was simply a large sailboat, and those on board
+of her wore plain clothes. They did not appear to be soldiers or
+sailors, though there was a number of bayonets scattered about the
+standing room. The seamen from the cutter had leaped on board of the
+sloop, with cutlasses in their belts; but there was not space enough to
+permit the use of the weapon, and they had seized each of the men by the
+collar and put a pistol to his head.
+
+"How many men have you on board, Captain Flanger?" demanded the third
+lieutenant, still standing up in the boat abreast of the person he
+addressed.
+
+"Count them for yourself!" exclaimed Captain Flanger in brutal tones.
+
+"All right: I will count you first," added Mr. Pennant, as he reached
+over and seized the leader of the party by the collar with his right
+hand.
+
+  [Illustration: Colonel Homer Passford Visits the Bronx.--Page 219.]
+
+Flanger attempted to shake off his grasp, but the lieutenant was a very
+powerful man, and he dragged him into the boat in the twinkling of an
+eye. He tossed him into the bottom of the boat, five of the boat's crew
+being still in their seats, trailing their oars, for only seven of them
+had been able to get on board of the Magnolia for the want of space.
+
+"Tie his hands behind him," added Mr. Pennant to the men, who fell upon
+Flanger the moment he lighted in the bottom of the cutter.
+
+The prisoner was disposed to make further resistance, but two men fell
+upon him and made him fast to one of the thwarts. The leader of the
+party, as he appeared to be from the first, could do no further
+mischief, and the lieutenant gave his attention to the others on board
+of the sloop. The dignified gentleman, who was dressed in black clothes,
+though they had suffered not a little from contact with grease and tar,
+had seated himself in the standing room. He looked like a man of many
+sorrows, and his expression indicated that he was suffering from some
+cause not apparent.
+
+There were nine men left in the standing room, including the gentleman
+in black; they were coarse and rough-looking persons, and not one of
+them appeared to be the social peer of him who had condemned the firing
+upon the boat. The skipper remained at the tiller of the boat, and he
+looked as though he might have negro blood in his veins, though he was
+not black, and probably was an octoroon. He said nothing and did
+nothing, and had not used a musket when the others fired. He behaved as
+though he intended to be entirely neutral. A few drops of negro blood in
+his veins was enough to condemn him to inferiority with the rude fellows
+on board of the sloop, though his complexion was lighter than that of
+any of his companions.
+
+"Vincent, pass one half of the men on board of the cutter," said Mr.
+Pennant, when he had looked over the boat and the men on board of it.
+
+The quartermaster obeyed the order, and four of the party were placed
+in the bow and stern sheets of the cutter. Six oarsmen were directed
+to take their places on the thwarts. The lieutenant retained his place
+in the stern sheets, which he had not left during the affray or the
+conference. Three seamen, with a pistol in one hand and a cutlass in the
+other, were directed to remain on board of the sloop; but the party had
+been disarmed, and their muskets were in the bottom of the cutter, and
+they were not likely to attempt any resistance. The painter of the sloop
+was made fast to the stern of the Bronx's boat, and Mr. Pennant gave the
+order for the crew to give way.
+
+It had been a battle on a small scale, but the victory had been won, and
+the cutter was towing her prize in the direction of the gunboat. The
+lieutenant's first care was to attend to Hilton, the stroke oarsman who
+had been wounded in the affair. He placed him in a comfortable position
+on the bottom of the boat, and then examined into his condition.
+A bullet had struck him in the right side, and the blood was flowing
+freely from the wound. Mr. Pennant did the best he could for his relief,
+and the man said he was comfortable.
+
+"Sail ahead!" shouted the bow oarsman, looking behind him.
+
+"What is it, Gorman?" asked the lieutenant, standing up in his place.
+
+"A steamer, sir," answered Gorman.
+
+"I see her; it is the Bronx," added Mr. Pennant.
+
+By this time it was broad daylight, and apparently the fog was not as
+dense as it had been earlier in the morning. The boat with her tow
+continued on her course, now headed for the gunboat which the officer
+had made out. In ten minutes more the expedition was within hailing
+distance of the steamer, which immediately stopped her screw.
+
+The cutter came up at the gangway of the Bronx, and Christy was standing
+on the rail, anxious to learn what the boat had accomplished. He had
+heard the report of the volley fired at the cutter, and had been very
+solicitous for the safety of her crew. He had weighed anchor as soon as
+he heard the sounds, and proceeded in the direction from which they
+came.
+
+"I have to report the capture of the small sloop, the Magnolia, in tow,"
+said the third lieutenant, touching his cap to the commander. "We have
+eleven prisoners. Hilton is wounded, and I will send him on board first,
+if you please."
+
+"Do so," replied Christy. "Mr. Camden, pass the word for Dr. Connelly."
+
+A couple of men were directed to convey the wounded seaman up the steps,
+and he was handed over to the doctor, who had him conveyed to the sick
+bay. The obdurate Captain Flanger was next sent up to the deck, where
+Mr. Camden received him, and made him fast to the rail without note
+or comment; and even Christy made no remark except to give necessary
+orders. The other prisoners were not bound, and they were put under
+guard in the waist. The dignified gentleman in black was the last to
+come up the stairs.
+
+The moment he put his feet upon the deck, the commander stepped back,
+with a look of profound astonishment, if not of dismay, on his face, as
+he glanced at the important prisoner of the party. At first he seemed to
+be unable to believe the evidence of his senses, and gazed with intense
+earnestness at the gentleman.
+
+"Uncle Homer!" exclaimed Christy, extending his hand to him, which
+Colonel Passford, as he was called at home, though he was not in the
+Confederate army, warmly grasped; and the first smile that had been seen
+on his face played upon his lips.
+
+"I am glad to see you, Christy," said the prisoner, if he was to be
+regarded as such, for he certainly was not a sailor or a soldier.
+
+"I cannot say as much as that," replied Christy, still holding the
+gentleman's hand; "I must say I am sorry to see you under present
+circumstances, for you come as a prisoner in the hands of my men."
+
+"I am a non-combatant, Christy," replied Colonel Passford. "I have not
+served in the Confederate army or navy, or even been a member of a home
+guard."
+
+"I have not time now to look into that question; but I can assure you
+that you will be treated with the greatest consideration on board of my
+ship," added Christy as he conducted him below, and left him with Dave
+in his own cabin, returning at once to the deck to inquire into the
+operations of the first cutter. The boat had been hoisted up to the
+davits, and the Magnolia was made fast astern. All hands had been called
+when the Bronx got under way, and the men were all at their stations.
+
+Mr. Pennant reported in all its details upon his expedition. Dr.
+Connelly said his patient was severely, but not dangerously, wounded; he
+would recover, but he would not be fit for duty for two or three weeks.
+
+"While you are here, doctor, I will show you my arm, which is beginning
+to be somewhat uncomfortable," said the third lieutenant with a cheerful
+smile.
+
+"Are you wounded, Mr. Pennant?" asked the commander, who had listened to
+his report at length, without suspecting that he had a wound.
+
+"I was hit in the left arm; but very fortunately the wound did not
+disable me," replied the lieutenant as he proceeded to take off his
+coat.
+
+"But I cannot dress the wound here, Mr. Pennant," added the surgeon.
+
+"Then I will wait till I have time to attend to it," replied the heroic
+officer who treated the injury with contempt; "I have not finished my
+report to the captain yet. I will be in the ward room as soon as the
+captain is done with me."
+
+"But I can wait, Mr. Pennant," interposed Christy.
+
+"So can I, if you please, captain," added the lieutenant, smiling as
+pleasantly as though he had been free from pain, as he could not have
+been with the wound in his arm. "I wish to say a few words about the
+gentleman in black we captured on board of the sloop."
+
+"Did you learn his name?" asked Christy, greatly interested in what the
+officer was about to say.
+
+"No, sir, I did not; I heard no one call him by name. He was in the
+cuddy forward when we boarded the Magnolia; and when he came out of the
+little cabin, the first thing he said was, 'It was very unwise for you
+to order the men to fire upon the boat. It was a great mistake, Captain
+Flanger.'"
+
+"That shows that he at least was a non-combatant," added Christy,
+pleased to hear this report of his uncle.
+
+"That is all I have to say about him. I studied the skipper of the sloop
+and watched him. I am sure he did not fire a musket, and he seemed to
+take no part in the affairs of the men on board. Captain Flanger is the
+active man of the party; but I have no idea who or what he is. If you
+look at the skipper, you will see that he is an octoroon, or something
+between a mulatto and a white man, and in my opinion he is not a
+cheerful worker on that side of the house. Perhaps the skipper will
+be willing to tell you who and what the party are. They claimed to be
+private citizens, and that the sloop was bound to Appalachicola; perhaps
+the gentleman in black can explain the mission of the party."
+
+"If he can he will not, if they were engaged in an operation in the
+interest of the Confederates," added Christy with a smile. "That
+gentleman is Colonel Homer Passford."
+
+"He bears your name," said Mr. Pennant.
+
+"He is my uncle; my father's only brother."
+
+"Then I am sorry I brought him in."
+
+"You did your duty, and it was quite right for you to bring him on
+board. He is as devoted to the Confederate cause as my father is to the
+Union. But go below, and have your wound dressed, Mr. Pennant."
+
+The lieutenant went to the ward room where the surgeon was waiting for
+him. Christy called out the skipper of the sloop, and walked into the
+waist with him. The octoroon was a large man, of about the size of the
+third lieutenant, and he could have made a good deal of mischief if he
+had been so disposed.
+
+"Bless the Lord that I am here at last!" exclaimed the skipper, as he
+looked furtively about him.
+
+Christy understood him perfectly.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX
+
+AN EXPEDITION TO ST. ANDREW'S BAY
+
+
+"What is your name, my man?" asked Christy, as he looked over the
+stalwart form of the skipper of the Magnolia.
+
+"Michael Bornhoff," replied the prisoner.
+
+"Are you a Russian?" asked the commander, inclined to laugh at this
+singular name of one of the proscribed race.
+
+"No, sir; but I was named after a Russian sailor Captain Flanger picked
+up in Havana. I don't mean this Captain Flanger that was on board of the
+Magnolia, but his father," replied the stout fellow.
+
+"Are you a free man?"
+
+"No, sir; I belong to Captain Flanger: his father is dead, and left me
+to his son."
+
+"Why did you bless the Lord that you were here at last?"
+
+"Because I have been trying to get here for more than a year," replied
+the contraband, after looking about him for a moment, and then dropping
+his voice as though he feared Captain Flanger might hear what he said.
+"Now, mister, will you tell me who you are before I say anything more?
+for I shall get my back scored with forty-nine stripes if I open my
+mouth too wide;" and again he looked timidly around the deck.
+
+"You are on board of the United States steamer Bronx, and I am the
+commander of her," replied Christy, desiring to encourage Michael
+Bornhoff to tell all he knew about the expedition in the Magnolia.
+
+The skipper took his cap off, and bowed very low to Christy when he
+realized that he was talking to the principal personage on board of the
+gunboat. He was well dressed for one in his position, and displayed no
+little dignity and self-possession. Perhaps, if he had not been tainted
+with a few drops of black blood in his veins, he might have been a
+person of some consequence in the Confederate service.
+
+"Not a bad wound at all, Captain Passford," said Mr. Pennant. "The
+doctor says I am still fit for duty."
+
+"Captain Passford!" exclaimed Michael Bornhoff, as he heard the name;
+and the third lieutenant passed on to take a look at the prisoners.
+
+"That is my name," added Christy, smiling at the earnestness of the
+skipper.
+
+"That is a bad name for this child," said the octoroon, shaking his
+head. "Are you the son of Colonel Passford?"
+
+"I am not; but I am his nephew," replied the commander, willing to be
+perfectly frank with him.
+
+"Bless the Lord that you are his nephew and not his son!" exclaimed
+Michael fervently, as he raised his eyes towards the sky, which was
+beginning to be visible through the fog. "I have heard about you, for
+I was to pilot a vessel out of Cedar Keys when you came up there in
+command of the boats. Colonel Passford was over there, and he saw you
+on board of the Havana."
+
+"Then we understand each other, Mr. Bornhoff," added Christy.
+
+"Perfectly, Captain Passford; and I would trust you with my freedom,
+which is the dearest thing on earth to me. But don't call me 'mister,'
+or you will make me forget that I am a nigger," said the skipper,
+laughing in his delight to find that he was in good and safe hands.
+"Captain Flanger called me Mike always, and that is a good enough name
+for me."
+
+"Very well, Mike; you are a free man on board of this ship."
+
+"I ought to be, for I am a whiter man than Captain Flanger."
+
+"Now tell me what you know about that expedition on board of the
+Magnolia," said Christy more earnestly. "Mr. Pennant reports that your
+passengers claimed that they were peaceable citizens, and that your
+sloop was bound to Appalachicola. Was that true?"
+
+"Just then they were peaceable enough; but they were not when Captain
+Flanger ordered them to fire on your men. Colonel Passford and I were
+the only peaceable citizens on board of the sloop, and I was no citizen
+at all," replied the skipper, laughing.
+
+"You are one now, at any rate. Were you bound to Appalachicola?"
+
+"Not just then, captain," chuckled Mike, who seemed to be amused
+and delighted to feel that he was telling the secrets of his late
+companions.
+
+"We were going to Appalachicola after a while, where we were to pilot
+out some vessels loaded with cotton."
+
+"Then there are cotton vessels at that port, are there?" asked Christy,
+pricking up his ears at this suggestion.
+
+"Half a dozen of them, and a steamer to tow them to sea."
+
+"Are you sure of this information, Mike?"
+
+"I did not see them there, Captain Passford; but it was your uncle's
+business to look after them, as he was doing in St. Andrew's Bay."
+
+"Then my uncle has vessels in that bay which are to run out?" inquired
+Christy, deeply interested in the revelations of the skipper.
+
+"Only one, sir: a steamer of five hundred tons, called the Floridian."
+
+"Precisely; that is the vessel we are after. But what was my uncle doing
+on board of your sloop, with Captain Flanger and the rest of your
+party?"
+
+"My master was the captain of the Floridian, and we came out here to
+see if there was any blockader near, that had come up in the fog. The
+steamer was to be brought out by the pilot, who has been on board of her
+for three days."
+
+"Who were the men with muskets on board of the sloop?"
+
+"Those were the coast guard, sir," replied Mike, chuckling again.
+
+"The coast guard? I don't understand that," replied Christy, puzzled at
+the expression.
+
+"Eight of them, sir; and they have been keeping guard on Crooked, St.
+Andrew's, and Hurricane Islands, to let them know inside if there was
+any blockader coming this way. They had sky-rockets and flags to make
+signals with."
+
+"But why were they brought off if the steamer is still in the bay?"
+
+"The Floridian was coming out this morning in the fog, if Captain
+Flanger made the signal for her to do so. Then the captain was to go on
+board of her, and I was to sail the rest of the party to Appalachicola,"
+replied Mike, still chuckling with delight at his ability to give the
+commander such important information.
+
+"Then the Floridian is all ready to come out of the bay?" asked Christy,
+suppressing the excitement he was beginning to feel.
+
+"All ready, sir; and the signal was a sky-rocket, which the pilot could
+see over the fog."
+
+"We will not give them any signal, but we will treat them to some
+visitors. Is the steamer armed, Mike?"
+
+"No, sir; not a single big gun, and she has only hands enough to work
+her. Steam all up when we came out of the bay, sir," said Mike, laughing
+heartily, apparently in spite of himself.
+
+"Call all hands, Mr. Camden," said the commander in brusque tones.
+
+The boatswain's whistle sounded through the steamer. In a moment, as it
+were, all hands were in their stations. Nothing like a drill with the
+present ship's company had been possible, though the men had been
+trained to some extent at the navy-yard and on board of the Vernon; but
+the majority of the crew were old men who had served some time on board
+of the Bronx, and under the present commander.
+
+The prisoners appeared to be quite as much interested in the proceedings
+on deck as the ship's company, and closely observed everything that was
+done. Michael Bornhoff was quite excited, and walked the deck hurriedly,
+as though he was in search of something to do; but he was very careful
+not to go near the place where Captain Flanger was made fast to the
+rail.
+
+"Mr. Flint," called the commander to the first lieutenant, as soon as
+the crew were assembled on deck, "there is a steamer of five hundred
+tons in St. Andrew's Bay, all ready to come out at a given signal from
+the party just captured by the first cutter. I propose to capture her
+with the boats, and you will take the command of the expedition. The
+first and second cutters will be employed, and you will see that they
+are ready."
+
+"The boats are in good condition, sir, and they will be ready in five
+minutes," replied Mr. Flint, who had come on deck at the call for all
+hands, and had hardly learned the results of the recent boat expedition.
+
+"Mr. Camden will take charge of the second cutter," added Christy.
+
+While the crews were making the boats ready, and Mr. Camden was
+selecting the extra men for them, as he was instructed to do, Christy
+gave the executive officer a brief account of the capture of the sloop,
+and an epitome of the information he had obtained from Bornhoff.
+
+"What am I to do, Captain Passford?" asked Mike, who was watching the
+proceedings on deck with the most intense interest. "I want to ship in
+the Yankee navy as a pilot, for I know this coast from the Mississippi
+to Key West."
+
+"Are you a sailor?" asked Christy.
+
+"I went to sea for eleven years, and Captain Flanger, father and son,
+put my wages in their pockets."
+
+"You cannot ship as a pilot, only as an able seaman, if you know how to
+hand, reef, and steer, and how to make knots and splices."
+
+"I know all that, captain, like I know my name."
+
+"Then I will look upon you as an able seaman until you are formally
+enlisted. Mr. Flint, this man is Michael Bornhoff; he is an able seaman
+and a pilot in these waters. I think you had better take him with you,
+for he is fully informed in regard to the Floridian, which you are to
+bring out. Let him have pistols and a cutlass," said Christy.
+
+In ten minutes more the expedition left the ship, and soon disappeared
+in the low bank of fog that still hung over the shore. Each of the
+cutters had been manned by twelve men besides the officer, and Mike was
+an extra hand with the first lieutenant. 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. He could not settle the question at once, and he went down into his
+cabin, where his uncle was waiting very impatiently to see him, and had
+asked Dave a dozen times in regard to him.
+
+Colonel Passford was naturally very anxious to ascertain what had been
+done, and what was to be done, by the Bronx; but the steward was too
+discreet to answer any of his questions, and he was not aware that his
+son Corny was a prisoner on board as well as himself.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI
+
+A NON-COMBATANT ON BOARD THE BRONX
+
+
+Colonel Passford was reclining on the divan when the commander entered
+the cabin; but he rose to his feet as soon as he saw his nephew. Christy
+thought he looked thinner and paler than when he had last seen him.
+He was now only forty-two years old, but he looked like a man of fifty.
+
+"I have been wanting to see you, Christy," said the planter, as he
+approached his nephew. "I learn, with no little astonishment, that you
+are the commander of this steamer."
+
+"I am, uncle Homer," replied the young man.
+
+"Then you can tell me better than any one else in regard to my status
+on board of the Bronx," added the colonel, who had won this title years
+before in the militia. "Am I considered a prisoner of war?"
+
+"I do not so consider you, uncle Homer; but I cannot say how my superior
+officer will look at the matter when I report to him. You were taken in
+a sloop that fired upon the first cutter of the Bronx, wounding one of
+the crew and the officer in command."
+
+"That was the folly of Captain Flanger; and I protested the moment I
+discovered what had been done," added the planter, who seemed to be
+anxious to relieve himself of all responsibility for the discharge of
+the muskets.
+
+"Were you in charge of the sloop, uncle Homer?"
+
+"I was not; I had nothing to do with the sloop. She belonged to Captain
+Flanger."
+
+"Who is Captain Flanger?" asked Christy.
+
+"You have him on board, and perhaps he had better answer the question
+himself," replied Colonel Passford with a smile.
+
+"It was a superfluous question, for I know all about him. He is the
+captain of the Floridian, though that would not make him a combatant
+unless he fights his ship; and that is what he did on board of the
+Magnolia. I regard him and his companions, except the skipper of the
+sloop, as prisoners of war. You proved by your words and conduct that
+you were not a combatant, and you are at liberty to depart when you
+please."
+
+The young commander did not feel entirely sure that his ruling was
+correct, for a naval officer must be learned in a great variety of
+subjects which he had not had time to study; but he was willing to take
+the responsibility in the present instance.
+
+"It is easy enough to say that I may depart; but how shall I do it?"
+added the planter with a smile. "I cannot swim ashore."
+
+"I will put you ashore in a boat at the nearest land when the fog clears
+off," replied Christy.
+
+"The nearest land is an island, and there is hardly anything like a
+village on the entire Bay of St. Andrew's. The region is deserted now,
+and I might wander about there for a month, till I starved to death,
+before I could get to a settled region."
+
+"I shall not compel you to land, and you can remain on board till I
+report to the flag-officer of the Eastern Gulf squadron, off Pensacola,
+if you desire to do so; but you will be subject to his decision and not
+mine then."
+
+"I prefer that to starving to death in this region," replied the
+colonel.
+
+"Very well, uncle Homer, that is settled," added Christy. "Now, how are
+aunt Lydia and Gerty? I hope they are well."
+
+"Very well the last time I saw them, which was three weeks ago. They are
+busy making garments for the soldiers," answered the planter.
+
+"When did you last hear from Corny, uncle Homer?"
+
+"It is all of two months since I had any news in regard to him. He is
+still a soldier and has not yet been promoted. His company is still at
+Fort Gaines; but he has been sent away once or twice on detached duty.
+He is not given to writing many letters; but the last time I was in
+Mobile I was told that he had again been sent off on some sort of secret
+service with a naval officer by the name of Galvinne. I do not know
+whether the report was true or not."
+
+"It was quite true, uncle Homer; and he has been quite as unfortunate
+as he was in his former expedition to the North," added Christy very
+quietly.
+
+"What do you know about him, Christy?" asked the colonel with the
+deepest interest.
+
+"I can assure you first that he is alive and well. I am not informed how
+he got to New York, but he did get there, and in company with two naval
+officers, one by the name of Byron, as well as Galvinne."
+
+"Byron was an actor in Mobile; he had been the mate of a cotton ship,
+and he obtained a commission in the navy; but for the want of a steamer
+both of them were unemployed," the planter explained.
+
+"In New York they got up a plan to obtain a small steamer, about the
+size of the Bronx," continued Christy. "Galvinne had been in the navy,
+and he readily obtained an appointment as second lieutenant of the
+store-ship Vernon. Byron shipped as a seaman. Corny was appointed by the
+two officers to take the place of a regular officer, who came down in
+the Vernon. He looked something like the officer whom he personated, who
+was to command a small steamer in the gulf."
+
+"It was a hazardous plan," suggested Colonel Passford, "and I should
+suppose that Corny was hardly competent to play such a _rôle_. I hope
+the scheme was successful, for, as you know very well, all my prayers
+and all my aspirations are for the triumph of the Confederate cause."
+
+"The scheme was successful up to a certain point, and Corny obtained
+the command of the steamer, passing for the genuine officer before the
+commodore, and even on board of the vessel where the commander was well
+known."
+
+"That sounds like a story for a novel," added the planter, smiling.
+
+"If there had been no setback, Corny would have gone into Pensacola Bay
+in a few hours more, in nominal command of the steamer, though of course
+Galvinne was the real commander."
+
+"It is a strange story, and I cannot see how Corny succeeded in passing
+himself off as the officer he personated."
+
+"He stole that officer's commission and other papers while he was
+sleeping in his own home," added Christy.
+
+"But where did you learn this history of Corny's operations?" asked
+his uncle, knitting his brow as though he did not quite believe the
+narrative.
+
+"Oh, I am the officer whom Corny personated," replied the commander with
+a quiet smile. "The story is not a second-handed one, uncle Homer."
+
+"Corny pretended to be Christy, did he? Then you must have seen him if
+he took your commission."
+
+"He did not do that in person; but employed Byron to do it for him; and
+for several weeks this actor was a house-servant at Bonnydale," answered
+Christy, as he proceeded to narrate the adventure more in detail. "It is
+not an old story, for the last event occurred on board of the Bronx at
+about eight o'clock last evening."
+
+"The plan was not finally successful, more is the pity," added the
+Southern gentleman.
+
+"It was not; for I had concealed myself on board when I realized what
+Galvinne was about, and, with the aid of the officers who knew me,
+captured the vessel. I am now in command of her, and I am likely to
+have a prize to assist in establishing my identity when I report to the
+flag-officer."
+
+"But what became of Corny?" asked Colonel Passford, with no little
+anxiety on his face.
+
+"He is quite safe; he is a prisoner of war below, with a pair of
+handcuffs on his wrists," replied Christy. "You and he together made the
+nest for him, and he must sleep in it. I cannot say what the commodore
+will do with you."
+
+"Corny on board of this steamer!" exclaimed the father. "In irons too!"
+
+"I consider the naval officers as dangerous men, and I had to treat
+Corny in the same manner that I did his associates. If you wish to see
+him, I will send for him."
+
+"Of course I should like to see my son."
+
+Christy struck his bell, and the steward promptly appeared at the door.
+
+"Dave, go to the quarters, and conduct the prisoner, Mr. Passford,
+to this cabin. You may take off his handcuffs; here is the key," said
+Christy, and steward took the key and departed.
+
+"How high is the grass in the streets of New York, Christy?" asked the
+colonel, with a twinkle of the eye, and a smile.
+
+"Grass! They don't raise it in the city; and there isn't as much of it
+in all the streets as I saw in the principal one in Mobile when I was
+there, on my way from the prison to the bay," replied the commander
+cheerfully. "I don't believe that business was ever so lively in New
+York and the other cities of the North as it is at this time; and I left
+there ten days ago."
+
+"Do the people there really expect to put down the Rebellion, as they
+call it, nephew?" asked Colonel Passford, in a tone which indicated his
+confidence in the final success of his cause.
+
+"They have no doubt whatever that the Rebellion will be crushed out.
+The last time we met you did not believe that a blockade could be
+established; but it has been done, and the government is strengthening
+it every day. It is effective, too; and I have been concerned in the
+capture of nearly a dozen vessels that were trying to break through."
+
+"You have been very fortunate, nephew; but it will be impossible to
+conquer the South. We shall be the victors in the end as sure as there
+is a God in heaven who watches over the affairs of men."
+
+"One who can believe that would swallow Baron Munchausen without
+blinking. But I think we had better not talk politics, uncle Homer, for
+we don't get ahead at all. I shall continue to stand by the Union, and
+the South will raise the same cry after a few years more," said Christy,
+as Dave opened the door, and ushered the prisoner into the cabin.
+
+Father and son shook hands, but they were not so demonstrative as
+they might have been. Christy was not disposed to burden them with
+his presence, but he insisted that Dave should stay there during the
+interview. He left them together for two hours, and then sent Mr.
+Pennant and a seaman to remove Corny to the quarters. Dave said they
+had talked only of family matters, though the son had explained to his
+father the plan to obtain possession of the Bronx.
+
+When the commander went on deck, the fog had disappeared, and the shore
+was to be seen at the distance of about six miles from the steamer. At
+eight bells, or noon, a steamer was discovered coming out of the bay by
+a channel between two islands. She carried the American flag over the
+Confederate, and no one doubted that she was the Floridian. In half an
+hour she was alongside, and she looked like a fine vessel, for she had
+come from the other side of the ocean as a blockade-runner.
+
+Mr. Flint reported that she had been captured without any resistance on
+the part of the crew. There was no incident worth relating in connection
+with the capture, though she was full of cotton, and brought over
+seventy thousand dollars when the vessel and cargo were sold. The two
+cutters were brought alongside, and hoisted up to the davits.
+
+"I suppose the steamer has a supply of coal on board, Mr. Flint."
+
+"Enough to take her to Liverpool," replied the first lieutenant.
+
+"There are several vessels in Appalachicola Bay, and I thought of
+attending to them; but I think we have too much on our hands now, and
+I shall sail at once for the station. You will take charge of the
+Floridian, Mr. Flint, with such crew as you need," said Christy.
+
+In less than half an hour the two vessels were under way, and just at
+dark they were within hail of the flag-ship.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII
+
+THE STRANGER IN THE CAPTAIN'S CABIN
+
+
+The Bronx had been absent from the station hardly more than thirty
+hours; but she had accomplished the mission with which she had been
+charged in her secret orders. The Vernon was still at anchor near the
+flag-ship. Christy hastened on board of the latter to make his report,
+which he had written out during the passage; in fact, he had two
+reports, one of the capture of the Bronx, and the other of the
+Floridian.
+
+"You have done your work very promptly, Captain Passford," said the
+commodore with a smile.
+
+"The circumstances favored me, sir," replied Christy, bowing. "I desire
+to call your attention to the first of the two reports I submit, for the
+first battle I was called upon to fight was on board of the Bronx."
+
+"On board of the Bronx!" exclaimed the flag-officer. "Do you mean that
+you had a mutiny to suppress?"
+
+"I had not the honor to communicate with you yesterday before the Bronx
+sailed for her destination; but I believe you were called upon to decide
+upon the identity of the officer who presented himself to you as the
+lieutenant appointed to the command of the Bronx, introduced by Captain
+Battleton of the Vernon."
+
+"I was hardly called upon to decide anything, for the matter in doubt
+had been settled by the commander of the Vernon before it came to my
+knowledge; but I agreed with him that the commission ought to settle the
+point. Are you not the officer presented to me by Captain Battleton,
+Captain Passford?" asked the commodore, gazing earnestly into the face
+of Christy.
+
+"I am not, sir."
+
+"You are not! Who are you, then?"
+
+"I am Lieutenant Christopher Passford."
+
+"Who was the other officer?"
+
+"He was not an officer, either of the navy or the army, but my cousin,
+Cornelius Passford, a soldier in the Confederate army."
+
+"I am amazed, and I fear the officers in charge at Brooklyn are not as
+cautious as they should be. Not long ago a steamer had to return to the
+navy-yard there because her machinery had been tampered with; and the
+enemy are putting men on board of steamers for the purpose of capturing
+them. Where is your cousin now, Captain Passford?"
+
+"He is a prisoner on board of the Bronx, with two Confederate naval
+officers who were his associates in the conspiracy; and we have also two
+seamen," replied Christy, who proceeded to give the narrative in full of
+the work done on board of the Bronx on the evening of the day she sailed
+from the station.
+
+The sea was smooth, and the commander of the Bronx was directed to bring
+her alongside the flag-ship. As soon as this was done, all the prisoners
+on board of her were transferred to the custody of the commodore.
+Christy introduced his uncle Homer to the flag-officer, suggesting that
+he was a non-combatant, and stating that he had offered to put him on
+shore at St. Andrew's Island.
+
+"I think you are correct in your view, Captain Passford, though probably
+he is of more service to the Confederate government, as your father is
+to our own, than a score of sailors or soldiers; but modern civilization
+does not hold civilians as prisoners of war. Besides, he is doing so
+much to provide our vessels with prizes in the matter of cotton ships,
+that it would be a pity to take him out of his sphere of usefulness to
+us," added the commodore with a smile.
+
+"The other men in the sloop, with the exception of the skipper, fired
+upon my boat, and wounded an officer and a seaman."
+
+"They were taken in arms, and therefore they are prisoners. But you lost
+all your commissioned officers but one in the affair on board of the
+Bronx, Captain Passford."
+
+"I did, sir; and I was obliged to fill their places;" and Christy
+described the men he had appointed.
+
+"There are no officers here that I can give you in their places, and I
+am obliged to order you away immediately on another expedition. The
+Floridian is a valuable prize; and I must send her to New York, for I am
+confident the government will purchase her for the navy. Your acting
+lieutenants must continue to serve as such for the present."
+
+"I ask for no better officers, sir. They are well educated, and have
+had a great deal of experience as sailors outside of the navy," replied
+Christy.
+
+At this time the preparations for the reduction of the forts on the
+Mississippi were in progress, and every available vessel was called into
+activity. The Bronx had been built for a blockade-runner, and for a
+steamer of her size she was of exceptional speed. The vessels of the
+Eastern Gulf squadron were employed to a considerable extent in
+destroying salt works on the west coast of Florida; but the commodore
+was not disposed to order the fleet little gunboat upon such service.
+
+"Is the Bronx in condition for immediate service, Captain Passford?"
+asked the flag-officer.
+
+"She is, sir; she has not been in action since her crew was reinforced,"
+answered Christy.
+
+"I did not expect your return so soon, but I have your sealed orders
+ready. You will get under way as soon as possible," added the commodore,
+handing him the sealed envelope. "You will make your course south-west,
+and open your orders at twelve o'clock to-night."
+
+The commander of the Bronx left the cabin where the interview had taken
+place. On the deck he met his uncle, who was curious to know what was to
+be done with him.
+
+"I can only say that you will not be held as a prisoner of war; but I
+must leave you in the hands of the flag-officer, who will dispose of you
+as he thinks best. I sail in the Bronx immediately."
+
+Christy hastened on board of his vessel, after hastily shaking hands
+with uncle Homer. All the prisoners had been removed from her, and the
+commodore had sent a ship's company to the Floridian to relieve the
+prize crew in charge of her. He had only to wait for Mr. Flint and the
+men attached to the Bronx; and they came on board within an hour.
+
+"You will call all hands, Mr. Flint," said the commander, as soon as the
+executive officer appeared on the deck; and the call of the boatswain's
+mate sounded through the vessel.
+
+"I came on board to pay my respects to you, Captain Passford," said
+Captain Battleton of the Vernon, who had been waiting for him. "Things
+have changed since I last saw you. I do not know whether I ought to
+apologize to you for my decision on board of the Vernon, or not."
+
+"Not at all, Captain Battleton," replied Christy, taking the hand of the
+commander of the store-ship. "The flag-officer sustained your decision;
+and with my commission in the pocket of my cousin, I do not see that you
+could have adjusted the question in any other manner. I assure you I
+have not a particle of ill-feeling towards you on account of what you
+did in the discharge of your duty."
+
+"But I do not quite understand the matter yet. You disappeared very
+suddenly; and when I wanted to present you to the commodore, you could
+not be found," added the captain of the Vernon. "I am very curious to
+know what became of you."
+
+"I came on board of the Bronx, and put myself in a place where you
+were least likely to look for me,--under the berth in the captain's
+stateroom. I was at home there, for I had occupied the room while I was
+the acting commander of the vessel on her voyage to the Gulf. But you
+must excuse me now, for I am ordered to get under way at once; and the
+ship's company of the Floridian have reported on board."
+
+"I may yet be called upon to serve under you some time in the future;
+and I did not wish to have any prejudice against me on account of my
+decision, in which my officers concurred."
+
+"I have not the slightest prejudice against you and while we stand by
+the Union, shoulder to shoulder, we shall be friends," replied Christy,
+warmly pressing the hand of the captain of the Vernon.
+
+Captain Battleton returned the pressure as heartily as it had been
+given, and departed from the gunboat. The commander gave the order to
+the first lieutenant to get under way; and the fasts were cast off from
+the flag-ship. The Bronx backed away from her, came about, and was ready
+to proceed on her voyage to the destination as yet unknown on board of
+her.
+
+"Make the course south-west, Mr. Flint," said the commander, as soon as
+the vessel was ready, and her screw was in motion.
+
+"South-west," repeated the first lieutenant, addressing the
+quartermaster who was conning the wheel.
+
+Standing on the bridge with the executive officer, Christy took his
+leave mentally of the flag-ship, and the few other vessels that were
+on the station; for most of them were on duty in various expeditions
+engaged in the destruction of salt works. A boat expedition had just
+captured Appalachicola, with all the vessels loading with cotton in
+the bay. The young commander congratulated himself that he had a fast
+steamer, for that caused him to be employed in more active duty than the
+work of destruction on shore.
+
+"South-west," said Mr. Flint, after the port watch had been dismissed,
+leaving the starboard with Mr. Camden as watch officer on deck.
+"I thought it probable that we should be sent to Appalachicola after
+the information the Russian gave us."
+
+"The boats of the Mercidita and Sagamore have captured the place, and
+picked up five or six small vessels loaded with cotton, I was informed
+by the commodore," replied Christy.
+
+"We are bound to the westward, and the course looks as though we might
+be ordered up the Mississippi," suggested Mr. Flint.
+
+"I hardly think so, though I should be pleased to have it so."
+
+"Why do you think it is not likely, Captain Passford?" asked the
+executive officer curiously.
+
+"Because the Bronx is a fast vessel compared with most of the steamers
+of the navy, hardly any of which are good for more than twelve knots an
+hour, while this ship will make sixteen when she is driven, and fourteen
+under ordinary circumstances when we are not trying to save coal. Of
+course I have no idea what duty we are to perform, and I am not anxious
+to know till the time comes, though midnight is a rather odd time to
+open the envelope."
+
+"Probably the odd time means something."
+
+"No doubt of it; for to-morrow morning by four bells we shall be off the
+passes of the Mississippi, and our mission may be up Lake Pontchartrain,
+or at Ship Island. But let that matter rest, for in three hours and a
+half we shall know all about it. I want to ask you about the man you
+call the Russian."
+
+"He is a good man, and quite as intelligent as any of our seamen. He is
+a pilot on the coast of Florida, and may be farther to the westward so
+far as I know. He is forty-seven years old, though he does not look it,
+and has been to sea all his life. By the way, that Captain Flanger has
+done some business as a smuggler, Mike informs me."
+
+"He looks like a desperate character," added Christy, as he went below
+to attend to his supper, which he had so far neglected.
+
+Dave was standing by the door when he entered his cabin. Seated at the
+table was a man of stalwart frame, who was helping himself to the viands
+prepared for the commander, and making himself entirely at home.
+
+"Good-evening, Captain Passford; I hope you are all right. I waited a
+reasonable time for you to come below to supper; but as you did not
+appear, I have made myself at home, for my appetite has been somewhat
+stimulated to-day," said the stranger.
+
+The commander looked at the man; but he did not know him.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII
+
+A VERY IMPUDENT DECLARATION
+
+
+Christy looked at the stranger with astonishment, and he could not
+imagine who he could be. He had seen no such person on board of the
+Bronx or on the deck of the flag-ship. When the prisoners from the
+Magnolia had been brought on board, Christy had been too much occupied
+with other matters to bestow any attention upon them with the exception
+of "the dignified gentleman in black," who proved to be his uncle. He
+had had no curiosity in regard to them, and Mr. Camden had disposed of
+them at the rail.
+
+The commander thought it very strange that there should be a person on
+board of the steamer, and especially in possession of his cabin, who was
+an entire stranger to him. He looked at the intruder, who was a stoutly
+built man of rather more than forty years of age, with his hair and full
+beard somewhat grizzled by age. He was dressed like a seaman in blue
+clothes, though he was evidently not a common sailor, but might have
+been the master or mate of a vessel.
+
+"I am sorry to have kept you waiting for your supper, sir," replied
+Christy, falling in with the humor of his involuntary guest. "But that
+was the fault of my steward, who ought to have informed me that I was to
+have the pleasure of your company at supper."
+
+"Don't blame him, Captain Passford, for it was not his fault that he did
+not announce my presence to you. He wished to do so, but I assured him I
+was not disposed to disturb you, for you must be occupied with your own
+affairs, and I persuaded him not to go for you," added the person with
+perfect self-possession.
+
+"You were very considerate," answered Christy, looking at the steward,
+who had stationed himself behind the unwelcome guest.
+
+Dave looked as solemn as an owl, and his ivories seemed to be sealed up
+in his expansive mouth. He attempted to make a sign to the captain, but
+it was not understood. At that moment, the stranger raised his finger
+and beckoned to the steward.
+
+"What is your name, boy?" he asked.
+
+"Dave, sir," replied he, evidently deeply impressed by the visitor for
+some reason not yet apparent to the captain.
+
+"I don't like to have a man stand behind me, and you will take your
+place in the rear of Captain Passford, who is more worthy of your
+attention than I am;" and though Dave was a brave fellow, he obeyed the
+order.
+
+It was evident enough to Christy that there had been some kind of a
+scene in the cabin before he came below, for the steward had certainly
+been intimidated by the powerful visitor.
+
+"This fish seems to be red snapper, captain, and it is very good. Will
+you allow me to help you to some of it?" continued the stranger very
+politely.
+
+"Thank you, sir; I will take some of it, if you please," replied
+Christy, as he passed his plate across the table. "Of course, as you
+have done me the honor to take a seat at my table, I must be acquainted
+with you."
+
+"We have met before," replied the stranger. "Shall I help you to some of
+these fried potatoes? They are very good, and I can recommend them.
+
+I have already learned that you have an excellent cook on board. I
+should judge from these potatoes that he was brought up in New Orleans."
+
+"It may be he was; I don't know about that. You say that we have met
+before, but to save my life, I cannot recall the time, and I am sorry to
+add that I do not identify your face as that of any person I ever saw
+before. I have the pleasure of introducing myself to you as Lieutenant
+Christopher Passford, commanding the United States steamer Bronx."
+
+"Thank you, Captain Passford, and I cannot well help being less polite
+and less frank than you are; and I shall take the liberty of introducing
+myself to your acquaintance and good offices as Captain Boyd Flanger,
+lately in command of the steamer Floridian, entirely at your service."
+
+"Indeed!" exclaimed Christy, not a little startled at the information
+thus communicated, for it was plain enough that the intruder meant
+mischief in spite of his good manners. "I was under the impression that
+you had taken up your abode on board of the flag-ship with others who
+were captured in the Magnolia."
+
+"That is very true; I went on board of the flag-ship, but I am somewhat
+fastidious in my notions, and I concluded not to remain there," replied
+Captain Flanger. "Without any intention of flattering you, Captain
+Passford, candor compels me to say that I prefer your company to that of
+the commodore. Can I help you to anything more on my side of the table?"
+
+"Thank you; I will have one of those lamb's tongues," replied Christy.
+
+"They are very nice; I have just tried one of them," added Captain
+Flanger, as he passed the plate over to the commander.
+
+"You do not use your left hand, captain; I hope you were not wounded in
+the affair this morning off St. Andrew's Bay."
+
+"No, sir; I was not wounded. Your men did not fire into our party, as we
+did into your boat. The fact is, Captain Passford, I have an ornament on
+my left wrist which I am a little timid about displaying before people,
+though I do not object to showing it to you," replied the guest, as he
+held up his left hand, and from the wrist a pair of handcuffs hung down,
+for he had succeeded in removing it only from his right hand.
+
+"Such an ornament must be a nuisance to you, Captain Flanger, and I
+think we will have it removed. Dave, go and ask the second lieutenant to
+report to me with his keys and a file," said Christy.
+
+"I beg your pardon, Captain Passford, for countermanding your order; but
+Dave will do nothing of the sort," interposed the intruder, as blandly
+as before. "Dave knows better than to obey such an order."
+
+Dave did know better than to obey the order, and Christy was morally
+certain that he had been menaced with a pistol, or threatened in some
+manner if he attempted to leave the cabin. He acted as though he felt
+confident that a bullet would be sent through his head if he disobeyed
+the bold visitor. At the same time there was a certain amount of energy
+and earnestness visible in the expression of the steward, which assured
+Christy that he was ready to take part in any action that was reasonably
+prudent and hopeful.
+
+Captain Flanger had been handcuffed and made fast to the rail of the
+vessel with the other prisoners, and with them he had been transferred
+to the flag-ship. It was probably in this removal that he had found the
+means of securing his liberty, and had made his way on board in some
+manner not at all apparent to the commander of the Bronx, who had been
+in conference with the commodore when the change was made.
+
+Whether the escaped prisoner had gone to the captain's cabin for a
+special purpose, or had simply followed the most convenient way that was
+opened to him in his flight, it was plain enough to Christy that, at the
+present time, he had an object before him. He had practically taken
+possession of the cabin, and had already overawed the steward. The
+commander could not see his way to do anything to improve the situation.
+He had no weapon about him but his sword, and he was satisfied that the
+intruder was provided with one or more revolvers, as indicated by the
+appearance of the side pockets of his blue coat.
+
+Whatever had been said about the imprudence and even recklessness of
+the young lieutenant, he was really a prudent and even cautious officer.
+He realized that any movement on his part would draw the fire of the
+insolent intruder, and he saw that strategy was far preferable to
+open violence, since the latter was likely to end only in killing or
+disabling him. If he could visit his stateroom and obtain his pair of
+navy revolvers, or even the smaller ones in one of the drawers of his
+desk, it would improve the chances in his favor. It was evident that he
+would not be permitted to do this, and he did not attempt it.
+
+"Dave is a wise man," said the commander, after he had given a few
+moments to the consideration of the situation.
+
+"Dave is a sensible man, and I trust I shall find you his equal in that
+respect, Captain Passford," replied the intruder, still seated in his
+chair at the supper-table.
+
+"I claim to be reasonably sensible," answered Christy. "As you have done
+me the honor to visit me in my cabin, Captain Flanger, it is reasonable
+to suppose you have some object in view, for I do not regard it as a
+merely friendly call."
+
+Though the young officer was prudent and discreet, he did not lose his
+self-possession, and he smiled as though he had been simply the host in
+the dining-room of the mansion at Bonnydale. There was a certain humor
+about the intruder which would have pleased him under other
+circumstances.
+
+"Quite right, captain!" exclaimed the visitor. "I have an object in
+view, and both my inclination and my duty are urging me to carry it
+out. How your boat happened to capture the Magnolia is beyond my
+comprehension up to the present moment, though I think the principal
+reason was the lack of a sufficiently osseous vertebra on the part of
+your worthy uncle, Colonel Passford. Then the officer in charge of the
+cutter did not do what I expected him to do. Instead of falling back
+when he and one of his crew were wounded, as he ought to have done, and
+using the heavy revolvers with which his men were armed, he did not
+delay a moment, but smashed into the sloop, and jerked his men on board
+of her, cutlass in one hand and revolver in the other; and that brought
+me to the end of my rope. I could not do anything more."
+
+"I am sorry that you are dissatisfied with my third lieutenant's mode
+of operations," replied Christy, laughing, though his mirth was of the
+graveyard order. "But Mr. Pennant is a new officer, and that was the
+first active duty he had been called upon to perform. Very likely he
+will suit you better next time."
+
+Christy yawned, or pretended to do so, and in the act he rose from the
+table. Captain Flanger was silent as he did so, and watched the captain
+with the eye of a lynx, as the latter placed himself behind the chair he
+had occupied. He was in position to make a movement of some kind, and
+the intruder deliberately drew from his right-hand coat pocket a heavy
+revolver. Holding this in his hand, he drew another from the left-hand
+pocket, and threw it on the table.
+
+"I don't wish to be rude with a gentleman as polite as yourself, Captain
+Passford; but you interrupted my remarks by rising from your chair,"
+said Captain Flanger, with the revolver still poised in his hand, while
+he dropped the other with the handcuff upon it at his side.
+
+"Excuse me for interrupting you, Captain Flanger; but I have eaten a
+hearty supper, encouraged by your friendly presence, and I was sleepy,
+for my rest was broken last night, and I wanted simply to stretch
+myself," replied Christy, yawning and stretching himself again.
+
+"All right, captain; it is not necessary for me to say a single word,"
+added the intruder, as he made a slight demonstration with the weapon
+in his right hand, which was not lost upon the commander. "With your
+permission, I will proceed with my remarks."
+
+"Certainly, captain; go on."
+
+"My first misfortune was in being made a prisoner. My second and most
+annoying mishap was the capture of the Floridian," continued Captain
+Flanger. "It was my intention to fit her out as a privateer, with the
+proceeds of the sale of her cargo of cotton, for she is a good vessel,
+and as fast as the Bronx, as you call her."
+
+"Then I was very fortunate in capturing her," added Christy with a
+smile.
+
+"Perhaps not, for I intend to replace her with the Bronx."
+
+The commander was amazed at the impudence of the intruder.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV
+
+A CRITICAL SITUATION IN THE CABIN
+
+
+Christy looked at his cool and impudent visitor, whose declaration
+was to the effect that he intended to take possession of the Bronx in
+compensation for the loss of the Floridian. It looked as though he
+intended to capture the gunboat now fully officered, and manned by
+forty-six seaman; and so far as the commander could judge, he intended
+to do it single-handed.
+
+The lieutenant's first thought, after he realized the intention of the
+intruder, was that he was insane, for no man in his senses would think
+of accomplishing such a mad enterprise. His second idea was that he had
+mistaken the declaration of Captain Flanger, though he had certainly
+said that he meant to replace the Floridian with the Bronx, and the
+statement could hardly mean anything else.
+
+Christy was forced to admit to himself that the bold intruder had full
+possession of the captain's cabin of the steamer, and that he had the
+advantage of him in being armed; that any decided opposition on his part
+would result in his being killed or wounded. It was not prudent for him
+to do anything, and at the present stage of the proceedings he could do
+nothing but temporize with his resolute foe.
+
+"I beg your pardon, Captain Flanger; but do I understand that you
+intend, single-handed and alone, to capture the Bronx?" asked the
+commander, with a smile of incredulity on his face.
+
+"Well, Captain Passford, if you fail to comprehend my purpose, it
+is the fault of your understanding, and not of my plain and explicit
+declaration, for I assuredly said that I intended to replace the
+Floridian with the Teaser, or the Bronx as you have named her, though
+she will not be called by any such nut-cracking name after I get her,"
+replied the daring privateersman, as blandly and pleasantly as though he
+were planning a picnic.
+
+"Of course you see no difficulties in the way of such an undertaking as
+you propose," added Christy.
+
+"There may be difficulties; but I think they can be overcome. I purpose
+to act through you, my friend, as my resources are rather limited at the
+present moment. In other words, I propose that you shall issue certain
+orders which I intend to dictate," Captain Flanger proceeded, as coolly
+as though he had been in his own cabin instead of that of his companion.
+
+"You mean to dictate your orders to me," repeated the commander.
+
+"Precisely so; and you will readily see that I am not exactly in a
+position to act in any other manner, as I cannot go back on deck and
+deliver them in person, for your officers would be prejudiced against
+me, and might be disposed to rebel against my authority."
+
+"Not improbable," added Christy. "You propose that I shall go on deck,
+and give your orders, acting as your proxy."
+
+"Hardly, my dear friend, for I fear that on deck you would give way to
+your own individual prejudices against me, and do something that would
+jeopard my interest in the premises. With your approbation, I should
+prefer to resort to a method that prevails in the army, though not to
+any considerable extent in the navy. More clearly, I will invite you to
+send your orders on deck in writing, over your own signature."
+
+"You think that method would suit you better than the usual one of
+delivering orders verbally," said Christy, laughing as much at the
+coolness as at the impudence of his companion.
+
+"It will not only suit me better, but you cannot fail to see that it is
+the only practicable way for me to operate with my present very limited
+resources. If I had a dozen good men and true,--not such dunderheads as
+your officer captured in the Magnolia,--I should be able to proceed in a
+more orderly and regular manner. In that case, I should issue my orders
+in person, and not compel you to act as my intermediary."
+
+"I understand you perfectly now; but as you have not, fortunately for
+me, and unfortunately for yourself, the dozen men at hand, I am to hold
+the fiddle while you play upon it, as I have seen a couple of negro
+minstrels do it."
+
+"An excellent simile, Captain Passford, and I could not have invented a
+better myself," returned the privateersman. "I think we understand each
+other perfectly, and therefore it is not necessary to use up any more
+time in explanations. You are too intelligent a person to fail to
+comprehend my plan. As an epitome of the whole scene, I may add that I
+propose to do what my friend Galvinne undertook with that cousin of
+yours: I intend to take the Bronx into Pensacola Bay, and have her used
+in the service of the righteous cause in which the people of the South
+are engaged," continued Captain Flanger, as though he believed in all he
+was saying.
+
+"I suppose it is the righteousness of the cause in particular that calls
+forth your admiration," chuckled Christy.
+
+"Precisely so; in this cause, though I drink whiskey, chew, and smoke,
+and never swear except when I am excited, I am a religious man," said
+the intruder, laughing.
+
+"I suppose you were religiously inclined when you were engaged in the
+business of smuggling," added the commander.
+
+"I cannot say that I was; the cause of the South is religion itself, and
+I am there every time. Who told you that I had been engaged in
+smuggling?"
+
+"It dropped from some of the men that were captured in the sloop."
+
+"It could have dropped only from Mike Bornhoff, for he is the only one
+who knew anything about it. He is my property, and when we are fairly
+in Pensacola Bay I shall seize him up to the grating, and give him
+thirty-nine for opening his mouth when he ought to have kept it closed.
+Where is he now, for I did not find him among the prisoners?"
+
+"He has enlisted as a seaman, and seems to be a good one. By the way,
+where did you learn that my cousin attempted to take the Bronx into
+Pensacola Bay?" asked Christy curiously, though he was using up the time
+he could not yet improve.
+
+"It was not your cousin at all who attempted to take the vessel into
+Pensacola Bay; it was Galvinne, for Corny only acted as a figure-head,
+as I intend to use you. Galvinne was a prisoner by my side on board of
+the flag-ship, and told me all about it when he was releasing my right
+hand from the bracelet," replied Captain Flanger.
+
+"Then I am to do duty as a figure-head, am I?" laughed Christy.
+
+"Precisely; and you are a better-looking one than your cousin. But
+excuse me for changing the subject of the conversation, for I am losing
+time. I see by the telltale over our heads that the Bronx is headed to
+the south-west, which is doubtless the course you were ordered to take
+by the commodore."
+
+"The telltale is honest, and tells no lies," replied Christy.
+
+"Where are you bound, Captain Passford?" asked Flanger, in a careless
+and indifferent manner, as he looked about the cabin.
+
+"I don't know."
+
+"Sealed orders?"
+
+"You must draw your own inferences, Captain Flanger."
+
+"It won't take a six-mule team to draw that one," added the
+privateersman, rather sourly for the first time. "Of course I understood
+that it would not be advisable for the commodore to let it be known
+exactly where the steamer is bound, and that you have sealed orders.
+I shall have to trouble you, Captain Passford, to produce the envelope."
+
+As he spoke Captain Flanger toyed with the revolver in his right hand
+as if he intended that the weapon should produce its proper impression
+on the mind, and especially upon the nerves, of the commander, who
+had continued to walk up and down in front of the table at which his
+dangerous associate was seated, occasionally pausing when a point was
+made on either side.
+
+"Of course you cannot expect me to betray the confidence of the
+commodore; that would not be kind or friendly on your part, Captain
+Flanger, for you can see that this is a delicate matter," said Christy,
+halting in front of the table.
+
+"It may be delicate; I admit that it is so for you: but as my plans may
+depend somewhat upon a knowledge of your instructions, I really feel
+compelled to insist upon this point, Captain Passford," replied the
+intruder as blandly as ever. "But we are living just now in a state of
+war, and it is quite impossible to act with as much delicacy us one
+might desire."
+
+"I am sorry that you feel constrained to act in this indelicate manner;
+but I cannot, on my honor and conscience, violate my orders, and I must
+respectfully decline to produce the envelope," replied Christy, feeling
+that he had come to a crisis in the affair.
+
+"You decline to give me your sealed orders? Do I correctly understand
+you, Captain Passford?" demanded the privateersman with a frown upon his
+brow.
+
+"Undoubtedly you do. I decline to give you my sealed orders. What then?"
+replied the commander, who began to feel a certain sense of shame
+because he had temporized so long with the bold pirate, for he regarded
+him as such.
+
+"What then?" repeated the intruder. "Why, you will reduce me to the
+disagreeable necessity of blowing out your brains, if you have any,
+as I should judge that you had not, after your refusal to accede to my
+request in the face of the death that awaits you."
+
+"I beg your pardon, Captain Flanger, but do you really purpose to blow
+out the brains of your figure-head?" asked Christy, as coolly as though
+no such threat had been suggested to him.
+
+About this time Dave, who had taken care to keep in the front of the
+table as he had been ordered to do, seized upon his feather duster, and
+began to dust the divan on the starboard side of the cabin. Flanger was
+so much occupied with the commander at that moment, that he was not
+disposed to take his eye off him for an instant; for certainly the
+situation had become critical, and he paid no attention to the steward.
+Dave was a sort of a feather-duster fiend, and he used the article a
+great deal of his time, apparently as much from habit as from
+cleanliness.
+
+"I should be extremely sorry to put a ball through your head, Captain
+Passford, not only because it would disfigure a handsome face, but
+because you may be of great use to me," replied the pirate.
+
+"And because, in your present enterprise as you have outlined it, you
+cannot get along without me," said Christy.
+
+"In fact, you are more than half right. The sealed orders are not
+absolutely necessary to me just now, and I shall not insist upon the
+production of them for the present. Now, if you will seat yourself at
+the table opposite me, I will dictate an order to you, which you will
+oblige me by reducing to writing, and then by signing your name to it as
+commander," continued Flanger, still toying with the heavy revolver.
+
+Christy's curiosity was excited: he thought the order would throw some
+further light on the plan of the pirate; and he seated himself. Captain
+Flanger proceeded to dictate to him an order to the officer of the deck,
+to the effect that his sealed orders directed him to cut out a rebel
+privateer under the guns of Fort McRae; ordering him to head the Bronx
+to the north-west for this purpose, and instructing him to call him as
+soon as he made out the shore, Christy wrote it, and the pirate told him
+to sign it.
+
+"You must excuse me, Captain Flanger, but I object to signing such an
+order," replied Christy, as he rose from his chair.
+
+"Sign it, or you are a dead man!" exclaimed Flanger fiercely.
+
+"Be it so; death before dishonor," replied the commander firmly.
+
+At this moment Dave had worked himself in behind the pirate; and, with a
+well-directed blow with the feather duster on the head of Flanger, he
+brought him to the floor.
+
+  [Illustration: Flanger in the Captain's Cabin.--Page 281.]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXV
+
+THE DESTRUCTION OF A PROMINENT FACIAL MEMBER
+
+
+The cabin steward had two feather dusters, one of which was very large,
+and the other of medium size. He had used the big one so industriously
+that very little was left of the feathers except the bare quills that
+were inserted in a cylinder of hard wood, too heavy for the use of a
+delicate female, though Dave had wielded it till it was in better
+condition to be thrown overboard than to be used on the panels and
+furniture of the cabin.
+
+Captain Flanger was at the critical point in his operations, and he
+was too busy with the commander to give any attention to the negro, whom
+he regarded with the contempt begotten of his Southern education. Dave
+was intelligent enough to understand the situation accurately, and he
+realized that it was rapidly becoming critical. He knew that Christy was
+unarmed, and that the whole attention of the pirate was concentrated
+upon him, so that he could do nothing to help himself.
+
+He knew also that if he attempted to leave the cabin to procure
+assistance, Flanger would shoot him with as little remorse as he would
+kill a coon in the woods. Watching his opportunity without trying to get
+behind the intruder till the decisive moment came, he sprang into the
+position he had selected in advance, and brought down the heavy head of
+the feather duster upon the temple of the privateersman.
+
+Probably it was the shock quite as much as the force of the blow that
+brought down the steward's victim. But it was a heavy stroke, for the
+wood of the feather duster was split into many pieces, and the stumps of
+the feathers were scattered all over the table. The onslaught could not
+fail to be very confusing to the ideas of the intruder, and he seemed to
+be tangled up in the arm-chair in which he had been seated.
+
+Captain Flanger was a man of stalwart proportions, and Christy realized
+that he was no match for him in a hand to hand encounter, even with the
+aid of the steward, for the ruffian would not fail to use his revolvers.
+
+Dave was not satisfied with what he had done, and as his foe went over
+in the chair, he sprang upon him, and tried to wrest the pistol from his
+hand, and a struggle on the floor was begun, the result of which could
+not be foreseen. Christy took in the situation at a glance, and while
+the steward and his victim were rolling and writhing on the floor, he
+darted into his stateroom, the door of which had been open all the time,
+and took his heavy revolvers from the drawer where he kept them, charged
+for immediate use.
+
+When he rushed back to the cabin, Flanger had got the better of his
+foe, and had risen to his feet, with his grasp upon the throat of the
+steward. Then he hurled him from him with a vigorous movement with his
+left hand, while he raised the right with the evident intention of
+shooting him. The commander saw the imminent peril of Dave; he took a
+hasty aim and fired before the intruder had time to do so. He was a good
+shot with the navy revolver, for he had taken lessons and practised a
+good deal with the weapon.
+
+He had aimed at the head of Flanger, and he saw that he had hit him, for
+his face was instantly covered with blood. He did not think it necessary
+to fire a second shot, but he was careful not to let the opportunity
+pass by if it was needed to reduce the privateersman to subjection.
+Flanger dropped his weapon instantly, and Dave as instantly picked it
+up. It was clear to Christy then that the battle had been fought and
+won, though the defeated party had another revolver in his pocket.
+
+In spite of his claim that he was a religious man, he indulged in a
+volley of profane language which made the commander's blood run cold
+in his veins. His right hand, from which he had dropped one of his
+revolvers, was pressed upon his nose, as though this organ was the seat
+of his injury. He stood behind the table, and continued to swear like a
+pirate in a passion. His face and his hand were absolutely covered with
+blood.
+
+Both Christy and Dave kept their positions, each with a revolver in his
+hand, ready to finish the victim if he exhibited any symptoms of further
+violence. This was the tableau presented in the captain's cabin when
+the door was suddenly opened by the first lieutenant, who rushed in,
+followed by the second lieutenant and Quartermaster Vincent. Mr. Flint
+had been on the quarter-deck, and had heard the report of Christy's
+revolver when he fired. Calling Mr. Camden and the quartermaster, he has
+come to ascertain the cause of the fracas; and the sight was certainly
+impressive when he entered.
+
+"Any orders, Captain Passford?" asked the first lieutenant, as he saw
+that Christy appeared to be master of the situation.
+
+"Stand by to secure that man," replied the commander, pointing at the
+wounded man behind the table. "He has a revolver in his left coat
+pocket."
+
+The three officers promptly obeyed the order, and laid violent hands
+on Captain Flanger, Mr. Flint taking the weapon from his pocket. They
+seized him by the collar of his coat, and the executive officer held
+his left arm, with the handcuffs on the wrist. The victim of the affray
+still held on to his nose, though Mr. Camden took possession of the arm.
+
+"You appear to be wounded, Captain Flanger?" said Christy, approaching
+the table.
+
+"Wounded, you"--
+
+The oaths and epithets he used need not soil our page; but the prisoner
+seemed to be suffering more from his wrath than from his wound.
+
+"You have shot off by dose, you!"--groaned Flanger. "The ball welt
+straight through it."
+
+"Then you are not dangerously wounded," added Christy. "I was afraid it
+had gone through your head."
+
+"I wish it had! You have bade a scarecrow of be for life!" he gasped.
+
+"What's the trouble here, Captain Passford?" asked Dr. Connelly,
+presenting himself at the door of the cabin. "Didn't I hear the report
+of a firearm in this direction just now?"
+
+"Very likely you did, if your hearing is good," replied Christy with a
+smile, for the large revolver, discharged in the small cabin, made a
+tremendous noise. "The gentleman behind the table, who is holding on to
+his nose, requires some of your professional skill. He was proceeding to
+capture the Bronx, and had gone to the point where you find him."
+
+"I dol't walt any Yalkee surgeod at work od be," protested Captain
+Flanger, whose speech was badly affected by the injury to his nasal
+organ, or by the pressure he applied to it with his hand.
+
+"You can consult your own inclination as to that, my excellent friend.
+I shall not force you to be treated by him," added Christy, "But I must
+suggest that this farce has been carried far enough in my cabin."
+
+"Farce! Do you cod this a farce?" demanded the wounded man indignantly.
+"You have shot off by dose!"
+
+In fact, Captain Flanger seemed to be more disturbed at the accident to
+his proboscis, than by the failure of his quixotic scheme to capture the
+Bronx. He was certainly a very good-looking man, and took good care of
+his person, as indicated by the care bestowed upon his hair and beard.
+
+"The farce came to an end when you menaced me with death if I declined
+to sign the order you dictated, and the steward played the first scene
+in the tragedy. I am sure it was a farce up to that time," replied
+Christy. "Mr. Flint, have the prisoner put in irons, and remove him to
+the quarters of the men forward. Give him a berthsack and a blanket, and
+place a hand to stand guard over him."
+
+The executive officer sent Mr. Camden on deck for a pair of handcuffs
+and a couple of men to execute the order. Flanger still retained his
+standing position behind the table, holding on to his nose, which
+continued to bleed very freely. The surgeon went over to him, and
+endeavored to obtain a sight of the mutilated member.
+
+"I think you had better let me stanch the blood," suggested Dr.
+Connelly.
+
+"Do!" exclaimed the patient. "You will take off what is left of by
+dose."
+
+"As you please," replied the surgeon, as the second lieutenant returned
+attended by two stout seamen.
+
+"Remove the handcuff from his left wrist, and fit him out with a new
+pair," said Mr. Flint, who still held the left arm of the prisoner.
+
+Mr. Camden took off the irons, for he had a key to them, and enclosed
+the wrist in the new pair. Then the two men were directed to take his
+right arm, which they did, and drew his hand from his nose. This act
+roused the ire of Flanger, and he began to struggle; but powerful as he
+was, the two seamen were too much for him, and he was fairly handcuffed.
+The second lieutenant was the officer of the deck, and he was sent back
+to his post of duty. Flanger's face was so covered and daubed with the
+gore from his wound that the condition of his prominent facial member
+could not be determined.
+
+"I protest agailst this brutal treatmelt!" stormed the prisoner, as he
+continued to writhe in his irons. "I am a woulded plisoler!"
+
+"I see you are; but you decline to permit the surgeon to dress your
+wound. I have no more time to fool with you, and the men will put you
+on a berthsack forward. If you want the surgeon to attend to your wound,
+you have only to say so."
+
+"It is a bad wound though not a dangerous one," said Dr. Connelly, who
+had approached the victim of his own conspiracy near enough to obtain a
+view of the injured nose. "The ball has torn away the middle of the
+member, and it hangs in pieces from the wound."
+
+"I have had enough of him; remove him to the quarters," added Christy.
+
+"You took splendid aim, Captain Passford," said the surgeon, smiling.
+
+"I did not aim at his nose, but at his head in a general way," replied
+the commander. "I fired in a hurry, and I meant to reach his brains, if
+he had any. Take him away; I am disgusted."
+
+"The fortules of war are agailst me, Captail Passford; but if you ever
+fall ilto my halds, I will cut your dose off cleal to your face," howled
+the prisoner, boiling over with wrath.
+
+"Take him away!" added Christy with energy; and the two seamen dragged
+him out of the cabin, leaving only Mr. Flint, the surgeon, and the
+steward in the cabin. "Dave," he continued, stepping up to the last, and
+taking him by the hand, "you have behaved remarkably well, and I thank
+you for the good service you have rendered to me and the cause of your
+country."
+
+"I done do what I thought was right, Captain Passford, though folks like
+that fellow think a poor nigger is no account," replied the steward,
+putting every tooth in his head on exhibition.
+
+"Perhaps he will change his mind after this. If you have not saved my
+life, Dave, you have saved my self-respect, for your prompt action,
+quite as soon as it was prudent for you to act, redeemed me from any
+further submission, and I expected to throw away my life rather than
+sign that order. I think he would not have killed me, for that would
+have blocked his game; but he would have wounded me in two minutes more.
+I thank you with all my heart, Dave, and I shall not forget what you
+have done."
+
+"Thank you, Captain Passford," replied the steward.
+
+"I do not fully understand this affair, captain," said Mr. Flint.
+
+"Sit down, take a seat, doctor, and I will tell you all about it. You
+may go forward, Dave, and report to me the condition of the prisoner,"
+added Christy, as he seated himself at the table, and began to tell the
+story of the intruder's visit to his cabin.
+
+He finished the narrative, and the officers were discussing it when
+there was a knock at the door.
+
+"Sail on the port bow, sir," reported a quartermaster.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVI
+
+THE MEETING WITH THE BELLEVITE AT NIGHT
+
+
+Christy looked at his watch when the sail was reported to him, and found
+that it wanted ten minutes of eleven. The Bronx had been steaming for
+just about three hours, and must have made about forty miles, as he
+hastily figured up the run in his mind.
+
+"How was the weather when you left the deck, Mr. Flint?" asked the
+commander.
+
+"Clear as a bell, and bright starlight," replied the executive officer.
+
+"Not a night for blockade runners," added the captain.
+
+"No, sir."
+
+"The sail is reported on the port bow, which looks as though she might
+be coming in from sea," continued Christy, as he went into his stateroom
+with his navy revolver in his hand.
+
+He put the formidable weapon back into the drawer from which he had
+taken it; but the lesson of the evening had made a strong impression on
+his mind. Though he had permitted Captain Flanger to believe that he was
+not at all disturbed by his presence in his cabin, and had kept up the
+humor with which the intruder had introduced himself, yet he had felt a
+sense of humiliation through the whole of the scene. It was a new thing
+to be confronted by an enemy in his own cabin; and the privateersman,
+armed with two heavy revolvers, had all the advantage, while neither he
+nor the steward had a weapon of any kind.
+
+With even an ordinary revolver in his hip pocket, he would not have been
+helpless, and he might have saved himself without requiring this service
+of the steward. Opening his valise, he took from it a smaller revolver,
+and put it in his hip pocket, which he had never used for any other
+purpose; and he resolved not to be caught again in an unarmed condition,
+even when no danger was apparent. In action he carried a navy revolver
+in each of his hip pockets.
+
+Thus prepared for any emergency, though none might come for years, he
+went on deck, and made his way to the bridge, where he could get the
+best view of the approaching sail. He obtained his first sight of the
+vessel as soon as he reached the bridge, and saw that the sail was a
+steamer, much larger than the Bronx. She carried no sail, for the wind
+was from the west; but the commander soon realized that she was moving
+at great speed.
+
+"We must be about forty miles off the station of the blockaders before
+the entrance to Mobile Bay," said Christy, after he had thought the
+matter over for a moment.
+
+"I should think so," replied the first lieutenant.
+
+"That sail appears to be headed for the station. She is a large steamer,
+and I judge by the way she is coming up with us that she is very fast,"
+added Christy with some anxiety in his tones.
+
+"She must be a steamer of fifteen hundred tons, and perhaps more," said
+Mr. Flint, after he had looked at her through his night glass.
+
+"In that case she is too big for us to fight her, and too fast for us
+to run away from her; and Captain Flanger may be a free man in a few
+hours."
+
+"It does not follow that we shall have to fight her or run away from
+her," added the first lieutenant, still gazing at the approaching
+steamer through his glass. "I don't believe she is a Confederate vessel.
+The rebels do not buy steamers as big as that one in England."
+
+"But they may have captured her," suggested Christy.
+
+"I may be mistaken, Captain Passford, but I think that steamer is the
+Bellevite," added Mr. Flint.
+
+"I hope so," replied Christy, who did not like the idea of fighting
+or trying to run away from a craft three times as strong as the Bronx.
+"Have the ensign set at the peak, Mr. Flint." And a quartermaster was
+sent aft to attend to this duty.
+
+The strange sail continued to approach; and, little by little, the first
+lieutenant, who had sailed in the Bellevite several years, identified
+her as that steamer. It was probable that she had chased some vessel,
+and was now returning to her station. As she came nearer, she fired a
+gun for the Bronx to come to; and when within hail of her, stopped her
+screw.
+
+"Steamer, ahoy!" came from her in the well-known voice of Mr. Blowitt,
+formerly the commander of the Bronx, and now executive officer of the
+Bellevite.
+
+"On board the steamer!" replied Mr. Flint from the bridge.
+
+"What steamer is that?" called Mr. Blowitt.
+
+"The United States steamer Bronx, under sealed orders. What steamer is
+that?"
+
+"The United States steamer Bellevite. We will send a boat to you,"
+returned Mr. Blowitt.
+
+The big steamer, as she certainly was compared with the Bronx, started
+her screw again, and came within less than half a cable's length of the
+little gunboat, for the water was very still, with a gentle breeze from
+the westward. The boat was dropped into the water; and in a minute or
+two it was at the accommodation ladder of the Bronx, when a couple of
+officers mounted the side.
+
+"I am glad to see you, Captain Passford," said Mr. Blowitt, who was
+properly received when he stepped down upon the deck.
+
+"I am just as glad to see you, Mr. Blowitt," replied Christy, taking the
+offered hand of his old friend.
+
+"Mr. Vapoor, chief engineer of the Bellevite," said the executive
+officer, presenting Christy's greatest crony on earth, for he had held
+back in deference to his superior officer.
+
+"The happiest moment I have had since I saw you last!" exclaimed the
+engineer, as he grasped the commander of the Bronx with his right hand,
+while he threw his left around the neck of his friend, and would have
+hugged him if Christy had not gently avoided such a "gush" in presence
+of the watch on deck. "I wish you were back in the Bellevite, Christy."
+
+"I wish I were myself," replied the commander, in a tone so low that
+none but the visitors could hear him.
+
+"No, you don't," interposed Mr. Blowitt. "You are commanding a little
+gunboat, though you are only eighteen."
+
+"I thought I should like it, but I find I do not as well as I expected,"
+answered Christy.
+
+"You don't like it!" exclaimed the engineer of the Bellevite.
+
+"I do not, Paul; I think it wears upon me, though I am willing to do my
+duty wherever I am ordered."
+
+"If you wish to get back into the Bellevite, of course you can do so,
+for it is not every fellow that wears shoulder-straps who has such a
+backing as you have. You have only to speak, and anything reasonable is
+yours. But how are all at home, Christy?"
+
+"Florry was very well the last time I saw her, not more than two weeks
+ago, and she talked a great deal about you, Paul," answered her brother,
+partly in a whisper.
+
+"Did she?" added Paul with a gush. "Then she has not forgotten all about
+me. I almost wish I were not an engineer, for then I might be sent home
+once in a while in charge of a prize."
+
+Christy had only time to tell very briefly the story of the adventure
+with Corny, and the capture of the Floridian, which he did for the
+purpose of introducing a matter of business in the line of his
+profession. The officers from the Bellevite asked him a great many
+questions, though he felt obliged to cut them short before they were
+half done with them.
+
+"You must excuse me, Mr. Blowitt, for I am sailing under sealed orders,
+and the commodore hurried me off as soon as I returned with the Bronx
+from St. Andrew's Bay; and I do not know that my mission admits of any
+delay," said Christy. "I have a prisoner on board, and I want to get rid
+of him, for he is a dangerous character;" and he briefly related the
+incident of the evening with Captain Flanger.
+
+"He is a tough sinner," added the first lieutenant of the Bellevite.
+"Of course I cannot take him without an order from Captain Breaker; but
+I will return to the ship, and put the matter before him."
+
+"I don't know where I am ordered, and this Flanger is capable of making
+mischief if I should happen to get into a tight place," added Christy.
+"I suppose you are returning to the station off Mobile Bay, and you can
+dispose of him better than I can."
+
+"If Captain Breaker decides to take your prisoner, I will send a boat
+for him so as to make no unnecessary delay for you. Mr. Vapoor may
+remain, and return in the boat I send, for I am confident the commander
+will accede to your request. Good-by, Captain Passford," said Mr.
+Blowitt, offering his hand to Christy, who pressed it most earnestly.
+
+"What is the Bellevite doing off here, so far from her station, Paul?"
+asked Christy.
+
+"We chased a good-sized steamer out last night, and she gave us a long
+run; but we picked her up, and she is now on her way to New York. She is
+good for eighteen knots an hour, and the Government is sure to buy her
+when she is condemned. Mr. Ballard, the second lieutenant, has gone in
+her as prize-master. He is in poor health, and will get leave of absence
+till he is better; but I do not believe he will ever come down here
+again. Were you in earnest in what you said about not liking your
+present position, Christy?"
+
+"I don't say that I absolutely dislike it, for I mean to be happy in
+whatever place my duty may call me. The responsibility weighs heavy on
+me, and I should prefer to be in a subordinate position," replied
+Christy very seriously. "I can't sleep as I used to."
+
+"I am confident there will be a vacancy in the Bellevite, for Mr.
+Ballard will not come back: Dr. Linscott said as much as that to me,"
+added the engineer. "You can have his place if you want it."
+
+"But there is a third lieutenant who may deserve promotion," suggested
+Christy.
+
+"Captain Breaker is dissatisfied with him, and he will get him out of
+the ship, at any rate, as soon as the opportunity presents itself. I
+advise you to write to your father, and tell him plainly just how you
+feel," said Paul.
+
+"I am not sure that Captain Breaker would be willing to receive me as
+his second lieutenant," Christy objected.
+
+"I am sure he would," protested Paul.
+
+"I don't want him to take me simply because my father desires him to do
+so," answered the young commander, shaking his head.
+
+"Then let your father give him the choice of two or three officers. That
+will settle the matter."
+
+"I don't know, Paul; I will think of the matter, and write to you as
+soon as I have time. There comes the boat. Mr. Flint, have the prisoner
+brought on deck to be transferred to the Bellevite."
+
+In a few minutes the two stout sailors who had removed him from the
+captain's cabin appeared on deck, dragging Captain Flanger after them,
+for he would not walk, and did all he could with his hands made fast
+behind him to embarrass his conductors.
+
+"Captain Passford, I protest agailst this treatment of a prisoler of
+war," howled the privateersman.
+
+"All right, Captain Flanger."
+
+"I say I am abused, and dragged from below like a dog."
+
+"If you stand up and walk like a man, the dog will not be dragged."
+
+"Boat alongside, sir," reported a quartermaster.
+
+"Put him into the boat," added Christy.
+
+The prisoner was certainly a hideous-looking object, his face daubed
+with blood, and his nose a mass of tangled flesh; but he was put into
+the boat in spite of his struggles. Paul Vapoor bade his friend an
+affectionate adieu, and went over the side. The Bronx started her screw
+at once.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVII
+
+THE PLANNING OF AN EXPEDITION
+
+
+The Bronx continued on her course indicated in the verbal order of the
+flag-officer. Christy felt that he had had a narrow escape from death,
+or at least a severe wound, at the hands of the desperado who had
+invaded his cabin. Flanger had escaped, after he had been put on board
+of the flag-ship, with the assistance of Galvinne; and he appeared not
+to have taken the trouble to render the same service to his confederate.
+The ships' companies of the two steamers were inclined to converse,
+giving and receiving the news; and doubtless the prisoner had taken
+advantage of the confusion to slip on board of the Bronx and secrete
+himself.
+
+His scheme, which must have been devised after he obtained admission to
+the cabin, was born of nothing less than madness, and could hardly have
+succeeded under any circumstances, though it might have ended in killing
+or disabling the commander. Christy felt that a kind Providence had
+saved him, and he rendered devout thanks for the merciful interposition,
+as it seemed to him.
+
+While he was still considering the subject, he heard the call for "All
+the port watch!" on deck, and Mr. Camden came below to wake the third
+lieutenant, for the routine was hardly in working order on board of the
+steamer. The commander went into his stateroom, and soon returned with
+the sealed envelope in his hand. He was deeply interested in its
+contents, for he hoped his vessel was ordered to take part in the
+Mississippi expedition, which was to attack Forts Jackson and St.
+Philip, and capture the city of New Orleans. Eight bells had been
+struck, indicating midnight, which was the hour at which he was directed
+to break the seal. The first lieutenant was quite as much interested in
+ascertaining the destination of the Bronx as the commander. Christy had
+invited him to his cabin.
+
+"Midnight is rather an odd time for the opening of the envelope
+containing the orders," said Mr. Flint, as he seated himself at the
+table. "But I suppose it was chosen for a purpose."
+
+"Undoubtedly; headed to the south-west the ship would be off the passes
+of the Mississippi at eight bells in the forenoon. If we are sent to
+Lake Pontchartrain or Ship Island, we should be a long way off our
+course at that time," added Christy, as he broke the seal of the
+envelope. "Neither Lake Pontchartrain nor the Mississippi. We are
+ordered to Barataria Bay, where a steamer is loading with cotton."
+
+"I did not believe a little vessel like the Bronx would be sent up
+the river," said Mr. Flint, when the commander had read the paper.
+"Barataria Bay--that locality is noted for something in history, isn't
+it, captain?"
+
+"Perhaps you have never read 'Lafitte, the Pirate of the Gulf;' but this
+bay was his famous resort," said Christy, smiling. "It was formerly
+quite as noted as a resort for smugglers, and Lafitte was more a
+smuggler than a pirate in this region. He was six feet two inches in
+height, a well educated and handsome man, so that he was a first-class
+hero for a novel of the dime class," added Christy.
+
+"I believe your late passenger in the cabin knows something about
+Barataria Bay and its surroundings, for I think I heard the Russian say
+that he had done some smuggling in this quarter," said Mr. Flint. "As
+you are doubtless aware, by a series of lakes, bayous, and a canal which
+comes out near Carrollton, just above New Orleans, water communication
+is open to the Mississippi River for small vessels."
+
+"Do you say that Captain Flanger has been a smuggler in these waters?"
+
+"I think the Russian said so."
+
+"In that case, probably Mike was with him, and he may be a useful man to
+us as a pilot," replied Christy. "The commodore says the Western Gulf
+squadron had no steamer that was suitable for this service, for there is
+only nine feet of water on the bar of Barataria at low water. For this
+reason he had been requested to send the Bronx, not only on account of
+her light draft, but of her speed."
+
+The commander read his orders through. It was believed that vessels were
+loading with cotton there, towed down in flatboats by small steamers,
+and that a steamer of four hundred tons was fitting out in the bay as a
+privateer. It might not be practicable for the Bronx to go into the bay;
+but she was to do what she could to capture the cotton vessels and the
+steamer when they came out.
+
+Mr. Flint went to his stateroom, and turned in; but Christy spread his
+chart of the Gulf of Mexico, and using his parallel ruler, he found that
+the present course of the Bronx would take her to the Pass à Loutre, the
+most northerly entrance of the Mississippi River. He went to the bridge
+at once, and directed the officer of the deck to make the course
+south-west by south. Everything was going well on deck, and Mr. Pennant
+had proved that he was a competent officer.
+
+By this time the commander began to feel that sleep was a necessity for
+him, for he had hardly rested at all the night before, and he turned in
+at two bells. He dropped asleep almost instantly, and did not wake
+till he heard eight bells in the morning. It was quite light in his
+stateroom, and he realized that it was eight o'clock, instead of four,
+as he at first supposed.
+
+Dressing himself hastily, Christy hastened on deck, and to the bridge,
+where he found Mr. Flint, who informed him that the Bronx was off the
+South Pass of the Mississippi. The fleet of the flag-officer of the
+Western Gulf squadron had gone up the river, with the exception of a
+single vessel, which had not been able to get over the bar. There were a
+few sail in sight.
+
+"We are all right on the course, Mr. Flint; now make it west," said
+Christy to the executive officer; and then went to his cabin for his
+breakfast, directing the officer of the deck to report to him when the
+steamer was off the South West Pass.
+
+When he had finished his morning meal, he proceeded to study his
+chart again. He had never been to the westward of the mouths of the
+Mississippi; but he had a chart of the entrance to Barataria Bay. He
+examined it with the greatest care, and made himself familiar with the
+bearings and distances. In about an hour after he left the deck, a
+messenger came to the door of the cabin to inform him that the South
+West Pass was in sight, bearing due north.
+
+"Make the course west north-west," said he to the first lieutenant,
+as he joined him on the bridge.
+
+"West north-west, sir," repeated the executive officer, as he gave it to
+the quartermaster at the wheel.
+
+"We shall soon be where our operations begin; but I am afraid we are to
+have a lazy time of it," added Christy, as soon as the vessel's head had
+been pointed in the direction indicated.
+
+"Why so, Captain Passford?" asked Mr. Flint.
+
+"Barataria Bay makes a big hole in the State of Louisiana, and most of
+it is shoal water. At the south of it is the Isle Grande Terre, on the
+western end of which is a fort, which commands the entire channel,"
+replied the captain.
+
+"That's bad," added Mr. Flint, shaking his head.
+
+"I have no idea of its strength; but I do not care to have the Bronx
+knocked to pieces by the big guns of a fort. The bar of Barataria and
+the shoal water of the entrance to the bay extend out about two miles
+into the Gulf. At low water, two miles from the fort, we should bury our
+keel in the mud. It looks just now as though we should have to put the
+Bronx under the guns of the fort, or simply blockade the entrance to the
+bay. That makes it look like a quiet time in these waters."
+
+"Of course the Confederates on the lower Mississippi are using all their
+resources to strengthen Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip; and they can
+make a better use of big guns and artillerymen than in defending an
+opening like this one," replied Mr. Flint.
+
+"This is not a cotton-growing region, but is given up to sugar raising,"
+added Christy. "They have to bring the cotton a long distance in order
+to ship it here."
+
+"For these reasons, I do not believe this fort is of much account."
+
+"Perhaps not; but I should not care to have the Bronx sunk by a
+columbiad in the attempt to find out the strength of the fort."
+
+"It is possible that the Russian knows something about this region,"
+suggested Mr. Flint.
+
+"I will have a talk with him," replied the commander, as he left the
+bridge.
+
+Seating himself on the quarter-deck, he sent for Michael Bornhoff, who
+presently reported to him. This man had proved himself to be entirely
+faithful and reliable; and Christy had no doubts in regard to his
+loyalty, for his race guaranteed that.
+
+"Do you know where we are bound, Mike?" asked Christy.
+
+"I know what all the crew know, for word has been passed around that we
+are bound to Barataria Bay," replied the Russian with a cheerful smile.
+
+"Were you ever there, Mike?"
+
+"Was I ever there, captain? I lived there a year!" exclaimed the
+contraband. "I was in the fishing business at that time," he added with
+a significant smile on his face.
+
+"What do you mean by that?"
+
+"We had the Magnolia over here then, and I used to go out fishing in her
+about every night," chuckled Mike. "Sometimes I did not catch any fish,
+and sometimes I caught five hundred boxes of Havana cigars. I often
+caught other kinds of fish."
+
+"You did not always eat the fish you caught," suggested Christy.
+
+"No, sir; but I used to drink some of them."
+
+"Precisely so; West India rum and wines."
+
+"Cigars mostly, sir, was the kind of fish we caught. Captain Flanger
+brought them outside the Grand Pass: I took them up to Fort Lafitte,
+and the captain's brother worked them into New Orleans and other places.
+They did a big business before the custom-house folks broke it up."
+
+"Very likely; and I dare say you know all about this region."
+
+"No doubt of that, sir."
+
+"What do you know about the fort?"
+
+"Not much, captain, for in our business we did not have anything to do
+with forts and such things," chuckled Mike. "The old quarters of the
+mechanics and laborers used to be on the Gulf shore, but they moved them
+up north of the fort, on the Grand Pass. About a mile east of the fort
+there is a big plantation."
+
+"That is all for the present, Mike," added Christy.
+
+The contraband touched his cap, for he had been rigged out in a new
+suit of seaman's clothes. The commander retired to his cabin, and again
+devoted himself to the study of the chart of the locality. His first
+purpose must be to obtain accurate information in regard to the strength
+of the fort, and the position of the steamer, if there were such a craft
+in the bay. He decided to approach the entrance by the East Channel,
+though it would not be possible for the Bronx to reach the Grand Pass
+from that direction, for there were hardly more than six feet of water
+at low tide; and the rise and fall was less than a foot and a half.
+
+He had decided upon his method of operations, and then wished again that
+he was not in command of the steamer; for the expedition he intended to
+send out was one he would have been glad to command in person, instead
+of remaining inactive on board of the Bronx. As soon as he had arranged
+his plan, he went on deck. To the astonishment of the first lieutenant,
+he changed the course of the steamer to the north, and at noon let go
+the anchor in four fathoms of water. The vessel remained there till it
+was dark, and then proceeded to the westward, sounding all the time.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVIII
+
+THE NEGRO VILLAGE ON THE ISLE GRANDE TERRE
+
+
+The commander of the Bronx had explained his plan to the first
+lieutenant. There was nothing especially perilous in the expedition to
+be sent out; and it was the policy of Christy to keep the steamer out of
+sight of the fort, and of those in the immediate vicinity of it. After
+the Bronx had been on her course about two hours, and four bells had
+just struck, the leadsman reported two fathoms. A little later eleven
+feet was the depth.
+
+"Quartermaster, strike one bell," said Christy.
+
+"One bell, sir," repeated the petty officer at the wheel.
+
+"Ten feet!" shouted the man at the lead.
+
+"Strike three bells," added the commander; and the steamer began to back
+her screw.
+
+As soon as the Bronx had lost her headway, the screw was stopped, and
+a drift lead was dropped into the water. A sharp lookout had been kept,
+and some flickering lights had been reported. The weather had become
+cloudy since noon, but there was no fog and no wind.
+
+"You will let Mr. Pennant command this expedition, Mr. Flint," said
+Christy. "He will take the first cutter, with ten men, including
+Quartermaster Vincent and Bornhoff."
+
+The third lieutenant was sent for, and his instructions were given to
+him. Mike would be his pilot, and could give him such information as he
+required in regard to the locality. He was to land in some convenient
+locality, cross the island on foot at the plantation, to Fort Lafitte,
+distant less than a mile, and ascertain if there were a steamer or other
+vessels in the bay. He was also instructed to use all means in his power
+to ascertain the strength of the fort. He was to make a landing about
+half a mile west of the plantation buildings.
+
+Within the limits of these instructions, he was to act on his own
+judgment. Mike was sent for, and further information in regard to the
+course was obtained from him. The officer was cautioned to be prudent,
+and not fall into any traps. If he discovered that there was a steamer
+in the bay, and that the fort was not heavily armed, he was to burn a
+red roman candle as a signal to the Bronx, which would proceed to the
+southward, and then enter the Grand Pass by the deepest water.
+
+"Where are the negro quarters of this plantation, Mike?" asked Mr.
+Pennant.
+
+"Just west of the big house, sir," replied the Russian.
+
+"I don't know exactly where we are now, Captain Passford," said the
+officer of the expedition.
+
+"We lie about south of what Mike calls the big house, a mile and a half
+distant from it. Make the boat's course north north-west, and you will
+strike the shore about half way between the planter's house and the
+fort. But when you get near enough to see both of them, you can land
+where you think best," Christy explained.
+
+The boat's crew had already lowered the first cutter into the water. The
+oars were muffled, for the chances were that no one in the vicinity of
+the plantation had discovered the presence of the Bronx, and it was not
+advisable to alarm the people. Vincent acted as cockswain of the boat,
+while the Russian, as most of the officers and men insisted upon calling
+him, was seated in the stern sheets with the third lieutenant. The eight
+men at the oars formed the rest of the crew.
+
+"I don't believe you will find many hands down here, Mr. Pennant," said
+Mike in a whisper.
+
+"What do you mean by hands?" asked the officer.
+
+"Laborers, niggers," replied the Russian.
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"I expect they have sent all the strong ones up to work on the
+fortifications."
+
+"Shall we find no one at the negro quarters?" asked the lieutenant with
+interest.
+
+"Only the women and the old hands, too old to do much work."
+
+"Can you make out where you are, Mike?" inquired Mr. Pennant, after
+about half a mile had been made.
+
+"I can just see the fort and the big house. It is not so very dark
+to-night," answered the Russian.
+
+The course was believed to be correct for the point indicated by the
+captain, and in less than half an hour the boat grounded; but the shore
+was bold enough to enable the men to land. Mr. Pennant went to the
+forward part of the boat and took a careful look all around him. All was
+as silent as a tomb. Stepping into the fore-sheets, he leaped on shore,
+directing the Russian to follow him.
+
+"Vincent, you will remain in charge of the boat and the men," said the
+third lieutenant, addressing the quartermaster. "I will explore the
+island with Mike. I have the fireworks with me, and you will keep a
+sharp lookout in the direction of the fort. If you see a light close to
+the water, make for it as fast as you can. Do you understand me?"
+
+"Perfectly, Mr. Pennant."
+
+"But you need not expect any signal for a couple of hours, or even
+three. If we get into trouble, we shall retreat upon the boat direct;
+so keep your eyes wide open."
+
+The officer led the way up the shore, and the rows of sugar-cane
+extended almost to the water. They could make out the little village of
+negro cabins which lay between them and the planter's house, and they
+directed their steps towards it. It was but a short walk, and they soon
+reached the lane that extended between the rows of huts.
+
+The lieutenant took his two revolvers from his hip pockets, and examined
+them as well as he could in the dark, and Mike did the same, for it was
+necessary to be prepared for whatever might happen. The village was as
+silent as though it were entirely deserted; but it was nearly midnight,
+and doubtless they were asleep in the cabins. They entered one. It was
+still and dark within the house. Mr. Pennant had brought with him a
+small lantern, which he lighted where the glare of the match could not
+be seen; but it revealed nothing to the inquirers.
+
+Covering the lantern so that its light could not be seen, they followed
+the lane between the two rows of cabins for some distance farther, and
+then entered another. Like the first, it was deserted. They crossed to
+the other side of the avenue, where they saw some signs that the cabin
+was inhabited. Uncovering his lantern, Mr. Pennant threw the light upon
+the interior. It contained two beds, and each of them was occupied by
+two persons. In one were two silvered heads to be seen, while the other
+displayed two heads that appeared to belong to women.
+
+"Shut the door, Mike," said the officer, in order to prevent the light
+from being seen.
+
+"I think I know one of the old men," added the Russian as he returned
+from the door, "Shall I wake him up?"
+
+"Yes; but don't frighten him," replied Mr. Pennant.
+
+"Uncle Job," said Mike, placing his hand on the shoulder of the sleeper
+on the side of the bed nearest to him.
+
+The head and hair of the old colored man were peculiar enough to enable
+the Russian to identify him if he had ever seen him even once before.
+His mouth was twisted to one side either naturally or by some injury,
+and his kinky hair made him look as though he carried a great bale of
+cotton on the top of his head. He opened his eyes when Mike shook him
+gently, and looked at the two men at the side of his bed with a
+wondering rather than an alarmed expression.
+
+"Who dar?" inquired the negro.
+
+"Good-morning, Uncle Job," replied Mike, taking the hand of the aged
+colored person. "How is your health?"
+
+"Don't hab no healf, massa," replied Job, gazing earnestly at the
+intruder upon his slumbers.
+
+"Don't you know me, Uncle Job?"
+
+"'Pears like I do; I reckon you's Massa Cap'n Flanger."
+
+"Not exactly; but I'm his man, Mike Bornhoff."
+
+"Jes' so; you was born ob de debbil," replied the old negro, rising in
+his bed, and showing all his remaining teeth in an expansive smile.
+
+"He remembers me," said Mike turning to the lieutenant. "We have struck
+the right man. But he don't mean that I am any wickeder than the rest of
+the world. I used to be called here by my last name, and Job invented
+the pun he has just used."
+
+"Why do you say that we have struck the right man, Mike?" asked Mr.
+Pennant, caring little for the former relations of the two men.
+
+"Because, though he don't look it, he is the best posted nigger in these
+parts. He is the wise man among his people, and a sort of leader among
+them, and fetich man besides."
+
+"All right; get him up if you can. Is he able to walk?"
+
+"He is as tough as a he-bear, and can walk a hundred miles on a
+stretch," replied Mike. "He knows everything that is going on in these
+times."
+
+The lieutenant had covered his lantern, for he did not wish to wake the
+other sleepers in the cabin, after the description the Russian had given
+of his man. Mike spoke in a low tone to him, and it did not take him
+long to make his toilet, for he slept just as he was clothed during
+the day. No one knew how old he was, but he was still brisk in his
+movements. The officer led the way to one of the deserted cabins at a
+considerable distance from the one occupied by Uncle Job.
+
+No one was stirring in the vicinity, and the silence was as profound
+as death itself. Not a word was said till they reached the cabin the
+officer had selected, and when they had entered, he closed the door
+behind them. The lantern was unveiled, and the lieutenant seated himself
+upon a block of timber, of which there were several in the room.
+
+"Now, Uncle Job, I want you to answer some questions," Mr. Pennant
+began.
+
+"'Pose I don't answer 'em?" suggested the negro.
+
+"Then I shall put you in irons, and take you on board of the steamer,"
+added the officer sternly.
+
+"De steamer! wot's de steamer? Is't a Yankee gumboat?" demanded Uncle
+Job, opening his eyes with wonder and astonishment.
+
+"That's just what it is."
+
+"Den I gib you all de answers you want," replied the negro with a
+cheerful smile. "Whar de gumboat?"
+
+"She is off the shore not far from here. Now you will answer my
+questions. There is a fort here?"
+
+"Yes, sar; ober dar," he replied, pointing to the west.
+
+"How many men are there at the fort?"
+
+"Only twenty, sar; all gone ober to New Orleans, sar."
+
+"How many guns has it? I mean big guns, Uncle Job?"
+
+"I done count only four ob dem w'en I was dar last time."
+
+"Only four!" exclaimed Mr. Pennant. "Are you telling me the truth, Uncle
+Job?"
+
+"I neber spoke noffin but the truf, Massa Ossifer."
+
+"Are those four very large,--long as this cabin is wide?" asked the
+lieutenant with interest.
+
+"No, sar!" exclaimed Job with energy.
+
+"But they must have had very big guns."
+
+"Yes, sar; but dey done tote 'em all ober to de Mis'sip Riber."
+
+This seemed to be reasonable to the lieutenant, and in accordance
+with the belief of his superiors on board of the Bronx, for no Union
+man-of-war of any size could pass through the water courses to the great
+river. It looked as though the big guns had been replaced with those of
+smaller calibre.
+
+Mr. Pennant put out the light in his lantern, and the party started to
+cross the island.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIX
+
+A PROFESSIONAL VISIT TO THE FORT
+
+
+Mr. Pennant had some doubts about the correctness of the important
+information he had obtained, but he was at a loss to know how to verify
+it. It was a matter of course that sentinels patrolled the vicinity of
+the fort, or at least the principal approach to it. He decided to
+postpone his inquiry into this matter till a later hour of the night or
+morning.
+
+"Whar you gwine, Massa Ossifer?" asked Uncle Job, after they had walked
+a short distance from the negro village.
+
+"Over to the other side of the island," replied the lieutenant.
+
+"Wot you gwine to do ober dar, massa?"
+
+"I want to see what there is over there."
+
+"Dis nigger kin told you wot dar is over dar."
+
+"Well, what is there over there?"
+
+"Dar's a steamer ober dar, an' I speck de Yankee gumboat's gwine in
+dar to look arter dat steamer," said Uncle Job, chuckling as though he
+enjoyed the prospect of such an event. "Say, Massa Ossifer, is Massa
+Linkum in yore gumboat?"
+
+"Not exactly; but she is well filled with his people," replied Mr.
+Pennant, laughing.
+
+"I done wish dat Massa Linkum come down here hisself," added the
+venerable colored person.
+
+"He can hardly spare the time to do that; his business is such that he
+cannot leave," replied the lieutenant, much amused at the simplicity of
+the negro. "Now tell me something more about this steamer in the bay.
+How big is she?"
+
+"I can't told you 'zackly, massa; she as big as de fort."
+
+"Where did she come from?" asked the lieutenant, who had more confidence
+in the honesty than in the intelligence of Job.
+
+"I dunno, massa; but she done come in from de sea. When she git off dar
+two mile she done stick in de mud," answered the negro, pointing in the
+direction of the bar. "Den de little steamers from up the bay take off
+de loadin', and she done come in."
+
+"With what was she loaded?"
+
+"All sorts o' tings, massa; guns, and pistols, and close. Dis nigger
+help take de tings out ob her."
+
+"What is she doing now in the bay?"
+
+"Loadin' wid cotton de steamers fotch down."
+
+"Where does she lie now?"
+
+"Jes' off de ole Fort Lafitte, whar de water's deep."
+
+In less than half an hour the party reached the locality indicated by
+Job. The officer could see the steamer which looked, in the gloom of the
+night, as though she was a craft of about five hundred tons. She was
+moored in the deep water so far in that she could not be seen by vessels
+in the offing. On each side of her was a small river steamer, and she
+seemed not to have completed her cargo.
+
+"Do you know the name of that steamer, Uncle Job," inquired Mr. Pennant.
+
+"Yes, sar; I knows it like my own name, but I can't spoke it if I die
+for't," answered Job, laughing.
+
+"Try to do so."
+
+"No use, Massa Ossifer; dis nigger don't hab teef enough to do dat."
+
+"Can't you spell it?"
+
+"No, sar; can't spell noffin."
+
+But Job was very obliging, and he made a hissing sound, followed by an
+effort to sneeze which was a failure. Then he hissed some more, though
+the loss of his front teeth interfered with the effort. Then he said
+"fing."
+
+"I know what he means," interposed the Russian. "I know that steamer,
+for she came in at Cedar Keys when I was there. He means the Sphinx."
+
+"Dat's it, Massa Ossifer!" exclaimed Job, apparently delighted to find
+that he had made himself understood.
+
+"Has she any big guns?"
+
+"Yes, sar; she done h'ist two out ob her innards, and done took two more
+from de fort."
+
+"All right; I think we understand the situation up here," said Mr.
+Pennant, as he led the way in the direction from which they had come.
+
+They returned to the negro village, for the commander of the expedition
+did not feel as though he had yet finished his mission on shore.
+
+"Mind yore eye, Massa Gumboat!" exclaimed Job, in a low tone, but with
+great earnestness.
+
+"Dar's somebody comin' from de fort! He's comin' mighty quick shore."
+
+The negro hurried the officer and Mike into one of the cabins, and
+shoved them into a sort of closet, while he went to the door himself. He
+passed out into the lane, as the man came into it from the middle of the
+field, for he had not been near enough to the shore to discover the
+boat.
+
+"Who dar?" called Job.
+
+"Soldier from the fort," replied the man. "What are you doing out here
+at this time of night?"
+
+"I done get sick, massa, and I's gwine up to de big house to see de
+doctor," replied the negro, who probably used the first excuse that came
+into his head.
+
+"The doctor!" exclaimed the soldier. "Is there a doctor there?"
+
+"I reckon dar's one dar if he done habn't leabe yisterday."
+
+"Then you can do my errand for me," added the soldier.
+
+"Yes, sar; what's dat, massa?"
+
+"One of our men is very sick, and we have no doctor. We are afraid he
+will die before morning, and we want a doctor. Ours was ordered off a
+week ago."
+
+"I go for de doctor if he's dar," said Job.
+
+"Very well; I will go back and tell the sick man the doctor's coming,"
+added the soldier. "That will give him a hope, if nothing more."
+
+"Dis nigger's 'feered de doctor done gone away."
+
+"If he isn't there, we can't have him; but hurry up, Uncle Job, and come
+over and tell us if he isn't there," said the soldier, as he hurried
+away as rapidly as he came, evidently believing that hope was a panacea
+to a sick man.
+
+As the soldier did not offer to come into the cabin, Mr. Pennant had
+come out of his hiding-place, and had heard all that was said by the
+soldier, even while he was in concealment.
+
+"Is there any doctor at the big house?" asked the lieutenant as soon as
+Job entered the house.
+
+"No, sar; all de family done leave, an' was gwine to New Orleans. Arter
+a while I go to de fort and tell de sodgers the doctor done gone,"
+replied Job.
+
+"I will go with you, Uncle Job," added Mr. Pennant quietly.
+
+"You, Massa Gumboat!" cried the negro. "De sodgers put de bagonet frou
+your crop like a knife frou a pullet's froat!"
+
+"Not if you tell them I am the doctor," added the lieutenant.
+
+"De doctor! Be you a doctor, sar?"
+
+"I have done something in the business, and perhaps I can cure the man
+who is sick, if they have the proper medicine," added the officer.
+
+"Dey hab de medicine at de big house."
+
+"Can you get into it?"
+
+"Yes, sar; de oberseer's sick abed, and dis nigger go right in like
+massa hisself," replied Job, as he led the way in the direction of the
+planter's house.
+
+The Russian was sent to the boat to await the return of the lieutenant;
+but he was instructed not to open his mouth to his shipmates in regard
+to what had been done on the island. Job found a way to get into the big
+house, and conducted the officer to the dispensary, where he had so
+often gone for remedies for his ailments. He found what he wanted, and
+then he felt reasonably certain that he should make a success of his
+professional visit to the soldier. He took several small bottles of
+medicines in addition to the particular one upon which he depended.
+
+Job conducted him to the fort, which was over a mile distant. The
+lieutenant was not dressed in his uniform with the shoulder straps,
+though he had procured one from the store ship at the station; but he
+had adjusted his garments to the needs of the occasion, so that, if
+captured he could hardly be recognized as a Union officer. But he had
+his navy revolvers in his hip pockets, though they were covered by the
+skirts of the frock coat he wore, for he had borrowed this garment of
+the surgeon.
+
+At the principal entrance of the fort they were challenged by the
+sentinel. Mr. Pennant was somewhat afraid his northern dialect would
+betray him, for he was not a highly educated man, though he was
+exceedingly well informed in all matters pertaining to the duties of
+a shipmaster.
+
+"Stand! Who comes there?" said the sentinel.
+
+"Friends," replied the lieutenant.
+
+"Advance, friends, and give the countersign!"
+
+"We have no countersign to give."
+
+"Who are you?" demanded the soldier.
+
+"Dr. Waterton," answered Mr. Pennant, giving the first name that came
+into his head, for the medical title was the essential thing.
+
+"All right, doctor; I have been directed to admit you. Pass in, sir."
+
+Job was familiar with the interior of the fort, and he led the way; but
+before they had crossed the parade, the soldier who had gone for the
+doctor came to them, and conducted them to a casemate, where the sick
+soldier was still suffering terrible pains.
+
+"Lieutenant Fourchon, this is the doctor; but I do not know his name,"
+said the soldier.
+
+"Dr. Waterton," added Mr. Pennant.
+
+"I am glad to see you, Dr. Waterton, for I have exhausted all my
+remedies," said Lieutenant Fourchon. "I was not born to be a doctor.
+The patient seems to be no better."
+
+"It does not look like a very bad case," added the doctor, finding it
+necessary to say something, as he felt the pulse of the sufferer.
+
+Though the lieutenant of the Bronx was not a physician, he was not
+altogether a pretender, for in the capacity of mate and temporary
+commander, he had done duty in the healing art in the absence of a more
+skilful person.
+
+"A glass of water and a teaspoon," said he to the soldier-nurse; and
+they were promptly brought to him.
+
+The doctor took from his pocket a small bottle of chloroform he had
+obtained from the big house, and dropped a quantity of it into the
+teaspoon. Mixing it with a little water in a glass, he gave it to the
+patient, who swallowed it quickly in spite of its burning taste.
+
+"Now a piece of flannel," added the doctor.
+
+Upon this when it was brought he dropped a quantity of the chloroform,
+and applied it to the seat of the pain. In a moment the soldier cried
+out against the burning heat of the remedy; but the practitioner
+insisted that it should remain a while longer. But he relieved him of
+it in a short time.
+
+"How do you feel?" asked the doctor.
+
+"Better; a great deal better," replied the patient.
+
+In fact, in less than an hour he said he was entirely relieved from the
+severe pain. He was very grateful to the doctor, whom no one suspected
+of being a Yankee gunboat officer.
+
+"I had the same thing once before, and I was sure I should die with it
+this time," said the sick soldier, "It lasted me all night and part of
+the next day the other time."
+
+"I am afraid you did not have a very skilful doctor at that time,"
+replied the practitioner with a smile.
+
+Lieutenant Fourchon pressed the hand of the doctor, and left the
+casemate with him.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXX
+
+THE ATTACK UPON THE FORT
+
+
+The Confederate officer was evidently of French descent; at any rate, he
+was very polite. He expressed his obligations to the supposed physician
+for the service he had rendered in very earnest terms. Mr. Pennant had
+been able to see that there were no guns in the casemates of the fort,
+and this was really all he wanted to know.
+
+"All your guns seem to be mounted outside," said the naval officer as he
+halted on the parade.
+
+"Yes, sir; most of the guns have been removed to points where they can
+be used to greater advantage than here. The few we have are twenty-four
+pounders, mounted _en barbette_," replied Lieutenant Fourchon. "The fort
+is practically abandoned; and in a short time will be entirely so, for
+the enemy's ships of war can do no harm here, and there is not water
+enough above to permit their passage into the Mississippi."
+
+"But the fort can protect your vessels in the bay," suggested the
+lieutenant of the Bronx.
+
+"The shoal water is the best protection for the small steamers that ply
+on these inside waters; and the Yankee gunboats can take all others as
+they come out. The entrance to the bay has not been regularly blockaded,
+for there has been little occasion to do so thus far."
+
+Mr. Pennant had learned all he wanted to know, and from the parade he
+could see even in the darkness that only four guns were mounted on the
+works. He began to feel in a hurry to carry out the remainder of the
+programme assigned to him. He took the hand of the Confederate officer
+when he reached the point where Uncle Job was waiting for him, bade him
+good-morning, and left the fort.
+
+"How's de sick man, Massa Gumboat?" asked the old negro, chuckling as
+though he appreciated the stroke of strategy made by his companion.
+
+"He is better; in fact, he was about well when I left him," replied
+the practitioner. "But I have no more time to waste," added he, as he
+quickened his pace, moving in the direction of the shore.
+
+The day was beginning to break in the east, and he was afraid the
+commander of the Bronx would become uneasy in regard to him. The
+quarters of the soldiers were passed, though they were not in use, and
+the shore reached. The lieutenant thanked the guide for the service he
+had rendered, and told him he could go back to his cabin, and finish his
+night's sleep.
+
+"No, sar; see you frou, Massa Gumboat," replied Job.
+
+"Do you wish to leave this place, Uncle Job?" asked the officer.
+
+"No, sar; I want to be free, but I'm not gwine away, I want to see de
+gumboat."
+
+"You shall see it, and go on board of it if you wish; but we may have a
+battle with the fort."
+
+"Don't care for de fight, sar; Job isn't 'feered o' noffin'."
+
+It was less than halt a mile to the cutter, and they soon reached it.
+The Russian was standing on the shore, and most of the men were asleep
+on the thwarts, though Vincent was wide awake. Mike recognized the form
+of the old negro, and reported that the lieutenant was coming.
+
+"Now burn your roman candle, and let us get off as soon as possible,"
+said Mr. Pennant. "Bowman, help this man to a seat in the stern sheets;"
+and he assisted Uncle Job to get in himself.
+
+The men passed him along over the thwarts, and seated him in the stern.
+Vincent burned the red candle himself, and it cast a fiery glare over
+the scene, which must have astonished the occupants of the fort if they
+saw it. As soon as it had burned out, the quartermaster leaped over the
+stem of the cutter, and made his way to the stern, where he jumped over
+the backboard, and took his place at the tiller ropes. The cutter was
+backed off the ground, and out into the deeper water.
+
+"Up oars! Let fall!" said Mr. Pennant. "Stern, all! Give way!"
+
+The cutter backed rapidly from the shore, and was then brought about.
+The lieutenant stood up in his place, and could just distinguish the
+Bronx, a mile and a half distant, in the gloom of the early morning. He
+watched her a few minutes and soon saw her swing around, and head to the
+south-east.
+
+"Make the course about south, Vincent," said the officer, as soon as he
+discovered that the steamer was in motion.
+
+"South, sir," replied the quartermaster.
+
+"Now, give way with a will, my men!" called Mr. Pennant in brisk tones,
+"for we shall soon have a twenty-four pound shot chasing us out."
+
+When the cutter was about half a mile from the shore, making it about
+three-quarters of a mile from the fort, the peal of a cannon was heard,
+and a puff of smoke could be seen as it rose on the clear, starred sky,
+for the clouds had rolled away during the night. The shot dropped into
+the water a short distance abreast of the cutter.
+
+"Good!" exclaimed Mr. Pennant; and this was the first time he had ever
+been under fire, though he had imagined it enough to feel entirely at
+home.
+
+Another shot followed the first, and dropped into the water; and if it
+had gone fifty feet farther, it would have struck the boat.
+
+"Good again!" exclaimed the lieutenant. "I think that is about the range
+of those guns."
+
+A third shot fell a little nearer the cutter; but it was evident enough
+that it was out of the reach of the feeble guns of the fort. The firing
+continued but a few minutes longer, for it was as plain to Lieutenant
+Fourchon as to Lieutenant Pennant that the shots were harmless to the
+boat. The commander on shore could see by this time, if he had not
+before, that a gunboat was in the offing, and that he might soon have
+a better use for his powder than wasting it upon the boat.
+
+The lieutenant had closely watched the movements of the Bronx. He had
+made the signal that the fort was not very dangerous to the well-being
+of the gunboat, and he understood her present movement. The light was
+increasing, and the Bronx could be distinctly seen, headed to the
+south-east, or in other words, making for the deep water outside the
+bar. Mr. Pennant still kept the cutter headed to the south.
+
+The steamer went off till she looked very much smaller, and then changed
+her course to the south-west. The lieutenant in the cutter ordered the
+bowman to sound with the small hand lead, after he had brought the boat
+to a full stop. The man reported eight feet. The head of the boat was
+then turned to the west, and the crew ordered to give way. In a quarter
+of an hour more the course was checked, and the bowman directed to sound
+again. Sixteen feet was reported.
+
+Mr. Pennant stood up in the stern sheets, and gazed in the direction of
+the fort. On the shore of the Grand Pass, above the fort, were three
+buildings, formerly occupied by mechanics and laborers. The sailing
+directions for entering the bay were to bring the fronts of these
+structures in range, and proceed for a time on the course indicated.
+Mr. Pennant had obtained this bearing after he had backed the boat a few
+feet. The depth of water then informed him that he was in the channel.
+
+But he had no intention of again approaching the fort, and he headed the
+boat to the south-east, or nearly so, and then ordered the men to give
+way. He called the attention of the coxswain to the range, and directed
+him to keep it. The bowman was required to keep the lead going all the
+time.
+
+"Ten and a half feet!" reported the bowman.
+
+"That is the shoalest we shall get," added the officer.
+
+The crew had been ordered to ease off, and the cutter moved very slowly.
+A quarter of an hour later the sounding was ten and three-quarters feet.
+The next report was fourteen feet, and then no bottom at twenty feet.
+The Bronx was approaching the boat with full steam, and stopped her
+screw a short distance from the cutter. In a few moments more the boat
+was at the davits, and the commander of the expedition reported to
+Captain Passford.
+
+"What have you here, Mr. Pennant?" asked the commander with a smile,
+as he pointed to Uncle Job, who seemed to be as bashful as a young girl,
+and utterly confounded by what he saw on the deck of the Bronx.
+
+"That is Uncle Job, Captain Passford," replied the lieutenant. "He has
+been of very great service to me, and he enables me to make a very full
+report to you, sir. This is the captain of the gunboat, Uncle Job," he
+added to the negro.
+
+The old man had no hat to touch or take off, for the mass of hair was a
+sufficient protection to his head; but he bowed almost to the deck, and
+was too timid to say a single word.
+
+"I am very glad to see you, Uncle Job," said Christy, taking the hand of
+the venerable colored person. "I thank you for the service rendered to
+my officer. Now, Mr. Pennant, you will come to my cabin and make your
+report. Bring Uncle Job with you."
+
+As soon as he reached the cabin, Christy brought from his stateroom
+twenty dollars in gold, which he presented to the old negro, who
+accepted the gift with many thanks.
+
+"Dave," called the captain.
+
+"Here, sir," replied the steward, coming into the cabin and gazing with
+astonishment at the negro. "This man has done a good work; take care of
+him, give him a good breakfast, and see that no one insults him."
+
+As soon as the steward had taken him to the steerage, Mr. Pennant
+made his report in full, even to the number and calibre of the guns at
+the fort, and including the cure he had wrought upon the Confederate
+soldier. Christy was amused at this last part of the narrative; but he
+had no time to waste in conversation.
+
+The screw of the Bronx was started again. Though the Russian was a pilot
+over the bar, his services were not needed as such. The first cutter had
+kept the range of the buildings on the island, and Mr. Flint had already
+picked it up. The steamer proceeded at less than half speed, but the
+tide was at its highest. By this time it was seven o'clock in the
+morning, for a great deal of the time had been used up in moving the
+cutter and the steamer. Breakfast had been served to all hands, and
+Christy had fortified his stomach for a busy forenoon. As the Bronx
+proceeded on her course, the lead going all the time, making not more
+than two knots an hour, the report of a gun was heard from the fort.
+
+"They are awake there," said Christy with a smile to the first
+lieutenant, and both of them watched for the fall of the shot, which
+struck the water at least a quarter of a mile ahead of the vessel. "Beat
+to quarters, Mr. Flint."
+
+The strength of the Bronx was mainly in her heavy midship gun. The
+commander had ascertained the range of the twenty-four pounder barbette
+guns of the fort, and made his calculations accordingly. He could batter
+down the masonry of the works at his leisure, if he chose to waste his
+time and ammunition in that way; but the Confederates proposed to
+abandon the fort, and it would not pay to destroy it.
+
+"Fourteen and a half feet!" shouted the leadsman.
+
+"That will do, Mr. Flint; stop her, and let go the anchor. Get out a
+spring astern and make it fast to that buoy," said the commander.
+
+In ten minutes more the Bronx quivered under the discharge of the great
+midship gun, and a cloud of smoke rose above her deck.
+
+"Good for you, Mr. Ambleton!" exclaimed Christy, a few seconds later,
+when he saw the wreck of one of the twenty-four pounders on the fort.
+
+This result was followed by emphatic cheers from the forty-five men on
+deck.
+
+"I can do that again, Captain Passford," replied the gunner, who was in
+charge of the piece.
+
+"Do it, then," added Christy.
+
+He did not do quite as well every time, but in two hours there was not a
+gun in place on the barbette of the fort.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXI
+
+A WOUNDED COMMANDER
+
+
+The fort had become harmless so far as the use of its guns was
+concerned; but the channel of the Grand Pass was hardly a quarter of a
+mile in width, and even twenty soldiers with muskets could pick off the
+men on the deck of the Bronx. Christy's orders required him to capture
+the steamer that was fitting out in the bay, and he intended to do it.
+The order to weigh the anchor and cast off the spring was given, and the
+commander sent for the chief engineer.
+
+"We are within a mile of the fort, Mr. Sampson, and I mean to run by it.
+We shall be exposed to the fire of musketry for about half a mile, and
+the quicker we make this distance, the less the danger to the men," said
+the commander, when the engineer presented himself. "We will not get
+under way till you have all the steam you need to give the steamer her
+best speed."
+
+"I understand the situation perfectly, Captain Passford, and I will
+report when we are ready to go ahead in the manner you desire," replied
+Mr. Sampson, as he saluted the captain and hastened below.
+
+"The officer in command of that fort is not idle," said Mr. Flint, who
+had been using his glass very industriously since the firing ceased.
+"The soldiers are busy setting up the guns again, or some of them."
+
+"We will soon stop that," added Christy. "Give them another shot from
+the midship gun, Mr. Flint."
+
+The gunner was again fortunate in his aim, and it was seen that the
+solid shot cleaned off the carriage upon which the soldiers were at
+work. With the aid of the glass it was found that two of the men had
+been killed or wounded. The work on that gun was suspended, but the
+officer could be seen in the act of directing his force to another of
+the barbette pieces.
+
+"That lieutenant is a brave man," said Mr. Pennant, "and I know he is a
+gentleman."
+
+"I am only sorry that he is fighting on the wrong side," added Christy,
+as he observed the earnestness of the officer in the discharge of his
+duty. "Is he an old man?"
+
+"No, sir; I don't believe he is over twenty, if he is that," replied the
+third lieutenant.
+
+Another solid shot sped on its way, and Mr. Ambleton, the gunner, fully
+justified the reputation he had earned, though the missile only ploughed
+up the earth in front of the party on the fort. But then Lieutenant
+Fourchon proved that he was a wise and a prudent man, as well as a brave
+one, for he retreated from the exposed position with his men. It was
+almost sure death for them to remain there, for they could not help
+seeing the cloud of smoke that rose from the funnel of the Bronx,
+indicating her intention to go up the Pass.
+
+"Mr. Sampson directs me to report that he is ready to proceed," said a
+messenger from the chief engineer.
+
+Quartermaster Vincent was placed in charge of the wheel, with Boxie as
+helmsman. All that could be done to protect the pilot-house had been
+done, though it was not yet supposed to be proof against the musket ball
+that would be fired in that direction. All the men not absolutely needed
+for duty were sent below, but they were armed with revolvers and
+cutlasses, ready for service at any instant. The officers retired from
+the bridge, for it was folly for any one to be unnecessarily exposed to
+the musketry fire from the loopholes of the fort.
+
+"Strike one bell, Vincent!" said Mr. Flint, when the captain had given
+him the order to go ahead.
+
+The steamer went ahead slowly; but the steam was hissing, and she seemed
+to be as impatient as a fiery horse at the slow starting.
+
+"Four bells, Mr. Flint!" added the commander when the Bronx was fairly
+under way.
+
+The order went to the quartermaster, and the vessel began to dart ahead
+as though she fully realized what was expected of her. There was nothing
+to impede her progress, for the fort was as silent as though it had
+ceased to exist. A trusty hand was heaving the lead in the fore-chains,
+for the Bronx was not yet within musket-shot range of the island.
+
+"Mark under water three!" shouted the leadsman, with an earnestness
+inspired by the occasion.
+
+Christy planked the deck with Mr. Flint just abaft the foremast. Both of
+them were as cool and self-possessed as though they had been sitting at
+the cabin-table; but neither of them felt that the battle had been won,
+for the officer in command of the fort was evidently a man of ability,
+who had not yet exhausted his resources. The first lieutenant had
+watched the works very closely with his glass, and he had informed the
+captain that something was in progress there, though he could not tell
+what it was.
+
+Christy certainly felt very anxious, and he could not help asking
+himself whether or not he was engaged in a foolhardy enterprise in
+attacking the fort. His orders related only to the steamer that was
+loading in the bay, and he had been warned in his instructions to take
+the fort into consideration in his operations. He felt that he had given
+proper attention to the fort, inasmuch as he had disabled all its guns.
+He might have simply blockaded the entrance to the Pass; but he might
+have stayed in the offing a month before she ventured to come out. He
+was still willing to believe that he had not overstepped his orders.
+
+"And a quarter three!" cried the leadsman.
+
+"Make the course north-west, Mr. Flint," said Christy, following the
+sailing directions with a proper allowance for the tide. "No more
+sounding; send the man below. We shall have from three to seven fathoms
+of water till we have passed the fort."
+
+The Bronx continued to dart ahead at her best speed, and no sound came
+from the fort. It was only a question of minutes now before the steamer
+reached a point inside of the island where she could accomplish her
+mission by the capture of the Sphinx. The officers remained on deck, but
+they were protected by the bulwarks, the masts, and especially under the
+shelter of the top-gallant forecastle. Christy had earnestly warned the
+second and third lieutenants not to expose themselves needlessly to the
+musketry of the fort, and Mr. Flint was discreet enough to need no such
+warning.
+
+"Soldiers on the fort, sir!" shouted Vincent, when the Bronx was within
+less than a quarter of a mile of the works.
+
+Christy and the first lieutenant sprang from the shelter where they had
+been waiting the passage of the fort, and rushed up the steps to the
+bridge. The commander of the force on shore, with half a dozen men, was
+at work on one of the guns on the barbette; but it was impossible to
+make out what they were doing. Then there was a flash, a cloud of
+smoke went up, and a shot crashed into the deck directly under the
+pilot-house, tearing up the planks, and disappearing in the space below.
+
+"Wheel disabled, sir!" shouted the quartermaster.
+
+"Beat to quarters, Mr. Flint!" said Christy, trying to make out what
+mischief had been done by the shot; but he could only see that it had
+cut the wheel ropes.
+
+"Strike two bells, Vincent!" he called to the quartermaster.
+
+By this time the executive officer had beat the crew to quarters, and
+every man was at his station.
+
+"Strike three bells, Vincent," continued the commander. "Mr. Flint, open
+fire upon the fort with the midship gun. Have the carpenter report at
+once on the damage done by that shot. Strike two bells, Vincent."
+
+It was plain enough to all the officers and men that the commander
+knew what to do in the emergency, and every one was energetic in the
+discharge of his duty. Mr. Ambleton was fully alive to the peril of the
+moment, and he was careful to make his aim sure with the great gun. It
+had been loaded before with a solid shot, and presently the steamer was
+shaken to her keel by the concussion of its discharge.
+
+Christy was still on the bridge, and he watched with intense interest
+the effect of the shot. In a moment he saw the carriage of the only gun
+that seemed to be mounted on the barbette flying in pieces in every
+direction. He directed the gunner to use a shell next time; but the
+soldiers had hastened away from the place, bearing with them two of
+their companions, doubtless wounded by the splinters.
+
+"Let go the anchor, Mr. Flint!" shouted Christy.
+
+This was done under the direction of Mr. Camden. A fresh breeze had
+sprung up from the north-west, and the Bronx came up to the cable still
+headed in the direction of her former course. The carpenter reported
+that the shot had passed out at the side between decks, and that he had
+plugged the hole. The third lieutenant was busy rigging new wheel ropes,
+which he said would be ready in half an hour. Mr. Flint, at the order
+of the captain, had manned the broadside guns, and loaded them with
+shrapnel, for the most perilous part of the enterprise was yet to come.
+
+The fort was silent. It was evident now that the commander of the little
+garrison had not left the barbette before till he had prepared at least
+one of his guns for further service; but it had again been disabled, and
+it was not known on board of the steamer whether or not he had any other
+gun fit for use. It was presumed that he had not, for the Bronx was
+within easy cannon shot of his works. Christy used the glass, but could
+not discover any gun that appeared to be mounted.
+
+"All ready, Mr. Flint," reported the third lieutenant, when he had
+completed the repairs on the steering gear.
+
+The first lieutenant inspected the work, and reported to the captain,
+who immediately ordered him to weigh the anchor. The chief engineer had
+been directed to be ready to proceed, and the steam was hissing with a
+merry music. The midship gun was of no service now, and Mr. Flint had
+been directed to keep up a steady fire with the broadside guns at the
+embrasures of the fort as soon as the Bronx was in range.
+
+Again the steamer darted ahead at a speed which would soon carry her
+beyond the reach of the musket ball of the soldiers. Christy still
+remained upon the bridge, observing the fort and all that was done on
+the deck of the Bronx. He directed his glass frequently at the barbette
+of the fort; but the prudent commander of the garrison had evidently
+concluded to confine his efforts to the casemates. At least one-fourth
+of his men had been disabled.
+
+"Open with the broadside guns, Mr. Flint!" called Christy, as the Bronx
+came abreast of the works.
+
+As he spoke, Boxie dropped in his place at the wheel, and Vincent
+grasped the spokes. The blood was streaming down the face of the old
+man, and he did not move after he fell. Two sailors bore him below; but
+the surgeon promptly declared that he was dead.
+
+The rattle of musketry became quite sharp, and the bullets were
+penetrating the bulwarks. Two had been wounded at one of the guns, and
+carried below. Christy stepped over to the end of the bridge to call a
+hand to take the place of Boxie, and at that moment he felt a sharp
+sting, as it were, in his right arm, above the elbow. Involuntarily he
+raised his hand to the place, and felt the warm blood oozing from the
+wound. It produced a momentary faintness; but he braced himself up, and
+wound his handkerchief around his arm, calling upon the wheelman to tie
+it, as he hastened to the aid of Vincent. He said not a word about the
+accident.
+
+The Bronx dashed upon her course, and in a moment more she was out of
+the reach of the balls from the muskets. Half a mile farther up the
+Pass, the captain ordered Vincent to strike two bells. The Sphinx was
+in sight, not half a mile distant, with a small steamer on each side of
+her. Doubtless her captain had full confidence in the ability of the
+fort to protect his vessel, and he continued his operations as though he
+was in no possible danger.
+
+"Mr. Flint, send Mr. Camden in the first cutter and Mr. Pennant in the
+second to take possession of that steamer," said Christy, holding on at
+the rail in front of him. "Put fifteen men well armed into each boat,
+and send the second engineer with them. Hurry them off, or they may burn
+the vessel."
+
+The two boats were soon in the water, though the first lieutenant
+wondered that he had not been sent on this important service. The two
+officers hurried their crews, and the boats flew on their mission. The
+commander felt that it was necessary to keep an eye on the fort, for its
+energetic officer was not at all inclined to be idle at the present
+exciting time. The Bronx had hardly stopped her screw before the
+soldiers were to be seen on the barbette; but the shell with which
+the midship gun had been charged sent them all to the casemates in an
+instant.
+
+"What is the matter, Captain Passford?" asked the first lieutenant,
+as he halted on the deck. "You are as pale as a ghost."
+
+"A ball went through my arm; but it is all right," replied Christy with
+a ghastly smile.
+
+He refused to go below, or to permit Dr. Connelly to come to him until
+he had attended to the poor fellows who had been wounded on deck.
+
+At the end of a couple of hours, the flames arose from the two bay
+steamers which had been alongside the Sphinx, for the second lieutenant
+had been ordered to burn them. The smoke was pouring out of the two
+smoke-stacks of the steamer. Several boats filled with men pulled to the
+shore, landing the crews of the three vessels. In less than another hour
+the Sphinx was under way, and soon came alongside the Bronx.
+
+As only one of the broadsides of the gunboat was available in the action
+with the fort, the starboard battery was transferred to the captured
+vessel. Men enough to handle them were put on board, and Mr. Camden was
+put in command of her. It was late in the afternoon when all this work
+had been done, and then the Bronx led the way through the Pass, her
+mission fully accomplished.
+
+As soon as the steamer was abreast of the fort, the broadside guns
+poured the shrapnel into the embrasures and loopholes, though nothing
+could be known of the effect of the firing. The muskets were as active
+as before. Christy was on the bridge still, for the doctor had dressed
+his wound, and he had taken some refreshment.
+
+This time it was discovered that the vigorous commander of the garrison
+had dug out some rifle-pits on the top of his works, and his men were
+doing effective work with their muskets. Three men had been wounded on
+the deck of the Bronx, the third lieutenant being one of them. Christy
+shouted to Mr. Flint, ordering him to send the men below, and cease
+the use of the broadside guns, for the garrison were on the barbette,
+sheltered by their earth-works, where the guns could not reach them,
+so high was their position.
+
+With the aid of his speaking trumpet he gave the same order to Mr.
+Camden on board of the Sphinx; but he had hardly uttered the command
+before his left leg gave way under him, and he sunk to the floor of the
+bridge. A ball had struck him in the thigh, and he could feel the blood
+flowing down his limb. He grasped the rail of the bridge, and drew
+himself up. There he stood like a statue, supporting himself with his
+well arm, till the Bronx had passed out of musket-shot range.
+
+"Good heavens!" exclaimed the first lieutenant, as he came out from his
+shelter. "You are wounded again!"
+
+"I must give up now, I fear," replied Christy feebly; and then he
+fainted.
+
+  [Illustration: Christy Receives a Second Wound.--Page 358.]
+
+He was carried to his stateroom by his officers, and the doctor examined
+his last wound. He was restored to consciousness, but he looked like
+death itself beneath the ruddy brown of his weather-beaten face.
+
+"You will take the command now, Mr. Flint," said he when he saw the
+executive officer watching him with the most intense interest. "What do
+you think of it, Dr. Connelly?" he asked, turning to the surgeon.
+
+"Severe, but not dangerous," answered the doctor. "The ball did not
+touch the bone, but it ploughed deep through the flesh. You were
+fortunate in having plenty of meat on your bones."
+
+Dave was the most assiduous of nurses, and had no little skill in
+attending to the wants of the sick. The young commander was made
+comfortable in a few hours, and Mr. Flint came below to see him at
+the end of an hour when he had performed his most pressing duties. He
+reported that Mr. Pennant's wound was slight, and did not disable him.
+Eight seamen in all had been wounded, and one of them was likely to die
+of his injury.
+
+"But we have done our work well, Captain Passford, and I don't believe
+that one-half the garrison of that fort are fit for duty at this
+moment," added the first lieutenant.
+
+"But that was a splendid fellow who commanded there," continued Christy
+with admiration. "If his guns had not been taken away from him, and his
+force reduced to a handful of men, we should have had to wait for the
+Sphinx to come out of the bay; and it might have been three weeks or a
+month before she concluded to do so."
+
+"We have damaged the enemy enough to make it pay, and the steamer and
+her cargo will put at least seventy-five thousand dollars into the
+pockets of our side in the conflict."
+
+"And by taking the bull by the horns, instead of waiting till the
+captain of the Sphinx concluded to take his chances of being captured
+in getting to sea, we have made the Bronx available for duty at once in
+another quarter, where she can do better work than in chewing her cable
+off the bar of Barataria," said the wounded commander, thus satisfying
+his conscience that he had done his duty.
+
+The venerable colored man, who had given so much assistance and
+information to the third lieutenant on shore, had no desire to leave his
+home, and he was landed in the darkness of the evening at a considerable
+distance from the fort. Christy had rewarded him handsomely for the
+service he had rendered. The men in the first and second cutters had
+taken all the cotton in the small steamers, and put it on board of the
+Sphinx before they set them on fire. The four guns in the hold had been
+hoisted out to make room for the bales, and the vessel had been put in
+condition for her voyage.
+
+Early in the evening, the two steamers were standing out into the Gulf
+headed to the south-east. In the middle of the afternoon of the next
+day, Mr. Flint reported to the flag-officer off Pensacola Bay. The
+wounded captain was as comfortable as a young man could be with two
+bullet-holes in his limbs. It was the first time he had been wounded so
+as to disable him; but he felt that he had faithfully done his duty to
+his country, and he was as cheerful as a man in his condition could be.
+Dr. Connelly reported that he would not be fit for service again for six
+or eight weeks.
+
+Mr. Pennant, the third lieutenant, on account of his wound, which was
+not severe enough to render him unfit for ordinary duty, was appointed
+prize-master of the Sphinx, with orders to report at New York for
+condemnation. A furlough was given to Christy, with a stateroom on board
+of the captured steamer. She was fitted out so that she could defend
+herself, or even capture any vessel of the enemy within her reach, and
+not too strong for her. She was not as fast as the Bronx, but she had
+logged over twelve knots on the passage from Barataria Bay, and was
+therefore likely to be added to the force of the navy.
+
+Ensign Flint was appointed to the command of the Bronx by the
+flag-officer, who had called upon Captain Passford in his stateroom.
+Christy had not failed to commend his executive officer in the highest
+terms. The commodore suggested that Christy could not be very kindly
+disposed towards Captain Battleton of the Vernon, on account of his
+decision against him in the matter of his identity.
+
+"On the contrary, I do not see how he could have done otherwise,
+commodore, and I have expressed to him my friendly feeling," replied
+Christy. "I think he is a devoted and faithful officer, sir."
+
+  [Illustration: Dave Receives his Appointment as Steward.--Page 364.]
+
+"He desires employment on more active duty than the command of a
+store-ship, and I am instructed to give him such a position if I have
+one at my disposal," added the flag-officer.
+
+"I certainly hope you will do so, sir, if possible."
+
+"I propose to appoint him executive officer of the Bronx."
+
+"I am sure Mr. Flint could not have a better man."
+
+In due time this appointment was made, and Captain Flint, on the
+recommendation of Christy, was entirely satisfied to receive him as
+his first lieutenant.
+
+"One thing more, Captain Passford," continued the flag-officer; "the
+ship's steward of the Mercidita has been very sick for three weeks, and
+has applied for a sick-leave. I shall be obliged to transfer Mr. Nawood
+of the Bronx to his place."
+
+"I can mention just the right person to take Mr. Nawood's place," said
+Christy eagerly.
+
+"You seem to have a man ready for every vacant position. Who is he?"
+asked the commodore with a pleasant smile.
+
+"His name is David Davis; but he is not a relative of the president of
+the Southern Confederacy, for he is a mulatto. He has rendered very
+important service on several occasions, and there is not a truer or
+braver man on board of the Bronx, or any other ship of the squadron,"
+replied Christy with enthusiasm.
+
+The commodore shook his head, but he looked very good-natured. Christy
+narrated the part Dave had taken in the capture of Captain Flanger in
+the cabin, and in recovering possession of the Bronx when it was shown
+that the officers were rebels. Mr. Flint was sent for. He was quite as
+earnest in his plea for the steward as the commander had been, and the
+written appointment of Mr. David Davis was in Christy's hands when the
+flag-officer took his leave of the wounded commander.
+
+"Dave," said the wounded lieutenant, the next time the steward came into
+the room, "no more 'massa,' no more 'moggywompus,' no more 'done do it.'
+You know better than to use such expressions, and you are no longer a
+'nigger;' you are the ship's steward of the Bronx."
+
+"What's that, Captain Passford?" demanded Dave, opening his eyes like a
+pair of saucers.
+
+Christy handed him the appointment just made, and the steward danced
+about like a madman. He had expected nothing for his meritorious
+service, and he found himself in a position of trust and responsibility.
+He expressed his gratitude in the most earnest language, and without
+using a single objectionable phrase, for his education was better than
+his habit in the use of speech.
+
+Ensign McLinn, who had served on board of the little steamer, but had
+recently been on sick leave, was appointed second lieutenant of the
+Bronx, while Mr. Camden, outranked by the other officers, remained as
+third lieutenant. Christy and Mr. Pennant were transferred to the
+Sphinx, with a prize crew; and that same evening the Bronx sailed under
+her new commander, with sealed orders, to the eastward.
+
+The Sphinx sailed the next day for New York, and made a tolerably quick
+passage. Of course Christy was received with open arms by the family at
+Bonnydale, and with a profusion of blushes by Bertha Pembroke, who
+happened to be there on a visit. His father and mother looked with
+no little anxiety at the pale face of their son, though he was still
+cheerful and happy. He had lost a portion of his flesh, and his uniform
+hung rather loosely upon him.
+
+He was too feeble from the effects of his wounds, for that in the thigh
+had proved to be more severe than the surgeons had indicated, to tell
+the exciting story of the escapade of Corny Passford; but when he did
+relate it, three weeks later, it thrilled the listeners for three whole
+evenings.
+
+"You took the bull by the horns at an opportune moment, my son," said
+Captain Passford, Senior. "If you had not done so you would have been in
+a rebel prison at this moment. As it is, poor Corny has got back to Fort
+Lafayette, with Galvinne and our man-servant, whom I never should have
+suspected of being a Confederate officer."
+
+"I don't think I care to go to the Gulf again as the commander of a
+vessel," added Christy, who had not changed his mind on this subject.
+
+"Why not, my son?"
+
+"I don't like the responsibility, in the first place, and the
+inactivity, in the second. When I am forty or fifty years old, I shall
+like a command better. Others seem to look upon me now as a boy, capable
+of any sort of quixotism, however prudent I may be, and point at me as
+one who has been made a commander of a steamer by influence at court.
+There is a vacancy at the present time on board of the Bellevite, for
+the second lieutenant will be compelled to resign on account of his
+health."
+
+This matter was fully discussed during the next two months; and at the
+end of that time the young lieutenant was again in condition for duty.
+Both Mr. Camden and Mr. Pennant obtained the appointment of ensign on
+the strength of his reports. Christy was as earnest as ever in his
+desire to Stand by the Union; he was ordered to the Bellevite as second
+lieutenant, and, after three months' absence, went to the Gulf again,
+where we shall find him once more, both on sea and shore, Fighting for
+the Right.
+
+
+
+
+Lee and Shepard's
+
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+
+    With New and Attractive Dies.
+
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+  The Hardscrabble of Elm Island.
+  Sowed by the Wind; or, The Poor Boy's Fortune.
+  Wolf Run; or, The Boys of the Wilderness.
+  Brought to the Front; or, The Young Defenders.
+  The Mission of Black Rifle; or, On the Trail.
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+  Burning the Hatchet; or, The Young Brave of the Delawares.
+  A Strong Arm and a Mother's Blessing.
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+      Afloat and Ashore.
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+  A Stout Heart; or, The Student from Over the Sea.
+  A Spark of Genius; or, The College Life of James Trafton.
+  The Sophomores of Radcliffe; or, James Trafton and his
+      Boston Friends.
+  The Whispering Pine; or, The Graduates of Radcliffe.
+  The Turning of the Tide; or, Radcliffe Rich and his Patients.
+  Winning his Spurs; or, Henry Morton's First Trial.
+
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+  Fight it out on this Line; The Life and Deeds of Gen. U. S.
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+  Raleigh; His Voyages and Adventures.
+  Drake; The Sea King of Devon.
+
+
+By CAPT. CHARLES W. HALL.
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+
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+
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+
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+  Ernest Bracebridge; or, School Boy Days.
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+
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+
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+
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+
+
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+
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+
+
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+
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+
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+
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+  Journal_.
+
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+  Stoddard in N.Y. Mail_.
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+  Mercury_.
+
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+  young girl ought to enjoy them, also, for they are wholesome, true
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+  claim to a place among the writers to whom readers attribute the
+  grace and power of naturalness. "Woodie Thorpe's Pilgrimage,"
+  "Uncle Caleb's Roan Colt," "Lost on the Tide," etc., are all stories
+  of deep interest, which one will follow with attention. The book
+  does not preach, but conveys some salutary lessons.
+
+  There is many and many a volume written for boys, but they are not
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+
+
+    LEE AND SHEPARD Publishers BOSTON
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+           *       *       *       *
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Errata Noted by Transcriber:
+
+Invisible punctuation-- chiefly quotation marks-- has been silently
+supplied. The spelling "cockswain" is standard for this text. The
+variation between "knots" and "knots an hour" is as in the original.
+
+[Table of Contents]
+CHAPTER XXIII.
+  _text reads "XIII."_
+
+certain irregular enterprizes
+  _spelling as in original_
+
+"I think I shall go on deck and see the fun, if there is any, and turn
+in if there is none," added Christy.
+  _so in original: should read "Corny"_
+
+The lamp on gimbols was lighted
+  _spelling as in original_
+
+One who can believe that would swallow Baron Munchausen
+  _spelling as in original_
+
+and our mission may be up Lake Pontchartrain
+  _text reads "Ponchartrain"_
+
+[Advertising]
+The Young Middy; or, The Perilous Adventures of a Boy Officer.
+  _text reads "Avdentures"_
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Stand By The Union, by Oliver Optic
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+<pre>
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Stand By The Union, by Oliver Optic
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Stand By The Union
+       SERIES: The Blue and the Gray--Afloat
+
+Author: Oliver Optic
+
+Illustrator: L. J. Bridgman
+
+Release Date: July 13, 2006 [EBook #18816]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STAND BY THE UNION ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Louise Hope, David Garcia, Juliet Sutherland
+and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
+http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images
+generously made available by The Kentuckiana Digital
+Library)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+<div class = "mynote">
+The Frontispiece ("Mr. Galvinne is Subdued") has been placed between
+the Preface and the <a href = "#toc">Table of Contents</a>.<br>
+<br>
+Invisible punctuation has been silently supplied. Other typographical
+errors are marked in the text with <ins class = "correction" title =
+"like this">mouse-hover popups</ins>. Note that the spelling "cockswain"
+is standard for this text. The variation between "knots" and "knots an
+hour" is as in the original.
+</div>
+
+<p class = "illustration">
+<img src = "images/cover.jpg" width = "393" height = "605"
+alt = "book cover: The Blue and the Gray by Oliver Optic: Stand by the Union"
+title = "The Blue and the Gray by Oliver Optic: Stand by the Union">
+</p>
+
+<div class = "outline chapter">
+
+<h2 class = "smallcaps">The Blue and the Gray&mdash;Afloat</h2>
+
+<h5>Two colors cloth &nbsp; Emblematic Dies &nbsp; Illustrated<br>
+Price per volume $1.50</h5>
+
+<table>
+<tr><td>
+TAKEN BY THE ENEMY<br>
+WITHIN THE ENEMY'S LINES<br>
+ON THE BLOCKADE<br>
+STAND BY THE UNION<br>
+FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHT<br>
+A VICTORIOUS UNION
+</td></tr>
+</table>
+
+<hr class = "tiny">
+
+<h2 class = "smallcaps">The Blue and the Gray&mdash;On Land</h2>
+
+<h5>Two colors cloth &nbsp; Emblematic Dies &nbsp; Illustrated<br>
+Price per volume $1.50</h5>
+
+<table>
+<tr><td>
+BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER<br>
+IN THE SADDLE<br>
+A LIEUTENANT AT EIGHTEEN<br>
+ON THE STAFF<br>
+&nbsp; (Other volumes in preparation)
+</td></tr>
+</table>
+
+<hr class = "tiny">
+
+<h5 class = "smallcaps">Any Volume Sold Separately</h5>
+
+<hr class = "tiny">
+
+<h3 class = "smallcaps">Lee and Shepard &nbsp; Publishers &nbsp;
+Boston</h3>
+
+</div>
+
+
+<p class = "illustration chapter">
+<img src = "images/titlepage.png" width = "322" height = "483"
+alt = "title page: The Blue and the Gray Series / by Oliver Optic / Stand by the Union"
+title = "The Blue and the Gray Series / by Oliver Optic / Stand by the Union">
+</p>
+
+
+<h4 class = "chapter ital">The Blue and the Gray Series</h4>
+
+<hr class = "tiny">
+
+<h2>STAND BY THE UNION</h2>
+
+<h6>BY</h6>
+
+<h4>OLIVER OPTIC</h4>
+
+<h6>AUTHOR OF "THE ARMY AND NAVY SERIES" "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD" "THE<br>
+GREAT WESTERN SERIES" "THE WOODVILLE STORIES" "THE STARRY FLAG<br>
+SERIES" "THE BOAT-CLUB SERIES" "THE ONWARD AND UPWARD<br>
+SERIES" "THE YACHT-CLUB SERIES" "THE LAKE SHORE SERIES"<br>
+"THE RIVERDALE STORIES" "THE BOAT-BUILDER SERIES"<br>
+"TAKEN BY THE ENEMY" "WITHIN THE ENEMY'S<br>
+LINES" "ON THE BLOCKADE" ETC.</h6>
+
+<hr class = "tiny">
+
+<h5 class = "section">BOSTON 1896</h5>
+<h5 class = "extended">LEE AND SHEPARD PUBLISHERS</h5>
+<h6>10 MILK STREET NEXT "THE OLD SOUTH MEETING HOUSE."</h6>
+
+
+<h6 class = "chapter smallcaps">Copyright, 1891, by Lee and
+Shepard.</h6>
+
+<hr class = "tiny">
+
+<h6 class = "ital">All rights reserved.</h6>
+
+<h6>STAND BY THE UNION.</h6>
+
+
+<h5 class = "chapter">TO</h5>
+
+<h6>MY TWO YOUNG FRIENDS,</h6>
+
+<h5 class = "boldf">Miss Helen Campbell Smith</h5>
+
+<h6>AND</h6>
+
+<h5 class = "boldf">Miss Anna Rockwell Smith,</h5>
+
+<h6>THE DAUGHTERS OF</h6>
+
+<h5>MY FRIEND MR. GEORGE A. SMITH</h5>
+
+<h6>OF BOSTON,</h6>
+
+<h5 class = "boldf">This Volume</h5>
+
+<h6>IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED.</h6>
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">5</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter">PREFACE</h4>
+
+
+<p>"<span class = "smallcaps">Stand by the Union</span>" is the fourth
+of "The Blue and Gray Series." As in the preceding volumes of the
+series, the incidents of the story are located in the midst of the war
+of the Rebellion, now dating back nearly thirty years, or before any of
+my younger readers were born. To those who lived two days in one through
+that eventful and anxious period, sometimes trembling for the fate of
+the nation, but always sustained by the faith and the hope through which
+the final victory was won, it seems hardly possible that so many years
+have flowed into the vast ocean of the past since that terrible conflict
+was raging over so large a portion of our now united country.</p>
+
+<p>Though it is said that the South "robbed the
+<span class = "pagenum">6</span>
+cradle and the grave" to recruit the armies of the Confederacy, it is as
+true that young and old in the North went forth in their zeal to "Stand
+by the Union," and that many and many a young soldier and sailor who had
+not yet seen twenty summers endured the hardships of the camp and the
+march, the broiling suns, and the wasting maladies of semi-tropical
+seas, fought bravely and nobly for the unity of the land they loved, and
+that thousands of them sleep their last sleep in unmarked graves on the
+sea and the land. The writer can remember whole companies, of which
+nearly half of the number could be classed as mere boys. These boys of
+eighteen to twenty, who survived the rain of bullets, shot, and shell,
+and the hardly less fatal assaults of disease, are the middle-aged men
+of to-day, and every one of them has a thrilling story to tell. The boys
+of to-day read with interest the narratives of the boys of thirty years
+ago, and listen with their blood deeply stirred to the recital of the
+veteran of forty-five years, or even
+<span class = "pagenum">7</span>
+younger, who brought back to his home only one arm or one leg.</p>
+
+<p>In his youth the author used to listen to the stories of several aged
+Revolutionary pensioners, one of whom had slept in the snows of Valley
+Forge, another who had been confined on board of the Jersey prison-ship,
+and a third who had been with Washington at the surrender of Cornwallis.
+Not one lives to-day who fought in the battles of the Revolution; but a
+multitude of those who trod the battle-fields of the war that was
+finished twenty-seven years ago have taken their places, and have become
+as interesting to the present generation as the heroes of former wars
+were to the fathers and grandfathers of the boys and girls of
+to-day.</p>
+
+<p>In the official record of a certain regiment recruited up to the full
+standard, we find that 47.5 per cent of the non-commissioned officers
+and privates were under twenty-one years of age. We find a few in the
+list who were only sixteen and seventeen years. In this regiment,
+<span class = "pagenum">8</span>
+we find two captains only twenty-one years of age, and three lieutenants
+who were only twenty. This regiment was exceptional in regard to age,
+though we find that over twenty-five per cent of several companies,
+taken at random, were under age. Even boys of fourteen and fifteen were
+enlisted as musicians, "drummer boys," and served out their full term.
+It can, therefore, be truthfully said, that those who were literally
+"boys" did their full and fair share in fighting for the Union. Perhaps
+even a larger proportion of minors served in the navy than in the army;
+and the record of some of them could be recited to prove that in those
+days boys became men prematurely, and distinguished themselves by brave
+and daring deeds.</p>
+
+<p>The incidents of the story contained in this volume are suggested by
+actual occurrence during the Rebellion, though they are not absolutely
+historical details, but are as probable as many real events of the war.
+The enemy were busy in some of the Northern cities, and there were
+<span class = "pagenum">9</span>
+many daring operations undertaken by them which justify the story in its
+principal features. Most of the characters have been introduced in the
+preceding volumes of the series; and in the succeeding volume the hero
+will be presented in a somewhat different field of action, though in
+whatever sphere he moves he will continue to be engaged in "<span class
+= "smallcaps">Fighting for the Right</span>."</p>
+
+<p class = "inset">
+<span class = "smallcaps">Dorchester, Mass.</span>, April 23, 1891.</p>
+
+
+<p class = "illustration section">
+<img src = "images/frontis.png" width = "346" height = "522"
+alt = "illustration of quoted scene"><br>
+<span class = "caption">
+<span class = "smallcaps">"Mr. Galvinne is Subdued."</span>&mdash;Page
+166.</span>
+</p>
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">11</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "toc">CONTENTS</a></h4>
+
+<table>
+<tr>
+<td></td>
+<td class = "number smallcaps" width = "20%">page</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapI">CHAPTER I.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">A Mysterious Visitation</td>
+<td class = "number">15</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapII">CHAPTER II.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">The Absconding Man-servant</td>
+<td class = "number">26</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapIII">CHAPTER III.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">Christy Passford is utterly confounded</td>
+<td class = "number">37</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapIV">CHAPTER IV.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">The Sick Officer in the Stateroom</td>
+<td class = "number">48</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapV">CHAPTER V.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">Lieutenant Passford and his Apparent Double</td>
+<td class = "number">59</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapVI">CHAPTER VI.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">The Conference in the Captain's Cabin</td>
+<td class = "number">70</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapVII">CHAPTER VII.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">The Announcement of the Decision</td>
+<td class = "number">81</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<span class = "pagenum">12</span>
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapVIII">CHAPTER VIII.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">The Prisoner of War</td>
+<td class = "number">92</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapIX">CHAPTER IX.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">A Moral Philosopher</td>
+<td class = "number">103</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapX">CHAPTER X.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">A Change of Quarters in the Confusion</td>
+<td class = "number">114</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapXI">CHAPTER XI.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">Laying out a Plan of Operations</td>
+<td class = "number">125</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapXII">CHAPTER XII.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">A Lesson in Ordinary Politeness</td>
+<td class = "number">136</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapXIII">CHAPTER XIII.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">The Opening of the Secret Orders</td>
+<td class = "number">147</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapXIV">CHAPTER XIV.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">The Affray on the Quarter-deck of the Bronx</td>
+<td class = "number">158</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapXV">CHAPTER XV.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">A Rebellious and Prejudiced Prisoner</td>
+<td class = "number">169</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapXVI">CHAPTER XVI.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">The Disposal of the Prisoners</td>
+<td class = "number">180</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapXVII">CHAPTER XVII.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">The Second and Third Lieutenants</td>
+<td class = "number">191</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<span class = "pagenum">13</span>
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapXVIII">CHAPTER XVIII.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">A Battle on a Small Scale</td>
+<td class = "number">202</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapXIX">CHAPTER XIX.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">The Skipper of the Sloop Magnolia</td>
+<td class = "number">213</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapXX">CHAPTER XX.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">An Expedition to St. Andrew's Bay</td>
+<td class = "number">224</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapXXI">CHAPTER XXI.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">A Non-combatant on Board the Bronx</td>
+<td class = "number">235</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapXXII">CHAPTER XXII.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">The Stranger in the Captain's Cabin</td>
+<td class = "number">246</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapXXIII">CHAPTER <ins class = "correction"
+title = "text reads 'XIII'">XXIII</ins>.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">A Very Impudent Declaration</td>
+<td class = "number">257</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapXXIV">CHAPTER XXIV.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">A Critical Situation in the Cabin</td>
+<td class = "number">268</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapXXV">CHAPTER XXV.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">The Destruction of a Prominent Facial Member</td>
+<td class = "number">279</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapXXVI">CHAPTER XXVI.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">The Meeting with the Bellevite at Night</td>
+<td class = "number">290</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapXXVII">CHAPTER XXVII.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">The Planning of an Expedition</td>
+<td class = "number">301</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapXXVIII">CHAPTER XXVIII.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">The Negro Village on the Isle Grande Terre</td>
+<td class = "number">312</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<span class = "pagenum">14</span>
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapXXIX">CHAPTER XXIX.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">A Professional Visit to the Fort</td>
+<td class = "number">323</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapXXX">CHAPTER XXX.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">The Attack upon the Fort</td>
+<td class = "number">334</td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td class = "chapnum" colspan = "2">
+<a class = "plain" href = "#chapXXXI">CHAPTER XXXI.</a>
+</td></tr>
+<tr>
+<td class = "chapname">A Wounded Commander</td>
+<td class = "number">345</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">15</span>
+<h3 class = "chapter">STAND BY THE UNION</h3>
+
+<hr class = "mid">
+
+
+<h4 class = "section"><a name = "chapI">CHAPTER I</a></h4>
+
+<h6>A MYSTERIOUS VISITATION</h6>
+
+<p><span class = "smallcaps">"Who's</span> there?" demanded Christy
+Passford, sitting up in his bed, in the middle of the night, in his room
+on the second floor of his father's palatial mansion on the Hudson,
+where the young lieutenant was waiting for a passage to the Gulf.</p>
+
+<p>There was no answer to his inquiry.</p>
+
+<p>"Who's there?" he repeated in a louder tone.</p>
+
+<p>All was as still as it ought to be in the middle of the night, and no
+response came to his second inquiry. The brilliant young officer, who
+had just passed his eighteenth birthday, knew what it was even better
+than an older person to pass a whole night on difficult duty, without a
+wink of sleep, for he had been accustomed to spend a portion of every
+night in planking the deck on his watch; but at Bonnydale, his quiet
+home, far removed
+<span class = "pagenum">16</span>
+from the scenes of actual conflict, he was an industrious sleeper,
+giving his whole attention to his slumbers, as a proper preparation for
+the stirring scenes in which he was again about to engage.</p>
+
+<p>He slept soundly; but he had dreamed that some one opened the door of
+his room, or some one had actually done so. He was not a believer in
+dreams, and when an impression had fastened itself upon his mind, he was
+inclined to investigate it. It seemed to him that he had been awakened
+from his sleep by the opening of the door of his chamber. Some member of
+the family might be sick, and he might be needed to go for the doctor,
+or for some other service.</p>
+
+<p>He leaped from his bed when no answer came to his second demand,
+lighted his lamp, and put on his trousers. With the light in his hand,
+he opened the door; but there was no one there, and not a sound of any
+kind could be heard. He walked about the hall in his bare feet, and
+listened attentively at the doors of several of the chambers, especially
+at that of Mr. Pembroke, the invalid gentleman whom, with his daughter,
+he had brought home as a passenger in the captured Vixen.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">17</span>
+Christy heard nothing, and he silently descended the stairs to the lower
+hall. All was as quiet there as upon the floor above, and he had begun
+to think that the impression he had received had been given him in a
+dream, though he could not remember that he had been dreaming. But when
+he came to the front door, he found it was ajar. It was usually secured
+by a spring lock, and those who were liable to be out in the evening
+were provided with night-keys.</p>
+
+<p>At the present time his father was in Washington, and he could not
+have neglected to close the door. He had been to the railroad station to
+meet the last train, thinking it possible that his father might return,
+and he was confident that he had been the last to enter the house. He
+was very sure that he had not left the door unfastened, and this
+assurance made him confident that some person had entered the house. The
+noise at the door of his chamber was not an illusion or a dream: though
+it had been made by closing rather than by opening it, or he would have
+been likely to find the intruder in his room when he lighted his
+lamp.</p>
+
+<p>It seemed to him to be a matter of course that the midnight visitor
+had come into the mansion
+<span class = "pagenum">18</span>
+for the purpose of plundering its occupants, or of securing the
+valuables it contained. Putting his lamp on the table, he went out upon
+the veranda, and looked all about him. The grounds were very extensive,
+and a broad avenue led to the street. It was very dark; but as he cast
+his eyes in the direction of the grand entrance to the estate, he
+discovered some dark object in motion; but he lost sight of it in a
+moment.</p>
+
+<p>It was a living being, or it would not move, and he was certain that
+he had made a discovery. Then two regrets flashed through his mind as he
+stepped down from the veranda; the first, that he had not put on his
+shoes before he left his chamber, and the second, that he had not taken
+his pistols, for a bullet would travel a great deal faster than a
+barefooted officer, even of the United States Navy. But he ran with all
+his speed to the street, to the great detriment of his uncovered
+feet.</p>
+
+<p>He reached the grand entrance in an exceedingly short space of time;
+but he might as well have been in his chamber, for no ruffian, robber,
+or Confederate spy could be seen. He had no means of knowing which way
+the intruder at the mansion
+<span class = "pagenum">19</span>
+had turned, to the right or the left, or whether, like the timid colored
+gentleman in a trying situation, he had taken to the woods. Christy
+walked up the street, and then down the street; but the underbrush had
+recently been cut in the grove, and he did not venture to explore it
+without any protection for his feet.</p>
+
+<p>He peered into the gloom of the night with all his eyes, and listened
+with all his ears for over an hour; and then, watchful and careful
+officer as he was, there were five hundred chances against him to one in
+his favor, of finding the intruder, and he reluctantly returned to the
+mansion.</p>
+
+<p>Like the other male occupants of the house, the lieutenant was
+provided with a night-key. For one who had only just developed a
+tolerably thriving mustache, Christy was a prudent and methodical young
+gentleman. As a part of his method, he had a great many small drawers in
+his rooms, and a dozen or more keys; but he had never lost them, for the
+reason that he carried them chained to his nether garment. But he had
+two sets of keys, one for the house, and one for the ship. He had taken
+the night-key from the former, and put it in his vest pocket; and when
+he
+<span class = "pagenum">20</span>
+reached the front door of the mansion, the key he wanted was in his
+chamber, and he had been careful to shut the door when he left the
+house.</p>
+
+<p>He could not get in, and he walked around the building to find a
+window which had not been closed. His mother had a reasonable dread of
+robbers, and she always looked out for the windows before she retired.
+He did not wish to arouse the family by ringing the great gong bell, but
+it was too cold to spend the rest of the night out-doors in his
+half-clothed condition, for he was as liable to take a severe cold as
+any less brilliant individual, and he might have to spend a month in his
+chamber, instead of reporting to the flag-officer of the Eastern Gulf
+squadron, in command of the Bronx.</p>
+
+<p>He rang the bell, and the sound from it reverberated through the
+entire mansion. It was some time before a servant came to open the door;
+but the man who let him in was astonished to see him partially dressed,
+and wondered if he had not been walking in his sleep. In the lower hall,
+he was satisfied that the whole house was astir, for the gong which had
+sounded was the "emergency
+<span class = "pagenum">21</span>
+bell," used only when the ordinary one at the front door was not likely
+to be heard.</p>
+
+<p>"Walsh!" called Mrs. Passford from the head of the stairs.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, ma'am," replied the man who had admitted Christy, and who was
+still wondering what fit, freak, or fancy had beset the young
+officer.</p>
+
+<p>"Who is it? What is the matter?" demanded the lady of the mansion, in
+tones which indicated anxiety if not alarm.</p>
+
+<p>"It is Mr. Christy, ma'am; nothing is the matter," replied Walsh; but
+then he appeared to think that he had replied without proper
+consideration, and he revised his speech. "I don't know that anything's
+the matter, ma'am," and still he gazed at the young gentleman, as though
+he deemed it possible that he had suddenly gone crazy.</p>
+
+<p>"Nothing is the matter, mother," called Christy. "I am all
+right."</p>
+
+<p>"But why are you out at this time of night, my son? It is nearly two
+o'clock in the morning," said Mrs. Passford, as she descended the
+stairs. "You are not half dressed, Christy."</p>
+
+<p>"But I am all right, mother, and there is not the least reason to
+worry about anything, for the
+<span class = "pagenum">22</span>
+ship is not going to the bottom just yet," replied Christy, indulging in
+a forced laugh to assist in quieting his mother's fears.</p>
+
+<p>"But why are you out doors at this time of night?" Mrs. Passford
+insisted. "You will catch a cold that will lay you up, if you go out in
+that condition."</p>
+
+<p>"I should not have rung that bell if I had not been afraid of taking
+cold," added the son.</p>
+
+<p>"But, Christy, something has happened; and you must tell me about it,
+or I shall not sleep another wink to-night," persisted the lady,
+concluding that her son was trying to conceal something from her, as
+indeed he was, for he feared it would alarm her if he told her some one
+had come into the house.</p>
+
+<p>"There is nothing to be frightened about, mother; and I will tell you
+all about it," added Christy, as he took his overcoat from the stand and
+put it on. "I waked an hour ago, or more, with the idea that some one
+had opened the door of my room," and he related the circumstances to his
+mother, including his search in the grounds and the road.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you think any one came into the house?"
+<span class = "pagenum">23</span>
+asked Mrs. Passford, though with but little of the woman's terror that
+such a statement might have caused.</p>
+
+<p>"That is my decided opinion. A noise at my chamber door woke me; I
+found the front door ajar, though I know I closed it when I came in last
+night, and I saw something moving down the avenue, which could only have
+been a man. Of course, I conclude that it was a burglar; but none of us
+have been killed or harmed."</p>
+
+<p>Christy went to his room and completed his toilet. The house was
+warm, and he was soon comfortable enough after the out-door chill. By
+this time Miss Florry Passford had put in an appearance in the upper
+hall, with Bertha Pembroke. The alarm was again briefly explained, and
+the invalid gentleman was assured that nothing alarming had occurred.
+Then the young lieutenant and his mother proceeded to ascertain what the
+burglar had accomplished in the house.</p>
+
+<p>On the lower floor nothing appeared to have been disturbed. In the
+parlor a gold watch, adorned with diamonds, had been left on the table
+by Florry, who had forgotten it; but it had not been taken. The burglar
+could not have helped
+<span class = "pagenum">24</span>
+seeing it if he had explored the house as such gentry do on such
+occasions. In the dining-room no attempt to open the steel safe set in
+the wall, which contained a vast amount of silver, jewelry, money, and
+other valuables, had been made. In a word, wherever they examined the
+rooms, no sign of any depredations could be discovered. The burglar did
+not appear to have lunched in the pantry where some choice viands had
+been placed. The robber had certainly been very considerate, and had
+done no mischief either for plunder or diversion. He had evidently, in
+the opinion of Mrs. Passford and her son, undertaken a profitless
+enterprise.</p>
+
+<p>"But what could have been his object in coming into the house?" asked
+the bewildered lady.</p>
+
+<p>"I shall have to give it up, mother."</p>
+
+<p>"He might have taken Florry's watch, she was so careless as to leave
+on the table in the sitting-room," added she.</p>
+
+<p>"But he did not."</p>
+
+<p>"He could not have been disturbed until you spoke to him; and he
+might have ransacked the whole of the lower part of the house."</p>
+
+<p>"But he did not."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">25</span>
+They had given up the examination of the premises, and given up the
+conundrum, and Christy was leading the way up-stairs. He went into his
+room, followed by his mother.</p>
+
+<p>"He must have come into your room, my son, or you would not have
+heard him at the door. Perhaps he has robbed you," suggested Mrs.
+Passford.</p>
+
+<p>The young officer declared he had nothing there to steal. As he
+spoke, he took from his coat pocket on the bedpost an envelope
+containing his commission and other papers. It was safe; so were his
+purse and watch.</p>
+
+<p>The mystery was not solved till Christy embarked for the Gulf.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">26</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapII">CHAPTER II</a></h4>
+
+<h6>THE ABSCONDING MAN-SERVANT</h6>
+
+
+<p>Lieutenant Christopher Passford, in his two years' experience in the
+navy, had been under the fire of the enemy too many times to be
+intimidated by a burglar, and he felt a certain contempt for the
+midnight marauder, who had entered the mansion and disturbed his restful
+slumbers. He returned to his bed, therefore, and slept like a marine
+till the call bell woke him in the morning.</p>
+
+<p>As he dressed himself he could not help thinking of the mysterious
+visitation, and he asked himself a great many questions in regard to the
+object of the intruder, since it did not appear that he had entered the
+house for the purpose of robbing its occupants. He could not determine
+whether or not the fellow had actually come into his room; but his
+porte-monnaie, which contained a considerable sum of money, and his gold
+<span class = "pagenum">27</span>
+repeater, a very valuable watch, were just where he had left them the
+night before.</p>
+
+<p>In the breast pocket of his uniform coat he found the envelope which
+contained his commission as a lieutenant, received only two days before
+his orders, and some other papers. As a precaution against inquisitive
+persons, if the package should happen to be mislaid in the house, he had
+applied some mucilage in the library, and resealed the envelope. It had
+not been tampered with so far as he could discover, and he returned it
+to the pocket.</p>
+
+<p>The mysterious visitor at the mansion, whoever or whatever he was,
+could not be regarded as a burglar, or, if he was, he had strangely
+neglected his opportunities, for he had failed to appropriate at least
+five hundred dollars worth of watches and money, which he could hardly
+have helped seeing. His object was not plunder, and there was nothing to
+indicate the purpose of his visit. In retiring from the house the
+intruder had left the front door ajar: and Christy thought it would have
+been the most natural thing in the world to close it, in order to
+conceal the way by which he had left the mansion. But he might have done
+this to avoid
+<span class = "pagenum">28</span>
+the noise of shutting it, or had neglected it in his haste to
+escape.</p>
+
+<p>When he had completed his toilet Christy looked at his watch, and was
+rather surprised to find that it was a full hour later than usual when
+the call bell had been rung. He went down-stairs, and found his mother
+and Florry very busy in the dining-room, setting the table. This was the
+man's work, and the young officer was astonished to see his mother and
+sister doing&nbsp;it.</p>
+
+<p>"What has broken now, mother?" asked the lieutenant, glancing from
+one to the other of the busy couple.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know that anything has broken," replied Mrs. Passford, with
+a smile, after she had said good-morning to her son.</p>
+
+<p>"You and Florry are not in the habit of setting the table, mother;
+and the first bell rang an hour later than usual," added Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"We were all disturbed last night, and I did not wake till the cook
+knocked at my door. She told me she could not find Walsh, and breakfast
+had been ready half an hour. That is the reason why everything is late
+this morning," Mrs. Passford explained.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">29</span>
+"But where is Walsh?" inquired Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"I am sure I do not know. I called in the coachman, and he has been
+to his room and looked all over the place without finding him."</p>
+
+<p>"That is very odd," mused the officer, wondering whether this sudden
+disappearance had anything to do with the principal event of the
+preceding night.</p>
+
+<p>"Peach says he has taken his valise with him, which indicates that he
+has gone for good."</p>
+
+<p>"Who is Peach?" asked Christy, who had been at home so little that he
+hardly knew the names of the servants.</p>
+
+<p>"He is the coachman. I am not sorry that Walsh has gone, for he has
+saved me the trouble of discharging him. Wilder, who had been with us so
+many years, took it into his head to enlist in the army, and I was not
+willing to persuade him to shirk his duty. Walsh has not been here quite
+two weeks. He said he was born in the West Indies; but he was always
+prying into matters that did not concern him, and I have several times
+found him standing at the door when we were talking about family
+matters. I reproved him for it; but it did no good. Your father
+<span class = "pagenum">30</span>
+intended to discharge him as soon as he returned from Washington."</p>
+
+<p>Christy went to the library, and busied himself in considering
+whether or not the sudden departure of Walsh had any connection with the
+mysterious midnight intruder. The two events had been near together in
+point of time; but he could establish no other relation between them.
+Then it flashed upon his mind that the man-servant had been the person
+who had opened or closed his door, and visited his room; but he was sure
+he had seen a man near the grand entrance of the estate. He had been all
+around the house, and Walsh could not have escaped his observation. He
+had answered the bell, and admitted him after his search. He concluded
+that the servant was not the person who had disturbed his slumbers.</p>
+
+<p>The morning mail brought a letter from Captain Passford, informing
+the family that he was detained in Washington, and that he could not be
+at home to say good-by to his son, who was to leave that day in the
+store ship Vernon. He wrote a special letter to Christy, containing not
+only his adieux, but the good advice he would otherwise have given him
+in person.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">31</span>
+The breakfast was rather a sad gathering on account of this parting, for
+Christy was to leave in another hour. Bertha Pembroke and her father
+were quite as sad as the mother and sister, and the young officer did
+his best to cheer up the family and the guests. He tried to make them
+laugh, but he found it was up-hill work.</p>
+
+<p>"You will be in command of a steamer, Christy, when you reach the
+Gulf. I hope you will not be rash, and try to do too much," said Mrs.
+Passford, as they rose from the table.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't think I am ever rash, mother; and if I have been exceedingly
+fortunate, it was more because the circumstances favored me than because
+I ran great risks," replied Christy very seriously, for he was sensitive
+on the point his mother had brought up. "Father has said a great deal to
+me on this subject, and I have always done my best to carry out his
+principles. It is not my fault that I have a friend at court, and have
+had opportunities that have not been offered to many others. But the
+tide may turn against me on my next cruise."</p>
+
+<p>"I hope it will not, my son," added his mother very earnestly.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">32</span>
+"No one knows what is going to happen, and I may spend the next year or
+two in a Confederate prison. I don't think my Uncle Homer would cry his
+eyes out if such should be my fate, for he has lost several vessels and
+cargoes of cotton on my account," returned Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"But I am sure he has no ill-will against you."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't think he has."</p>
+
+<p>"By the way, Christy, have you heard anything from him or his family
+lately?" asked Mrs. Passford.</p>
+
+<p>"Not a word, and I am not likely to hear from them. Corny Passford
+was exchanged, and sent back to the South a year ago or more; and I have
+no idea what has become of him since."</p>
+
+<p>After breakfast Christy packed his valise, where he placed the new
+uniform in which he intended to present himself on the quarter-deck of
+the Bronx. The carriage was at the door to convey him to the railroad
+station. The parting was not less tender than it had been on former
+similar occasions, and Mrs. Passford preferred that it should be in the
+house rather than at the railroad station, in the presence of curious
+observers. Many tears were shed after the carriage drove off,
+<span class = "pagenum">33</span>
+for the patriotic young man might find a grave in southern soil, or
+beneath southern waters.</p>
+
+<p>The young lieutenant choked down his emotions, and tried to think of
+the future; his case was not different from that of hundreds of
+thousands of others who had gone forth to fight the battles of their
+country, many thousands of whom slumber in hallowed graves far away from
+home and friends. As the train moved on towards the great city, he
+obtained the command of his emotions, and felt a new inspiration of
+patriotic ardor.</p>
+
+<p>On his arrival in New York he hastened across the ferry to the
+navy-yard. As he approached the opposite shore, he discovered a steamer
+getting under way. He had not seen the vessel on board of which he was
+ordered to report as a passenger, but when he asked a deck hand what the
+steamer was, he was informed that it was the Vernon. The ferry-boat had
+just gone into the slip, and Christy was terribly startled to learn that
+he was late. He was still two hours ahead of the time indicated in his
+orders, and the Vernon was actually getting under way.</p>
+
+<p>The young officer was more excited than he had
+<span class = "pagenum">34</span>
+ever been in the face of the enemy, for the present looked like a case
+in which his honor was at stake. He felt that it would be his ruin if
+the Vernon sailed without him. There had been some mistake in his
+orders, or in those of the commander of the store ship, and he was
+likely to be the sufferer for it. He rushed to the stern end of the
+ferry-boat in order to obtain a better view of the steamer; and at this
+moment he discovered a boat, pulled by one man, headed towards the
+navy-yard.</p>
+
+<p>"Boat, ahoy!" shouted Christy, with almost frantic earnestness.</p>
+
+<p>"On board the ferry-boat!" replied the man, resting on his oars.</p>
+
+<p>"Five dollars if you will put me on board of that steamer before she
+gets off!" added the officer.</p>
+
+<p>"I'm the one for your money," returned the oarsman, as he headed his
+boat into the slip.</p>
+
+<p>Without much difficulty Christy dropped his valise into the boat, and
+then dropped himself in after it. The belated passenger cast an earnest
+look at the Vernon, which had just begun to move, though at a snail's
+pace, and he hoped he should be able to get on board of her.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">35</span>
+"Naval officer, sir?" interrogated the boatman.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes; but I have no time to spare, and you must not stop to talk,"
+replied Christy rather sharply.</p>
+
+<p>"Time enough, sir, if you are going on board of the Vernon, and I
+will give you one of my oars if I don't put you on her deck," said the
+boatman very positively. "I hope you are nimble with your feet and
+hands, sir."</p>
+
+<p>"I will take care of that part of the matter if you will put me
+alongside the steamer," answered Christy. "No more talk, if you please,
+for you are wasting your wind."</p>
+
+<p>"I have plenty of it for this job. You said five dollars, I believe,
+sir," added the man, looking earnestly at his passenger.</p>
+
+<p>"Five dollars is just what I said," replied the lieutenant, as he
+took a bill of that denomination from his porte-monnaie, rolled it
+around the boat-hook, and fixed it so that it should not blow away.</p>
+
+<p>"Thank you, sir," said the rower, as he pulled with more vigor even
+than before, and did not say another word till the boat was alongside
+the Vernon.</p>
+
+<p>Christy found a rope hanging over the side, to
+<span class = "pagenum">36</span>
+which the boatman attached his valise, the young officer going up the
+line hand over hand as though he was used to that sort of thing. The
+oarsman secured his five-dollar bill, and Christy hauled up his valise.
+He felt that he had saved himself from the dishonor of failing to obey
+his orders, and he looked about him for some one who would be able to
+explain to him how the steamer happened to be sailing two hours before
+the time named in his orders. Three or four sailors were at work in the
+waist, where the lieutenant came on board; and Christy was not a little
+astonished to observe that Walsh, the absconding man-servant, was one of
+them.</p>
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">37</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapIII">CHAPTER III</a></h4>
+
+<h6>CHRISTY PASSFORD IS UTTERLY CONFOUNDED</h6>
+
+
+<p>The appearance of Walsh, fully dressed in the garb of a seaman, was
+so great a surprise to Christy Passford, that he hardly noticed any
+other person on the deck of the Vernon. He had given no particular
+attention to the man when he saw him at his father's house, though he
+regarded him as a very good-looking and intelligent person for one in
+the situation in which he found him. The absconding man-servant had
+certainly made good use of his time since he left Bonnydale, for he
+appeared to have become a full-fledged sailor in the space of ten
+hours.</p>
+
+<p>For the size of the steamer, she seemed to be manned by a very large
+crew; but the letter he had received from his father that morning
+informed him that the greater part of the crew of the Bronx had been
+transferred to other vessels upon more active service, and that a large
+number of seamen
+<span class = "pagenum">38</span>
+were to be sent immediately to reinforce the squadron. This was not
+pleasant intelligence, for he had become acquainted with all on board of
+the Bronx, and he would have preferred to begin his permanent service as
+commander with the former ship's company of the little steamer. However,
+the exigencies of the service required the change, and he could not
+complain.</p>
+
+<p>It was probable that the greater part of his new crew would be made
+up from the men now on board of the Vernon; and this belief caused him
+to regard these men with more interest than he might otherwise have
+done. He had no fault to find after the glance he had bestowed upon
+them, for they presented a very trim appearance in their new uniform,
+and looked a great deal more tidy than they would after they had been on
+duty a few weeks.</p>
+
+<p>Lieutenant Passford was on board of the Vernon, and he had no further
+solicitude in regard to a literal obedience to his orders. The commander
+of the steamer, whoever he was, did not appear to have noticed the new
+arrival, and no one gave any attention to Christy. He walked forward to
+take a better view of the crew, and the seamen touched
+<span class = "pagenum">39</span>
+their caps to the shoulder straps of a lieutenant with which he had been
+careful to ornament his coat.</p>
+
+<p>The men at work in the waist finished their task as Christy was
+returning from his promenade, with the intention of presenting himself
+to the commander. Among those who saluted him in proper form was Walsh.
+He seemed to be a little diffident about encountering the son of his
+late employer, and turned his face away as he touched his cap. But the
+officer had fully identified him, and spoke to him, calling him by name.
+The sailor made no reply; but Christy had placed himself directly before
+him, and he could not escape without a breach of discipline.</p>
+
+<p>"I spoke to you, Walsh," said the lieutenant, in the tone he had
+learned to use when he intended to enforce respect and obedience.</p>
+
+<p>"I beg your pardon, sir; my name is not Walsh," replied the sailor,
+with all the deference the occasion required.</p>
+
+<p>"Your name is not Walsh!" exclaimed Christy with a frown.</p>
+
+<p>"No, sir; that is not my name, and I supposed that you spoke to some
+other man," pleaded the late man-servant of the mansion at
+Bonnydale.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">40</span>
+The lieutenant gazed earnestly into the face of the sailor, for he was
+willing to admit to himself the possibility of a mistake. Walsh, or
+whatever his name might have been, was a man of robust form, not more
+than an inch or two short of six feet in height. He was clean-shaved,
+with the exception of his upper lip, whereon he sported a rather long
+dark brown mustache, of which a Broadway dandy might have been vain. As
+a servant, he had been rather obsequious, though Christy had observed
+that he used very good language for one in his menial position. As the
+officer examined his form and features, and especially regarded the
+expression in general, he was satisfied that he could not be
+mistaken.</p>
+
+<p>"I did not speak to another man; I spoke to you," added Christy, as
+he intensified the gaze with which he confronted the man, resorting to
+the tactics of a sharp lawyer in the cross-examination of an obdurate
+witness.</p>
+
+<p>"I ask your pardon, sir, but you called me Welch, or some such name,"
+replied the late servant, as Christy was sure he was in spite of his
+denial.</p>
+
+<p>"I called you Walsh; and that is the name to
+<span class = "pagenum">41</span>
+which you responded at two o'clock this morning," persisted the
+lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p>"That is not my name, sir; and I refer you to the ship's papers to
+prove it. I am not the man to be ashamed of my name, which is not Welch
+or Walsh, sir, if you will excuse me for saying&nbsp;so."</p>
+
+<p>"Will you deny that you were employed as a servant at the house of
+Captain Passford, at Bonnydale on the Hudson?" demanded Christy, with
+not a little energy in his tones and manner.</p>
+
+<p>"Where, sir, if you please?" asked the sailor, with a sort of
+bewildered look.</p>
+
+<p>"At Bonnydale!"</p>
+
+<p>"Boddyvale? I never heard of the place before in my life, sir,"
+answered the runaway servant.</p>
+
+<p>Possibly the man under examination was not wholly responsible for his
+distortion of the name of Captain Passford's estate, as Christy was
+beginning to reap the penalty of his imprudence the night before, in
+exposing himself barefooted and half-clothed to the chill midnight air,
+and was developing a cold in the head that already affected his
+enunciation.</p>
+
+<p>"Bonnydale!" repeated the officer, after using his handkerchief, and
+thus improving his utterance of the word.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">42</span>
+"I never heard of the place before, sir," persisted the seaman.</p>
+
+<p>"Byron!" called a boatswain's mate from the forecastle.</p>
+
+<p>"That's my name&mdash;Byron, sir, at your service," said the man, as
+he touched his cap to the lieutenant, and rushed forward in answer to
+the call of his superior, evidently glad to escape from the inquisition
+to which he had been subjected. "On deck!" he added, as he made his way
+to the forecastle.</p>
+
+<p>Christy was a passenger on board of the Vernon, and he had nothing to
+do. The commanding officer appeared to be engaged in the details of his
+duty, though the steamer was in charge of a pilot. He could see from his
+shoulder straps that he was an ensign, and the officers in the waist and
+on the forecastle were of the same rank. If there were any other
+passengers on board of the vessel who were commissioned officers, they
+were not visible on the deck, though they might be in their staterooms,
+arranging their affairs for the voyage.</p>
+
+<p>The young lieutenant leaned against the rail, and gave himself up to
+the consideration of what
+<span class = "pagenum">43</span>
+had occurred since he came on board. He had been bewildered by one
+mystery the night before, and he could not help asking himself if the
+conduct of Walsh had anything to do with the visit of the intruder at
+Bonnydale. He could not trace out any connection between the two events;
+but, on the other hand, he was unable to satisfy himself that the
+mysterious visit, the sudden disappearance of the man-servant, and the
+denial of his identity by the latter, were not in some manner related to
+each other.</p>
+
+<p>He had no premises on which to base an argument for or against one
+thing or another. All was dark to him, and he could not get hold of
+anything. After he had raised up a variety of suppositions, and combated
+vigorously with them, the darkness seemed only to become more dense, and
+he was compelled to abandon the subject without arriving at any
+reasonable explanation. Under the instruction of his father, he had
+cultivated "a judicial mind," which compelled him to reject all mere
+speculation.</p>
+
+<p>Christy was not disposed to believe that he was a brilliant officer,
+or to accept unchallenged the extravagant praise that had been bestowed
+upon
+<span class = "pagenum">44</span>
+him. He endeavored to follow the Gospel injunction "not to think of
+himself more highly than he ought to think." But while he tried to keep
+the flower of modesty in full bloom in his soul, he could not deny that
+he had given the enemies of his country a great deal of trouble, and
+subjected them to some heavy losses. Then he recalled the conspiracy on
+board of the Bronx while he was acting-commander of her; and though it
+was for the interest of the Confederacy to get rid of so active an
+officer, he believed it was the vessel and not himself that the
+conspirators desired to obtain.</p>
+
+<p>Before the Vernon reached The Narrows, everything on her deck had
+been put in order by the large crew, and less activity prevailed on
+board. Christy thought it was time for him to report to the commander,
+and he moved aft for this purpose. He did not even know the name of this
+gentleman, and he saw no one to introduce him formally; but the ensign
+in command had doubtless received an order to take him as a passenger to
+the Gulf.</p>
+
+<p>Before he reached the sacred limits of the quarter-deck, Christy met
+a quartermaster, of whom he inquired the name of the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"He has a good name for the captain of a fighting
+<span class = "pagenum">45</span>
+ship," replied the petty officer, respectfully touching his cap to the
+shoulder straps of the inquirer. "The commander is Captain
+Battleton."</p>
+
+<p>"Captain Battleton," repeated Christy, to assure himself that he had
+correctly understood the name.</p>
+
+<p>"Captain Battleton," added the quartermaster. "I hope you are feeling
+better to-day, sir."</p>
+
+<p>"I am feeling very well to-day, except that I have started a cold in
+the head," replied Christy, astonished at this display of interest in
+the state of his health.</p>
+
+<p>"I am glad to hear it, sir, for you appeared to be quite sick last
+night when you came on board," added the quartermaster.</p>
+
+<p>"Did I, indeed? I was not aware of it. I came on board last night? I
+was not aware of that fact," said Christy.</p>
+
+<p>The petty officer did not hear his remarks, for he had been called by
+the second lieutenant in the waist, and, with a touch of his cap,
+hastened away. The lieutenant opened his eyes very wide, as he looked
+down at the seams in the deck, and wondered whether he were asleep or
+awake. He had been quite sick, and he had come on board the
+<span class = "pagenum">46</span>
+night before! It was very strange that he was not at all aware of either
+of these facts. He felt reasonably confident that he had slept in his
+own chamber at Bonnydale the night before, and at that time he was
+certainly in a very robust state of health, however it might be at the
+present moment. Even now, he could not complain of anything more severe
+than an embryo cold in the head, which the medicine his mother had given
+him would probably reduce to a state of subjection in a day or two.</p>
+
+<p>At first, he was disposed to be amused at the answers the
+quartermaster had given him, for it was evident to him then that he had
+been mistaken for another person. It looked as though some officer had
+come on board, and reported under his name, for he had not yet learned
+anything in regard to the gentleman who had appeared to be quite sick
+when he reported himself. It had the elements of another mystery in it.
+But the petty officer could easily have made an honest mistake; and this
+was the solution he accepted, without bothering his bewildered brain any
+further about&nbsp;it.</p>
+
+<p>The commander appeared to be less occupied at this moment than he had
+been before, and Christy
+<span class = "pagenum">47</span>
+stepped forward to the quarter-deck, and politely saluted him. Captain
+Battleton was not less punctilious in his etiquette. He was a young man,
+though he was apparently six or seven years older than Christy. He was
+an ensign, and looked like a gentleman who was likely to give a good
+account of himself when he was called to more active duty than that of
+commanding a store ship.</p>
+
+<p>"Good-morning, Lieutenant Passford!" said Captain Battleton, as he
+extended his hand to his passenger. "I am glad to see that you are
+better."</p>
+
+<p>Christy was utterly confounded at this salutation.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">48</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapIV">CHAPTER IV</a></h4>
+
+<h6>THE SICK OFFICER IN THE STATEROOM</h6>
+
+
+<p>Captain Battleton spoke to Christy as though he had met him before,
+and needed no introduction. He was glad to see that the young officer
+was better, which indicated that he had been sick. He was confounded by
+the situation, for he had not been sick an hour, and he had never seen
+the commander of the Vernon in his life. The petty officer had told him
+that he appeared to be quite sick when he came on board the night
+before.</p>
+
+<p>What he had learned within the last few moments was even more
+perplexing than the mysterious visitation at Bonnydale. Then the
+appearance of Walsh on board, and his denial of his identity, were still
+in his mind, and he wondered whether or not all these strange
+circumstances had any connection. But he was standing in the presence of
+the commander of
+<span class = "pagenum">49</span>
+the steamer, and he had no time to reach a conclusion of any kind,
+satisfactory or otherwise.</p>
+
+<p>Christy took the offered hand of Captain Battleton, and looked
+earnestly into his face to determine whether he had ever seen him
+before; but the face was entirely new to him. He was quite confident
+that he had never seen the commander before. There was something rather
+ludicrous in the situation, and he felt as though he was taking part in
+a farce; at any rate, there was nothing serious or compromising in it,
+and in spite of the confusion in his mind, he could not help
+smiling.</p>
+
+<p>"I thank you, Captain Battleton, for your very kind interest in the
+state of my health, but with the exception of the first signs of a cold
+in the head, I never was better in my life," said Christy in reply to
+the salutation of the commander, still holding his hand.</p>
+
+<p>"Then you have improved wonderfully since last evening," added
+Captain Battleton.</p>
+
+<p>"I am glad to be informed of the fact, for I am not conscious of any
+such improvement as you describe. In fact, I am not in quite so good
+condition in a sanitary point of view as I was
+<span class = "pagenum">50</span>
+last evening, for I took my cold about midnight, or a little later, last
+night," added Christy, his smile becoming a little more pronounced.</p>
+
+<p>It was now the turn of Captain Battleton to be puzzled, if not
+mystified, by the statement of his passenger, and he looked inquiringly
+into his face as if to ascertain if he was not the victim of a practical
+joke. But naval officers on duty are not given to pleasantries; and if
+he had any such suspicion, he banished it at once, for there was nothing
+in the appearance of the lieutenant to warrant&nbsp;it.</p>
+
+<p>"Pardon me, Mr. Passford, but were you not sick when you came on
+board of the Vernon last evening?" asked the commander, with something
+like a frown upon his brow as the situation became more bewildering.</p>
+
+<p>"If you will excuse me for making an indirect reply, captain, I did
+not come on board of the Vernon last evening," answered Christy, his
+smile becoming still more decided; and if he had not been on the
+quarter-deck of a vessel in service, he might have suspected that he was
+himself the victim of a practical joke.</p>
+
+<p>"You did not come on board of the Vernon
+<span class = "pagenum">51</span>
+last evening!" exclaimed Captain Battleton, gazing very earnestly into
+the face of his passenger.</p>
+
+<p>"I did not, captain," replied Christy quietly, though he was amused
+rather than disquieted by the earnestness of the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"You did not?"</p>
+
+<p>"Certainly not; and if my simple affirmation is not enough, I could
+prove that I slept in my father's house at Bonnydale last night, took my
+breakfast there this morning, and was in the city of New York at ten
+o'clock this forenoon," answered Christy, in the best of humor.</p>
+
+<p>"This is very strange," said Captain Battleton, fixing his gaze upon
+the planks on which he stood, possibly considering whether he or his
+passenger was dreaming or out of his head.</p>
+
+<p>"If I were still at Brooklyn doubtless I could find the boatman who
+put me on board of the Vernon not more than an hour ago," continued
+Christy, willing to convince his auditor that he was entirely in earnest
+in his statement.</p>
+
+<p>"I beg your pardon, Mr. Passford, but I did not intend to question
+the truth of your reply to my question," said the commander, fearing
+that he had overstated his doubts. "I am
+<span class = "pagenum">52</span>
+simply bewildered, confused, confounded by this interview."</p>
+
+<p>"So am I, captain," added the lieutenant, laughing outright at the
+perplexity in which both of them were involved. "I have told you the
+simple truth in regard to my movements."</p>
+
+<p>"And you did not come on board of the Vernon last evening?"</p>
+
+<p>"Emphatically I did not."</p>
+
+<p>"You were not sick last evening?"</p>
+
+<p>"I was not; not even as sick as I am at this moment," replied
+Christy, using his handkerchief.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't understand it," said Captain Battleton, shaking his
+head.</p>
+
+<p>"Now, captain, will you permit me ask what you do not understand, for
+I assure you I am profoundly ignorant of the situation which perplexes
+you. I was ordered to be on board of the Vernon at one o'clock, and I
+found her under way at eleven. I happened to find a boatman before I
+left the ferry-boat, who put me on board, or I should have missed my
+passage. That is simply all I know about the matter."</p>
+
+<p>"When I called upon you in your stateroom this morning, you told me
+that"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">53</span>
+"I beg your pardon, Captain Battleton, but I have not been in any
+stateroom, sick or well, on board of the Vernon, and I respectfully
+suggest that it was quite impossible for you to have called upon me this
+morning, or at any other time," Christy interposed, very pleasantly,
+though quite as perplexed as the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"Of course I shall not raise an issue as to your veracity, Mr.
+Passford, but after the statement you have made to me, I must change the
+form of my phraseology," continued the commander, using a smile to cover
+any possible doubts or suspicions in his mind. "When I called at the
+stateroom of the officer who reported on board last evening as
+Lieutenant Christopher Passford, he told me that I was expected to get
+under way and proceed to my destination as soon as the officer and the
+seamen were on board."</p>
+
+<p>"Did he bring you an order to this effect?" asked Christy more
+seriously.</p>
+
+<p>"He did not, and perhaps I have made a mistake, though my superior
+officer told me at the yard that it would be safe for me to obey the
+verbal order," replied Captain Battleton, looking somewhat troubled.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">54</span>
+"I have no intention to meddle with what does not concern me, captain.
+It appears that Lieutenant Passford has already reported to you," said
+Christy; and this was the astounding fact to him of the situation.</p>
+
+<p>He was absolutely confident that he was himself Lieutenant
+Christopher Passford, and as absolutely confident that the other officer
+could not be that person, whoever else he might be. The commander
+appeared to be considering what Christy had suggested to him in regard
+to his orders, and the passenger had a minute or two to think of the
+situation in which he found himself placed. But what was the use to
+think of it? He was at the end of a blind alley, where there was no
+light from any direction except that by which he had entered it. He had
+no premises from which to reason, and it was useless to consider the
+matter.</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Passford, I find myself placed in a very unpleasant position,"
+said the commander, after he had deliberated a few minutes. "I have
+stated the facts to you; and the deduction I have to draw from them is,
+that I have two persons by the name of Lieutenant Passford on
+board."</p>
+
+<p>"That seems to me to be a correct deduction," added Christy.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">55</span>
+"The brilliant officer who bears this name is too well known to hide his
+light under a bushel. I have not the honor to be personally acquainted
+with him, and therefore I am unable to decide which of the gentlemen who
+report to me under that name is the real one."</p>
+
+<p>"Precisely so."</p>
+
+<p>"You will pardon me if I add that I think one or the other of them
+must be an impostor," added Captain Battleton with some diffidence.</p>
+
+<p>"That is a perfectly justifiable conclusion; and it rests with you to
+decide which is the genuine Lieutenant Passford, and which is the
+impostor," replied Christy frankly. "You will be perfectly justified in
+calling upon both for all the evidence they are able to present. I
+suggest that each of them must carry his commission about him, as well
+as his orders from the department; and it seems to me that these
+documents will enable you to decide without any delay;" and Christy
+involuntarily put his hand upon his breast pocket, where he carried
+these valuable papers.</p>
+
+<p>He could feel the envelope that contained them, and he was satisfied
+of the triumph which awaited him when the evidence should be required of
+the
+<span class = "pagenum">56</span>
+two claimants of the name. At the same time he felt that he was moving
+in a cloud of mystery, which had begun to enfold him in the middle of
+the preceding night.</p>
+
+<p>"I thank you for the suggestion, Mr. Passford, and I must say that
+you seem to be entirely fair," said the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"If I am the impostor, I do not know myself; but I have no desire to
+forestall your decision. You saw the sick officer when he came on board
+last evening, and you have visited him in his stateroom to-day. Do I
+look enough like him to be taken for him?" asked Christy with a smile,
+as he placed himself in an attitude to be scrutinized by the
+commander.</p>
+
+<p>"I am sure that you do, sir; and when I saw you on the quarter-deck
+for the first time, I had no doubt you were the officer who came on
+board sick last evening," replied Captain Battleton.</p>
+
+<p>"That makes it all the more remarkable, for I was not aware that
+there was any officer in the navy who resembled me so closely," added
+Christy more bewildered than before, and beginning to scent a plot of
+some kind against him or his country.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">57</span>
+"I must say that any man who will take upon himself the position and
+reputation of the real Lieutenant Passford is a bold man, and even, if
+he succeeds in taking his place, he will fail in playing the
+<i>r&ocirc;le</i>."</p>
+
+<p>"I should thank you, Captain Battleton, for the compliment, if I were
+not under suspicion of being some other person. May I ask when it will
+be convenient for you to settle the question, for it is not pleasant for
+me to feel that I am looked upon as even a possible impostor?"</p>
+
+<p>"I shall not regard you as an impostor, Mr. Passford, for I mean to
+be entirely impartial, and I shall not brand you even in thought until
+the evidence warrants me in doing so," replied the commander, as he
+called the surgeon who was just coming on deck. "How do you find your
+patient, Dr. Connelly?"</p>
+
+<p>"I find him&mdash;I thought I found him; but he appears to be on
+deck," replied the surgeon, as he fixed his gaze upon Christy, preluded
+by a start, dramatic enough to prove that he was astonished to find his
+patient was not in his room below. "I left him not five minutes ago, for
+I have not yet been able to discover what ails him. He
+<span class = "pagenum">58</span>
+complained of a severe headache and pains in his bones; but he has not a
+particle of fever, or any symptom of anything that I can discover. I am
+glad to see you on deck, Mr. Passford. How is your headache?"</p>
+
+<p>"If I have had any headache, I have entirely recovered from it,"
+replied Christy, laughing heartily. "I came on board only an hour ago,
+doctor, and I have had no headache, thank you."</p>
+
+<p>"Looking at you more closely, I see that you are not my patient, and
+you will excuse me for giving you a headache. But you resemble my
+patient very closely," added the doctor.</p>
+
+<p>"I did not answer your question, Mr. Passford," interposed Captain
+Battleton. "In an hour we will settle the question."</p>
+
+<p>Christy seated himself and began to consider the strange
+situation.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">59</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapV">CHAPTER V</a></h4>
+
+<h6>LIEUTENANT PASSFORD AND HIS APPARENT DOUBLE</h6>
+
+
+<p>The Vernon continued on her course, and in another hour the pilot had
+been discharged. Christy had puzzled his brains over the events of the
+day and the night before without being able to arrive at any
+satisfactory conclusion. He was extremely anxious to see the officer who
+had taken his name and assumed his character, as he was to obtain all
+the information within his reach. His reflections assured him that some
+one had chosen the <i>r&ocirc;le</i> of an impostor for the purpose of
+accomplishing some treasonable object, and he was anxious to fathom the
+mystery for his country's sake rather than his own.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Battleton would soon begin his investigation, and Christy was
+confident that the sick officer would be proved to be the impostor. He
+was not at all worried or even disturbed in regard
+<span class = "pagenum">60</span>
+to the result, for he felt that "truth is mighty and must prevail." His
+only solicitude was to unravel the plot. Bands of Confederates had been
+put on board of several steamers for the purpose of capturing them; and
+it was possible that this plan had been adopted to obtain possession of
+the Vernon, for she was a good vessel, and was fitted out as a
+man-of-war.</p>
+
+<p>It was plain enough to Christy that the remarkable attempt of one or
+the other of the officers on board as passengers to personate the other
+had been explained to those on the quarter-deck, for he observed that
+they all regarded him with curiosity, and were interested in the matter.
+As the surgeon passed near him he spoke to him.</p>
+
+<p>"Does your patient below seem to be improving, doctor?" he asked.</p>
+
+<p>"He still complains that his head and his bones ache, so that I
+cannot say he is improving," replied Dr. Connelly.</p>
+
+<p>"How old a man does he appear to be?"</p>
+
+<p>"I should take him for a young man of twenty or twenty-one, but he
+says he is only eighteen. He is a very young officer to be put in charge
+of a steamer, for I understand that he is ordered
+<span class = "pagenum">61</span>
+to the command of the Bronx. But then he has made a reputation as the
+commander of that vessel, which doubtless justifies his
+appointment."</p>
+
+<p>"Does he talk at all?"</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, yes; he has told me about some of his exploits; and as he seems
+to forget his aches when he speaks of them, I have encouraged him to
+talk as much as possible."</p>
+
+<p>"Is he really sick, doctor?" asked Christy, with a smile which meant
+something.</p>
+
+<p>"He says he is, and I have to take his word for it," replied the
+surgeon, with a corresponding smile.</p>
+
+<p>"I heard you tell the captain that you could not make out the nature
+of his malady."</p>
+
+<p>"I cannot so far, though that does not prove that he is not sick; but
+I will venture to say he could not get his discharge from the navy on
+his present symptoms. He may have drunk too much wine or whiskey
+recently, though he certainly was not in liquor when he came on
+board."</p>
+
+<p>"How is your patient, Dr. Connelly?" asked Captain Battleton, joining
+them at this moment.</p>
+
+<p>"About the same the last time I saw him. He
+<span class = "pagenum">62</span>
+ate all the toast I sent to him, and seemed to enjoy it. I don't think
+he is in a dangerous condition," replied the surgeon.</p>
+
+<p>"I am glad to hear it. Have you informed him that we have another
+lieutenant on board of the Vernon?" continued the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"No, captain: I have not. That is not my affair, and I don't meddle
+with what does not concern&nbsp;me."</p>
+
+<p>"An excellent rule. Is he aware of the fact that there is another
+Richmond in the field?"</p>
+
+<p>"If he is, he has said nothing to me about the matter."</p>
+
+<p>"Do you think he could go out into the cabin, doctor?" asked the
+captain. "I wish to see him on a matter of the utmost importance. Is he
+dressed?"</p>
+
+<p>"He is; he dressed himself this morning, and sits up part of the
+time."</p>
+
+<p>"Then you will oblige me by getting him into the cabin; I mean my
+cabin. I will be there in ten minutes."</p>
+
+<p>The surgeon went below, leaving the commander and Christy
+together.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">63</span>
+"Can you make anything of this affair yet, Mr. Passford?" asked Captain
+Battleton.</p>
+
+<p>"I can come to no conclusion in regard to it, though I may be able to
+do so when I have seen my double," replied Christy, whose curiosity in
+regard to the sick officer was strongly excited. "It looks like a
+conspiracy of some kind, but I can go no farther in the direction of a
+solution."</p>
+
+<p>The commander looked at his watch after they had conversed a little
+while longer, and then invited Christy to visit his cabin with him. The
+other Lieutenant Passford was seated in an arm-chair at the table.
+Christy looked at him with the deepest interest, but the back of the
+other was turned to him, and he did not get a full view of his face. The
+sick man was dressed in the naval uniform with the shoulder straps of a
+lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p>"I wish to introduce a gentleman to you; Lieutenant Passford, let me
+make you acquainted with Lieutenant Passford," said the commander as he
+led the way into the captain's cabin.</p>
+
+<p>"Thank you, Captain Battleton; I shall be very happy to make the
+acquaintance of Lieutenant Passford," said the occupant of the cabin,
+<span class = "pagenum">64</span>
+rising as he spoke, and approaching Christy. "Corny Passford!" exclaimed
+the sick officer. "I did not expect to see you here. This gentleman is
+my own cousin, Captain Battleton, though I am sorry to say that he is a
+rebel; but for all that he is one of the finest fellows in the known
+world, and you will appreciate everything about him except his politics,
+which I do not admire myself."</p>
+
+<p>Christy was not stunned or overwhelmed by this impudent speech. He
+looked at the speaker, and promptly recognized his cousin Corny. He was
+astonished at the brazen assurance of the other, for he had always
+seemed to him to be a fairly modest young man. Corny extended his hand
+to Christy, and it was accepted.</p>
+
+<p>"I am very glad to see you, Corny," said he of the South, "and not
+the less glad because the meeting is so unexpected."</p>
+
+<p>"It is certainly very unexpected on my part, Corny," replied Christy,
+who began to comprehend the object of his cousin; but there was
+something so ludicrous in the situation that he was more disposed to
+laugh than to look upon it seriously.</p>
+
+<p>"I am very glad to see you, Corny," continued
+<span class = "pagenum">65</span>
+he who bore that name in reality. "I did not expect to find you on board
+of the Vernon. How are uncle Homer, aunt Lydia, and Gerty?"</p>
+
+<p>"I have not seen <i>my</i> uncle Homer for several months; but I had
+not the remotest idea that you had an uncle Homer," replied Christy,
+laughing heartily, for the situation seemed so amusing to him that the
+serious part of his cousin's obvious plan had so far hardly dawned upon
+him. "I should like to inquire of you, as one good turn deserves
+another, in regard to the health of your father and mother and
+Gerty."</p>
+
+<p>"My father is quite well, but he left Bonnydale last Tuesday to go to
+Washington, and had not returned when I left home. My mother is quite
+well, and so is Florry," replied the sick officer, who did not appear to
+be suffering from a very severe headache just then, for he was quite
+cheerful and animated.</p>
+
+<p>"This appears to be a family party," interposed Captain Battleton,
+who was very much amused to hear each of the young officers call the
+other by the same name, and both of them appeared to be Corny
+Passford.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">66</span>
+"It is a family party, captain," replied the sick officer, smiling as
+cheerfully as though he had never had any practical knowledge of
+headache and pains in the bones, which was the description of his malady
+given to the surgeon. "As I have hinted before, my cousin Corny is a
+rebel of the first order; and you can imagine my astonishment at finding
+him in the uniform of a lieutenant on board a United States naval
+vessel."</p>
+
+<p>"Good, Corny!" exclaimed Christy, dropping upon the divan of the
+cabin and laughing heartily.</p>
+
+<p>"I can easily imagine your astonishment, Mr. Passford, for it seems
+to me to be a very remarkable state of things," added the captain, as he
+looked from one to the other of the claimants. "One thing seems to be
+admitted by both of you, that you are both Passfords, and that you are
+cousins."</p>
+
+<p>"So far we do not disagree by the breadth of a hair. My cousin Corny
+was <i>raised</i> in the South, while I was raised in the North,"
+continued the sick passenger.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't like to contradict my cousin, but I was <i>brought up</i> in
+the North," said Christy, hoping Captain Battleton would notice the
+difference in the phraseology.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">67</span>
+"Then you were both brought up in the North," suggested the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"Not at all, for, as I said, my cousin Corny was brought up in the
+South, at Glenfield, near Mobile," protested the ailing officer, who was
+careful this time not to use the word "raised."</p>
+
+<p>"Where were you yesterday, Corny?" asked Christy, suddenly
+suppressing his mirth.</p>
+
+<p>"I was in New York, preparing to come on board of the Vernon."</p>
+
+<p>"Then you were not at Bonnydale?" demanded Christy sharply.</p>
+
+<p>"Of course I was there; but it was a pretty day, and I went to the
+city to attend to some affairs of mine," replied the sick man, with the
+first signs of embarrassment he had exhibited.</p>
+
+<p>"In spite of the fact that it was a pretty day, I should think you
+would have spent your last day on shore with your mother and sister as I
+did," replied Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"I was sick, and I wished to be as near the Vernon as possible. I
+felt better in the afternoon and attended to my affairs; but I got bad
+again in the afternoon, and I came on board in the evening, for I was
+afraid I should not be able to
+<span class = "pagenum">68</span>
+do so in the morning," answered the invalid, becoming as lively as
+before.</p>
+
+<p>"Gentlemen, this seems to be a strange muddle," said the captain, who
+was not disposed to listen any longer to the sparring between the
+cousins. "At the suggestion of the lieutenant who came on board this
+forenoon, I have taken the earliest opportunity to settle the question
+as to which is the original and genuine Mr. Passford who was ordered on
+board of the Vernon as a passenger for the Gulf, and who, I am informed,
+is appointed to the command of the Bronx. I have not much time to spare,
+and if you do not object, I shall call in the first lieutenant and the
+surgeon to take part in this conference. I am perplexed, and I desire
+witnesses if not assistants in these proceedings."</p>
+
+<p>"I have not the slightest objection to the presence of as many
+officers as you may choose to call in," added the invalid.</p>
+
+<p>"I shall be equally reasonable," said Christy. "The more witnesses
+there are the better it will suit&nbsp;me."</p>
+
+<p>Captain Battleton struck a bell on his table, and sent the steward
+who answered it to procure the
+<span class = "pagenum">69</span>
+attendance of the officers indicated, and they soon presented
+themselves.</p>
+
+<p>"Gentlemen, Lieutenant Salisbury, the executive officer of the
+Vernon," said the captain. "Both of these gentlemen are Lieutenant
+Christopher Passford," he added, with a twinkle of the eye. "Dr.
+Connelly, you have both met."</p>
+
+<p>"Are we to understand that one of these officers is the double of the
+other?" asked the first lieutenant, who seemed to be disposed to take in
+the situation as a pleasantry of the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"Hardly; both of them claim to be the same officer, and I have
+invited you to assist me in deciding which is the real Mr.
+Passford."</p>
+
+<p>The entire party then seated themselves at the table.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">70</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapVI">CHAPTER VI</a></h4>
+
+<h6>THE CONFERENCE IN THE CAPTAIN'S CABIN</h6>
+
+
+<p>Captain Horatio Passford lived at Bonnydale on the Hudson. He was
+rich in several millions of dollars, but he was richer in the possession
+of a noble character, one of the most prominent traits of which was his
+patriotism. He had presented his large and fast-sailing steam yacht to
+the government of the nation at the beginning of the struggle. His motto
+was, "Stand by the Union," and from the first he had done everything in
+his power to sustain his country against the assaults of
+dissolution.</p>
+
+<p class = "illustration">
+<img src = "images/pic70.png" width = "536" height = "349"
+alt = "illustration of quoted scene"><br>
+<span class = "caption"><span class = "smallcaps">The Conference in the
+Captain's Cabin.</span>&mdash;Page 70.</span>
+</p>
+
+<p>He had a wife, a daughter, and a son, and his family were as
+patriotic as he was himself. At sixteen Christy, the son, had gone into
+the navy. He had learned to be a sailor and an engineer in his repeated
+cruises in the Bellevite, his father's large steam yacht, now a
+man-of-war in the navy. In two years the young man had worked his way up
+<span class = "pagenum">71</span>
+to the rank of lieutenant. He was very large for his age, and his
+nautical and mechanical education had prepared him for service to a
+degree which made him almost a prodigy, though his courage and skill had
+been fully equalled, if not surpassed, by other naval officers not older
+than himself.</p>
+
+<p>Homer Passford, the only brother of his father, had early in life
+settled in Alabama, and become a planter, where he had made a
+respectable fortune, though he was a poor man compared with the northern
+brother. He had a wife, a son, and a daughter. At the beginning of the
+war of the Rebellion he had promptly espoused the cause of the South,
+and from his point of view, he was fully as patriotic as his brother on
+the other side. He was ready to give himself, his son, and his fortune
+to the independence of the South. His character was quite as noble as
+that of his brother, and he had done all he could in person and with his
+wealth to insure the success of the Southern cause.</p>
+
+<p>His son Cornelius followed the lead of his father, and was faithful
+to the teachings given him in his southern home. He had enlisted as a
+soldier; but when it was found that he could be more serviceable
+<span class = "pagenum">72</span>
+to the Confederacy in certain irregular <ins class = "correction" title
+= "spelling as in original">enterprizes</ins>, he was detached for this
+service. He had been engaged in an attempt to capture the Bellevite in
+connection with older and more skilful persons. The plan had failed,
+Corny had been severely wounded, and while on parole had lived at
+Bonnydale. From there he had been sent to a military prison, and had
+been exchanged. From that time, Christy knew nothing about him until he
+met him on board of the Vernon.</p>
+
+<p>Corny was two years older than Christy; but the latter looked even
+more mature than the former. The resemblance between them had hardly
+been noticed by the two families, though Christy had spent several
+months at different times at the plantation of his uncle. But the
+resemblance was noted and often spoken of by persons outside of the
+families, the members of which, being in the habit of seeing them often
+together, did not notice the similarity of features and expression. Both
+of them resembled their fathers, who were often mistaken the one for the
+other in their early years.</p>
+
+<p>After he found that the sick officer was his cousin Corny Passford,
+Christy began to apprehend
+<span class = "pagenum">73</span>
+the object of his southern relative in presenting himself as the bearer
+of his name and rank in the navy, though he had no time to consider the
+subject. Corny had given him no opportunity to look the matter over, for
+he had talked most of the time as opportunity was presented.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Battleton seated himself in the armchair which Corny had
+abandoned, and placed a quire of paper before him as though he intended
+to take notes of the proceedings. Christy was not at all disturbed by
+the formal aspect the affair was assuming, for he felt entirely
+confident that poor Corny would be a prisoner of war at its conclusion.
+He had his commission and his orders in his pocket, and he was positive
+that they would vindicate him.</p>
+
+<p>"I reported to the department that I had only a single vacant
+stateroom in the ward room of the Vernon, and I was ordered to receive
+Lieutenant Christopher Passford as a passenger, as I could not take
+another officer," said the captain. "It is not a serious question
+compared with others at issue, but the occupation of the single room,
+now in possession of the gentleman who came on board last evening,
+depends upon the result of our present inquiry."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">74</span>
+"I should say there would be no difficulty in settling this question,"
+said Mr. Salisbury.</p>
+
+<p>"These gentlemen are cousins, and both of them bear the name of
+Passford," added the captain, as he raised his finger, pointing to
+Corny. "Will you give us your name in full, if you please?"</p>
+
+<p>"Christopher Passford," replied the invalid officer, with the most
+unblushing effrontery.</p>
+
+<p>"Your father's name?"</p>
+
+<p>"Horatio Passford."</p>
+
+<p>"Where does he live?"</p>
+
+<p>"At Bonnydale, on the Hudson," replied Corny confidently.</p>
+
+<p>"Excuse me, Captain Battleton; may I ask a question?" interposed the
+first lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p>"Certainly, Mr. Salisbury. This is not a court-martial, but an
+informal investigation, and I shall be glad to have you and Dr. Connelly
+entirely free to ask any questions you please," replied the captain, who
+was anything but a martinet.</p>
+
+<p>"Where did you say your father lived, Mr. Passford?" asked the
+executive officer.</p>
+
+<p>"At Bonnydale, on the Hudson," answered Corny, as we may call him now
+that the reader knows who he&nbsp;is.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">75</span>
+"Is Bonnydale the name of the town or city in which your father
+lives?"</p>
+
+<p>"It is the name of my father's place," replied Corny; and Christy,
+who was observing him very closely, saw that he was a little
+disturbed.</p>
+
+<p>"Bonnydale sounds like a fancy name, such as any gentleman might give
+to his estate, as Sunnyside was the home of Washington Irving. Is this
+the fact?" asked Mr. Salisbury.</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose it is," answered Corny, with increasing confusion.</p>
+
+<p>"Don't you know?"</p>
+
+<p>"We always called it Bonnydale; and I know no other name
+for&nbsp;it."</p>
+
+<p>"But Bonnydale is not an incorporated town. In what city or town is
+your father's place situated?"</p>
+
+<p>"I know no name but Bonnydale," replied Corny; and the flush of fever
+or something else was on his cheeks now.</p>
+
+<p>"Nothing more, captain," said the first lieutenant; and the stock of
+the other claimant mounted a little.</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Passford," continued the captain, indicating Christy with his
+finger, "your father's name, if you please."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">76</span>
+"Horatio Passford," replied Christy with a smile.</p>
+
+<p>"Where does he live?"</p>
+
+<p>"At Bonnydale, on the Hudson."</p>
+
+<p>"Permit me, Captain Battleton," interposed Mr. Salisbury; and the
+commander nodded his acquiescence. "Is Bonnydale the name of the town or
+city in which your father lives, Mr. Passford?"</p>
+
+<p>"It is the name of my father's place," answered Christy, using the
+same words that Corny had.</p>
+
+<p>"Bonnydale sounds like a fancy name, such as any gentleman might give
+to his estate," continued Mr. Salisbury, smiling, as he repeated the
+phrases he had used before. "Is this the fact?"</p>
+
+<p>"It is; the name was given to the estate by my mother," replied
+Christy, unable to follow Corny any farther.</p>
+
+<p>"In what town or city is your father's estate situated?"</p>
+
+<p>"It is within the limits of the town of Montgomery."</p>
+
+<p>"Nothing further, captain," said the executive officer; and the stock
+of this particular Lieutenant Passford mounted another trifle.</p>
+
+<p>"Your cousin, who, according to your statement,
+<span class = "pagenum">77</span>
+was raised in the South, seems to be better informed in regard to the
+geography of Bonnydale than you do," added Captain Battleton.</p>
+
+<p>"He is always inquiring into things that I don't care a straw about,"
+replied Corny, vexed that he had been tripped up in a matter so
+simple.</p>
+
+<p>The commander was disposed to carry the investigation a little
+farther in the same direction, and he sent Christy into the ward room,
+where he was instructed to remain until he was sent for. Captain
+Passford, senior, was well known to all the officers present by
+reputation, and he had assisted Dr. Connelly in procuring his
+appointment, so that the latter had had occasion to visit Bonnydale
+three times.</p>
+
+<p>The captain asked Corny a hundred questions in regard to the estate,
+making memoranda of his answers. Once he suggested to the surgeon that
+he had better examine the pulse of his patient, for he did not wish to
+overtask him in the investigation. The subject of the inquiry declared
+that his headache had almost disappeared, and he needed no indulgence on
+account of his health.</p>
+
+<p>After half an hour of questioning, Corny was sent to the ward room,
+and Christy was called to
+<span class = "pagenum">78</span>
+the captain's cabin. About the same questions were put to him as to his
+cousin; but both of them were prompt in their answers. In the last two
+years, Corny had been more at Bonnydale than Christy, and he was quite
+as much at home there, so that there was no reason why he should not be
+able to describe the mansion and its surroundings as accurately as the
+genuine Lieutenant Passford.</p>
+
+<p>So far, Corny, with the single exception of his failure to give the
+geography of the estate, stood quite as well as his cousin. Then the
+first lieutenant questioned them both, as they were seated at the table,
+in a very general way. In their answers, Corny used the word "raised,"
+while Christy was "brought up." Several phrases in more common use at
+the South than at the North were noted in his answers, which did not
+appear in the diction of Christy.</p>
+
+<p>When the questioning was finished, the leaning of the trio of
+officers was in favor of Christy; but not one of them said anything in
+the presence of the two Passfords. The captain declared that he had
+already used up too much time in the inquiry, and he must close the
+conference very soon.
+<span class = "pagenum">79</span>
+Then he asked if either of the gentlemen had any papers they wished to
+present in support of his identity.</p>
+
+<p>"I have my commission as a lieutenant, and my orders to take passage
+in the Vernon, and to take command of the Bronx on my arrival at the
+station of the Eastern Gulf squadron," said Corny, as he pulled a huge
+envelope from his breast pocket; and Christy could not but notice the
+perfect confidence with which he spoke.</p>
+
+<p>"I have precisely the same papers," added Christy, with as much
+assurance as his cousin.</p>
+
+<p>"I had nearly forgotten the most important evidence that can be
+presented in this matter," said the captain with a smile. "I dare say
+that each of the gentlemen will produce his commission, his orders, and
+his appointment to the command of the Bronx; and I don't know how we can
+decide between the papers. It looks as though the Bronx was likely to
+have two commanders."</p>
+
+<p>"Here are my papers, captain," added Corny, as he passed his envelope
+across the table to the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"This is not an official envelope," said the captain,
+<span class = "pagenum">80</span>
+as he took the package, and then fixed his gaze on the owner of the
+documents.</p>
+
+<p>"No, sir; it is not. I had the misfortune to leave it on the table at
+Bonnydale, and Walsh, the man-servant, supposing it to be of no value,
+threw it into the fire," replied Corny promptly.</p>
+
+<p>The commission and other papers were all right in every respect.
+Christy handed his envelope to the commander, and he broke it open. It
+contained nothing but a lot of blank paper.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">81</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapVII">CHAPTER VII</a></h4>
+
+<h6>THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE DECISION</h6>
+
+
+<p>When Captain Battleton took from the envelope the blank papers, no
+one seemed to be inquisitive as to the result, for, as the commander had
+suggested, they all expected to find the commission and other papers
+regularly and properly made out and signed. Several sheets were unfolded
+and spread out upon the table, and Christy was hardly more surprised
+than the others at the table.</p>
+
+<p>"Your papers do not seem to be altogether regular, Mr. Passford,"
+said the captain, as he held up one of them so that all could
+see&nbsp;it.</p>
+
+<p>"I see they are not," answered Christy blankly.</p>
+
+<p>"But they are enclosed in an official envelope," added the captain,
+as he held up the cover of the papers. "In this respect they have the
+advantage of those presented by the other gentleman.
+<span class = "pagenum">82</span>
+You appear to be as much surprised as any of the rest of us, Mr.
+Passford. Can you explain the fact that you present nothing but blank
+papers instead of your commission and orders?"</p>
+
+<p>"At present I cannot; after I have had an opportunity for reflection
+I may be able to do so," replied Christy, from whom a more decided
+demonstration than he made was expected.</p>
+
+<p>"It is evident from what we have heard, and from the documents
+submitted to me that one of these gentlemen is Lieutenant Christopher
+Passford," said Captain Battleton; "but we have no means of identifying
+the officer. In what vessels have you served, Mr. Passford?"</p>
+
+<p>"My first service was in the Bellevite, and my last in the Bronx, of
+which I was acting commander on her voyage from New York to the Gulf,"
+answered Christy, to whom the question was addressed.</p>
+
+<p>"Is there any officer on board with whom you have served?"</p>
+
+<p>"So far as I have seen, there is not."</p>
+
+<p>"Any seaman?"</p>
+
+<p>"I have not noticed any seaman whose face was familiar to me."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">83</span>
+"If I am correctly informed, you came home as prize master of the Vixen,
+convoying quite a fleet of steamers and schooners," continued Captain
+Battleton, looking about the cabin as though the inquiry had become
+wearisome to him.</p>
+
+<p>"I did; you were correctly informed," answered Corny, as the
+wandering gaze of the commander rested upon him.</p>
+
+<p>"Both of you were in command of the Vixen, I suppose," added the
+captain with a smile.</p>
+
+<p>"I was, captain; but I cannot speak for my cousin Corny," replied the
+possessor of the commission.</p>
+
+<p>"I can say with entire confidence that I was in command of the
+Vixen," added Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"A considerable number of officers and seamen must have come with you
+in the Vixen and the other vessels," said the captain, raising his
+finger to indicate that the question was addressed to Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, sir; the Vixen was fully armed and manned to protect the fleet
+of prize vessels she convoyed."</p>
+
+<p>"Do you remember the names of the officers who served with you in the
+Vixen?" asked the captain.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">84</span>
+"I could not very well forget them in so short a time," replied Corny,
+upon whom the gaze of the commander had again rested as he looked about
+him.</p>
+
+<p>"Very well; perhaps you had better answer the question;" and the
+captain pointed at Corny. "Who was your first lieutenant?"</p>
+
+<p>"Ensign Gordon Fillbrook," replied Corny promptly.</p>
+
+<p>This was a correct answer, and Christy saw that his cousin had fully
+armed himself for his daring scheme, whatever it was.</p>
+
+<p>"Your second lieutenant?"</p>
+
+<p>"Ensign Frederick Jones," answered Corny, with some hesitation.</p>
+
+<p>"Now will you inform me, Mr. Passford, who your officers were?" The
+commander pointed at Christy. "Your executive officer?"</p>
+
+<p>"My cousin gave his name and rank correctly."</p>
+
+<p>"And the second lieutenant?"</p>
+
+<p>"Ensign Philip Bangs."</p>
+
+<p>"Here you differ. Did you make a report of your voyage home,
+Lieutenant Passford?" continued the captain, pointing at Corny.</p>
+
+<p>"I did, sir; for we captured a privateer on the voyage," answered
+Corny.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">85</span>
+"Did you keep a copy of that report?"</p>
+
+<p>"I did, captain; I keep copies of all my reports. I have them in my
+valise," answered he of the South in a matter-of-fact manner.</p>
+
+<p>Christy laughed in spite of the importance of the investigation at
+the coolness and self-possession of his cousin; but he could not
+understand how Corny would be able to produce a copy of his report,
+which was in his valise with several such papers.</p>
+
+<p>"I must trouble you to produce it, Lieutenant Passford," added the
+commander.</p>
+
+<p>"Perhaps I ought to say in the beginning that it is not in my own
+handwriting, for after I had written it, Mr. Jones copied it for me,"
+Corny explained, and, perhaps, thought he might be called upon to give a
+specimen of his chirography.</p>
+
+<p>"That is immaterial," added Captain Battleton, as Corny left the
+cabin to procure the document. "Have you a copy of your report,
+Lieutenant Passford?" He pointed to Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"I have, captain; and it is in my own handwriting," replied the
+officer addressed.</p>
+
+<p>"Produce it, if you please."</p>
+
+<p>He had placed his valise in the gangway, and
+<span class = "pagenum">86</span>
+he had not far to go to procure the report, his first draft of the
+document, which he had revised and copied at Bonnydale.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't think we are getting ahead at all, Mr. Salisbury," said the
+captain, while the cousins were looking for their reports.</p>
+
+<p>"I confess that I am as much in the dark as I was in the beginning,"
+replied the executive officer.</p>
+
+<p>"I can make nothing of it," added the surgeon. "It looks to me as
+though the commission alone would have to settle this matter."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't see how I can go behind the official documents," replied the
+commander as Corny presented himself at the door.</p>
+
+<p>A minute later Christy appeared with his report in his hand, and both
+of them were presented to the captain. The handwriting was as different
+as possible in the two papers. Corny's was in a large, coarse hand, but
+it was a fair copy, while Christy's contained several corrections and
+inter-lineations. No one could recognize the writing of either of the
+claimants, and the documents proved nothing at all. The captain was
+evidently weary of the investigation, and nothing but the commission
+<span class = "pagenum">87</span>
+seemed to throw any reliable light upon the claim of either one or the
+other.</p>
+
+<p>"Any further questions, Mr. Salisbury?" asked the captain, bestowing
+a bored look upon the executive officer.</p>
+
+<p>"Nothing more, Captain Battleton."</p>
+
+<p>"Dr. Connelly?"</p>
+
+<p>"Nothing, captain."</p>
+
+<p>"Now, gentlemen, I will thank you to retire to the ward room, and I
+will send for you to hear my decision," continued the commander, and the
+cousins retired together, and both of them appeared to be as
+good-natured as though they were in perfect accord on the question in
+dispute.</p>
+
+<p>"What is your opinion, Mr. Salisbury?" asked the captain, when the
+claimants had retired, careful not to indicate his own conclusion.</p>
+
+<p>"While I acknowledge that I am somewhat prepossessed in favor of the
+Lieutenant Passford who came on board this morning, I do not think he
+has established his claim to be the true Lieutenant Christopher
+Passford. The other uses some peculiarly Southern phrases, as though he
+had been 'raised' in the South, and he is not perfect in the geography
+of Bonnydale. I think
+<span class = "pagenum">88</span>
+the commission is the only evidence upon which you can properly rely,"
+replied the first lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p>"Your views, if you please, Dr. Connelly."</p>
+
+<p>"One of these officers is evidently a Confederate, and the other a
+loyal citizen. The commission, as Mr. Salisbury suggests, outweighs all
+the rest of the evidence. One or the other of the two men is an
+impostor, and without the commission, I should decide that my patient
+was the false Lieutenant Passford," answered the surgeon.</p>
+
+<p>"We appear to agree, gentlemen, for you have expressed my own views
+as well as I could state them myself," added the captain. "But when I
+decide that the holder of the commission, which I am satisfied is a
+genuine document, is the loyal officer, and entitled to be received as
+the future commander of the Bronx, I must declare that the other is a
+Confederate; and not only that, but also that he is acting as a spy;
+that he is on board of the Vernon with mischievous intentions. It will
+be my duty to regard him as a prisoner of war, at least. What do you
+think of it, Mr. Salisbury?"</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">89</span>
+"I do not see how you can escape that conclusion," replied the first
+lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p>"I am a sort of peace officer," added Dr. Connelly, when the captain
+glanced at him, "and I will express no opinion as to the status of the
+officer, though it appears to be as you describe&nbsp;it."</p>
+
+<p>"This is an informal conference, doctor, and I hope you will express
+your views freely," said the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"There is something in the situation which I cannot explain. I will
+only say that it is just possible there is a conspiracy at the bottom of
+the whole affair; and I should think it would be well to keep a close
+watch upon both of these officers. Why, on the voyage of the Bronx to
+the Gulf, Ensign Passford, as he was then, discovered two Confederate
+officers in his crew, and squarely defeated their efforts to capture his
+ship in the action with the Scotian, I believe it was."</p>
+
+<p>"I have heard of it; and in quite a number of instances, Confederates
+have been put on board of steamers for the purpose of taking them from
+their officers," added the captain. "At the same time, I do not see that
+I can decide this question
+<span class = "pagenum">90</span>
+on any other evidence than that of the commission and other official
+documents."</p>
+
+<p>Both of the other officers assented to this view, and the captain
+sent for the two claimants. Neither of them had spoken a word to the
+other during their stay in the ward room. Christy looked upon his cousin
+as a Confederate who was serving what he called his country, and he had
+not the slightest disposition to quarrel with him, and especially not to
+lead him to utter any unnecessary falsehoods. Possibly Corny was
+somewhat diffident about playing his assumed character before his cousin
+when they were alone, for they had always been the best of friends.</p>
+
+<p>"Gentlemen, I have come to a decision in this matter," said the
+captain, when the two claimants had placed themselves before him in a
+standing position. "I cannot go behind the commission presented by the
+officer who came on board last evening, and I consider it my duty to
+regard him as the real Lieutenant Passford, recently promoted to his
+present rank. There is nothing more to be said."</p>
+
+<p>"Of course I expected that would be your decision," replied Corny, as
+he took the papers
+<span class = "pagenum">91</span>
+which the captain returned to him, including his commission and
+report.</p>
+
+<p>"You may retire now, if you please, Mr. Passford," added the
+commander.</p>
+
+<p>Corny bowed politely to the officers at the table, and left the
+cabin. He did not even glance at Christy, and his face did not look like
+that of one who had just won a decided victory. Christy remained
+standing where he had placed himself; and he began to wonder what
+disposition would be made of him under present circumstances.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">92</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapVIII">CHAPTER VIII</a></h4>
+
+<h6>THE PRISONER OF WAR</h6>
+
+
+<p>After rendering his decision it was evident that Captain Battleton
+had something to say to Christy, for he waited in silence till Corny had
+closed the door behind him before he even looked at the officer standing
+before him. The lieutenant from the moment the envelopes were opened and
+their contents exposed to the view of all present, had fully expected
+the result just announced. Whatever he thought, suspected, or surmised
+when he saw the blank papers taken from his official envelope, he kept
+to himself.</p>
+
+<p>"You have heard the decision I have just given, Mr. Passford, for I
+have no doubt that is your real name," said the captain, when the cabin
+door was closed.</p>
+
+<p>"I have, captain," replied Christy, bowing respectfully.</p>
+
+<p>"Have you anything to say in regard to it?"</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">93</span>
+"Nothing at all," replied Christy, bowing again, and bearing himself
+with the dignity of a veteran officer; and in the matter of demeanor,
+the Confederate Captain Carboneer had presented to him one of the best
+models he had seen, both in action and as a prisoner.</p>
+
+<p>"You do not wish to make any explanation of the remarkable situation
+in which you find yourself placed at the present moment?"</p>
+
+<p>"At present, I do not, captain."</p>
+
+<p>"You certainly could not have been aware that your official envelope
+contained only blank paper. I cannot believe that one more simple-minded
+than I believe you to be would have had the effrontery to present such
+matter as evidence that he was an officer of the United States Navy,"
+continued Captain Battleton, with a look of greater severity than he had
+before assumed, possibly because he realized that the real Lieutenant
+Passford was higher in rank than he was himself.</p>
+
+<p>"I supposed the official envelope contained my commission and
+orders."</p>
+
+<p>"You believe that your papers were taken from you, and the blanks
+substituted for them?"</p>
+
+<p>"I cannot explain the matter at present, and
+<span class = "pagenum">94</span>
+you must excuse me from offering merely vague suspicions and
+conjectures."</p>
+
+<p>"Do you realize your present situation, Mr. Passford?" asked the
+captain, apparently disappointed at the unwillingness of the young man
+to attempt an explanation.</p>
+
+<p>"I think I do, captain, and I submit to your authority as the
+commander of the ship," answered Christy, with a dignified bow.</p>
+
+<p>"As I said before, I have no doubt you are a Passford; and I have
+been compelled to decide that you are not the son of Captain Horatio
+Passford, the distinguished gentleman who has done so much for his
+country in the present war."</p>
+
+<p>"With the evidence before you, I do not see how you could have
+decided otherwise."</p>
+
+<p>"Whether the decision be just or not, I am obliged to regard you as
+son of the Homer Passford who supports the government of the
+Confederacy. You and the other Mr. Passford have recognized each other
+as cousins."</p>
+
+<p>"We are cousins."</p>
+
+<p>"Then it follows that one of the two must be a Confederate who is on
+board of a United States
+<span class = "pagenum">95</span>
+ship for some purpose not yet explained, but fairly supposed to be
+hostile."</p>
+
+<p>"I admit the correctness of your conclusion."</p>
+
+<p>"I have already recognized the Union officer, and therefore you must
+be the Confederate."</p>
+
+<p>"Without reflecting upon your decision, I must deny that I am a
+Confederate, and proclaim that my motto is 'Stand by the Union!'"</p>
+
+<p>"In spite of your denial and your motto, I shall have to regard you
+as a prisoner of war, and treat you as such," said the captain, rising
+from his chair, the others following his example.</p>
+
+<p>"I submit to your authority, Captain Battleton," replied Christy,
+bowing to the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"But I do not wish to subject you to any unnecessary restraint, and I
+shall be willing to accept your parole that you will engage in no
+hostile movement on board of the Vernon," continued the captain, in
+milder tones.</p>
+
+<p>"I cannot accept a parole, captain, for that would be equivalent to
+an admission that I am a Confederate; and I claim to be a loyal
+officer."</p>
+
+<p>"If you are, I am sorry that you are unable to prove your claim. I
+have only one officer on board as a passenger, for the reason that I had
+only
+<span class = "pagenum">96</span>
+one spare stateroom. There is no place for you in the ward room, and it
+does not appear that you are an officer."</p>
+
+<p>"I shall find no fault with my accommodations, whatever they are,"
+replied Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"I must object to your wearing the shoulder straps of a lieutenant on
+board of the Vernon," added Captain Battleton.</p>
+
+<p>"I have a plain frock in my valise which I wore when the Teaser was
+captured," added Christy with a smile. "I will remove my coat and wear
+that."</p>
+
+<p>"Now I will see where I can find a place for you to berth," said the
+captain as he left the cabin.</p>
+
+<p>"I am sorry you did not explain the blank paper in your envelope, Mr.
+Passford," said the surgeon, as they were leaving the cabin.</p>
+
+<p>"I cannot explain it&mdash;how can I?" replied Christy. "Whoever took
+out my papers and put the blanks in their place, did not make me his
+confidant in the operation."</p>
+
+<p>"But can you not recall some event or circumstance which will throw
+some light on the mystery?" persisted Dr. Connelly.</p>
+
+<p>"I can; but I have not had time to consider any
+<span class = "pagenum">97</span>
+events or circumstances, and it would not be treating Captain Battleton
+with proper respect to submit a string of crude conjectures to him."</p>
+
+<p>At this moment the captain appeared in the gangway, and interrupted
+the conversation. He informed the prisoner of war, as he chose to regard
+him, that he had directed the carpenter to put up a temporary berth for
+him. Christy opened his valise, and took from it his frock, which he put
+on after he had disposed of his coat. Then he looked like a common
+sailor. He was informed that his berth was just forward of the steerage,
+in that part of the steamer where the men slung their hammocks. The
+third lieutenant was directed to show him to the place indicated.</p>
+
+<p>The carpenter and his assistants were still at work on the berth, and
+Christy, placing his valise near it, seated himself by it. For the first
+time since he came on board of the Vernon he had an opportunity to
+reflect upon the events of the day. Corny Passford was the present
+master of the situation. 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,
+<span class = "pagenum">98</span>
+Corny had undertaken to personate his nautical relative, and was now
+actually on his way to the Gulf to take command of the Bronx.</p>
+
+<p>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.</p>
+
+<p>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.
+<span class = "pagenum">99</span>
+Where had he obtained the commission, and where the original report?
+These were not hard questions, now that the preliminaries of the plot
+had been fully developed.</p>
+
+<p>Walsh, the man-servant at Bonnydale, was now a seaman on board of the
+Vernon, under the real or assumed name of Byron. He denied his identity,
+as he would naturally do under the circumstances; but Christy had not a
+doubt that he was the man who had suddenly disappeared after the
+mysterious visitation of the night before. Doubtless, Corny had been the
+visitor at the mansion, and had procured the contents of the official
+envelope on this occasion.</p>
+
+<p>He appeared to have been unwilling to trust Byron, as the seaman
+preferred to be called, and had attended to the business in person with
+the assistance of his confederate. The report was lying on the table in
+his chamber, and Byron could have borrowed it for any length of time to
+enable Corny to make a copy. Whoever had visited his chamber in the
+night, whether Corny or the man-servant, he must have taken the official
+envelope to the library, or some other part of the house, for it had
+been carefully opened, and restored to its
+<span class = "pagenum">100</span>
+former condition after the genuine documents in it had been replaced by
+the blank paper.</p>
+
+<p>It was now all as clear to Christy as though he had observed the
+proceedings of the conspirators, and taken notes of all they had done.
+The purpose of all these operations was quite as obvious as the details
+of the scheme. Either the Vernon or the Bronx was to be captured,
+perhaps both, for of course Christy could not determine in what manner
+the mischief was to be accomplished. Prisoner of war as he was, he never
+felt burdened with a greater responsibility than when he realized the
+actual situation.</p>
+
+<p>This responsibility was not of a personal nature. He did not have the
+feeling that he had been vanquished in the contest before the captain,
+and the fact that he was a prisoner hardly disturbed him. It was the
+prospective injury to the cause of his country which occasioned his
+solicitude. His object was to save the Vernon, the Bronx, or both, from
+being handed over to the enemy without a struggle to save them, one or
+both.</p>
+
+<p>He had no fault to find with the captain for his decision against
+him, which seemed to be natural and warrantable. He had no ill-feeling
+against
+<span class = "pagenum">101</span>
+his cousin, for he was trying to serve the cause he had espoused. He was
+even willing to believe that he would have done the same thing himself
+under like circumstances.</p>
+
+<p>After he had considered the subject for a couple of hours he went
+back to one of his first points, relating to the fitness and capacity of
+Corny to accomplish the task he had undertaken. It was evident enough on
+the face of it that his cousin, even if he had been a veteran naval
+officer, could not carry out the plan alone. He must have confederates,
+in the double sense, on board of the Vernon. In the early stages of the
+war, men who had served in the navy as officers were coming home from
+all parts of the world to take part on one side or the other in the
+struggle. Those even who were disloyal could obtain commissions in the
+loyal navy if their consciences would let them take the oath of
+allegiance with a mental reservation. Christy had encountered several of
+this kind.</p>
+
+<p>Many of the seamen were foreigners who cared little on which side
+they served, and one or more of the four officers in the ward room might
+be at work for the Confederacy. Christy thought he
+<span class = "pagenum">102</span>
+was in an excellent position to investigate the matter, and he decided
+that this should be his first duty. Among the crew there must be some
+who were to take part in the plot of Corny, whatever it was.</p>
+
+<p>Before the close of the conference the Atlantic had begun to be quite
+"sloppy," and the Vernon was now laboring in an ugly cross sea, which
+caused her to roll heavily.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">103</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapIX">CHAPTER IX</a></h4>
+
+<h6>A MORAL PHILOSOPHER.</h6>
+
+
+<p>The temporary berth was finished, the bedding put into it, and
+Christy took possession of it. For the present he had done all the
+thinking he cared to do, and he felt that his present duty was in
+action. He was a prisoner of war, and as such he was in disgrace in a
+loyal ship's company; at least, he felt that he was so under present
+circumstances. He was not disgusted at his failure to establish his
+identity, nor disheartened at the prospect before him. More than ever
+before in the two years of his experience as a naval officer, he
+realized that it was his duty to "Stand by the Union."</p>
+
+<p>The watch below were all around him. Some of them were mending their
+clothes, others were reading newspapers they had brought with them, but
+the greater part of them were in squads engaged in talking about the
+events of the war.
+<span class = "pagenum">104</span>
+The nearest group to Christy were conversing about the two lieutenants
+who claimed to be the real officer ordered to the command of the Bronx.
+It seemed rather strange to the listener that they should know anything
+about the events which had happened in the secrecy of the captain's
+cabin, and this circumstance led him to believe that at least one of the
+officers of the ship must be a confederate of Corny.</p>
+
+<p>There was nothing necessarily secret in the proceedings in the cabin,
+and the stewards might have heard what was said in the ward room after
+the decision had been rendered, reporting it to members of the crew, who
+had circulated it as the latest news. At any rate, the group near
+Christy were talking about the two officers who claimed to be Lieutenant
+Passford. They spoke in low tones, and Christy could hardly hear what
+they said. His berth was ready for him, and he concluded to lie down in
+it. He took no notice of the speakers, and soon pretended to be
+asleep.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you know who is in that berth, Warton?" asked one of the four
+men, speaking in a low tone, but loud enough to enable Christy to hear
+him.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know; do you, Rockton?" replied the
+<span class = "pagenum">105</span>
+one addressed; and it was evident to the listener that the men were at
+least persons of average education with but little of the common sailor
+in&nbsp;it.</p>
+
+<p>"I do; one of the officers told me all about it not half an hour
+ago," answered Rockton. "The fellow who is asleep there is the other
+Passford."</p>
+
+<p>"Is that so? Then we mustn't talk here," added Warton, apparently
+somewhat alarmed. "Who told you&nbsp;so?"</p>
+
+<p>"I said one of the officers; and you know as well as I do which
+one."</p>
+
+<p>The speakers said no more, but leaving the locality near the berth,
+they moved forward in a body. Christy was sorry he was not to hear any
+more of the conversation; but he felt that he had made some progress in
+his work. He had obtained the names of two of the men, and ascertained
+that one of the officers in the ward room was a Confederate. With this
+information he could the more readily obtain more. Christy did not wish
+to sleep, and he felt that he could not afford to spend his time in that
+way. He sat up in the berth, and wrote the two names he had heard in his
+pocket-diary, in order to make sure that he did not forget
+<span class = "pagenum">106</span>
+them. While he was thus engaged Dr. Connelly came into the quarters of
+the crew.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, Mr. Passford, are you all right?" asked the surgeon, as soon
+as he discovered Christy in the dim light of the place.</p>
+
+<p>"All right in every respect," replied the young officer
+cheerfully.</p>
+
+<p>"You are not sea-sick?" inquired the doctor, laughing.</p>
+
+<p>"Sea-sick! No, sir; I believe I never was sea-sick in my life."</p>
+
+<p>"You are more fortunate than your cousin, for he is having quite a
+hard time of it," added the doctor, who seemed to be very much amused
+that the future commander of the Bronx, who had been to sea so much,
+should be afflicted in this manner.</p>
+
+<p>"He was always sea-sick when he first went out, and it appears that
+he has not yet got over the habit. He was so badly off on one occasion
+that my father thought of taking him on shore, and sending him back to
+Mobile by land."</p>
+
+<p>"Do you refer to the lieutenant appointed to the command of the Bronx
+on our arrival in the Gulf?" asked Dr. Connelly, laughing.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">107</span>
+"I do not; I am that person myself," replied Christy very decidedly. "By
+the way, I wonder that the commander did not subject the two claimants
+to an examination in navigation and seamanship. It might have thrown
+some light on the subject."</p>
+
+<p>"Probably Captain Battleton did not think of that, taking it for
+granted that you were both sailors; but the other Mr. Passford is not in
+condition to undergo such an examination at present."</p>
+
+<p>"I do not ask for it, though of course I am anxious to have the truth
+come out, for just now I am in disgrace as an impostor, to say nothing
+of being regarded as an enemy of the Union," replied Christy. "He who
+occupies a stateroom in the steamer is my own cousin, and the
+pleasantest relations have always subsisted between our families. I have
+nothing against him personally, and I would do him a kindness as readily
+as ever before in my life."</p>
+
+<p>"But he has placed you in a very awkward position, Mr. Passford."</p>
+
+<p>"I am willing to believe that he is doing his duty to his country,
+and his grand mistake is in
+<span class = "pagenum">108</span>
+believing that the fraction of it in rebellion is his country."</p>
+
+<p>"If you are the genuine Lieutenant Passford, in spite of the
+captain's decision, your cousin has told lies enough to-day to swamp a
+reprobate, to to say nothing of a Christian," added the surgeon, seating
+himself at the side of the berth.</p>
+
+<p>"I do not regard his statements as lies in any proper sense of the
+word, Dr. Connelly," replied Christy with considerable spirit. "I have
+had occasion to deceive the enemy on several occasions; and nearly two
+years ago I looked up the morality of lying on the field of battle and
+its surroundings. I think my father is as good a Christian man as draws
+the breath of life, and I found that I simply held to his opinions."</p>
+
+<p>"Your father is good authority," added the surgeon.</p>
+
+<p>"I studied history a little in relation to this subject, for I wanted
+to know whether any lies I might tell in serving my country were to be
+registered against me. I know that I would not tell a lie in the
+ordinary relations of life; but I am sure that I should have been a
+traitor to the Union if I had told the enemy the simple truth on several
+<span class = "pagenum">109</span>
+occasions. I captured a schooner loaded with cotton by pretending to be
+what I was not. If it is justifiable to kill a man in war, it must be
+justifiable to tell a lie to the enemy."</p>
+
+<p>"I think you are right, Mr. Passford. You spoke of history."</p>
+
+<p>"George Washington is regarded as one who could not tell a lie from
+the time the little hatchet story had birth to the end of the
+Revolution. We read that he strongly impressed Clinton with the belief
+that he intended to attack New York; and the school history says that
+this deception was so successfully practised, that Washington was some
+distance on his way to Virginia before Clinton suspected where he was
+leading his army.</p>
+
+<p>"Bancroft says that Clinton was deceived by letters which were
+written to be intercepted. The books say that Washington used every art
+in his power to deceive Clinton. He wrote letters containing the
+barefaced lie that he intended to attack New York when he intended to
+attack Cornwallis. It was not a mere white lie, for he intended to
+deceive. We don't regard Washington as a liar, and he was not a liar in
+any proper sense of the word. All the high-toned generals
+<span class = "pagenum">110</span>
+on both sides in the present war do not hesitate to deceive the enemy,
+for it is a part of their duty to do so. In my judgment, a lie that is
+acted is the same as a spoken lie."</p>
+
+<p>"You are a moral philosopher, Mr. Passford," said the surgeon,
+laughing at the earnestness of the speaker.</p>
+
+<p>"Hardly, doctor; I looked up the subject for my own benefit. I simply
+mean to say that I do not consider my cousin a liar," replied Christy,
+who was an earnest debater when he became warm in his subject.</p>
+
+<p>Dr. Connelly left him, and made his tour of inspection among the men.
+The steamer was still rolling heavily, and the prisoner found himself
+more comfortable in his berth than on the lower deck. He had not yet
+learned whether or not he was to remain confined in his present
+quarters, and when the surgeon returned from his tour, he asked him to
+inquire of the captain in regard to his limits. He was informed that he
+could go on deck for an hour in the forenoon, and an hour in the
+afternoon. It was nearly night and he did not avail himself of this
+permission.</p>
+
+<p>For the next three days it blew a gale, moderating
+<span class = "pagenum">111</span>
+at times, and then piping up again. To a sailor it was not bad weather,
+but Christy learned from the surgeon that his cousin was confined to his
+berth during all this time. The prisoner went on deck for the time
+permitted each forenoon and afternoon. He had his eyes wide open all the
+time, on the lookout for anything that would afford him further
+information in regard to the plot in the midst of which he was
+living.</p>
+
+<p>He identified Rockton and Warton, but not the other two who had
+formed the group near his berth, on his first visit to the deck. On the
+fourth day out, he saw one of these men talking cautiously to the second
+lieutenant. Following up this clew he satisfied himself that Mr.
+Galvinne was the black sheep in the officers' quarters. Corny came on
+deck that day, for the sea was comparatively smooth, and took a seat on
+the quarter-deck.</p>
+
+<p>Christy did not go near him, but he watched him very closely. He had
+not long to wait before Mr. Galvinne, who was then the officer of the
+deck, spoke to him, and they had quite a long conversation. He could not
+hear a word of it; but the fact that they were intimate enough to
+<span class = "pagenum">112</span>
+hold what appeared to be a confidential interview was enough to satisfy
+the prisoner that the second lieutenant was the principle confederate of
+his cousin. How many of the crew were "packed" for the enterprise he
+could form no idea.</p>
+
+<p>The weather continued favorable till the end of the cruise, and then
+on the eighth day the Vernon arrived near her destination off Pensacola
+Bay. Thus far no attempt had been made to capture the steamer, and the
+plot was as dark as it had been in the beginning. Christy thought that
+Corny was becoming somewhat nervous when the vessels of the squadron
+were made out in the distance.</p>
+
+<p>"There appear to be only three steamers in sight," said the captain,
+who had come into the waist to observe the fleet.</p>
+
+<p>"That is the flag-ship, I think, anchored the farthest from the
+shore," replied Mr. Galvinne, to whom the remark had been addressed.</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose that is the Bronx astern of her," added Captain Battleton.
+"It is the smallest of the three, at any rate. Mr. Salisbury, you will
+run directly for the flag-ship," he added to the executive officer on
+the quarter-deck.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">113</span>
+Christy recognized the Bronx if others did not, for none of the officers
+had been on this station before. He wondered if the present deception
+was likely to be carried out to the accomplishment of the end the
+conspirators had in view. He could see nothing to prevent its
+accomplishment.</p>
+
+<p>"I must ask you to report below, Mr. Passford," said the captain
+rather sternly; and perhaps he did not care to be charged with
+over-indulgence of his prisoner.</p>
+
+<p>He bowed submissively, and went to his berth in the men's quarters.
+The anchor had been cast loose, and the cable put in condition to run
+out. Christy had hardly reached his berth before he heard the rattle of
+the chain, and the voyage was ended.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">114</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapX">CHAPTER X</a></h4>
+
+<h6>A CHANGE OF QUARTERS IN THE CONFUSION</h6>
+
+
+<p>Christy obeyed the order of Captain Battleton when he was directed to
+report below; but he felt that he was permitting the plot of his cousin
+to be carried out without any opposition, and without any attempt to
+check its progress. But he was a prisoner, and he realized that he could
+do nothing. His case had been tried, and he had been condemned to his
+present condition. It was useless to appeal to the captain, for he had
+already passed upon all the facts that had been presented before
+him.</p>
+
+<p>Seated on the side of his berth he considered the situation very
+faithfully. The Bronx lay off St. Rosa's Island; she was on the
+blockade, evidently ready to trip her anchor, whenever occasion should
+require. In regard to her officers Christy only knew that Mr. Flint was
+in temporary command of her, in place of Mr. Blowitt,
+<span class = "pagenum">115</span>
+who had become the executive officer of the Bellevite. The other
+officers must have been appointed for temporary service.</p>
+
+<p>As Christy viewed the matter, there appeared to be no obstacle to the
+success of Corny's scheme for the capture of the Bronx, unless it was
+Mr. Flint, who might or might not discover that the new commander was an
+impostor. If his old associate saw the two cousins together, he would
+have no difficulty in determining which was his former commander; seeing
+Corny alone he might be deceived. With the flag-officer, who had seen
+Christy but once or twice, he was not likely to suspect that Corny was
+an impostor.</p>
+
+<p>The Bronx had but one officer on board who had been permanently
+appointed to her, and at least two others must be selected to serve on
+board of her. It would be an easy matter for Corny to procure the
+appointment of Mr. Galvinne, who was doubtless competent to handle the
+vessel as the impostor certainly was not.</p>
+
+<p>When he realized that the scheme of his cousin, or whoever had
+devised it, was in a fair way to accomplish its object, Christy felt
+that he must do something. Though he was a prisoner and in
+<span class = "pagenum">116</span>
+disgrace, he did not feel that he was absolved from the duty of
+attempting to save the Bronx to the Union. He had refused to accept a
+parole, or anything of that kind, and his honor as an officer did not
+require him to submit to the discipline of his situation. He was a
+prisoner; but the responsibility of retaining him as such belonged to
+the captain of the Vernon for the present.</p>
+
+<p>His reflections relieved him of all scruples in regard to any action
+he might resolve to take. He was held in confinement as a Confederate.
+When he had been taken by the enemy and locked up as a Union prisoner,
+he had considered his duty, independently of his desire to be free, and
+he had effected his escape with Flint. In the present instance his
+confinement was not irksome, but he felt more keenly than before that he
+ought to do something to save the little gunboat; and he could do
+nothing without first getting into a position where he could act.</p>
+
+<p>Between the decks of the Vernon, he could do nothing; he could not
+even see what was going on, though he had no doubt the captain was in
+the act of reporting to the flag-officer. Probably Corny would go off in
+the first boat to report for
+<span class = "pagenum">117</span>
+duty, and receive his orders. The seamen who were simply passengers on
+board of the steamer, were below in considerable numbers, gathering up
+their bags, and preparing for the transfer to the flag-ship, or to the
+Bronx, for there were no other vessels near to receive them.</p>
+
+<p>Christy felt very much like a caged tiger. He had hoped that the
+Bellevite would be on the station when he arrived, for there were plenty
+of officers and seamen on board of her who could identify him beyond the
+possibility of a doubt. In that case he intended to make a strong appeal
+to Captain Battleton, for he would then have the means of arriving at a
+correct conclusion. Then he could explain in what manner he had been
+robbed of his papers with some chance of having his statement
+accepted.</p>
+
+<p>The prisoner walked up and down the lower deck, doing his best to
+conceal the agitation which had taken possession of him. No one took any
+notice of him, for the seamen had become accustomed to the presence of
+the captive officer. While he was struggling to contain his emotions, he
+heard the rattle of the cable again, and saw the chain descending to the
+locker below.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">118</span>
+"What does that mean, my man?" asked Christy of one of the men near him.
+"They appear to be weighing the anchor."</p>
+
+<p>"That is what they are doing," replied the man indifferently.</p>
+
+<p>"What is that for?"</p>
+
+<p>"The flag officer has not told me yet what he is about, and I am not
+good at guessing, though I am a Yankee," replied the man chuckling, as
+though he believed he had said something funny.</p>
+
+<p>"The flag-officer has signalled for the Vernon to come alongside,"
+interposed another seaman who had heard the question.</p>
+
+<p>"Thank you, my man," replied Christy, beginning at once to consider
+how this change would affect him.</p>
+
+<p>"The Bronx is getting under way also," said the civil tar, who
+evidently had some sympathy for the prisoner. "Probably she is also
+ordered alongside. Twenty-five of us have been detailed to serve on
+board of her, and I am one of them."</p>
+
+<p>"Then I may see you again, my friend. Thank you for your information,
+and will you give me your name?" added Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"My name is Ralph Pennant; I have a sea-going
+<span class = "pagenum">119</span>
+name, and I suppose that is the reason why I went to sea," replied the
+seaman, with a good-natured laugh. "I have been the mate of a steamer,
+but I could not get any better position than that of able seaman, and I
+wanted to be in this stir-up."</p>
+
+<p>"I have no doubt you will work your way up in good time," added
+Christy, who saw that Pennant was an intelligent and reliable man,
+though it was possible from the appearance of his face that he had been
+in the habit of imbibing too much whiskey for his own good.</p>
+
+<p>In a short time the Vernon was alongside the flag-ship. Christy had
+put his uniform coat in his valise, and still wore the frock he had
+taken from it. He had removed his linen collar, and put on a woollen
+shirt and a seaman's cap, for he did not care to be taken for an officer
+among the crew. He carried his valise to the vicinity of the forehatch,
+and looked up through the opening to ascertain what he could of the
+movements on board.</p>
+
+<p>"There comes the Bronx," said a seaman standing at the head of the
+ladder.</p>
+
+<p>"Ay, ay; and she is coming alongside the Vernon," added another.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">120</span>
+The store-ship had been made fast to the flag-ship, and at this moment
+came a call for all hands to go aft. Christy could not endure the
+suspense any longer, and taking his valise in his hand he went on deck,
+just as the Bronx came alongside. Mr. Flint was on duty with a couple of
+young officers, and gave the orders to make her fast to the Vernon.
+Captain Battleton was going up the side of the flag-ship, followed by
+Corny.</p>
+
+<p>Christy put his valise in a convenient place, and then concealed
+himself in the firemen's quarters under the top-gallant forecastle. He
+found a place beneath a bunk which would effectually conceal him unless
+a very thorough search should be made for him. But he only kept this
+place as a resort in case of emergency, for he placed himself where he
+could see out at the door; and it was a good location to overlook all
+that took place on the quarter-deck where the officers were, and the
+waist where the men had been assembled.</p>
+
+<p>The second lieutenant was calling over a list of names, which Christy
+concluded was the draft of seamen for the Bronx. Possibly Captain
+Passford had used some influence in this selection,
+<span class = "pagenum">121</span>
+for all the other hands were to be put on board of the flag-ship to be
+assigned to such vessels as needed to be reinforced by the officers of
+the staff.</p>
+
+<p>As the names were called the men passed over to the starboard side,
+with their bags in their hands, for there was evidently to be no delay
+in making the transfer. But it was a full hour before Captain Battleton
+and Corny returned from the flag-ship. The prisoner on the forecastle
+thought his cousin looked very complacent, and his return indicated that
+his plot had not miscarried, and that the flag-officer had not
+challenged the identity of the future commander of the Bronx.</p>
+
+<p>Corny's first movement on board of the Vernon was to take the hand of
+Mr. Galvinne, whom he appeared to be congratulating on a promotion or
+appointment. The second lieutenant promptly handed his lists to the
+third lieutenant, Mr. Winter, who proceeded with the calling of the
+names. Corny and Mr. Galvinne immediately went below, and Christy
+concluded that the officer he had spotted as the traitor had been
+appointed to the little gunboat, either as first or second
+<span class = "pagenum">122</span>
+lieutenant, and that they were making their preparations to go on board
+of her. In a few minutes they appeared with the steward of the ward room
+carrying their baggage.</p>
+
+<p>Corny politely saluted Mr. Flint, the acting commander of the
+gunboat. Mr. Galvinne was introduced, and there was plenty of bowing and
+formal politeness. Corny presented his commission and orders for the
+inspection of the officer in command, and for the present the
+formalities were completed. Corny was evidently in command of the Bronx;
+but Christy could not determine the position of Mr. Flint, and he
+watched his movements with intense interest for some time.</p>
+
+<p>The late acting-commander did not leave the deck, as he would have
+been likely to do if he had been relieved and ordered to report on board
+of the flag-ship, though he might have been superseded as executive
+officer,&mdash;a position which he was clearly entitled to hold. A
+little later, the draft of seamen were ordered to file on board of the
+Bronx. Then the observer saw Mr. Galvinne, with a rather pompous gesture
+point to the men who were coming on board, and say something he
+<span class = "pagenum">123</span>
+could not hear to Mr. Flint. He had evidently directed him to receive
+the seamen as they came on deck. This indicated that the late second
+lieutenant of the Vernon had been appointed executive officer of the
+Bronx.</p>
+
+<p>Christy felt that the time for action had come. Taking his valise in
+his hand he joined the file of men, and cleverly inserting himself
+between a couple of them, he went on the deck of the Bronx without being
+challenged as to his right to do so. Doubtless Captain Battleton had
+reported that he had a prisoner on board, though he had not had time to
+tell the whole story of the investigation, which had probably been
+postponed to a more convenient time. Mr. Flint went forward to receive
+the seamen as they came on deck, and he ordered them to pipe below and
+leave their bags there.</p>
+
+<p>"Where is your bag?" asked Mr. Flint, as Christy, the actual
+commander of the Bronx, passed him. "What are you doing with a
+valise?"</p>
+
+<p>"I have no bag, sir," replied Christy in submissive tones.</p>
+
+<p>"Find a bag, for we shall throw that valise overboard," added Mr.
+Flint.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">124</span>
+"I don't think you will, sir, after the circumstances have been
+explained."</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly the officer started back, and began to look very sharply at
+the presumed sailor. But the file pressed behind him, and Christy was
+too glad to move with it to delay a moment longer. He went below to the
+familiar quarters of the crew, and saw many of his old seamen still on
+board, though many of them had been taken to reinforce other
+vessels.</p>
+
+<p>Christy deposited his valise in a secure place near the door leading
+into the steerage. All hands were on deck attending to the transfer of
+seamen, even to the stewards. The way was clear, and the late prisoner
+promptly decided what to do. He thought the captain's cabin was the
+proper place for him, and he went there.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">125</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapXI">CHAPTER XI</a></h4>
+
+<h6>LAYING OUT A PLAN OF OPERATIONS</h6>
+
+
+<p>Christy had deposited his valise in a place where it was not likely
+to be seen unless a search was made for it. There was no one in the ward
+room to obstruct his advance to the captain's cabin. He had served as
+acting-commander of the vessel in a voyage from New York to the Gulf,
+and been the executive officer on board for a short term, and he was
+perfectly at home in every part of her. In the conspiracy on his last
+voyage in the Bronx, Pink Mulgrum had concealed himself under the berth
+in the captain's stateroom, where Dave, the cabin steward, had
+discovered him, though he might have remained there a month if his
+hiding-place had not been suspected.</p>
+
+<p>Christy thought this would be an excellent retreat for him, not only
+because it promised him the greatest security, but because it would
+permit
+<span class = "pagenum">126</span>
+him to hear what passed between the pretended commander and others,
+especially Mr. Galvinne. He had been reasonably confident of returning
+to the gunboat when he went to the North as prize master, though not as
+her commander, and he had left his trunk on board.</p>
+
+<p>It was a humiliating posture for the actual commander of the vessel,
+but he promptly got down upon the floor of the stateroom, and crawled
+under the berth. He placed the trunk and some other articles there so as
+to form a sort of breast-work, behind which he carefully bestowed
+himself. It was not an uncomfortable position, for the floor was
+carpeted and an old satchel filled with his cast-off garments furnished
+him a pillow sufficiently soft for a person on extraordinary duty.</p>
+
+<p>The cabin was to be occupied by Corny, though his cousin had no doubt
+that Mr. Galvinne was the real leader in the adventure of capturing the
+steamer. Both of them would be obliged to keep up appearances for the
+present. Christy's first thought after he had settled himself in his new
+quarters related to the cabin steward, who had served him very
+faithfully, and whom he had
+<span class = "pagenum">127</span>
+brought off in the Teaser, the former name of the Bronx. He had no doubt
+he was still on board, and probably acting in his former capacity, for
+Mr. Flint knew that he was attached to the man for the service he had
+rendered, not only to him but to his country. He was absolutely sure
+that Dave could be trusted under any and all circumstances, and the
+first thing he did would be to make a connection with him.</p>
+
+<p>Christy became rather impatient because the Bronx did not get under
+way; but he concluded from such sounds as came to his ears that she was
+taking in shot, shells, and powder, as well as stores and supplies. At
+any rate, neither Corny nor his first lieutenant came into the cabin, so
+far as he could ascertain. But he had not been in his hiding-place an
+hour before he heard a noise in the adjoining apartment. It was not the
+commander, for the noise was an occasional rapping; it was not an
+unfamiliar sound to him, for he had often heard it before when he lay in
+his berth. Dave was a remarkably neat person, and he was always dusting
+the cabin and stateroom when he had nothing else to do. He was sure that
+the rapping was caused by the steward's feather duster.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">128</span>
+In a few minutes, when he had made the cabin tidy for the reception of
+"Massa Cap'n Passford," he transferred his labors to the stateroom. He
+worked in the berth and all its surroundings, including the desk, which
+still contained the real commander's papers, and then gave his attention
+to the trunk beneath.</p>
+
+<p>"Dave," said Christy, after he had obtained a view of the back of the
+steward's head which satisfied him that he was the right man.</p>
+
+<p>"Mullygumps!" exclaimed Dave, as he suspended his labors on the
+trunk.</p>
+
+<p>No doubt he was greatly surprised to hear his name, pronounced as
+though it came up through the deck, as he had abundant reason
+to&nbsp;be.</p>
+
+<p>"Dave," repeated Christy, in a more decided tone after he had heard
+the voice of the steward.</p>
+
+<p>"Is that you, Pink Mulgrum?" demanded Dave. "I give you the whole
+State of Alabama, but I thought we done rid of you long ago. Who's
+there?"</p>
+
+<p>"Don't you know me, Dave?" asked Christy, speaking out plainly so
+that the steward might recognize his voice.</p>
+
+<p>"Maggywogs! That sounds like Massa Christy's
+<span class = "pagenum">129</span>
+voice; but I done seen him on deck five or ten minutes ago."</p>
+
+<p>"No, you didn't, Dave; that was Corny," replied Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"Gollywops! But he was in command of the Bronx, for I done seen Mr.
+Flint hand it over to him. Go 'way! You can't fool this colored
+person."</p>
+
+<p>"I tell you the truth, Dave; but things are mixed," added
+Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"I believe you; they be mixed if you be the captain when I done seen
+him on deck just now."</p>
+
+<p>"Sit down on the floor, Dave, and I will tell you all about it,"
+continued Christy, though the difficulty of convincing the steward was
+not unexpected.</p>
+
+<p>"Let me see your face before you told me anything," persisted Dave,
+as he pulled out one end of the trunk, and dropped upon his knees where
+he could see under the berth.</p>
+
+<p>Christy crawled to the front of the berth, and thrust his head out
+into the stateroom in as natural a position as he could
+place&nbsp;it.</p>
+
+<p>"Wollywogs! You look like Massa Christy, for sure," exclaimed Dave,
+as he gave himself up
+<span class = "pagenum">130</span>
+to a study of the face presented to him. "But the captain looks like
+Massa Christy too."</p>
+
+<p>"You have never seen my cousin Corny, I believe, Dave; but he looks
+like me. Now sit down, and I will tell you all about&nbsp;it."</p>
+
+<p>"I never saw Massa Corny; but I done hear enough about him when I was
+at Bonnydale. Show me your knife and your watch, Massa Christy."</p>
+
+<p>He complied with the request, as he saw that it was a very simple
+means of identification, for the steward had some skill as a mechanic,
+and he had frequently sharpened the knife, and knew the repeater of the
+lieutenant from having seen it so often, for it was a very peculiar
+watch. Dave's last doubt vanished when these articles were produced.</p>
+
+<p>"But the other Massa Passford looks just like you," added Dave.</p>
+
+<p>"If you saw us together you would not mistake him for me," replied
+Christy, as he proceeded to explain the situation to the steward, upon
+whom he depended for very important assistance.</p>
+
+<p>He related the incidents which had occurred at Bonnydale, the loss of
+his commission and orders,
+<span class = "pagenum">131</span>
+and the decision of Captain Battleton against him, concluding with the
+statement that he was then a prisoner of war, but had made his escape
+from the place where he had been required to remain.</p>
+
+<p>"A prisoner of war!" exclaimed the steward. "The commander of the
+ship a prisoner!"</p>
+
+<p>"That is exactly the situation, Dave. Can you tell me what they are
+doing on deck?" asked Christy, who began to feel more hopeful of the
+future.</p>
+
+<p>"The Bronx is taking in provisions, stores, and ammunition. They say
+the captain has his orders, but I don't know about that."</p>
+
+<p>"Can you tell me what position Mr. Flint has on board?"</p>
+
+<p>"He's just what he was before, when you was on board; he is the
+second lieutenant, and we have a new man for first, I believe they call
+him Gallivan," replied Dave, who was intelligent enough to comprehend
+what he saw on deck.</p>
+
+<p>"His name is Galvinne, and he was second lieutenant of the Vernon;
+but he is a Confederate. I think he is to be the real commander of the
+Bronx if they succeed in getting her into Pensacola," added Christy.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">132</span>
+"Into Pensacola!" exclaimed the steward, aghast at the remark.</p>
+
+<p>"Of course my cousin Corny intends to hand the vessel over to the
+Confederate government."</p>
+
+<p>"Gollywompus! My old master will get me back then!" groaned Dave, who
+had been very happy in his new service and at Bonnydale where he had
+spent considerable of his time while Christy was waiting for the fitting
+out of the Bronx. "I think I had better get on board of the flag-ship
+right off."</p>
+
+<p>"Don't do it, Dave, for I hope to save the vessel to the Union, and
+you can render me the most important service in this matter," added
+Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"Then I stay for sure; I don't go back on you, Massa Christy,"
+protested the steward warmly.</p>
+
+<p>"Thank you, Dave."</p>
+
+<p>"There ain't no hole in this millstone for me," continued Dave,
+suddenly becoming very thoughtful. "I don't see how Massa Corny can run
+away with the steamer when she has her officers and crew on board."</p>
+
+<p>"I have just told you that the first lieutenant is a Confederate
+officer; and I have not yet learned who is the third lieutenant. Among
+the crew I
+<span class = "pagenum">133</span>
+know there are at least four men, and there may be twenty of them, who
+are to take part in this plot. The loyal men will not be likely to
+interfere with the officers unless they have a leader. The fact that the
+Bronx is headed into a Confederate port would not create a rebellion on
+board unless they were informed of the actual situation. By the time the
+Union men found out the plot, it would be too late for them to do
+anything, for the vessel would be under the guns of the forts."</p>
+
+<p>"But what are we going to do, Massa Christy?" asked the steward,
+dazzled by the situation.</p>
+
+<p>"We must recapture the vessel before she gets into port; and what I
+want most now is to see Mr. Flint. You must fix the matter in some way,
+Dave, so that I can see him. Now go on deck, and ascertain what is going
+on there. If you get a chance, speak to Mr. Flint; but be extremely
+careful."</p>
+
+<p>"You can trust Dave, Massa Christy," replied the steward, as the
+officer drew back into his hiding-place.</p>
+
+<p>Dave arranged the trunk and other articles to the best advantage for
+the concealment of the lieutenant, and then left the stateroom. Christy,
+<span class = "pagenum">134</span>
+as soon as he had become acquainted with the situation, had arranged his
+plan of action, and the new officers of the Bronx were likely to
+encounter a mutiny, either to inaugurate or end their sway. In less than
+half an hour, the steward returned to the stateroom with the information
+that he had spoken to the second lieutenant, and informed him that the
+real commander of the Bronx was concealed under the berth in the
+captain's stateroom.</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Flint has not had his breakfast yet, and he will come below for
+it very soon," added Dave. "He was just coming down for it when he got
+the signal to come alongside the flag-ship."</p>
+
+<p>"Did Mr. Flint say anything?" asked Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"Not a word, sir; only said he would be down to his breakfast in a
+few minutes."</p>
+
+<p>The lieutenant took out his memorandum book, and looked at the names
+of the men he had spotted as disloyal, Rockton and Warton, to which he
+had added two others, Nichols and Swayne, after he had observed that
+they were very intimate with the two whose names he had learned from
+their own mouths.</p>
+
+<p class = "illustration section">
+<img src = "images/pic130.png" width = "359" height = "528"
+alt = "illustration of quoted scene"><br>
+<span class = "caption"><span class = "smallcaps">Dave Identifies
+Christy.</span>&mdash;Page 130.</span>
+</p>
+
+<p>"Now, Dave, I have another commission for you to execute," continued
+Christy, as he tore out the
+<span class = "pagenum">135</span>
+leaf on which he had written the names. "Not less than twenty-five of
+the crew of the Bronx came from New York in the Vernon. One of them is
+Ralph Pennant, and he is an intelligent man, and one that can be
+trusted. You will see him. Tell him the commander is an impostor. Do you
+know what an impostor is, Dave?"</p>
+
+<p>"I reckon I do, sir; your cousin Corny is an impostor," replied the
+steward promptly.</p>
+
+<p>"You will find this man, and give him this paper. The names on it are
+those of disloyal men. Tell him to look out for them, and find out as
+far as he can who are true to the Union."</p>
+
+<p>Christy had hardly finished his instructions to the steward before he
+heard footsteps in the cabin. Dave looked into the apartment and
+discovered Mr. Flint, who went into the stateroom at once.</p>
+
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">136</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapXII">CHAPTER XII</a></h4>
+
+<h6>A LESSON IN ORDINARY POLITENESS</h6>
+
+
+<p>Though the second lieutenant of the Bronx had not been to breakfast,
+it was not his stomach that made the first demand upon him. He directed
+the steward to remain in the gangway and apprise him of the coming of
+any person in the direction of the cabin and ward room. Dave took his
+station on the steps. Mr. Flint entered the stateroom, and the first
+thing he did was to drop down on his knees and thrust his right hand
+into the space under the berth. It was instantly grasped by Christy, and
+given a warm pressure.</p>
+
+<p>"Is it really you, Captain Passford?" asked the second
+lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p>"No doubt of it," replied Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"I thought you were somewhat changed in your looks when I saw you
+come on board of the Bronx, and then I felt that the greeting you gave
+me was rather stiff for an old comrade who had
+<span class = "pagenum">137</span>
+passed some time with you in a Confederate prison," added Mr. Flint.</p>
+
+<p>"We have no time to talk sentiment now. It is necessary for you to
+understand the situation better than you do," interposed Christy; and he
+proceeded to explain in what manner his cousin Corny happened to be in
+command of the Bronx, while he was himself nominally a prisoner of
+war.</p>
+
+<p>"Your absence from the between decks of the Vernon has been
+discovered, and Captain Battleton has caused the strictest search to be
+made for you on board of all three of the ships. The last I saw of him
+he was evidently talking with the flag-officer about you, as I judged
+from his looks and gestures," replied the second lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p>"He has not found me yet; and I think that the stateroom of the
+commander of the Bronx is the last place he will think of looking for
+me. But I have no time to talk of merely selfish matters, for I am not
+at all worried about my personal safety while we are within Union lines.
+If this plot succeeds, and the conspirators get the ship into a
+Confederate port, I shall feel differently about this matter. Has any
+third lieutenant been appointed, Mr. Flint?"</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">138</span>
+"There has, captain; he is a young man by the name of Byron; but I did
+not learn his rank."</p>
+
+<p>"Byron!" exclaimed Christy, recalling Walsh, and the name he had
+insisted was his own when he first encountered him on board of the
+Vernon. "He may have a rank in the Confederate navy, but he has none in
+that of the Union. In other words, he is a Confederate officer or
+seaman, and he is the man who helped Corny steal my commission and
+orders."</p>
+
+<p>"We have a nest of them in the cabin&mdash;the captain and two
+officers. What is to be done? We cannot allow the Bronx to be captured
+by any such trick as this, with forty-five loyal seamen on board of her,
+to say nothing of myself as a loyal officer."</p>
+
+<p>"All the crew are not loyal," replied Christy, as he explained the
+instructions he had given to the steward.</p>
+
+<p>"But most of the crew must be loyal, for twenty of the old seamen
+remain on board, and every one of them is as true as steel," Mr. Flint
+insisted.</p>
+
+<p>"But the conspirators do not intend that any issue shall be raised
+until the vessel is under the
+<span class = "pagenum">139</span>
+guns of a Confederate fort. Doubtless Mr. Galvinne, whom I look upon as
+the actual commander of the steamer, for Corny is no sailor, will run
+into Pensacola Bay under the American flag. Probably he is a pilot in
+these waters, and knows what signal to make to the Confederate
+forts."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't believe he would attempt to run in while it is broad
+daylight," suggested Mr. Flint. "Captain Corny already has his sailing
+orders. They are sealed, but he is to proceed to the eastward. I should
+say that he would obey orders, and when it is time for him to break the
+seals this evening, he will come about, hug the shore of St. Rosa's till
+he comes to the entrance of the bay, when he will go&nbsp;in."</p>
+
+<p>"If he does that, so much the better, for we shall have more time to
+prepare for a decided stroke," replied Christy. "I have my plan all
+ready, though of course it may fail, and to-night we may all be
+prisoners of war."</p>
+
+<p>"But don't you believe it will be better to appeal to the
+flag-officer?" asked the second lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p>"What good will that do?" demanded Christy. "My cousin has made out
+his case before the captain of the Vernon."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">140</span>
+"But you had no witnesses then. You have twenty or thirty of them now. I
+know you, and so do all the members of the old crew."</p>
+
+<p>"But it appears that you promptly accepted your commander in the
+person of my cousin," said Christy, laughing in spite of the gravity of
+the situation.</p>
+
+<p>"If I had seen you and Corny together, I should have known which was
+which," pleaded Mr. Flint.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you think if I should present myself on deck at this moment,
+wearing the frock and shirt of a common seaman, the men would identify
+me alongside Corny, who wears the uniform of an officer?"</p>
+
+<p>"I am not so sure of that."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't see how the commodore could go behind the commission which
+Corny carries in his pocket, with the orders of the department, any more
+than Captain Battleton could. I have thought of this, and I am afraid to
+trust myself to the chance," replied Christy very decidedly. "Besides, I
+desire to take the conspirators in the very act of running away with the
+Bronx; then I can make out a good case."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">141</span>
+"But how is this desirable end to be accomplished?" inquired the second
+lieutenant, who seemed to be troubled with some doubts.</p>
+
+<p>"Very easily, I think."</p>
+
+<p>"But you must not be rash, captain."</p>
+
+<p>"Will it be the highest prudence to permit the conspirators to take
+the Bronx into a Confederate port, Pensacola, or any other?" demanded
+Christy with more earnestness than he had yet manifested.</p>
+
+<p>"We may not be able to help ourselves."</p>
+
+<p>"By taking the bull by the horns in good season, I am confident we
+can prevent this mischief."</p>
+
+<p>Without discussing this matter any farther, Christy detailed his plan
+to Mr. Flint, which was certainly very simple, and the second lieutenant
+could raise no objection to it. He was requested to select the men who
+were to take part in the enterprise, and all the particulars were
+definitely arranged. There was nothing more to be done, and Christy was
+left to himself to consider what he had done. The hungry officer helped
+himself hastily from the table which was waiting for him in the ward
+room, and then hastened on deck.</p>
+
+<p>The transfer of cargo, so far as the Bronx was
+<span class = "pagenum">142</span>
+concerned, was completed. It appeared that the flag-officer was hurrying
+the departure of the steamer on her mission, whatever it was. He had
+just had a long talk with Corny, and doubtless there was danger that the
+object of the cruise might be defeated by delay. In a short time the
+Bronx was under way, headed to the eastward, in accordance with her
+verbal orders, for the sealed envelope was not to be opened till nine
+o'clock in the evening, as Christy learned from Mr. Flint.</p>
+
+<p>The deck was in charge of the second lieutenant, who was seeing that
+everything was put in order. But it might have been observed that he was
+more familiar with the men than was his habit. For the first time since
+he came on board, Corny went below to take a look at his quarters, Dave
+bearing his valise before him. At the same time Mr. Galvinne presented
+himself in the ward room to take possession of the stateroom of the
+first lieutenant, which was the farthest forward on the starboard side.
+It had been Christy's room during his service in the Gulf, though he had
+made himself at home in the captain's cabin when he was acting commander
+on the voyage from New York.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">143</span>
+"This is my cabin, is it?" said Corny, as he followed the steward into
+the apartment.</p>
+
+<p>"I think you ought to know it by this time, Captain Passford,"
+answered Dave; and the remark was enough to condemn the impostor in the
+opinion of the servant. "You lived in here when you were in command of
+the vessel."</p>
+
+<p>"All right. You may go into the ward room and ask Mr. Galvinne to
+come in here," added Corny, who did not feel quite at home in the cabin,
+and was in mortal terror of committing some indiscretion in his
+unaccustomed position.</p>
+
+<p>"Invite the first lieutenant to the captain's cabin," said Dave.
+"Yes, sir;" and the steward left the cabin.</p>
+
+<p>It was some little time before Mr. Galvinne presented himself, for
+probably he did not feel bound to obey the orders of the bogus captain
+with especial promptness. However, he came after a quarter of an hour,
+and seated himself familiarly in an arm-chair at the table. He had the
+bearing of the superior officer, to which Corny made no objection.</p>
+
+<p>"We are all right so far," said Corny.</p>
+
+<p>"Perhaps we are; but you talk too much by
+<span class = "pagenum">144</span>
+half, Passford, and I have been dreading that you would make a slip of
+some kind," replied Mr. Galvinne rather crustily. "You were as stupid as
+a Kentucky mule when you stopped to talk with Byron in the waist."</p>
+
+<p>"And you were as stupid as an Alabama mule when you snapped at me for
+doing so in the presence of some of the sailors," replied Corny, with
+considerable spirit; and Christy, who heard all that was said, was glad
+to have him maintain the dignity of the family in his new situation.</p>
+
+<p>"I hope you will not make a donkey of yourself before we have
+finished this business," added the executive officer for the time being.
+"Now have you looked at your orders?"</p>
+
+<p>"I have not; they are sealed orders, and I am not to open them till
+nine o'clock this evening," replied Corny.</p>
+
+<p>"I believe you have lost all the wits you ever had, Passford," said
+Mr. Galvinne contemptuously.</p>
+
+<p>"If I did, you did not pick them up."</p>
+
+<p>"I am not going to banter with you, Passford. Where are your orders?"
+demanded the first lieutenant in a tyrannical manner.</p>
+
+<p>"They are in my pocket," replied Corny sourly.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">145</span>
+"Hand them over to me, and let us have no more fooling."</p>
+
+<p>"I will take care of the orders myself."</p>
+
+<p>"What! Are you not going to give them to me?" demanded Mr. Galvinne,
+apparently as much in astonishment as in anger.</p>
+
+<p>"Not till you change your tone. I wish you to understand that I am in
+command of this ship, and I have my commission in my pocket. I intend to
+be treated with decency at least."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, this is pleasant; and it will be my duty to report your
+conduct to my superior officer. In command of this ship! Why, you don't
+know enough to lay off the course of the ship, or even to box the
+compass."</p>
+
+<p>"I know enough to understand when I am treated like a gentleman.
+Change your manners, or I will order you to leave my cabin. You talk to
+me as though I were a small boy, and had nothing to do with the
+enterprise in which we are engaged," returned Corny.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you expect me to obey your orders?" demanded the executive
+officer in a sneering tone.</p>
+
+<p>"If you don't, I will send for the second lieutenant
+<span class = "pagenum">146</span>
+and a file of men to put you out of my cabin."</p>
+
+<p>There was a silence for a few moments.</p>
+
+<p>"This will never do, Passford," said the tyrannical officer.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't think it will, Galvinne. Behave like a gentleman, and we
+shall have no difficulty," added Corny.</p>
+
+<p>"Will you permit me to see your orders, Mr. Passford?" said the
+officer.</p>
+
+<p>The breach was closed, and Corny produced the sealed envelope.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">147</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapXIII">CHAPTER XIII</a></h4>
+
+<h6>THE OPENING OF THE SECRET ORDERS</h6>
+
+
+<p>Christy listened with interest to the conversation in the captain's
+cabin, though so far it had afforded him no information in regard to the
+present situation, and it was hardly likely to do so, for he had already
+been told by Mr. Flint what the next movement of the Bronx was to be.
+She had already been ordered to proceed to the eastward, and her sealed
+instructions would reveal the enterprise in which she was to engage.</p>
+
+<p>The steamer had been so successful while in command of Captain
+Blowitt in breaking up the shipping of cotton in a port where a larger
+vessel could not operate, that Christy promptly concluded that she was
+to be used in a similar enterprise. The listener was amused rather than
+impressed by the conversation which was in progress so near him, and
+especially at the display of dignity and authority on the part of his
+cousin.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">148</span>
+Mr. Galvinne had proved himself to be a very gentlemanly officer in what
+little Christy had seen of him on the voyage from New York; but the
+situation was entirely changed so far as he was concerned. It appeared
+from the conversation, as the listener had for some time supposed, that
+the second lieutenant of the Vernon was the real leader of the
+enterprise of which Corny was the nominal head. Probably the restraint
+of over a week imposed upon him had fretted his spirit, and when he
+found himself alone with his incompetent superior, he became conscious
+of the superiority his knowledge and training gave him.</p>
+
+<p>Christy rather sympathized with him in his contempt for the one who
+was only nominally his superior, though that could not excuse the breach
+of good manners of which he had been guilty, whether in the old or the
+new navy. He felt that Mr. Galvinne was a man of ability, and that he
+was the only person whom he had to fear in carrying out his plan for the
+recovery of the vessel.</p>
+
+<p>"I am not a naval officer, though I have given a good deal of
+attention to the study of nautical subjects in connection with this
+enterprise, and I am not a cipher," continued Corny, after he had
+<span class = "pagenum">149</span>
+handed the sealed envelope to his companion. "I expect to be treated
+with reasonable consideration, even while I defer to you in all nautical
+matters. Let us understand each other."</p>
+
+<p>"I acknowledge that I was altogether too brusque with you, Mr.
+Passford, and I beg your pardon for my rudeness," said Mr. Galvinne.</p>
+
+<p>"I am entirely satisfied, Mr. Galvinne; and here is my hand," added
+Corny, who doubtless felt that he had fully vindicated himself.</p>
+
+<p>"I have been living on a hot gridiron for the last ten days, and in
+the first moments of freedom I overstepped the limits of propriety. I
+hope we understand each other now, for we are engaged in an important
+enterprise, and we cannot afford to be at variance," replied the naval
+officer. "Our work is yet unfinished, though it has progressed admirably
+so far. Have I your permission to open this sealed envelope?"</p>
+
+<p>"Certainly, Mr. Galvinne; I had heard so much about sealed orders in
+the instructions given me for this undertaking, that I was under the
+impression that they were not to be seen till the time marked on the
+envelope."</p>
+
+<p>"It is not necessary to obey the orders of the
+<span class = "pagenum">150</span>
+Yankee flag-officer under present circumstances," answered Mr. Galvinne
+in a chuckling tone, as it sounded to the listener.</p>
+
+<p>The naval officer read the orders aloud for the benefit of his
+associate. The flag-officer had obtained information that a steamer was
+loading with cotton at St. Andrew's Bay, and Captain Passford was
+instructed to visit that locality and capture the vessel, and any others
+that might be found there.</p>
+
+<p>"Why was it necessary to give secret orders for such an expedition as
+this?" asked Corny.</p>
+
+<p>"It was wise on the part of the Yankee commodore to make his orders
+secret; for information might have been sent by telegraph or otherwise
+to St. Andrew's, which would have enabled our people to get the steamer
+mentioned out of the way, or to prepare a successful resistance to the
+gunboat sent to capture it," Mr. Galvinne explained in the tone of one
+who enlightens an ignorant person.</p>
+
+<p>"I see; that is plain enough," added Corny. "How far is it to St.
+Andrew's?"</p>
+
+<p>"If I remember rightly it is eighty-three sea miles from the entrance
+to Pensacola Bay. But
+<span class = "pagenum">151</span>
+you do not run away with the idea that it is necessary for you, as the
+present commander of the Bronx, to visit this place?" asked the naval
+officer.</p>
+
+<p>"Of course we are not bound to obey the orders of the Union
+flag-officer," added Corny. "But now you know the situation thoroughly,
+Mr. Galvinne, and I suppose you are ready to arrange your plans for the
+future."</p>
+
+<p>"There is not much planning to be done; all we have to do is to run
+into Pensacola when we are ready to do so," replied the naval
+officer.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you think it advisable to do so at once?" asked Corny; and his
+motive seemed to be simple curiosity, for he was not competent to give
+advice on a naval question, though he was in nominal command of the
+steamer.</p>
+
+<p>"Certainly not; for as soon as it was seen on board of the flag-ship
+that the commander of the Bronx was disobeying his orders, we should be
+chased by the two ships on the station and fired upon."</p>
+
+<p>"How shall you manage it?"</p>
+
+<p>"We shall be well out of sight of the flag-ship by dark, or sooner,
+and then we can come about,
+<span class = "pagenum">152</span>
+and keeping closely under the lee of the land, we shall reach the
+entrance of the bay before morning; and then all we have to do is to
+run&nbsp;in."</p>
+
+<p>"But the flag-ship will make out the steamer," suggested Corny.</p>
+
+<p>"We shall be too far in for her to do us any harm, for the water has
+not less than four fathoms anywhere along the shore of St. Rosa's
+Island."</p>
+
+<p>"But she will signal the fort to fire upon us."</p>
+
+<p>"They can't make us out soon enough to do us any harm, or not much,
+at any rate," replied Mr. Galvinne confidently.</p>
+
+<p>"I hope it will all come out right, but I have some fears," added the
+impostor.</p>
+
+<p>"You need not have. You have played your part remarkably well, Mr.
+Passford, and it was an excellent idea on the part of Major Pierson, who
+suggested this plan of putting you in the place of your cousin. He had
+seen you and your relative together, I believe?"</p>
+
+<p>"He had, for we were both prisoners of war after our unsuccessful
+attempt to capture the Bellevite, on the Hudson."</p>
+
+<p>"I have heard about that; and I know that your cousin Christopher is
+no chicken."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">153</span>
+"He is what the Yankees call smart, and I know he is all that," added
+Corny. "What do you suppose has become of him? When Captain Battleton
+sent for him in order to let the commodore see us both together, he
+could not be found. As you know, all three vessels were very thoroughly
+searched without any success."</p>
+
+<p>"There are a great many hiding-places on board of any vessel, and I
+am very clear in my own mind as to what became of him. Of course, the
+flag-officer, seeing both of you together, would have been as much
+perplexed as the captain was, and he would have been compelled to accept
+the evidence of the commission and the orders in your possession."</p>
+
+<p>"But Christy would have found plenty of witnesses here: the second
+lieutenant and the seamen on board of the Bronx, for example."</p>
+
+<p>"The evidence might have perplexed him; if he had done anything, he
+would have been more likely to retain both of you on board of the
+flag-ship, and appointed a new officer in command of the Bronx, rather
+than go back of the evidence of the commission," argued Mr.
+Galvinne.</p>
+
+<p>"But Christy has disappeared all the same; and where do you suppose
+he&nbsp;is?"</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">154</span>
+"I have no doubt he is concealed on board of the Vernon, with the
+intention of returning to New York, where he has plenty of influential
+friends to fight his battle for him. But I must go on deck, or something
+may go wrong in my absence."</p>
+
+<p>Christy heard the footsteps of the late second lieutenant of the
+Vernon as he left the cabin. He had listened to the details of the plan
+formed by the naval officer, and it agreed with the prediction of Mr.
+Flint. While he was thinking of what he had just learned, he heard the
+step of Corny&mdash;for it could not be that of any other person so
+soon&mdash;coming into the stateroom; then he saw his feet from behind
+his barricade of bags and baggage.</p>
+
+<p>He had not expected his cousin to make any full examination of the
+room to be occupied by the commander of the gunboat, for his stay on
+board would be short, and he could not feel any great interest in the
+room. His curiosity might lead him to make a closer examination of the
+interior of the apartment than would be agreeable to his cousin. He felt
+that he was in danger of being discovered in his hiding-place; but he
+instantly
+<span class = "pagenum">155</span>
+made up his mind as to what he would do in the event of such an
+accident. He had hoped to be spared from any personal conflict with his
+cousin, and he had made his plan so as to avoid any such disagreeable
+necessity.</p>
+
+<p>But if Corny carried his investigations too far for his safety, and
+especially for the success of his enterprise, he decided that the ties
+of blood should not prevent him from doing his whole duty as he
+understood it. He was therefore prepared to muzzle the intruder, and
+confine his hands behind him with a strap he had taken from his valise.
+Happily Corny did nothing more than look under the berth while still
+standing in the space in front of it, and in this position he could not
+see the fugitive. The impostor wandered about the cabin for a time, and
+then Christy heard his footsteps on the stairs as he ascended to the
+deck.</p>
+
+<p>He had hardly left the cabin before the steward entered the
+stateroom, and reported that he had seen Ralph Pennant, and that he had
+told him all he knew about the loyalty and the disloyalty of the new
+hands in the crew. Ralph reported that he had "spotted" the four seamen
+whose names had been given him before the Vernon reached the
+station.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">156</span>
+"What does he say in regard to me?" asked Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"He said he believed you were bony fido commander of the Bronx, and
+he is ready to obey your orders. Mr. Flint had a talk with him while the
+first lieutenant was below; he talked to Boxie, and three more of the
+men, and he did it mighty sly, too, for the third lieutenant was on the
+deck all the time. There's eight bells, Massa Christy, and the second
+lieutenant will have the deck."</p>
+
+<p>"I did not think it was so late; but that reminds me that I have
+eaten nothing since my breakfast was brought to me early this morning,"
+said Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"I hope to drink up every drop of water in the Alabama River if I did
+not forget all about that! Gollywomps! Dave is getting stupid,"
+exclaimed the steward, springing to his feet. "I can't bring you a
+regular dinner, Massa Christy, but I will do the best I can."</p>
+
+<p>"Never mind the regular dinner; but bring me something to eat, if it
+is only some crackers and cheese," added Christy; and the steward
+hastened to his pantry.</p>
+
+<p>He soon returned with a huge slice of ham and
+<span class = "pagenum">157</span>
+some cold biscuits. The hungry fugitive, who had not left his appetite
+at home, immediately attacked the provision as though it had been an
+enemy of the Union, and stood by it till he had devoured the whole of
+it; and it proved to be just a pattern for his empty stomach, and he
+declined Dave's offer to bring him another.</p>
+
+<p>He had hardly finished it before Mr. Flint paid him another visit,
+and reported everything ready for the recapture of the steamer.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">158</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapXIV">CHAPTER XIV</a></h4>
+
+<h6>THE AFFRAY ON THE QUARTER-DECK OF THE BRONX</h6>
+
+
+<p>Christy was satisfied that all was going well in regard to the
+capture of the Bronx, and he went to sleep after he had disposed of his
+dinner, and arranged the final details of the enterprise with the second
+lieutenant. Mr. Flint was somewhat impatient to carry out his plan; but
+Christy insisted that nothing should be done till the orders of the
+flag-officer had been actually disobeyed. It was decided that coming
+about, and heading the Bronx to the westward would constitute
+disobedience.</p>
+
+<p>When Christy awoke it was dark, or at least dusky, as far as he could
+judge in his concealment. He heard the rattle of dishes, knives and
+forks in the cabin, and he understood that the captain was taking his
+dinner. A conversation was in progress, and Christy concluded from the
+<span class = "pagenum">159</span>
+voices he heard that Corny had invited his first lieutenant to dine with
+him.</p>
+
+<p>"I think we shall be in Pensacola Bay by daylight," said Mr.
+Galvinne; "and we have just the right kind of weather for our
+enterprise. It is cloudy, and it looks as though we might have a fog,
+for they often come up after dark when the wind is as it is now."</p>
+
+<p>"What time shall you come about?" asked Corny, apparently from
+curiosity rather than any especial interest in the navigation of the
+steamer.</p>
+
+<p>"About nine o'clock; perhaps sooner. Byron will have the deck from
+eight bells for the first watch; I hope and expect Flint will turn in at
+that time, for he will have the mid-watch. It might be a little awkward
+if he happens to be on deck when we change our course from east to
+west."</p>
+
+<p>Christy did not believe that the second lieutenant would turn in at
+the time indicated, though he might make a pretence of doing so, and
+shut himself up in his stateroom. Mr. Galvinne proceeded to say that he
+should have Rockton and Warton ready to make Mr. Flint a prisoner in
+case he became too inquisitive. Nichols and Sayles would
+<span class = "pagenum">160</span>
+be available near the quarter-deck in case any demonstration was made by
+any portion of the crew.</p>
+
+<p>"But there will be no trouble of any kind," added the first
+lieutenant. "We are not carrying sail, and I shall quietly give the word
+to the quartermaster to make the course west instead of east. Flint is
+the only man on board who is at all likely to question the regularity of
+the proceedings on board; and I do not see how he can do it, for he
+knows nothing at all about the orders under which we are sailing. In
+fact, we shall be on the other tack before the time comes to open the
+sealed envelope."</p>
+
+<p>"I hope it will all come out right," added Corny.</p>
+
+<p>"You may depend upon it that we shall be under the guns of Fort
+Barrancas, or farther up the bay, before daylight," replied the actual
+commander.</p>
+
+<p>"What am I to do, Mr. Galvinne?" asked Corny.</p>
+
+<p>"Nothing at all; you can turn in as soon as you like and sleep
+through the whole, for there will be nothing at all to disturb you. As I
+said,
+<span class = "pagenum">161</span>
+Flint is the only person on board who is likely to make the least
+trouble, and he will be asleep in his berth. If he asks hard questions
+when he comes on deck at eight bells for the mid-watch, our men will
+secure him. That is the whole of it. I must go on deck now, for I can
+smell the fog."</p>
+
+<p>"How are you going to get to the entrance of the bay in a fog?"
+inquired Corny.</p>
+
+<p>"If we keep her due west we shall be all right; and I know this coast
+as well as I do my father's plantation," replied Mr. Galvinne; and
+Christy heard him open the door.</p>
+
+<p>"I think I shall go on deck and see the fun, if there is any, and
+turn in if there is none," added <ins class = "correction" title =
+"so in original: should read 'Corny'">Christy</ins>.</p>
+
+<p>The dishes rattled for a moment, and then the fugitive heard the step
+and the voice of Dave in the stateroom.</p>
+
+<p>"I done bring you something more to eat, Massa Christy," said the
+steward, who appeared to have suffered some lapse in his grammar and
+pronunciation during the absence at the North of his instructor; and as
+he spoke he handed in a piece of pie and a large slice of cake.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">162</span>
+Christy was not very hungry after his late dinner, but he ate the
+dainties brought to him, and found that the cook of the Bronx had lost
+none of his skill. He might not have an opportunity to eat again very
+soon, for he did not lose sight of the fact that failure was possible,
+and he might soon be an occupant of a Confederate prison with Flint, as
+he had been once before.</p>
+
+<p>Dave busied himself in clearing the cabin table, and Christy
+impatiently waited the time for the decided action which had been
+planned. About half an hour later, when he realized from the condition
+of the stateroom that it was quite dark, the sounds coming to him
+assured him that the course of the Bronx had been changed as indicated
+by Mr. Galvinne. No noise or confusion on deck followed it, and the
+naval officer's prediction seemed to be in a fair way to be
+realized.</p>
+
+<p>Another half hour elapsed, and except the monotonous plaint of the
+screw, no sound was to be heard. A footstep came from the cabin, where
+Dave was at work, or appeared to be, for he had been stationed there for
+his part of the programme which was presently to be carried out.</p>
+
+<p>"Steward, light the lamp in my stateroom,"
+<span class = "pagenum">163</span>
+said Corny; and Christy was glad to find that he intended to retire for
+the night, for he had no duties to perform unless there was a
+disturbance on the quarter-deck.</p>
+
+<p>The lamp on <ins class = "correction" title =
+"spelling as in original">gimbols</ins> was lighted, and Corny took
+possession of the room, and had not a suspicion that he was not its only
+occupant. He lay down in his berth after he had removed his coat and
+shoes, and in a few minutes Christy judged that he was asleep from the
+sound of his breathing, which soon degenerated into a mild snore. Mr.
+Flint was to make a beginning in the project, or, as Dave called it,
+"open the ball."</p>
+
+<p>In less than another half hour, Christy heard a knock on the cabin
+door, which was the signal from the second lieutenant that it was time
+to begin operations. He crawled to the front of the space beneath the
+berth at the sound, and at the same moment Dave came in at the door of
+the stateroom, which had been left open.</p>
+
+<p>The steward lost no time in acting his part, the first step of which
+was to jam a handkerchief into the half-open mouth of Corny Passford;
+but he had been counselled to use no more force than was necessary to
+subdue him. Dave then turned
+<span class = "pagenum">164</span>
+him over on his back in spite of his aimless struggles, for, as he was
+roused from his sound slumber, he was too much bewildered to accomplish
+anything like an effective resistance. The strap which Christy had
+provided for the purpose was used in fastening his hands behind him, and
+so far as Corny was concerned, the battle was fought and the victory
+won.</p>
+
+<p>Christy had crawled out of his narrow quarters under the berth as
+soon as Dave began to operate on the sleeper above him, and he stood
+ready to assist the steward if his services were required; but there was
+hardly anything like a struggle, for Corny had been so completely
+surprised that he was incapable of doing anything in self-defence. With
+his hands strapped behind him, and with the gag still in his mouth, he
+was permitted to remain in the berth under the guard of Dave.</p>
+
+<p>Not a particle of noise had been made in the stateroom; at least,
+none that could be heard on the deck above. Christy hastened from the
+little apartment through the cabin to the gangway, where he found Mr.
+Flint at the head of the stairs prepared to execute the part of the work
+assigned to him, which was to fall upon Mr. Galvinne;
+<span class = "pagenum">165</span>
+but he did not appear to be in a favorable position for the attack.</p>
+
+<p>"What are you waiting for, Mr. Flint?" asked Christy in a whisper, as
+he joined the second lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p>"He has gone into the waist," replied the officer in waiting. "He
+will be back in a moment."</p>
+
+<p>Christy had looked into the ward room as he passed the door, for the
+captain's cabin was not provided with a separate companion-way, as is
+usual on men-of-war, for the space could not be spared in so small a
+vessel. All was still there, but two men stood near the door waiting for
+the signal to rush to the deck.</p>
+
+<p>"What are those men doing aft, Mr. Byron?" demanded the first
+lieutenant, with some excitement in his manner. "They were very nearly
+on the quarter-deck, and they seemed to be very reluctant to go
+forward."</p>
+
+<p>"I am sure I don't know, Mr. Galvinne; I did not order them there,"
+replied the third lieutenant, who was in charge of the deck.</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose they have seen that the course of the ship has been
+changed, and I thought they might have come aft to ask some questions,
+<span class = "pagenum">166</span>
+though the men ought to be better trained than that," added Mr.
+Galvinne, as he came quite near the companion-way where the second
+lieutenant was waiting for him, with Christy behind him, and ready to
+support him.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Flint sprang upon the quarter-deck and threw himself upon Mr.
+Galvinne, closely followed by Christy. At the same time, and as soon as
+the gangway was clear, the two men who had been stationed in the ward
+room leaped upon the deck, and threw themselves upon the third
+lieutenant. At the same moment, the six men who had been lurking in the
+waist, and who had attracted the attention of the executive officer,
+hastened to the scene of the conflict. Rockton, who had been made a
+quartermaster, and the helmsman, Warton, went to the assistance of the
+first and third lieutenants.</p>
+
+<p>Neither of the two disloyal officers of the Bronx was an infant, and
+each struggled like a brave man against the force that attacked them.
+Mr. Flint had fallen upon Mr. Galvinne from behind, and had thrown him
+down at the first onslaught. He fought like a tiger, but with the aid of
+Christy and two of the men from the
+<span class = "pagenum">167</span>
+waist, he was subdued, and Christy had a strap ready to confine his
+hands behind him. Then he was drawn over to the rail and made fast to a
+belaying pin.</p>
+
+<p>Byron was not less energetic than his superior in his own defence,
+but the two stout sailors who had been selected to capture him were more
+than doubly a match for him, and he was carefully secured. At the same
+time there was a free fight between Rockton and Warton on the one side,
+and the sailors who had come aft, but the disloyal tars were conquered
+in the end. The prisoners were all bound and made fast to the rail. The
+entire watch had come aft while the battle was in progress, and those
+who had been instructed in the situation and had taken part in the
+recovery of the ship explained to their loyal companions the meaning of
+the affair which had just been brought to a conclusion. Involuntarily
+they gave three tremendous cheers, and then three more for the genuine
+commander.</p>
+
+<p>Not a few of them who had served with Christy in the Gulf declared
+they had not believed that the person who was the nominal captain was
+their old first lieutenant; they knew that something
+<span class = "pagenum">168</span>
+was wrong, they said, though they could not tell what. Perhaps they
+found the captain less active than formerly, and considered him somewhat
+changed after his visit to the north; but doubtless they were as much
+blinded by the resemblance as others had been.</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Flint, I appoint you acting first lieutenant of the Bronx," said
+Christy, as soon as the affray was over. "You will restore order on
+board."</p>
+
+<p>The new executive officer sent the men forward, called out one of the
+old quartermasters to con the wheel, and placed a loyal seaman under his
+charge as helmsman. Order was almost instantly restored under his
+direction, and the men had enough to talk about to last them the entire
+night. Mr. Flint had his doubts in regard to the security of the
+prisoners; their bonds of straps and rope were removed, and their places
+supplied by iron handcuffs.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">169</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapXV">CHAPTER XV</a></h4>
+
+<h6>A REBELLIOUS AND PREJUDICED PRISONER</h6>
+
+
+<p>"Well, Mr. Flint, we have been more successful than I feared we might
+be," said Christy, after the prisoners except Corny had been put in
+irons, though they consisted of only five officers and seamen.</p>
+
+<p>"As usual, you are the hero of the adventure," replied the new first
+lieutenant, laughing. "But I must say it was the stupidest enterprise in
+which rational men ever engaged."</p>
+
+<p>"I decline to be regarded as the hero of the adventure, as you call
+it; and it was not so stupid as you suggest," replied Christy, with the
+greatest good-nature.</p>
+
+<p>"Perhaps you builded better than you knew; but if you had not escaped
+from the Vernon, and managed the whole affair, it would have been a
+success," added Mr. Flint.</p>
+
+<p>"Then the scheme cannot be considered so stupid as you
+represent&nbsp;it."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">170</span>
+"But it had not one chance in ten of success. Your cousin looks more
+like you than he did the last time I saw him."</p>
+
+<p>"He fixed himself up to pass for me, and that helped his case very
+greatly. He put on a uniform like mine, such a one as you have never
+seen him wear."</p>
+
+<p>"He did not look quite natural to me; but I could not make out what
+made the change in his looks," continued Mr. Flint. "You can see for
+yourself, that the plot would have been a success if you had not been on
+board of the Bronx to tell me what had happened. Whatever passed between
+the flag-officer and Captain Battleton, nothing at all was said among
+the officers about the decision the commander of the Vernon had been
+obliged to make when he accepted your cousin as the genuine Christopher
+Passford, ordered to the command of the Bronx. While I thought you were
+somewhat altered in appearance, and that your greeting to me was rather
+cold and formal when you came on board, I did not suspect that the
+officer who represented you was an impostor."</p>
+
+<p>"Do you think you should have let these conspirators
+<span class = "pagenum">171</span>
+run into Pensacola Bay without meddling with the matter?" asked
+Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"I am sure I should, for I could not have helped myself. The captain
+had his orders, to be opened about this time; and I should have supposed
+you were going into the bay to shell out Fort Barrancas."</p>
+
+<p>"You could hardly have supposed that a little gunboat like the Bronx
+was sent all alone on such a mission."</p>
+
+<p>"I obey my orders without question, and I should not have suspected
+anything was out of the way. I was rather cut up when I found that
+Galvinne had been appointed executive officer; and that, with the cold
+greeting you gave me, led me to ask in what manner I had lost your good
+opinion."</p>
+
+<p>"Of course Corny asked for his appointment, for Mr. Galvinne was the
+real leader of the enterprise. I think you and some of the rest of us
+have narrowly escaped a Confederate prison."</p>
+
+<p>"That is plain enough; and we only escaped it because you took it
+into your head to leave the Vernon at the time you left her. I think the
+Bronx would have gone into Pensacola Bay without
+<span class = "pagenum">172</span>
+the least trouble, for I have no doubt Galvinne knew just what signals
+to make to Fort McRae, and just as well what ones to make to Fort
+Pickens. The ship would have been there by midnight, and up to that time
+I should have been asleep in my stateroom; and they would not have taken
+the trouble to call the watch below at that hour."</p>
+
+<p>"No matter; we have the Bronx again, and she is not yet to become a
+Confederate cruiser. But Corny had the sealed orders of the
+flag-officer, and I heard Mr. Galvinne read them. The Bronx is ordered
+to St. Andrew's to attend to the case of a steamer loading there to run
+the blockade. Shall I obey the orders, or return to the flag-ship?"</p>
+
+<p>"The commodore hurried us off, for he feared any delay might allow
+the steamer to escape."</p>
+
+<p>"We have five prisoners on board; and we can take care of them well
+enough," replied Christy; "but the principal difficulty is that we have
+no officers."</p>
+
+<p>"But we have plenty of good men, and some of them will make good
+officers," suggested the first lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p>"We have no surgeon, I believe, for Dr. Spokeley
+<span class = "pagenum">173</span>
+is sick, and was to be sent home before I left in the Vixen for New
+York," added the commander, now restored to his own right on board.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, yes; we have a surgeon, for Dr. Spokeley is to go to New York in
+the Vernon, and the doctor of the store-ship is appointed to the
+Bronx."</p>
+
+<p>"Dr. Connelly!" exclaimed Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"Just so; and I dare say he is asleep in his stateroom at this
+moment."</p>
+
+<p>"Then we had better obey the sealed orders of the flag-officer; we
+will come about, and head her for St. Andrew's. Fortunately I have been
+there myself in the Bellevite, and I have been up the harbor and bay in
+boats, for the yacht, as she was at the time, drew too much water to go
+into the bay, for it is shoal inside. Come about, Mr. Flint, and make
+the course due east."</p>
+
+<p>"I hope we shall do as well as we did at Cedar Keys," replied the
+first lieutenant, when he had given the order to come about to the
+quartermaster.</p>
+
+<p>"Look up the log slate, for I suppose they have made the entries, and
+when we have run eighty knots from the station, keep a sharp lookout for
+the land. Now I will go to my cabin, and find the
+<span class = "pagenum">174</span>
+envelope that contains the orders, and look them over."</p>
+
+<p>Christy went below, and found Dave in the stateroom, apparently
+unwilling to take his eyes off the prisoner who still lay in the berth.
+He went to the table in the cabin, and found upon it the sheet upon
+which the orders had been written. They were of no use to Galvinne, and
+he had thrown them down as soon as he had read them. He sat down at the
+table and read the paper; but the order was very simple, and left all
+the details to the discretion of the commander, for it was understood
+that Captain Passford was well acquainted with the coast as far as St.
+Mark's.</p>
+
+<p>Christy was still clothed in the frock and cap of a common sailor,
+and he realized that it was time for him to put on his uniform. He went
+to the quarters of the men where he had concealed his valise, and
+carried it back to the cabin, where he proceeded to make the change. In
+a short time he had put himself in proper condition to take his place on
+the quarter-deck in command when his presence was required. He had
+nothing to do at present, and he concluded to write his report of the
+remarkable proceedings on board since the
+<span class = "pagenum">175</span>
+Bronx left the station. He wanted his desk, and he went to the
+stateroom.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, Dave, how is your prisoner?" he asked, halting at the
+door.</p>
+
+<p>"I got him safe, Massa Cap'n," replied the steward, exhibiting most
+of the teeth in his mouth, for he was pleased with himself after he had
+executed the commission assigned to him, and did not feel as much like a
+contraband as he might.</p>
+
+<p>"I am in command, Dave, and there must be no more 'massa' now," added
+Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"I done forget all about my talk, Captain Passford," replied
+Dave.</p>
+
+<p>"That is bad grammar," said the commander, laughing, for he was in an
+exceedingly pleasant humor, as may well be supposed. "You know what is
+right, and you must not talk like a contraband."</p>
+
+<p>"I won't do so any more, Captain Passford," protested the steward,
+showing his ivory, though he was not a very black man, and the contrast
+was not as great as in many instances.</p>
+
+<p>"How do you find yourself, Corny?" asked the captain, turning to the
+berth.</p>
+
+<p>"I am all right, Corny; but I should like to
+<span class = "pagenum">176</span>
+have you or some one tell me what has been going on in this steamer, for
+this black rascal will not say a word to me," replied the prisoner.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't blame him, if you call him a black rascal," added Christy.
+"But you need not call me by your own name any longer, cousin, for it
+will not help your case any more. Your game is played out, and you have
+been beaten with your own weapons. When you want to play another Yankee
+trick, you had better remember that you are not a Yankee, and you are
+not skilled in the art of doing&nbsp;it."</p>
+
+<p>"What do you mean by that, Corny?" asked the prisoner, disregarding
+the advice of his cousin.</p>
+
+<p>"Corny again!" exclaimed the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"I am the commander of this steamer, and I have been assaulted in my
+berth!" replied the sufferer, warming up a little.</p>
+
+<p>"Whew! Then you are still the commander of the Bronx?" repeated
+Christy, laughing at his cousin's persistence.</p>
+
+<p>"You know that I am. Wasn't the commission decided to be mine?"</p>
+
+<p>"But we have concluded to reverse the decision of the commander of
+the Vernon, and submit the
+<span class = "pagenum">177</span>
+case to the flag-officer for final adjustment. In the mean time, I have
+taken possession of the steamer, and put all your confederates in irons.
+For the present, at least, I am in command of the Bronx, and I want my
+stateroom. With Dave's assistance, I must ask you to turn out of that
+berth."</p>
+
+<p>"I decline to give up my stateroom, or my command of the steamer,"
+replied Corny in a sulky manner. "I should like to know how you happen
+to be on board of the Bronx, Corny."</p>
+
+<p>"Did you believe that I intended to let you take possession of this
+steamer, and run her into a Confederate port, Corny? My name is Passford
+as well as yours, and I am not a traitor, and don't believe I am a
+coward. At a time which suited my convenience, I left the Vernon and
+came on board of the Bronx."</p>
+
+<p>"Where did you hide, for the vessel has been searched in every part
+of her for you?"</p>
+
+<p>"I have been under the berth in this stateroom, a hiding-place which
+was suggested to me by one of your people who used it as such, and was
+caught, as I was not."</p>
+
+<p>"No one thought you would hide in the captain's cabin."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">178</span>
+"That is the very reason why I chose this place. I have had the pleasure
+of listening to all your conversations with Mr. Galvinne, and I knew
+your plans from beginning to end."</p>
+
+<p>"You have been under this berth since the steamer left the
+flag-ship!" exclaimed Corny, apparently amazed at the fact.</p>
+
+<p>"I have; but I have no more time to enlighten you. I can only say
+that with the assistance of the only loyal officer left on board, and
+the loyal seamen, I have recaptured the vessel, and now we are on our
+way to St. Andrew's to obey the orders which the flag-officer delivered
+to you when you were a rebel in disguise. Now Dave will help you out of
+the berth."</p>
+
+<p>"No, he won't! If I was to be captured at all, Corny, you insulted me
+when you set a nigger to do the job," said the prisoner angrily.</p>
+
+<p>"You are playing a farce now, cousin; but I cannot stay to fool with
+you. Take him out of the berth, Dave."</p>
+
+<p>"Will you set a nigger upon me again, Christy?" using the commander's
+proper name for the first time.</p>
+
+<p>"If you will get out of the berth yourself, I will allow you to do
+so," added Christy.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">179</span>
+"I will," replied the prisoner.</p>
+
+<p>He made the attempt to do so, but he would have fallen to the floor,
+with his hands fastened behind him, if Christy and Dave had not received
+him in their arms. The steward hugged him like a brother, perhaps
+maliciously, and carried him to a divan in the cabin. Corny had
+apparently abandoned his cause, and his cousin gave him a berth in the
+ward room for the rest of the night.</p>
+
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">180</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapXVI">CHAPTER XVI</a></h4>
+
+<h6>THE DISPOSAL OF THE PRISONERS</h6>
+
+
+<p>Before Christy could begin his report he was called to the deck by
+the first lieutenant, though everything had appeared to be quiet and
+orderly there. Ralph Pennant had been at work among the crew, and was
+unable to discover that any of the men were disloyal; but the commander
+had better information obtained by his own investigations. Ralph was in
+consultation with Mr. Flint when Christy went on deck.</p>
+
+<p>"I think the men are all right, and, so far as I can ascertain, not a
+man is a rebel," said Ralph in answer to a question of the executive
+officer.</p>
+
+<p>"You have the names of the four men that I sent to you by the
+steward, have you not?" asked Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"I have, captain; Rockton and Warton took part with Mr. Galvinne, but
+Sayles and Nichols did nothing, and they seem to be as in earnest on
+<span class = "pagenum">181</span>
+the right side as the other two were on the wrong side," replied
+Ralph.</p>
+
+<p>"I should not be willing to trust them. I know they were the intimate
+associates of Rockton and Warton, for they were in council together on
+board of the Vernon. In carrying out our orders, we may have a fight
+either with a battery or with some vessel, and we must not have any
+black sheep in the crew,&mdash;one who might speak a word or make a sign
+that would ruin all our calculations," added Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"Of course I can't say that Sayles and Nichols are not rebels; but
+they have done nothing that is suspicious, and one of our men has pumped
+them both," answered Ralph.</p>
+
+<p>"Have them closely watched, or they may play us some trick when we
+least suspect it, and in some critical moment," said the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"But I wished to see you in regard to the prisoners," interposed Mr.
+Flint. "We have four of them here made fast to the rail, and Galvinne
+complains of his treatment; he says he is cold."</p>
+
+<p>"I should think he might be, for the night air is very chilly,"
+replied Christy. "I should have preferred to get rid of these men before
+we went
+<span class = "pagenum">182</span>
+into any enterprise, for they are dangerous persons to us."</p>
+
+<p>"With their arms locked together behind them, they are not in
+condition to do any harm," added Mr. Flint.</p>
+
+<p>"I will go below and see what can be done with them. I desire to make
+them as comfortable as possible, though I do not believe they will be
+satisfied with any location to which I may assign them."</p>
+
+<p>"I think you need not be too particular about them; they have made
+their own nest, and now they must live in it," said the first
+lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p>"You may come with me, Ralph," added Christy, as he descended the
+companion-way.</p>
+
+<p>The commander found Dave keeping close watch over Corny Passford,
+though he was fast asleep in his berth. Passing through the ward room
+and steerage, Dave unlocked the door that led into the quarters of the
+crew. Next to the bulkhead, or partition, was space enough for the
+prisoners, and the steward was required to bring five berth sacks, which
+were placed on the deck.</p>
+
+<p>"The only objection I have to this as prison quarters is that Sayles
+and Nichols will be too
+<span class = "pagenum">183</span>
+near them; but I shall keep a sentry over them all the time," said
+Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"I should think they would be safe with a guard," added Ralph.</p>
+
+<p>"Now, Dave, you will wake your prisoner, and I will relieve you of
+all responsibility in regard to him. He is dressed, is he not?"
+continued the commander when they reached the ward room.</p>
+
+<p>"He is, Captain Passford, for he did not undress when he turned in
+last night," replied the steward.</p>
+
+<p>"What is the matter now?" asked the prisoner in the ward room, after
+he had rubbed his eyes for a time.</p>
+
+<p>"Nothing is the matter now on our side of the house, but I must put
+you with the other prisoners," replied Christy. "You may unbuckle the
+strap, Dave, so that he can get out of the berth."</p>
+
+<p>"Who are the other prisoners?" demanded Corny, as though he had a
+right to know.</p>
+
+<p>"They are your confederates in the plot, Corny. Who do you suppose
+they are? Jeff Davis is not one of them. The most important one, not
+even excepting yourself, cousin, is Mr. Galvinne, late first lieutenant
+of the Bronx."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">184</span>
+"Is he a prisoner?" asked Corny, as he got out of the berth.</p>
+
+<p>"Of course he is. Do you think I should let him lie around loose on
+deck? The next one is the man-servant at Bonnydale by your appointment,
+formerly Walsh, but now Byron. He is a very good actor, but he has
+played out his <i>r&ocirc;le</i>."</p>
+
+<p>"He was by profession an actor in Mobile," added Corny.</p>
+
+<p>"I should think he might have been. By the way, Corny, where is my
+commission that you and he stole from my pocket at Bonnydale?"</p>
+
+<p>"That is my commission," replied Corny, putting his hand
+involuntarily on his left breast, where he had carried his papers on
+board of the Vernon.</p>
+
+<p>"You stole it, cousin, and you must give it back to me," added
+Christy, very decidedly.</p>
+
+<p>"I shall not," replied Corny, with quite as much firmness.</p>
+
+<p>"Take it from him," said the commander.</p>
+
+<p>The hands of the impostor were now free, and he placed himself in a
+defensive attitude; but Ralph Pennant, who was rather above the average
+stature, threw his arms around him, and he was
+<span class = "pagenum">185</span>
+pinned as tightly as though he had been put into a strait jacket. Corny
+was probably stiff in his arms from their confinement, and he was unable
+to make a very spirited defence. While the seaman held him, Christy took
+the envelope from his breast pocket, and transferred it to his own. But
+there was considerable noise made in the brief scuffle, which waked some
+of the sleepers. From one of the staterooms an officer rushed out, and
+demanded the cause of the disturbance. The person proved to be the
+surgeon.</p>
+
+<p>"We are putting things to rights on board," replied Christy, who had
+not seen the doctor before, for he had retired early to his room.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't quite understand this matter," said the surgeon. "What are
+you doing, Mr. Passford?"</p>
+
+<p>"Captain Passford, if you please, Dr. Connelly, for I have the honor
+to be in command of the Bronx at the present moment. This is Mr.
+Passford," added Christy, pointing to his cousin.</p>
+
+<p>"Then you have reversed the decision of Captain Battleton?"</p>
+
+<p>"For sufficient reasons, I have; with the assistance of the loyal
+members of the ship's company, I have taken possession of the vessel,
+and we are
+<span class = "pagenum">186</span>
+now on our way to carry out the orders of the
+flag-officer.&mdash;Conduct the prisoner to his future quarters," said
+Christy, in a very business-like manner.</p>
+
+<p>During this conversation, Ralph, still holding his prisoner, had sent
+the steward on deck for a pair of handcuffs, which the seaman proceeded
+to apply to the wrists of Corny.</p>
+
+<p>"What are you about?" demanded the prisoner, attempting to shake off
+his captor when he felt the cold iron.</p>
+
+<p>"Just giving you a pair of bracelets," replied Ralph, as he grappled
+again with his victim, and asked Christy to adjust the handcuffs. "Just
+for ornament, you know."</p>
+
+<p>In the grasp of such a powerful man as Ralph Pennant, Corny was
+powerless, and he was compelled to submit, though his opposition
+appeared to be merely a matter of form with him, for he could not help
+realizing that it was utterly useless; but he had not been in the affray
+on deck, and he had not learned the full lesson from experience. The
+irons were locked upon his wrists, and the seaman was directed to
+conduct him to the place assigned to all the prisoners.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">187</span>
+"This is mean of you, Christy, to put me in irons," said Corny
+reproachfully as he turned to his cousin; "I might have asked Captain
+Battleton to put you in irons on board of the Vernon; but I did
+not."</p>
+
+<p>"If he had done so, I should not have complained. I have been a
+prisoner of war, and I had to take my chances. We may be in action for
+aught I know in a few hours, and I do not mean to have half a dozen
+rebels at my heels to trip me up if I can help it. The circumstances are
+entirely different from those on board of the Vernon."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't think so," muttered Corny. "You treat your own flesh and
+blood as though blood was nothing but water with you."</p>
+
+<p>"I stand by the Union, and those on the other side must keep out from
+under. When I was in a Confederate prison, my uncle Homer, your father,
+did not do a single thing for me. Lead on, Ralph."</p>
+
+<p>Dr. Connelly was so much astonished at the proceedings that he did
+not turn in, but completed his toilet, and came out into the ward room
+again. He looked troubled, for he had
+<span class = "pagenum">188</span>
+heard nothing of the struggle on the quarter-deck, and the situation was
+a revelation to him. He looked and talked as though he thought that
+Christy and his associates who had captured the vessel were simply
+mutineers. The captain sent the steward for Boxie, and, giving him a
+pair of pistols and a cutlass, informed him that he was to stand guard
+over the five prisoners until he was relieved. The old man, who had been
+one of the seamen on board of the Bellevite when she was a yacht, took
+his place forward of the berth-sacks, and began his march
+athwartship.</p>
+
+<p>"You know me, don't you, Boxie?" said Corny as he recognized the old
+salt, who was the sheet-anchorsman of the crew, and who was generally
+their spokesman.</p>
+
+<p>"You will hold no conversation with the prisoner, Boxie; but you may
+let them talk among themselves, and note what they say if it is of any
+importance. You will be relieved with the first watch."</p>
+
+<p>Ralph Pennant and three seamen conducted the other prisoners to their
+quarters. They were supplied with blankets, in which those from the deck
+wrapped themselves up. Corny and Galvin began
+<span class = "pagenum">189</span>
+to compare notes at once; but Boxie kept his ears open as he marched up
+and down within two feet of his charge.</p>
+
+<p>"I hope you have not committed any rash act, Mr. Passford," said Dr.
+Connelly as the party passed through the ward room.</p>
+
+<p>"I do not stand on mere forms, Dr. Connelly; but if you continue to
+call me simply 'mister,' I shall understand from it that you do not
+recognize me as the rightful commander of the Bronx," replied Christy,
+as he invited the surgeon with a gesture to enter the captain's
+cabin.</p>
+
+<p>"I beg your pardon, Captain Passford; I used the title of 'mister'
+from habit, and not as meaning anything," replied the surgeon. "I was
+forced by the evidence, and quite as much by the lack of evidence, to
+concur with Captain Battleton in his decision."</p>
+
+<p>"I find no fault with you on that account, doctor," added
+Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"You made no protest to the flag-officer, but suddenly disappeared.
+When I went to my stateroom in the evening, your cousin was in command,
+and had sailed to execute the orders given him. You can judge of my
+astonishment when I learned
+<span class = "pagenum">190</span>
+just now that the captain and his officers were prisoners," the surgeon
+explained.</p>
+
+<p>"I do not propose to submit to another investigation by you, or any
+one but the flag-officer; but for your information I am willing to give
+you the facts," said Christy with dignity, of which he had a full supply
+whenever it was needed. "As long as the officers in charge of the Bronx
+continued to obey the orders of the commodore to proceed to the
+eastward, I did nothing; but when they headed the steamer to the
+westward, which they did as soon as it was dark, I understood very well
+that they were disobeying their orders, and intended to run the Bronx
+into Pensacola Bay, and deliver her to the Confederate authorities. Then
+I carried out my plan and captured the vessel."</p>
+
+<p>The surgeon was satisfied with this evidence.</p>
+
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">191</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapXVII">CHAPTER XVII</a></h4>
+
+<h6>THE SECOND AND THIRD LIEUTENANTS</h6>
+
+
+<p>The surgeon went on deck with Christy, where he was presented in due
+form to Mr. Flint, though he had been introduced to him before in his
+former position as second lieutenant. The commander went forward to the
+bridge and pilot-house, and consulting the log slate, found that the
+last entry gave seventy-eight knots from the station. But it was foggy,
+as Mr. Galvinne had predicted that it would be, and the quartermaster
+conning the wheel said it was as "dark as a stack of black cats."
+Nothing could be seen in any direction, and the commander decided that
+it was not prudent to proceed any farther.</p>
+
+<p>The leadsman was ordered to sound, as the screw was stopped, and he
+reported sixteen fathoms with the deep-sea lead. Christy ordered the
+quartermaster to go ahead again, and keep the hand-line going all the
+time. Mr. Flint came forward, and took his place on the bridge, where
+the
+<span class = "pagenum">192</span>
+officer of the deck was usually stationed on board of the Bronx.</p>
+
+<p>The reports of the leadsman were satisfactory, and the steamer went
+ahead for an hour. Then they began to give a diminution of the depth of
+water, indicating, as Christy stated it, that the vessel was approaching
+the land. He looked over the log slate, and found that the course had
+been due east till the order had been given to head her in the opposite
+direction. She had sailed rather more than an hour on that tack, during
+which the recapture of the steamer had been made.</p>
+
+<p>"Mark under water twelve!" shouted the man with the hand lead.</p>
+
+<p>"We are coming up with the shore," said Mr. Flint, as Christy joined
+him on the bridge.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes; but you will get four or five fathoms almost up to the beaches.
+When I was here, the Bellevite was anchored outside, and we went gunning
+and fishing in St. Andrew's Bay. The bay is about thirty miles long; but
+it is as crooked as a ram's horn, and there is no town on it, though
+there are some scattered houses," added Christy. "We shot fat ducks, and
+caught plenty of red snappers and pompana there."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">193</span>
+"And a half ten!" shouted the leadsman, as though he meant to have his
+figures understood, as they indicated the shoaling of the depth.</p>
+
+<p>But Christy gave no order to reduce the speed of the vessel, and
+seemed to feel so thoroughly at home that Mr. Flint began to be a little
+nervous. The young commander had carefully studied the chart of the
+coast with the practical knowledge he had of the locality.</p>
+
+<p>"Can you form any idea where we are, Captain Passford?" asked the
+lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p>"I figured up the course a while ago, and I think we are off St.
+Andrew's Bay. If they had not put her about and run for an hour or more
+to the westward, I should be satisfied in regard to my position; as it
+is, I am not quite clear in regard to it," replied the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"Quarter less ten!" shouted the leadsman, with even more vigor than
+before.</p>
+
+<p>"That will do; stop her and anchor, Mr. Flint," said Christy, as he
+looked about him in an endeavor to penetrate the fog in which the vessel
+was buried.</p>
+
+<p>Then he listened for any sounds that might come to him from the
+direction of the shore; but
+<span class = "pagenum">194</span>
+all was as still as the tomb itself. The screw stopped in obedience to
+the order of the executive officer, who went down to the deck to
+supervise the anchoring of the steamer, as he had no inferior officer to
+attend to this duty.</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Flint, drop a drift lead, and station a hand to observe it,"
+said Christy, hailing the first lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p>"A drift lead, sir," replied Mr. Flint.</p>
+
+<p>This was a lead weighing twenty pounds, which is dropped on the
+bottom by men-of-war to determine if the anchor holds, or if the vessel
+is drifting.</p>
+
+<p>"Station a strong lookout, Mr. Flint, and send a man aloft on the
+foremast and another on the mainmast," continued Christy when the other
+orders had been obeyed.</p>
+
+<p>This completed the preparation for the night. The captain consulted
+his repeater, and ascertained that it was twenty minutes past twelve.
+The Bronx was in position to learn the fact if any vessel attempted to
+run out of St. Andrew's Bay, provided his calculations in regard to the
+locality of the Bronx were correct. Christy went down to the deck, and
+walked aft with Mr. Flint.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">195</span>
+"I think some of us need a little sleep to-night," said the
+commander.</p>
+
+<p>"Then you had better turn in, Captain Passford," said the executive
+officer. "We can do nothing more to-night except to keep a sharp
+lookout."</p>
+
+<p>"You are the only officer on board except myself," replied Christy.
+"We are still in the dark as to what we have to do here. We may have to
+send off a boat expedition, as we did at Cedar Keys, and we are in
+absolute need of more officers."</p>
+
+<p>"We have plenty of material out of which to make them, and we can do
+as we did after the fight with the Scotian and the Arran, when we made
+them," replied Mr. Flint. "We have men of good education in the crew,
+who have either commanded coasters, or been mates on steamers."</p>
+
+<p>"If you will name one, I will name another," added Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"Quartermaster Camden. He commanded a three-masted schooner in the
+coal trade. He is not college educated, but he is a remarkably
+well-informed man who shipped in the navy to learn the details of duty
+on board of a man-of-war."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">196</span>
+"I appoint him acting second lieutenant," added Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"I am sure he will get a commission as soon as he applies for it,
+captain," added the first lieutenant, pleased with the prompt decision.
+"Now, who is your man?"</p>
+
+<p>"Ralph Pennant. I had my eye on him while I was aboard of the Vernon,
+where he became a sort of oracle among the seamen on account of his
+abundant information on general subjects. He talks like a man with a
+good education, and he has been mate of a steamer of good size. But I
+know very little concerning him, and am afraid he has one out."</p>
+
+<p>"What is that, captain?"</p>
+
+<p>"I am afraid he is fond of whiskey, though I do not know that
+he&nbsp;is."</p>
+
+<p>"He can't get any whiskey here unless it is served out to him; so
+that habit, if it is his habit, will do him no harm," argued Mr.
+Flint.</p>
+
+<p>"I appoint him third lieutenant temporarily."</p>
+
+<p>"That will amount to their being made ensigns when you go north again
+if they prove to be worthy of promotion," added the executive officer,
+with a chuckle. "That was what happened to Baskirk and Amden."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">197</span>
+"If they are worthy, I shall certainly do the best I can for them,"
+added Christy, gaping.</p>
+
+<p>Camden was called aft and formally appointed second lieutenant, but
+Ralph was in the watch below, and was in his hammock. The commander
+retired to his stateroom, and, letting his report wait till another day,
+he was soon sound asleep.</p>
+
+<p>In accordance with the directions he had left with the first
+lieutenant, Christy was called with the watch at four o'clock in the
+morning. Though the first lieutenant is not a watch officer, he may be
+required to do duty as such when the number of commissioned officers is
+reduced below three, and Mr. Flint had remained in charge of the
+mid-watch, which had been called to the deck at midnight. The captain
+relieved him and Camden, and both of them went below, the new appointee
+taking the stateroom of the second lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p>"Pass the word for Ralph Pennant," said Christy, as soon as he
+reached the quarter-deck.</p>
+
+<p>"I have had considerable talk with Camden, and I am satisfied that he
+will make a capital officer," said the executive officer, as he moved
+towards the companion-way. "I suppose you
+<span class = "pagenum">198</span>
+have sent for Pennant with the intention of appointing him third
+lieutenant."</p>
+
+<p>"That is my purpose; and here he comes."</p>
+
+<p>"On deck, sir," reported Ralph, touching his cap to the commander, as
+Mr. Flint descended the steps to the ward room.</p>
+
+<p>"I think you told me that you had had some experience on board of
+steamers, Pennant," replied Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"I told you that I had been the mate of a steamer," answered the
+seaman.</p>
+
+<p>"What is your age?"</p>
+
+<p>"Twenty-eight years."</p>
+
+<p>"Then you are older than you appear to be," continued Christy; and he
+proceeded to question the seaman in regard to his education and
+experience as a seaman.</p>
+
+<p>He had not been mistaken in his estimate of the man, so far as he
+could judge from his answers. Pennant had taken a steamer home to New
+York from Havana after the captain had died there of yellow fever. He
+had expected to be given the command of the vessel; and when he failed
+to obtain the position he resigned his place as mate, but secured the
+same position in another and larger steamer.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">199</span>
+"Do you ever drink whiskey, Pennant?" asked Christy abruptly.</p>
+
+<p>"At present, no, sir," replied the seaman decidedly. "I learned a few
+months ago that I failed to obtain the command of the steamer I brought
+home from Havana because it was said I took too much whiskey. I knocked
+off then, and have not drank a drop since."</p>
+
+<p>"That was a sensible thing to do. You are aware that we are short of
+officers, I suppose," said the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, sir; and since I came on deck, I heard that Phil Camden had
+been appointed acting second lieutenant," replied Pennant.</p>
+
+<p>"That is true; and now I am going to appoint you acting third
+lieutenant. You will call the watch aft."</p>
+
+<p>"I am very much obliged to you, Captain Passford, for this favor; and
+I know you would not give me the place if you did not think me worthy of
+it," replied the seaman as he went forward and called the watch to the
+mainmast.</p>
+
+<p>"My men, I have just appointed Ralph Pennant acting third lieutenant;
+and you will obey and respect him as such," said Christy, addressing the
+watch, and then dismissing them.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">200</span>
+The men gave three hearty cheers as they were dismissed, proving to the
+commander that Pennant was a popular man among them, as Camden had also
+been proved to be when his appointment had been announced to the
+starboard watch. As in politics, legislation, war, and business, the
+masses of the people soon ascertain who are their natural leaders, the
+crew of the Bronx, or that portion who had come from New York in the
+Vernon, had been prompt in discovering the abilities of the two men now
+promoted.</p>
+
+<p>"Now, Mr. Pennant, you may remove your bag to the ward room, and the
+third stateroom on the starboard side, counting from the forward one, is
+yours for the present," continued Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"But I have no uniform, Captain Passford," suggested the
+appointee.</p>
+
+<p>"I have one in my stateroom; but it is altogether too small for you,"
+replied the commander, glancing in the gloom of the night at the
+stalwart form of the third lieutenant, lacking not more than an inch of
+six feet, and his weight could not have been less than one hundred and
+eighty. "We will see what can be done in the morning."</p>
+
+<p>"The crew all know me, and I dare say I can
+<span class = "pagenum">201</span>
+get along without a uniform till we get back to the station, where I
+could get one from the store-ship; but it is not likely that I shall
+need one then."</p>
+
+<p>"I cannot say as to that. When you go forward take a look at the
+prisoners, and report to me," added Christy, as Mr. Pennant went
+below.</p>
+
+<p>In a few minutes he reported that the prisoners were all fast asleep.
+Boxie had been relieved as guard, and another seaman was marching back
+and forth by their couches. It was still dark and foggy, and a hail came
+from the mast-head forward.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">202</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapXVIII">CHAPTER XVIII</a></h4>
+
+<h6>A BATTLE ON A SMALL SCALE</h6>
+
+
+<p>"On deck!" shouted the lookout at the foremast head. "Light on the
+starboard bow!"</p>
+
+<p>"Silence, all!" cried the commander, as soon as he heard the hail
+from aloft. "Go forward, Mr. Pennant, silence the hands, and direct the
+lookout to hail in lower tones."</p>
+
+<p>The third lieutenant sprang forward to obey the order, and Christy
+followed him at a more moderate pace, consistent with his dignity as the
+officer highest in rank on board. It was not so much a question of
+dignity, however, with him as it was the intention to preserve his
+self-possession. A light had been reported on the starboard bow; but
+Christy had no more means of knowing what it meant than any other person
+on deck. It suggested a blockade runner, a battery, or a house near the
+shore where he did not expect to find one.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">203</span>
+The captain went on the bridge; but he could not see the light. He
+descended to the deck, and then mounted the fore-rigging. The lookout
+saw him, and said he could not see the light any longer; it had been in
+sight a couple of minutes, and then had disappeared. It was useless to
+look for it if gone, and Christy returned to the bridge, where Mr.
+Pennant was attentively studying the compass.</p>
+
+<p>"In what direction is the head of the steamer pointed, Mr. Pennant?"
+he asked as he joined the lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p>"Exactly north-east, sir," replied Mr. Pennant.</p>
+
+<p>"Then the report of the light on the starboard bow places it directly
+to the eastward of us," added Christy. "That is about where the entrance
+to St. Andrew's Bay ought to be, if my calculations were correct. We
+have been running to the eastward since we left the blockaders' station
+off Pensacola Bay. My ruler on the chart gave me that course, and Mr.
+Galvinne followed it while he was in charge. We could not have got more
+than half a mile off the course in coming about twice. The shoaling of
+the water also indicates that we are all right."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">204</span>
+The body of the fog evidently lay near the water, and the lookout had
+probably seen the light over the top of the bank, as it could not be
+made out on the bridge. Christy expressed his belief that the sun would
+burn the fog off soon after it rose. No variation of the drift lead had
+been reported, and the Bronx was not even swinging at her anchor. For an
+hour longer entire silence was preserved on the deck, and the lookout
+made no further report.</p>
+
+<p>"There is some sort of commotion among the men on the top-gallant
+forecastle," said Mr. Pennant, while Christy was still studying the
+situation, and one of the men was seen in the act of hurrying aft.</p>
+
+<p>"I heard men's voices off to the eastward," said this man, when he
+had mounted the bridge, and touched his hat to the officers there; and
+he spoke in a whisper, in conformity with the orders given.</p>
+
+<p>"Could you hear any slapping of a paddle wheel, or other noises that
+sound like a steamer?" asked Christy in the same low tone.</p>
+
+<p>"No, sir; nothing but the voices; but I think the speakers must be in
+a vessel of some sort, for
+<span class = "pagenum">205</span>
+the sound since I first heard it, and could hardly make it out, comes
+from farther south," replied the man.</p>
+
+<p>"Take a force of twelve men, with pistols and cutlasses, Mr. Pennant,
+in the first cutter, and pull down to the south-east. Whatever you find
+in the shape of a vessel or a boat, capture it, and return to the Bronx.
+Get off with as little noise as possible, and muffle your oars."</p>
+
+<p>Silently Mr. Pennant selected his crew for the boat, saw them armed,
+and had the cutter lowered into the water. In a very short space of time
+the boat was off. The commander did not believe that anything very
+serious would result from this boat expedition, for he was confident
+there was no vessel of any size near the Bronx. The men in the cutter
+pulled very quietly, and hardly splashed the water with their oars, for
+they had all been trained by Christy himself to pull without noise when
+he was executive officer.</p>
+
+<p>This was the first responsible position Mr. Pennant had been called
+upon to fill, and he knew that his future depended in a large measure
+upon the skill and fidelity with which he obeyed his orders. His crew
+believed in him, and they were
+<span class = "pagenum">206</span>
+very painstaking in their efforts to work in silence. He had stationed
+quartermaster Vincent in the bow of the boat as the lookout, and he was
+industriously peering out into the gloom of the fog and darkness to
+discover a vessel or a boat. He had heard the sounds himself, and he
+knew there was something there. When the boat had pulled about fifteen
+minutes, Vincent raised his hand up into the air; this was a signal
+which the third lieutenant understood, for he had arranged several of
+them with the quartermaster.</p>
+
+<p>"Stand by to lay on your oars," said Mr. Pennant in the lowest tones
+that could be heard by the crew. "Oars!"</p>
+
+<p>At the last order the men levelled their oars, feathering the blades,
+and remained like eight statues in their seats. Vincent listened with
+all his ears in the dead silence which prevailed.</p>
+
+<p>"I hear the voices again," he reported to the lieutenant in the stern
+sheets, in a voice just loud enough to reach him; "they are more to the
+southward."</p>
+
+<p>"Stand by!" added Mr. Pennant, who had been duly trained in boat
+service at an oar. "Give way together! No noise!"</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">207</span>
+The boat went ahead again, though only at a moderate speed consistent
+with the least possible noise. The quartermaster in the bow continued to
+gaze into the fog bank, though by this time there was a little lighting
+up in the east, indicating that the day was breaking. For half an hour
+longer the cutter continued on its course. Occasionally Vincent had
+raised his hand over his head, and then dropped it to his left,
+indicating to the officer in command that the sounds came from farther
+to the southward, and the cockswain was directed to change the
+course.</p>
+
+<p>In another half hour the noises could be distinctly heard by the
+third lieutenant, and he directed the course of the cutter without the
+need of any more signals from the bow. His first move was to make a more
+decided course to the southward. Then he hastened the crew in their
+work.</p>
+
+<p>"Sail, ho!" called Vincent, who had not abated his vigilance on the
+lookout; and he pointed with his right hand in the direction he had seen
+the craft.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Pennant concluded that the sail could not be far off, or it could
+not be seen, and it would be useless to maintain the dead silence, which
+was
+<span class = "pagenum">208</span>
+painful to all in the boat. He stood up in his place, and, after looking
+for a couple of minutes, he made out the sail himself. So far as he
+could judge from what he saw, the craft was a small sloop of not more
+than thirty-five feet in length.</p>
+
+<p>"Give way now, lively!" said the third lieutenant, in his ordinary
+tones. "I make her out, and she is a small sloop. We shall not have much
+of a brush."</p>
+
+<p>Under the vigorous pulling of eight stalwart men, the cutter leaped
+forward at a speed that would have won an ordinary boat race, and in ten
+minutes more, the sloop could be distinctly made out, the cutter running
+across her bow. She was close-hauled, with the wind from the south-west,
+and very little of it. On board of her were at least ten men, as the
+quartermaster counted them, and there might have been more in her cuddy
+under the hail-deck forward.</p>
+
+<p>"Boat, ahoy!" shouted a man on the forecastle of the sloop.</p>
+
+<p>"On board the sloop!" replied Mr. Pennant, standing up in the stern
+sheets. "What sloop is that?"</p>
+
+<p>"The Magnolia, bound to Appalachicola," replied
+<span class = "pagenum">209</span>
+the spokesman of the craft. "What boat is that?"</p>
+
+<p>"The first cutter of the United States steamer Bronx! Heave to, and
+give an account of yourselves," hailed the officer in command. "Stand by
+to lay on your oars!" he added in a lower tone to his crew. "Oars!"</p>
+
+<p>But the boat seemed to be running too far away from the sloop, though
+it was near enough for the lieutenant and quartermaster to see that
+there was a decided commotion on board of her.</p>
+
+<p>"Hold water!" added the lieutenant. "Stern all!"</p>
+
+<p>The momentum of the cutter was checked, and the boat placed in a
+convenient position for a further conference with the sloop. Either by
+intention or carelessness the skipper of the sail-boat had permitted her
+to broach to, probably because he was giving too much attention to the
+boat and too little to the sloop. When the cutter lost its headway, it
+was not more than fifty feet from the sloop.</p>
+
+<p>"Hold the sloop as she is, and I will board you," said Mr. Pennant,
+as he saw the skipper filling away again.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">210</span>
+"Keep off, or we will fire into you!" shouted the man on the forecastle,
+who appeared to be the principal man of the party.</p>
+
+<p>"See that your pistols and cutlasses are ready for use," said the
+third lieutenant, in a tone loud enough to be heard by the crew
+only.</p>
+
+<p>"We are all private citizens," added the sloop's spokesman.</p>
+
+<p>"No matter what you are; I propose to overhaul you and judge for
+myself what you are," answered the officer in command of the cutter.
+"Let go your sheet, skipper!"</p>
+
+<p>Instead of obeying the order, the boatman hauled in his sheet, and
+the sloop began to fill away. Mr. Pennant could form no idea of what the
+party were. It was possible that they were private citizens, and
+non-combatants; if they were, they had only to prove they were such by
+submitting to a further inquiry.</p>
+
+<p>"Stand by, my men! Give way together, lively!" shouted the lieutenant
+as though he intended that those on board of the sloop should hear him
+as well as his own crew.</p>
+
+<p>The cutter darted ahead; but she had not advanced half the distance
+before the men on board
+<span class = "pagenum">211</span>
+of the sloop fired a volley with muskets at the approaching boat. Mr.
+Pennant dropped his left arm very suddenly, and the stroke oarsman went
+down into the bottom of the boat.</p>
+
+<p>"Come aft, Kingston!" called the third lieutenant to the nearest man
+in the bow, and the one indicated crawled aft with all the haste he
+could make. "Take Hilton's oar!" added Mr. Pennant, as with his right
+arm he drew the wounded man back into the stern sheets.</p>
+
+<p>The progress of the boat was hardly interrupted by the volley, and in
+less than a minute after the discharge of the muskets, her stem struck
+the bow of the sloop, though not till the lieutenant had checked her
+headway, and ordered the men to stand by to board the rebellious craft.
+The quartermaster made fast to the sloop, and then grasped his
+cutlass.</p>
+
+<p>"Lay her aboard!" shouted Mr. Pennant; and Vincent led the way,
+leaping directly into the midst of the eight men in the standing
+room.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you surrender?" asked the lieutenant of the principal man on the
+forecastle as he came alongside of him.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't see that we can help ourselves,"
+<span class = "pagenum">212</span>
+replied the spokesman in a surly tone; for the prospect before him was
+not very pleasant, especially as a volley had been fired from the sloop,
+presumably by his order, for he was the one who had made the threat in
+the first place.</p>
+
+<p>"Don't strike, my men; they have surrendered," continued Mr. Pennant
+with a gesture to his men.</p>
+
+<p>"This is an outrage," said the man on the forecastle, who could not
+help seeing that the whole party were in a fair way to be annihilated if
+they made any further resistance.</p>
+
+<p>"I dare say it is, my friend," replied Mr. Pennant blandly, for he
+had been in the navy long enough to adopt the characteristic politeness
+which distinguishes its officers. "Take possession of all the muskets
+and other weapons you can find, Vincent, and put them in the
+cutter."</p>
+
+<p>This order was promptly obeyed. Before it was fully carried out an
+elderly gentleman crawled out of the cuddy, and stood up in the standing
+room; he was a man of dignity, and evidently of importance.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">213</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapXIX">CHAPTER XIX</a></h4>
+
+<h6>THE SKIPPER OF THE SLOOP MAGNOLIA</h6>
+
+
+<p>"You were very unwise to order these men to fire upon the boat," said
+the dignified gentleman, addressing the man on the forecastle of the
+Magnolia; "it was a great mistake, Captain Flanger."</p>
+
+<p>"That's so!" exclaimed Mr. Pennant, feeling of his left arm as he
+spoke; for he had been wounded there, though the injury had not for a
+moment abated his energy.</p>
+
+<p>"I did not mean to allow the sloop to be captured by a boat load of
+men like that," replied Captain Flanger; "and if our men had used their
+bayonets we should have been all right. I told them to fix their
+bayonets, but they paid no attention to&nbsp;me."</p>
+
+<p>"It was a great mistake," repeated the dignified gentleman, shaking
+his head.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Pennant had time now to look over the craft he had captured, and
+the men on board of
+<span class = "pagenum">214</span>
+her. It was simply a large sailboat, and those on board of her wore
+plain clothes. They did not appear to be soldiers or sailors, though
+there was a number of bayonets scattered about the standing room. The
+seamen from the cutter had leaped on board of the sloop, with cutlasses
+in their belts; but there was not space enough to permit the use of the
+weapon, and they had seized each of the men by the collar and put a
+pistol to his head.</p>
+
+<p>"How many men have you on board, Captain Flanger?" demanded the third
+lieutenant, still standing up in the boat abreast of the person he
+addressed.</p>
+
+<p>"Count them for yourself!" exclaimed Captain Flanger in brutal
+tones.</p>
+
+<p>"All right: I will count you first," added Mr. Pennant, as he reached
+over and seized the leader of the party by the collar with his right
+hand.</p>
+
+<p class = "illustration">
+<img src = "images/pic219.png" width = "528" height = "352"
+alt = "illustration of quoted scene"><br>
+<span class = "caption"><span class = "smallcaps">Colonel Homer Passford
+Visits the Bronx.</span>&mdash;Page 219.</span>
+</p>
+
+<p>Flanger attempted to shake off his grasp, but the lieutenant was a
+very powerful man, and he dragged him into the boat in the twinkling of
+an eye. He tossed him into the bottom of the boat, five of the boat's
+crew being still in their seats, trailing their oars, for only seven of
+them had been able to get on board of the Magnolia for the want of
+space.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">215</span>
+"Tie his hands behind him," added Mr. Pennant to the men, who fell upon
+Flanger the moment he lighted in the bottom of the cutter.</p>
+
+<p>The prisoner was disposed to make further resistance, but two men
+fell upon him and made him fast to one of the thwarts. The leader of the
+party, as he appeared to be from the first, could do no further
+mischief, and the lieutenant gave his attention to the others on board
+of the sloop. The dignified gentleman, who was dressed in black clothes,
+though they had suffered not a little from contact with grease and tar,
+had seated himself in the standing room. He looked like a man of many
+sorrows, and his expression indicated that he was suffering from some
+cause not apparent.</p>
+
+<p>There were nine men left in the standing room, including the
+gentleman in black; they were coarse and rough-looking persons, and not
+one of them appeared to be the social peer of him who had condemned the
+firing upon the boat. The skipper remained at the tiller of the boat,
+and he looked as though he might have negro blood in his veins, though
+he was not black, and probably was an octoroon. He said nothing and did
+nothing, and had not used a musket when the others fired. He
+<span class = "pagenum">216</span>
+behaved as though he intended to be entirely neutral. A few drops of
+negro blood in his veins was enough to condemn him to inferiority with
+the rude fellows on board of the sloop, though his complexion was
+lighter than that of any of his companions.</p>
+
+<p>"Vincent, pass one half of the men on board of the cutter," said Mr.
+Pennant, when he had looked over the boat and the men on board
+of&nbsp;it.</p>
+
+<p>The quartermaster obeyed the order, and four of the party were placed
+in the bow and stern sheets of the cutter. Six oarsmen were directed to
+take their places on the thwarts. The lieutenant retained his place in
+the stern sheets, which he had not left during the affray or the
+conference. Three seamen, with a pistol in one hand and a cutlass in the
+other, were directed to remain on board of the sloop; but the party had
+been disarmed, and their muskets were in the bottom of the cutter, and
+they were not likely to attempt any resistance. The painter of the sloop
+was made fast to the stern of the Bronx's boat, and Mr. Pennant gave the
+order for the crew to give way.</p>
+
+<p>It had been a battle on a small scale, but the
+<span class = "pagenum">217</span>
+victory had been won, and the cutter was towing her prize in the
+direction of the gunboat. The lieutenant's first care was to attend to
+Hilton, the stroke oarsman who had been wounded in the affair. He placed
+him in a comfortable position on the bottom of the boat, and then
+examined into his condition. A bullet had struck him in the right side,
+and the blood was flowing freely from the wound. Mr. Pennant did the
+best he could for his relief, and the man said he was comfortable.</p>
+
+<p>"Sail ahead!" shouted the bow oarsman, looking behind him.</p>
+
+<p>"What is it, Gorman?" asked the lieutenant, standing up in his
+place.</p>
+
+<p>"A steamer, sir," answered Gorman.</p>
+
+<p>"I see her; it is the Bronx," added Mr. Pennant.</p>
+
+<p>By this time it was broad daylight, and apparently the fog was not as
+dense as it had been earlier in the morning. The boat with her tow
+continued on her course, now headed for the gunboat which the officer
+had made out. In ten minutes more the expedition was within hailing
+distance of the steamer, which immediately stopped her screw.</p>
+
+<p>The cutter came up at the gangway of the
+<span class = "pagenum">218</span>
+Bronx, and Christy was standing on the rail, anxious to learn what the
+boat had accomplished. He had heard the report of the volley fired at
+the cutter, and had been very solicitous for the safety of her crew. He
+had weighed anchor as soon as he heard the sounds, and proceeded in the
+direction from which they came.</p>
+
+<p>"I have to report the capture of the small sloop, the Magnolia, in
+tow," said the third lieutenant, touching his cap to the commander. "We
+have eleven prisoners. Hilton is wounded, and I will send him on board
+first, if you please."</p>
+
+<p>"Do so," replied Christy. "Mr. Camden, pass the word for Dr.
+Connelly."</p>
+
+<p>A couple of men were directed to convey the wounded seaman up the
+steps, and he was handed over to the doctor, who had him conveyed to the
+sick bay. The obdurate Captain Flanger was next sent up to the deck,
+where Mr. Camden received him, and made him fast to the rail without
+note or comment; and even Christy made no remark except to give
+necessary orders. The other prisoners were not bound, and they were put
+under guard in the waist. The dignified gentleman in black was the last
+to come up the stairs.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">219</span>
+The moment he put his feet upon the deck, the commander stepped back,
+with a look of profound astonishment, if not of dismay, on his face, as
+he glanced at the important prisoner of the party. At first he seemed to
+be unable to believe the evidence of his senses, and gazed with intense
+earnestness at the gentleman.</p>
+
+<p>"Uncle Homer!" exclaimed Christy, extending his hand to him, which
+Colonel Passford, as he was called at home, though he was not in the
+Confederate army, warmly grasped; and the first smile that had been seen
+on his face played upon his lips.</p>
+
+<p>"I am glad to see you, Christy," said the prisoner, if he was to be
+regarded as such, for he certainly was not a sailor or a soldier.</p>
+
+<p>"I cannot say as much as that," replied Christy, still holding the
+gentleman's hand; "I must say I am sorry to see you under present
+circumstances, for you come as a prisoner in the hands of my men."</p>
+
+<p>"I am a non-combatant, Christy," replied Colonel Passford. "I have
+not served in the Confederate army or navy, or even been a member of a
+home guard."</p>
+
+<p>"I have not time now to look into that question;
+<span class = "pagenum">220</span>
+but I can assure you that you will be treated with the greatest
+consideration on board of my ship," added Christy as he conducted him
+below, and left him with Dave in his own cabin, returning at once to the
+deck to inquire into the operations of the first cutter. The boat had
+been hoisted up to the davits, and the Magnolia was made fast astern.
+All hands had been called when the Bronx got under way, and the men were
+all at their stations.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Pennant reported in all its details upon his expedition. Dr.
+Connelly said his patient was severely, but not dangerously, wounded; he
+would recover, but he would not be fit for duty for two or three
+weeks.</p>
+
+<p>"While you are here, doctor, I will show you my arm, which is
+beginning to be somewhat uncomfortable," said the third lieutenant with
+a cheerful smile.</p>
+
+<p>"Are you wounded, Mr. Pennant?" asked the commander, who had listened
+to his report at length, without suspecting that he had a wound.</p>
+
+<p>"I was hit in the left arm; but very fortunately the wound did not
+disable me," replied the lieutenant as he proceeded to take off his
+coat.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">221</span>
+"But I cannot dress the wound here, Mr. Pennant," added the surgeon.</p>
+
+<p>"Then I will wait till I have time to attend to it," replied the
+heroic officer who treated the injury with contempt; "I have not
+finished my report to the captain yet. I will be in the ward room as
+soon as the captain is done with&nbsp;me."</p>
+
+<p>"But I can wait, Mr. Pennant," interposed Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"So can I, if you please, captain," added the lieutenant, smiling as
+pleasantly as though he had been free from pain, as he could not have
+been with the wound in his arm. "I wish to say a few words about the
+gentleman in black we captured on board of the sloop."</p>
+
+<p>"Did you learn his name?" asked Christy, greatly interested in what
+the officer was about to say.</p>
+
+<p>"No, sir, I did not; I heard no one call him by name. He was in the
+cuddy forward when we boarded the Magnolia; and when he came out of the
+little cabin, the first thing he said was, 'It was very unwise for you
+to order the men to fire upon the boat. It was a great mistake, Captain
+Flanger.'"</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">222</span>
+"That shows that he at least was a non-combatant," added Christy,
+pleased to hear this report of his uncle.</p>
+
+<p>"That is all I have to say about him. I studied the skipper of the
+sloop and watched him. I am sure he did not fire a musket, and he seemed
+to take no part in the affairs of the men on board. Captain Flanger is
+the active man of the party; but I have no idea who or what he is. If
+you look at the skipper, you will see that he is an octoroon, or
+something between a mulatto and a white man, and in my opinion he is not
+a cheerful worker on that side of the house. Perhaps the skipper will be
+willing to tell you who and what the party are. They claimed to be
+private citizens, and that the sloop was bound to Appalachicola; perhaps
+the gentleman in black can explain the mission of the party."</p>
+
+<p>"If he can he will not, if they were engaged in an operation in the
+interest of the Confederates," added Christy with a smile. "That
+gentleman is Colonel Homer Passford."</p>
+
+<p>"He bears your name," said Mr. Pennant.</p>
+
+<p>"He is my uncle; my father's only brother."</p>
+
+<p>"Then I am sorry I brought him in."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">223</span>
+"You did your duty, and it was quite right for you to bring him on
+board. He is as devoted to the Confederate cause as my father is to the
+Union. But go below, and have your wound dressed, Mr. Pennant."</p>
+
+<p>The lieutenant went to the ward room where the surgeon was waiting
+for him. Christy called out the skipper of the sloop, and walked into
+the waist with him. The octoroon was a large man, of about the size of
+the third lieutenant, and he could have made a good deal of mischief if
+he had been so disposed.</p>
+
+<p>"Bless the Lord that I am here at last!" exclaimed the skipper, as he
+looked furtively about him.</p>
+
+<p>Christy understood him perfectly.</p>
+
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">224</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapXX">CHAPTER XX</a></h4>
+
+<h6>AN EXPEDITION TO ST. ANDREW'S BAY</h6>
+
+
+<p>"What is your name, my man?" asked Christy, as he looked over the
+stalwart form of the skipper of the Magnolia.</p>
+
+<p>"Michael Bornhoff," replied the prisoner.</p>
+
+<p>"Are you a Russian?" asked the commander, inclined to laugh at this
+singular name of one of the proscribed race.</p>
+
+<p>"No, sir; but I was named after a Russian sailor Captain Flanger
+picked up in Havana. I don't mean this Captain Flanger that was on board
+of the Magnolia, but his father," replied the stout fellow.</p>
+
+<p>"Are you a free man?"</p>
+
+<p>"No, sir; I belong to Captain Flanger: his father is dead, and left
+me to his son."</p>
+
+<p>"Why did you bless the Lord that you were here at last?"</p>
+
+<p>"Because I have been trying to get here for
+<span class = "pagenum">225</span>
+more than a year," replied the contraband, after looking about him for a
+moment, and then dropping his voice as though he feared Captain Flanger
+might hear what he said. "Now, mister, will you tell me who you are
+before I say anything more? for I shall get my back scored with
+forty-nine stripes if I open my mouth too wide;" and again he looked
+timidly around the deck.</p>
+
+<p>"You are on board of the United States steamer Bronx, and I am the
+commander of her," replied Christy, desiring to encourage Michael
+Bornhoff to tell all he knew about the expedition in the Magnolia.</p>
+
+<p>The skipper took his cap off, and bowed very low to Christy when he
+realized that he was talking to the principal personage on board of the
+gunboat. He was well dressed for one in his position, and displayed no
+little dignity and self-possession. Perhaps, if he had not been tainted
+with a few drops of black blood in his veins, he might have been a
+person of some consequence in the Confederate service.</p>
+
+<p>"Not a bad wound at all, Captain Passford," said Mr. Pennant. "The
+doctor says I am still fit for duty."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">226</span>
+"Captain Passford!" exclaimed Michael Bornhoff, as he heard the name;
+and the third lieutenant passed on to take a look at the prisoners.</p>
+
+<p>"That is my name," added Christy, smiling at the earnestness of the
+skipper.</p>
+
+<p>"That is a bad name for this child," said the octoroon, shaking his
+head. "Are you the son of Colonel Passford?"</p>
+
+<p>"I am not; but I am his nephew," replied the commander, willing to be
+perfectly frank with him.</p>
+
+<p>"Bless the Lord that you are his nephew and not his son!" exclaimed
+Michael fervently, as he raised his eyes towards the sky, which was
+beginning to be visible through the fog. "I have heard about you, for I
+was to pilot a vessel out of Cedar Keys when you came up there in
+command of the boats. Colonel Passford was over there, and he saw you on
+board of the Havana."</p>
+
+<p>"Then we understand each other, Mr. Bornhoff," added Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"Perfectly, Captain Passford; and I would trust you with my freedom,
+which is the dearest thing on earth to me. But don't call me 'mister,'
+or you will make me forget that I am a nigger,"
+<span class = "pagenum">227</span>
+said the skipper, laughing in his delight to find that he was in good
+and safe hands. "Captain Flanger called me Mike always, and that is a
+good enough name for&nbsp;me."</p>
+
+<p>"Very well, Mike; you are a free man on board of this ship."</p>
+
+<p>"I ought to be, for I am a whiter man than Captain Flanger."</p>
+
+<p>"Now tell me what you know about that expedition on board of the
+Magnolia," said Christy more earnestly. "Mr. Pennant reports that your
+passengers claimed that they were peaceable citizens, and that your
+sloop was bound to Appalachicola. Was that true?"</p>
+
+<p>"Just then they were peaceable enough; but they were not when Captain
+Flanger ordered them to fire on your men. Colonel Passford and I were
+the only peaceable citizens on board of the sloop, and I was no citizen
+at all," replied the skipper, laughing.</p>
+
+<p>"You are one now, at any rate. Were you bound to Appalachicola?"</p>
+
+<p>"Not just then, captain," chuckled Mike, who seemed to be amused and
+delighted to feel that he was telling the secrets of his late
+companions.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">228</span>
+"We were going to Appalachicola after a while, where we were to pilot
+out some vessels loaded with cotton."</p>
+
+<p>"Then there are cotton vessels at that port, are there?" asked
+Christy, pricking up his ears at this suggestion.</p>
+
+<p>"Half a dozen of them, and a steamer to tow them to sea."</p>
+
+<p>"Are you sure of this information, Mike?"</p>
+
+<p>"I did not see them there, Captain Passford; but it was your uncle's
+business to look after them, as he was doing in St. Andrew's Bay."</p>
+
+<p>"Then my uncle has vessels in that bay which are to run out?"
+inquired Christy, deeply interested in the revelations of the
+skipper.</p>
+
+<p>"Only one, sir: a steamer of five hundred tons, called the
+Floridian."</p>
+
+<p>"Precisely; that is the vessel we are after. But what was my uncle
+doing on board of your sloop, with Captain Flanger and the rest of your
+party?"</p>
+
+<p>"My master was the captain of the Floridian, and we came out here to
+see if there was any blockader near, that had come up in the fog. The
+steamer was to be brought out by the
+<span class = "pagenum">229</span>
+pilot, who has been on board of her for three days."</p>
+
+<p>"Who were the men with muskets on board of the sloop?"</p>
+
+<p>"Those were the coast guard, sir," replied Mike, chuckling again.</p>
+
+<p>"The coast guard? I don't understand that," replied Christy, puzzled
+at the expression.</p>
+
+<p>"Eight of them, sir; and they have been keeping guard on Crooked, St.
+Andrew's, and Hurricane Islands, to let them know inside if there was
+any blockader coming this way. They had sky-rockets and flags to make
+signals with."</p>
+
+<p>"But why were they brought off if the steamer is still in the
+bay?"</p>
+
+<p>"The Floridian was coming out this morning in the fog, if Captain
+Flanger made the signal for her to do so. Then the captain was to go on
+board of her, and I was to sail the rest of the party to Appalachicola,"
+replied Mike, still chuckling with delight at his ability to give the
+commander such important information.</p>
+
+<p>"Then the Floridian is all ready to come out of the bay?" asked
+Christy, suppressing the excitement he was beginning to feel.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">230</span>
+"All ready, sir; and the signal was a sky-rocket, which the pilot could
+see over the fog."</p>
+
+<p>"We will not give them any signal, but we will treat them to some
+visitors. Is the steamer armed, Mike?"</p>
+
+<p>"No, sir; not a single big gun, and she has only hands enough to work
+her. Steam all up when we came out of the bay, sir," said Mike, laughing
+heartily, apparently in spite of himself.</p>
+
+<p>"Call all hands, Mr. Camden," said the commander in brusque
+tones.</p>
+
+<p>The boatswain's whistle sounded through the steamer. In a moment, as
+it were, all hands were in their stations. Nothing like a drill with the
+present ship's company had been possible, though the men had been
+trained to some extent at the navy-yard and on board of the Vernon; but
+the majority of the crew were old men who had served some time on board
+of the Bronx, and under the present commander.</p>
+
+<p>The prisoners appeared to be quite as much interested in the
+proceedings on deck as the ship's company, and closely observed
+everything that was done. Michael Bornhoff was quite excited, and walked
+the deck hurriedly, as though he was
+<span class = "pagenum">231</span>
+in search of something to do; but he was very careful not to go near the
+place where Captain Flanger was made fast to the rail.</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Flint," called the commander to the first lieutenant, as soon as
+the crew were assembled on deck, "there is a steamer of five hundred
+tons in St. Andrew's Bay, all ready to come out at a given signal from
+the party just captured by the first cutter. I propose to capture her
+with the boats, and you will take the command of the expedition. The
+first and second cutters will be employed, and you will see that they
+are ready."</p>
+
+<p>"The boats are in good condition, sir, and they will be ready in five
+minutes," replied Mr. Flint, who had come on deck at the call for all
+hands, and had hardly learned the results of the recent boat
+expedition.</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Camden will take charge of the second cutter," added
+Christy.</p>
+
+<p>While the crews were making the boats ready, and Mr. Camden was
+selecting the extra men for them, as he was instructed to do, Christy
+gave the executive officer a brief account of the capture of the sloop,
+and an epitome of the information he had obtained from Bornhoff.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">232</span>
+"What am I to do, Captain Passford?" asked Mike, who was watching the
+proceedings on deck with the most intense interest. "I want to ship in
+the Yankee navy as a pilot, for I know this coast from the Mississippi
+to Key West."</p>
+
+<p>"Are you a sailor?" asked Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"I went to sea for eleven years, and Captain Flanger, father and son,
+put my wages in their pockets."</p>
+
+<p>"You cannot ship as a pilot, only as an able seaman, if you know how
+to hand, reef, and steer, and how to make knots and splices."</p>
+
+<p>"I know all that, captain, like I know my name."</p>
+
+<p>"Then I will look upon you as an able seaman until you are formally
+enlisted. Mr. Flint, this man is Michael Bornhoff; he is an able seaman
+and a pilot in these waters. I think you had better take him with you,
+for he is fully informed in regard to the Floridian, which you are to
+bring out. Let him have pistols and a cutlass," said Christy.</p>
+
+<p>In ten minutes more the expedition left the ship, and soon
+disappeared in the low bank of fog that still hung over the shore. Each
+of the
+<span class = "pagenum">233</span>
+cutters had been manned by twelve men besides the officer, and Mike was
+an extra hand with the first lieutenant. What remained of the port watch
+were on duty, and the rest of the men were dismissed.</p>
+
+<p>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.</p>
+
+<p>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
+<span class = "pagenum">234</span>
+him, for he was not greedy of glory, and all his devotion was for the
+Union.</p>
+
+<p>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. He could not settle the question at once, and he went down into his
+cabin, where his uncle was waiting very impatiently to see him, and had
+asked Dave a dozen times in regard to him.</p>
+
+<p>Colonel Passford was naturally very anxious to ascertain what had
+been done, and what was to be done, by the Bronx; but the steward was
+too discreet to answer any of his questions, and he was not aware that
+his son Corny was a prisoner on board as well as himself.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">235</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapXXI">CHAPTER XXI</a></h4>
+
+<h6>A NON-COMBATANT ON BOARD THE BRONX</h6>
+
+
+<p>Colonel Passford was reclining on the divan when the commander
+entered the cabin; but he rose to his feet as soon as he saw his nephew.
+Christy thought he looked thinner and paler than when he had last seen
+him. He was now only forty-two years old, but he looked like a man of
+fifty.</p>
+
+<p>"I have been wanting to see you, Christy," said the planter, as he
+approached his nephew. "I learn, with no little astonishment, that you
+are the commander of this steamer."</p>
+
+<p>"I am, uncle Homer," replied the young man.</p>
+
+<p>"Then you can tell me better than any one else in regard to my status
+on board of the Bronx," added the colonel, who had won this title years
+before in the militia. "Am I considered a prisoner of war?"</p>
+
+<p>"I do not so consider you, uncle Homer; but I cannot say how my
+superior officer will look at
+<span class = "pagenum">236</span>
+the matter when I report to him. You were taken in a sloop that fired
+upon the first cutter of the Bronx, wounding one of the crew and the
+officer in command."</p>
+
+<p>"That was the folly of Captain Flanger; and I protested the moment I
+discovered what had been done," added the planter, who seemed to be
+anxious to relieve himself of all responsibility for the discharge of
+the muskets.</p>
+
+<p>"Were you in charge of the sloop, uncle Homer?"</p>
+
+<p>"I was not; I had nothing to do with the sloop. She belonged to
+Captain Flanger."</p>
+
+<p>"Who is Captain Flanger?" asked Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"You have him on board, and perhaps he had better answer the question
+himself," replied Colonel Passford with a smile.</p>
+
+<p>"It was a superfluous question, for I know all about him. He is the
+captain of the Floridian, though that would not make him a combatant
+unless he fights his ship; and that is what he did on board of the
+Magnolia. I regard him and his companions, except the skipper of the
+sloop, as prisoners of war. You proved by your words and conduct that
+you were not a combatant, and you are at liberty to depart when you
+please."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">237</span>
+The young commander did not feel entirely sure that his ruling was
+correct, for a naval officer must be learned in a great variety of
+subjects which he had not had time to study; but he was willing to take
+the responsibility in the present instance.</p>
+
+<p>"It is easy enough to say that I may depart; but how shall I do it?"
+added the planter with a smile. "I cannot swim ashore."</p>
+
+<p>"I will put you ashore in a boat at the nearest land when the fog
+clears off," replied Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"The nearest land is an island, and there is hardly anything like a
+village on the entire Bay of St. Andrew's. The region is deserted now,
+and I might wander about there for a month, till I starved to death,
+before I could get to a settled region."</p>
+
+<p>"I shall not compel you to land, and you can remain on board till I
+report to the flag-officer of the Eastern Gulf squadron, off Pensacola,
+if you desire to do so; but you will be subject to his decision and not
+mine then."</p>
+
+<p>"I prefer that to starving to death in this region," replied the
+colonel.</p>
+
+<p>"Very well, uncle Homer, that is settled,"
+<span class = "pagenum">238</span>
+added Christy. "Now, how are aunt Lydia and Gerty? I hope they are
+well."</p>
+
+<p>"Very well the last time I saw them, which was three weeks ago. They
+are busy making garments for the soldiers," answered the planter.</p>
+
+<p>"When did you last hear from Corny, uncle Homer?"</p>
+
+<p>"It is all of two months since I had any news in regard to him. He is
+still a soldier and has not yet been promoted. His company is still at
+Fort Gaines; but he has been sent away once or twice on detached duty.
+He is not given to writing many letters; but the last time I was in
+Mobile I was told that he had again been sent off on some sort of secret
+service with a naval officer by the name of Galvinne. I do not know
+whether the report was true or not."</p>
+
+<p>"It was quite true, uncle Homer; and he has been quite as unfortunate
+as he was in his former expedition to the North," added Christy very
+quietly.</p>
+
+<p>"What do you know about him, Christy?" asked the colonel with the
+deepest interest.</p>
+
+<p>"I can assure you first that he is alive and well. I am not informed
+how he got to New York, but
+<span class = "pagenum">239</span>
+he did get there, and in company with two naval officers, one by the
+name of Byron, as well as Galvinne."</p>
+
+<p>"Byron was an actor in Mobile; he had been the mate of a cotton ship,
+and he obtained a commission in the navy; but for the want of a steamer
+both of them were unemployed," the planter explained.</p>
+
+<p>"In New York they got up a plan to obtain a small steamer, about the
+size of the Bronx," continued Christy. "Galvinne had been in the navy,
+and he readily obtained an appointment as second lieutenant of the
+store-ship Vernon. Byron shipped as a seaman. Corny was appointed by the
+two officers to take the place of a regular officer, who came down in
+the Vernon. He looked something like the officer whom he personated, who
+was to command a small steamer in the gulf."</p>
+
+<p>"It was a hazardous plan," suggested Colonel Passford, "and I should
+suppose that Corny was hardly competent to play such a
+<i>r&ocirc;le</i>. I hope the scheme was successful, for, as you know
+very well, all my prayers and all my aspirations are for the triumph of
+the Confederate cause."</p>
+
+<p>"The scheme was successful up to a certain
+<span class = "pagenum">240</span>
+point, and Corny obtained the command of the steamer, passing for the
+genuine officer before the commodore, and even on board of the vessel
+where the commander was well known."</p>
+
+<p>"That sounds like a story for a novel," added the planter,
+smiling.</p>
+
+<p>"If there had been no setback, Corny would have gone into Pensacola
+Bay in a few hours more, in nominal command of the steamer, though of
+course Galvinne was the real commander."</p>
+
+<p>"It is a strange story, and I cannot see how Corny succeeded in
+passing himself off as the officer he personated."</p>
+
+<p>"He stole that officer's commission and other papers while he was
+sleeping in his own home," added Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"But where did you learn this history of Corny's operations?" asked
+his uncle, knitting his brow as though he did not quite believe the
+narrative.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, I am the officer whom Corny personated," replied the commander
+with a quiet smile. "The story is not a second-handed one, uncle
+Homer."</p>
+
+<p>"Corny pretended to be Christy, did he? Then you must have seen him
+if he took your commission."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">241</span>
+"He did not do that in person; but employed Byron to do it for him; and
+for several weeks this actor was a house-servant at Bonnydale," answered
+Christy, as he proceeded to narrate the adventure more in detail. "It is
+not an old story, for the last event occurred on board of the Bronx at
+about eight o'clock last evening."</p>
+
+<p>"The plan was not finally successful, more is the pity," added the
+Southern gentleman.</p>
+
+<p>"It was not; for I had concealed myself on board when I realized what
+Galvinne was about, and, with the aid of the officers who knew me,
+captured the vessel. I am now in command of her, and I am likely to have
+a prize to assist in establishing my identity when I report to the
+flag-officer."</p>
+
+<p>"But what became of Corny?" asked Colonel Passford, with no little
+anxiety on his face.</p>
+
+<p>"He is quite safe; he is a prisoner of war below, with a pair of
+handcuffs on his wrists," replied Christy. "You and he together made the
+nest for him, and he must sleep in it. I cannot say what the commodore
+will do with you."</p>
+
+<p>"Corny on board of this steamer!" exclaimed the father. "In irons
+too!"</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">242</span>
+"I consider the naval officers as dangerous men, and I had to treat
+Corny in the same manner that I did his associates. If you wish to see
+him, I will send for him."</p>
+
+<p>"Of course I should like to see my son."</p>
+
+<p>Christy struck his bell, and the steward promptly appeared at the
+door.</p>
+
+<p>"Dave, go to the quarters, and conduct the prisoner, Mr. Passford, to
+this cabin. You may take off his handcuffs; here is the key," said
+Christy, and steward took the key and departed.</p>
+
+<p>"How high is the grass in the streets of New York, Christy?" asked
+the colonel, with a twinkle of the eye, and a smile.</p>
+
+<p>"Grass! They don't raise it in the city; and there isn't as much of
+it in all the streets as I saw in the principal one in Mobile when I was
+there, on my way from the prison to the bay," replied the commander
+cheerfully. "I don't believe that business was ever so lively in New
+York and the other cities of the North as it is at this time; and I left
+there ten days ago."</p>
+
+<p>"Do the people there really expect to put down the Rebellion, as they
+call it, nephew?" asked Colonel Passford, in a tone which indicated his
+confidence in the final success of his cause.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">243</span>
+"They have no doubt whatever that the Rebellion will be crushed out. The
+last time we met you did not believe that a blockade could be
+established; but it has been done, and the government is strengthening
+it every day. It is effective, too; and I have been concerned in the
+capture of nearly a dozen vessels that were trying to break
+through."</p>
+
+<p>"You have been very fortunate, nephew; but it will be impossible to
+conquer the South. We shall be the victors in the end as sure as there
+is a God in heaven who watches over the affairs of men."</p>
+
+<p>"One who can believe that would swallow Baron <ins class =
+"correction" title = "spelling as in original">Munchausen</ins> without
+blinking. But I think we had better not talk politics, uncle Homer, for
+we don't get ahead at all. I shall continue to stand by the Union, and
+the South will raise the same cry after a few years more," said Christy,
+as Dave opened the door, and ushered the prisoner into the cabin.</p>
+
+<p>Father and son shook hands, but they were not so demonstrative as
+they might have been. Christy was not disposed to burden them with his
+presence, but he insisted that Dave should stay
+<span class = "pagenum">244</span>
+there during the interview. He left them together for two hours, and
+then sent Mr. Pennant and a seaman to remove Corny to the quarters. Dave
+said they had talked only of family matters, though the son had
+explained to his father the plan to obtain possession of the Bronx.</p>
+
+<p>When the commander went on deck, the fog had disappeared, and the
+shore was to be seen at the distance of about six miles from the
+steamer. At eight bells, or noon, a steamer was discovered coming out of
+the bay by a channel between two islands. She carried the American flag
+over the Confederate, and no one doubted that she was the Floridian. In
+half an hour she was alongside, and she looked like a fine vessel, for
+she had come from the other side of the ocean as a blockade-runner.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Flint reported that she had been captured without any resistance
+on the part of the crew. There was no incident worth relating in
+connection with the capture, though she was full of cotton, and brought
+over seventy thousand dollars when the vessel and cargo were sold. The
+two cutters were brought alongside, and hoisted up to the davits.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">245</span>
+"I suppose the steamer has a supply of coal on board, Mr. Flint."</p>
+
+<p>"Enough to take her to Liverpool," replied the first lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p>"There are several vessels in Appalachicola Bay, and I thought of
+attending to them; but I think we have too much on our hands now, and I
+shall sail at once for the station. You will take charge of the
+Floridian, Mr. Flint, with such crew as you need," said Christy.</p>
+
+<p>In less than half an hour the two vessels were under way, and just at
+dark they were within hail of the flag-ship.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">246</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapXXII">CHAPTER XXII</a></h4>
+
+<h6>THE STRANGER IN THE CAPTAIN'S CABIN</h6>
+
+
+<p>The Bronx had been absent from the station hardly more than thirty
+hours; but she had accomplished the mission with which she had been
+charged in her secret orders. The Vernon was still at anchor near the
+flag-ship. Christy hastened on board of the latter to make his report,
+which he had written out during the passage; in fact, he had two
+reports, one of the capture of the Bronx, and the other of the
+Floridian.</p>
+
+<p>"You have done your work very promptly, Captain Passford," said the
+commodore with a smile.</p>
+
+<p>"The circumstances favored me, sir," replied Christy, bowing. "I
+desire to call your attention to the first of the two reports I submit,
+for the first battle I was called upon to fight was on board of the
+Bronx."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">247</span>
+"On board of the Bronx!" exclaimed the flag-officer. "Do you mean that
+you had a mutiny to suppress?"</p>
+
+<p>"I had not the honor to communicate with you yesterday before the
+Bronx sailed for her destination; but I believe you were called upon to
+decide upon the identity of the officer who presented himself to you as
+the lieutenant appointed to the command of the Bronx, introduced by
+Captain Battleton of the Vernon."</p>
+
+<p>"I was hardly called upon to decide anything, for the matter in doubt
+had been settled by the commander of the Vernon before it came to my
+knowledge; but I agreed with him that the commission ought to settle the
+point. Are you not the officer presented to me by Captain Battleton,
+Captain Passford?" asked the commodore, gazing earnestly into the face
+of Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"I am not, sir."</p>
+
+<p>"You are not! Who are you, then?"</p>
+
+<p>"I am Lieutenant Christopher Passford."</p>
+
+<p>"Who was the other officer?"</p>
+
+<p>"He was not an officer, either of the navy or the army, but my
+cousin, Cornelius Passford, a soldier in the Confederate army."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">248</span>
+"I am amazed, and I fear the officers in charge at Brooklyn are not as
+cautious as they should be. Not long ago a steamer had to return to the
+navy-yard there because her machinery had been tampered with; and the
+enemy are putting men on board of steamers for the purpose of capturing
+them. Where is your cousin now, Captain Passford?"</p>
+
+<p>"He is a prisoner on board of the Bronx, with two Confederate naval
+officers who were his associates in the conspiracy; and we have also two
+seamen," replied Christy, who proceeded to give the narrative in full of
+the work done on board of the Bronx on the evening of the day she sailed
+from the station.</p>
+
+<p>The sea was smooth, and the commander of the Bronx was directed to
+bring her alongside the flag-ship. As soon as this was done, all the
+prisoners on board of her were transferred to the custody of the
+commodore. Christy introduced his uncle Homer to the flag-officer,
+suggesting that he was a non-combatant, and stating that he had offered
+to put him on shore at St. Andrew's Island.</p>
+
+<p>"I think you are correct in your view, Captain Passford, though
+probably he is of more service
+<span class = "pagenum">249</span>
+to the Confederate government, as your father is to our own, than a
+score of sailors or soldiers; but modern civilization does not hold
+civilians as prisoners of war. Besides, he is doing so much to provide
+our vessels with prizes in the matter of cotton ships, that it would be
+a pity to take him out of his sphere of usefulness to us," added the
+commodore with a smile.</p>
+
+<p>"The other men in the sloop, with the exception of the skipper, fired
+upon my boat, and wounded an officer and a seaman."</p>
+
+<p>"They were taken in arms, and therefore they are prisoners. But you
+lost all your commissioned officers but one in the affair on board of
+the Bronx, Captain Passford."</p>
+
+<p>"I did, sir; and I was obliged to fill their places;" and Christy
+described the men he had appointed.</p>
+
+<p>"There are no officers here that I can give you in their places, and
+I am obliged to order you away immediately on another expedition. The
+Floridian is a valuable prize; and I must send her to New York, for I am
+confident the government will purchase her for the navy. Your acting
+lieutenants must continue to serve as such for the present."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">250</span>
+"I ask for no better officers, sir. They are well educated, and have had
+a great deal of experience as sailors outside of the navy," replied
+Christy.</p>
+
+<p>At this time the preparations for the reduction of the forts on the
+Mississippi were in progress, and every available vessel was called into
+activity. The Bronx had been built for a blockade-runner, and for a
+steamer of her size she was of exceptional speed. The vessels of the
+Eastern Gulf squadron were employed to a considerable extent in
+destroying salt works on the west coast of Florida; but the commodore
+was not disposed to order the fleet little gunboat upon such
+service.</p>
+
+<p>"Is the Bronx in condition for immediate service, Captain Passford?"
+asked the flag-officer.</p>
+
+<p>"She is, sir; she has not been in action since her crew was
+reinforced," answered Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"I did not expect your return so soon, but I have your sealed orders
+ready. You will get under way as soon as possible," added the commodore,
+handing him the sealed envelope. "You will make your course south-west,
+and open your orders at twelve o'clock to-night."</p>
+
+<p>The commander of the Bronx left the cabin where the interview had
+taken place. On the
+<span class = "pagenum">251</span>
+deck he met his uncle, who was curious to know what was to be done with
+him.</p>
+
+<p>"I can only say that you will not be held as a prisoner of war; but I
+must leave you in the hands of the flag-officer, who will dispose of you
+as he thinks best. I sail in the Bronx immediately."</p>
+
+<p>Christy hastened on board of his vessel, after hastily shaking hands
+with uncle Homer. All the prisoners had been removed from her, and the
+commodore had sent a ship's company to the Floridian to relieve the
+prize crew in charge of her. He had only to wait for Mr. Flint and the
+men attached to the Bronx; and they came on board within an hour.</p>
+
+<p>"You will call all hands, Mr. Flint," said the commander, as soon as
+the executive officer appeared on the deck; and the call of the
+boatswain's mate sounded through the vessel.</p>
+
+<p>"I came on board to pay my respects to you, Captain Passford," said
+Captain Battleton of the Vernon, who had been waiting for him. "Things
+have changed since I last saw you. I do not know whether I ought to
+apologize to you for my decision on board of the Vernon, or not."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">252</span>
+"Not at all, Captain Battleton," replied Christy, taking the hand of the
+commander of the store-ship. "The flag-officer sustained your decision;
+and with my commission in the pocket of my cousin, I do not see that you
+could have adjusted the question in any other manner. I assure you I
+have not a particle of ill-feeling towards you on account of what you
+did in the discharge of your duty."</p>
+
+<p>"But I do not quite understand the matter yet. You disappeared very
+suddenly; and when I wanted to present you to the commodore, you could
+not be found," added the captain of the Vernon. "I am very curious to
+know what became of you."</p>
+
+<p>"I came on board of the Bronx, and put myself in a place where you
+were least likely to look for me,&mdash;under the berth in the captain's
+stateroom. I was at home there, for I had occupied the room while I was
+the acting commander of the vessel on her voyage to the Gulf. But you
+must excuse me now, for I am ordered to get under way at once; and the
+ship's company of the Floridian have reported on board."</p>
+
+<p>"I may yet be called upon to serve under you
+<span class = "pagenum">253</span>
+some time in the future; and I did not wish to have any prejudice
+against me on account of my decision, in which my officers
+concurred."</p>
+
+<p>"I have not the slightest prejudice against you and while we stand by
+the Union, shoulder to shoulder, we shall be friends," replied Christy,
+warmly pressing the hand of the captain of the Vernon.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Battleton returned the pressure as heartily as it had been
+given, and departed from the gunboat. The commander gave the order to
+the first lieutenant to get under way; and the fasts were cast off from
+the flag-ship. The Bronx backed away from her, came about, and was ready
+to proceed on her voyage to the destination as yet unknown on board of
+her.</p>
+
+<p>"Make the course south-west, Mr. Flint," said the commander, as soon
+as the vessel was ready, and her screw was in motion.</p>
+
+<p>"South-west," repeated the first lieutenant, addressing the
+quartermaster who was conning the wheel.</p>
+
+<p>Standing on the bridge with the executive officer, Christy took his
+leave mentally of the flag-ship, and the few other vessels that were on
+the
+<span class = "pagenum">254</span>
+station; for most of them were on duty in various expeditions engaged in
+the destruction of salt works. A boat expedition had just captured
+Appalachicola, with all the vessels loading with cotton in the bay. The
+young commander congratulated himself that he had a fast steamer, for
+that caused him to be employed in more active duty than the work of
+destruction on shore.</p>
+
+<p>"South-west," said Mr. Flint, after the port watch had been
+dismissed, leaving the starboard with Mr. Camden as watch officer on
+deck. "I thought it probable that we should be sent to Appalachicola
+after the information the Russian gave&nbsp;us."</p>
+
+<p>"The boats of the Mercidita and Sagamore have captured the place, and
+picked up five or six small vessels loaded with cotton, I was informed
+by the commodore," replied Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"We are bound to the westward, and the course looks as though we
+might be ordered up the Mississippi," suggested Mr. Flint.</p>
+
+<p>"I hardly think so, though I should be pleased to have it so."</p>
+
+<p>"Why do you think it is not likely, Captain Passford?" asked the
+executive officer curiously.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">255</span>
+"Because the Bronx is a fast vessel compared with most of the steamers
+of the navy, hardly any of which are good for more than twelve knots an
+hour, while this ship will make sixteen when she is driven, and fourteen
+under ordinary circumstances when we are not trying to save coal. Of
+course I have no idea what duty we are to perform, and I am not anxious
+to know till the time comes, though midnight is a rather odd time to
+open the envelope."</p>
+
+<p>"Probably the odd time means something."</p>
+
+<p>"No doubt of it; for to-morrow morning by four bells we shall be off
+the passes of the Mississippi, and our mission may be up Lake <ins class
+= "correction" title = "text reads 'Ponchartrain'">Pontchartrain</ins>,
+or at Ship Island. But let that matter rest, for in three hours and a
+half we shall know all about it. I want to ask you about the man you
+call the Russian."</p>
+
+<p>"He is a good man, and quite as intelligent as any of our seamen. He
+is a pilot on the coast of Florida, and may be farther to the westward
+so far as I know. He is forty-seven years old, though he does not look
+it, and has been to sea all his life. By the way, that Captain Flanger
+has done some business as a smuggler, Mike informs&nbsp;me."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">256</span>
+"He looks like a desperate character," added Christy, as he went below
+to attend to his supper, which he had so far neglected.</p>
+
+<p>Dave was standing by the door when he entered his cabin. Seated at
+the table was a man of stalwart frame, who was helping himself to the
+viands prepared for the commander, and making himself entirely at
+home.</p>
+
+<p>"Good-evening, Captain Passford; I hope you are all right. I waited a
+reasonable time for you to come below to supper; but as you did not
+appear, I have made myself at home, for my appetite has been somewhat
+stimulated to-day," said the stranger.</p>
+
+<p>The commander looked at the man; but he did not know him.</p>
+
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">257</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapXXIII">CHAPTER XXIII</a></h4>
+
+<h6>A VERY IMPUDENT DECLARATION</h6>
+
+
+<p>Christy looked at the stranger with astonishment, and he could not
+imagine who he could be. He had seen no such person on board of the
+Bronx or on the deck of the flag-ship. When the prisoners from the
+Magnolia had been brought on board, Christy had been too much occupied
+with other matters to bestow any attention upon them with the exception
+of "the dignified gentleman in black," who proved to be his uncle. He
+had had no curiosity in regard to them, and Mr. Camden had disposed of
+them at the rail.</p>
+
+<p>The commander thought it very strange that there should be a person
+on board of the steamer, and especially in possession of his cabin, who
+was an entire stranger to him. He looked at the intruder, who was a
+stoutly built man of rather more than forty years of age, with his hair
+and full beard somewhat grizzled by age. He was
+<span class = "pagenum">258</span>
+dressed like a seaman in blue clothes, though he was evidently not a
+common sailor, but might have been the master or mate of a vessel.</p>
+
+<p>"I am sorry to have kept you waiting for your supper, sir," replied
+Christy, falling in with the humor of his involuntary guest. "But that
+was the fault of my steward, who ought to have informed me that I was to
+have the pleasure of your company at supper."</p>
+
+<p>"Don't blame him, Captain Passford, for it was not his fault that he
+did not announce my presence to you. He wished to do so, but I assured
+him I was not disposed to disturb you, for you must be occupied with
+your own affairs, and I persuaded him not to go for you," added the
+person with perfect self-possession.</p>
+
+<p>"You were very considerate," answered Christy, looking at the
+steward, who had stationed himself behind the unwelcome guest.</p>
+
+<p>Dave looked as solemn as an owl, and his ivories seemed to be sealed
+up in his expansive mouth. He attempted to make a sign to the captain,
+but it was not understood. At that moment, the stranger raised his
+finger and beckoned to the steward.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">259</span>
+"What is your name, boy?" he asked.</p>
+
+<p>"Dave, sir," replied he, evidently deeply impressed by the visitor
+for some reason not yet apparent to the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't like to have a man stand behind me, and you will take your
+place in the rear of Captain Passford, who is more worthy of your
+attention than I am;" and though Dave was a brave fellow, he obeyed the
+order.</p>
+
+<p>It was evident enough to Christy that there had been some kind of a
+scene in the cabin before he came below, for the steward had certainly
+been intimidated by the powerful visitor.</p>
+
+<p>"This fish seems to be red snapper, captain, and it is very good.
+Will you allow me to help you to some of it?" continued the stranger
+very politely.</p>
+
+<p>"Thank you, sir; I will take some of it, if you please," replied
+Christy, as he passed his plate across the table. "Of course, as you
+have done me the honor to take a seat at my table, I must be acquainted
+with you."</p>
+
+<p>"We have met before," replied the stranger. "Shall I help you to some
+of these fried potatoes? They are very good, and I can recommend
+them.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">260</span>
+I have already learned that you have an excellent cook on board. I
+should judge from these potatoes that he was brought up in New
+Orleans."</p>
+
+<p>"It may be he was; I don't know about that. You say that we have met
+before, but to save my life, I cannot recall the time, and I am sorry to
+add that I do not identify your face as that of any person I ever saw
+before. I have the pleasure of introducing myself to you as Lieutenant
+Christopher Passford, commanding the United States steamer Bronx."</p>
+
+<p>"Thank you, Captain Passford, and I cannot well help being less
+polite and less frank than you are; and I shall take the liberty of
+introducing myself to your acquaintance and good offices as Captain Boyd
+Flanger, lately in command of the steamer Floridian, entirely at your
+service."</p>
+
+<p>"Indeed!" exclaimed Christy, not a little startled at the information
+thus communicated, for it was plain enough that the intruder meant
+mischief in spite of his good manners. "I was under the impression that
+you had taken up your abode on board of the flag-ship with others who
+were captured in the Magnolia."</p>
+
+<p>"That is very true; I went on board of the flag-ship,
+<span class = "pagenum">261</span>
+but I am somewhat fastidious in my notions, and I concluded not to
+remain there," replied Captain Flanger. "Without any intention of
+flattering you, Captain Passford, candor compels me to say that I prefer
+your company to that of the commodore. Can I help you to anything more
+on my side of the table?"</p>
+
+<p>"Thank you; I will have one of those lamb's tongues," replied
+Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"They are very nice; I have just tried one of them," added Captain
+Flanger, as he passed the plate over to the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"You do not use your left hand, captain; I hope you were not wounded
+in the affair this morning off St. Andrew's Bay."</p>
+
+<p>"No, sir; I was not wounded. Your men did not fire into our party, as
+we did into your boat. The fact is, Captain Passford, I have an ornament
+on my left wrist which I am a little timid about displaying before
+people, though I do not object to showing it to you," replied the guest,
+as he held up his left hand, and from the wrist a pair of handcuffs hung
+down, for he had succeeded in removing it only from his right hand.</p>
+
+<p>"Such an ornament must be a nuisance to you,
+<span class = "pagenum">262</span>
+Captain Flanger, and I think we will have it removed. Dave, go and ask
+the second lieutenant to report to me with his keys and a file," said
+Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"I beg your pardon, Captain Passford, for countermanding your order;
+but Dave will do nothing of the sort," interposed the intruder, as
+blandly as before. "Dave knows better than to obey such an order."</p>
+
+<p>Dave did know better than to obey the order, and Christy was morally
+certain that he had been menaced with a pistol, or threatened in some
+manner if he attempted to leave the cabin. He acted as though he felt
+confident that a bullet would be sent through his head if he disobeyed
+the bold visitor. At the same time there was a certain amount of energy
+and earnestness visible in the expression of the steward, which assured
+Christy that he was ready to take part in any action that was reasonably
+prudent and hopeful.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Flanger had been handcuffed and made fast to the rail of the
+vessel with the other prisoners, and with them he had been transferred
+to the flag-ship. It was probably in this removal that he had found the
+means of securing his liberty,
+<span class = "pagenum">263</span>
+and had made his way on board in some manner not at all apparent to the
+commander of the Bronx, who had been in conference with the commodore
+when the change was made.</p>
+
+<p>Whether the escaped prisoner had gone to the captain's cabin for a
+special purpose, or had simply followed the most convenient way that was
+opened to him in his flight, it was plain enough to Christy that, at the
+present time, he had an object before him. He had practically taken
+possession of the cabin, and had already overawed the steward. The
+commander could not see his way to do anything to improve the situation.
+He had no weapon about him but his sword, and he was satisfied that the
+intruder was provided with one or more revolvers, as indicated by the
+appearance of the side pockets of his blue coat.</p>
+
+<p>Whatever had been said about the imprudence and even recklessness of
+the young lieutenant, he was really a prudent and even cautious officer.
+He realized that any movement on his part would draw the fire of the
+insolent intruder, and he saw that strategy was far preferable to open
+violence, since the latter was likely to end only in killing or
+disabling him. If he could visit his
+<span class = "pagenum">264</span>
+stateroom and obtain his pair of navy revolvers, or even the smaller
+ones in one of the drawers of his desk, it would improve the chances in
+his favor. It was evident that he would not be permitted to do this, and
+he did not attempt&nbsp;it.</p>
+
+<p>"Dave is a wise man," said the commander, after he had given a few
+moments to the consideration of the situation.</p>
+
+<p>"Dave is a sensible man, and I trust I shall find you his equal in
+that respect, Captain Passford," replied the intruder, still seated in
+his chair at the supper-table.</p>
+
+<p>"I claim to be reasonably sensible," answered Christy. "As you have
+done me the honor to visit me in my cabin, Captain Flanger, it is
+reasonable to suppose you have some object in view, for I do not regard
+it as a merely friendly call."</p>
+
+<p>Though the young officer was prudent and discreet, he did not lose
+his self-possession, and he smiled as though he had been simply the host
+in the dining-room of the mansion at Bonnydale. There was a certain
+humor about the intruder which would have pleased him under other
+circumstances.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">265</span>
+"Quite right, captain!" exclaimed the visitor. "I have an object in
+view, and both my inclination and my duty are urging me to carry it out.
+How your boat happened to capture the Magnolia is beyond my
+comprehension up to the present moment, though I think the principal
+reason was the lack of a sufficiently osseous vertebra on the part of
+your worthy uncle, Colonel Passford. Then the officer in charge of the
+cutter did not do what I expected him to do. Instead of falling back
+when he and one of his crew were wounded, as he ought to have done, and
+using the heavy revolvers with which his men were armed, he did not
+delay a moment, but smashed into the sloop, and jerked his men on board
+of her, cutlass in one hand and revolver in the other; and that brought
+me to the end of my rope. I could not do anything more."</p>
+
+<p>"I am sorry that you are dissatisfied with my third lieutenant's mode
+of operations," replied Christy, laughing, though his mirth was of the
+graveyard order. "But Mr. Pennant is a new officer, and that was the
+first active duty he had been called upon to perform. Very likely he
+will suit you better next time."</p>
+
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">266</span>
+Christy yawned, or pretended to do so, and in the act he rose from the
+table. Captain Flanger was silent as he did so, and watched the captain
+with the eye of a lynx, as the latter placed himself behind the chair he
+had occupied. He was in position to make a movement of some kind, and
+the intruder deliberately drew from his right-hand coat pocket a heavy
+revolver. Holding this in his hand, he drew another from the left-hand
+pocket, and threw it on the table.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't wish to be rude with a gentleman as polite as yourself,
+Captain Passford; but you interrupted my remarks by rising from your
+chair," said Captain Flanger, with the revolver still poised in his
+hand, while he dropped the other with the handcuff upon it at his
+side.</p>
+
+<p>"Excuse me for interrupting you, Captain Flanger; but I have eaten a
+hearty supper, encouraged by your friendly presence, and I was sleepy,
+for my rest was broken last night, and I wanted simply to stretch
+myself," replied Christy, yawning and stretching himself again.</p>
+
+<p>"All right, captain; it is not necessary for me to say a single
+word," added the intruder, as he made a slight demonstration with the
+weapon in
+<span class = "pagenum">267</span>
+his right hand, which was not lost upon the commander. "With your
+permission, I will proceed with my remarks."</p>
+
+<p>"Certainly, captain; go on."</p>
+
+<p>"My first misfortune was in being made a prisoner. My second and most
+annoying mishap was the capture of the Floridian," continued Captain
+Flanger. "It was my intention to fit her out as a privateer, with the
+proceeds of the sale of her cargo of cotton, for she is a good vessel,
+and as fast as the Bronx, as you call her."</p>
+
+<p>"Then I was very fortunate in capturing her," added Christy with a
+smile.</p>
+
+<p>"Perhaps not, for I intend to replace her with the Bronx."</p>
+
+<p>The commander was amazed at the impudence of the intruder.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">268</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapXXIV">CHAPTER XXIV</a></h4>
+
+<h6>A CRITICAL SITUATION IN THE CABIN</h6>
+
+
+<p>Christy looked at his cool and impudent visitor, whose declaration
+was to the effect that he intended to take possession of the Bronx in
+compensation for the loss of the Floridian. It looked as though he
+intended to capture the gunboat now fully officered, and manned by
+forty-six seaman; and so far as the commander could judge, he intended
+to do it single-handed.</p>
+
+<p>The lieutenant's first thought, after he realized the intention of
+the intruder, was that he was insane, for no man in his senses would
+think of accomplishing such a mad enterprise. His second idea was that
+he had mistaken the declaration of Captain Flanger, though he had
+certainly said that he meant to replace the Floridian with the Bronx,
+and the statement could hardly mean anything else.</p>
+
+<p>Christy was forced to admit to himself that the
+<span class = "pagenum">269</span>
+bold intruder had full possession of the captain's cabin of the steamer,
+and that he had the advantage of him in being armed; that any decided
+opposition on his part would result in his being killed or wounded. It
+was not prudent for him to do anything, and at the present stage of the
+proceedings he could do nothing but temporize with his resolute foe.</p>
+
+<p>"I beg your pardon, Captain Flanger; but do I understand that you
+intend, single-handed and alone, to capture the Bronx?" asked the
+commander, with a smile of incredulity on his face.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, Captain Passford, if you fail to comprehend my purpose, it is
+the fault of your understanding, and not of my plain and explicit
+declaration, for I assuredly said that I intended to replace the
+Floridian with the Teaser, or the Bronx as you have named her, though
+she will not be called by any such nut-cracking name after I get her,"
+replied the daring privateersman, as blandly and pleasantly as though he
+were planning a picnic.</p>
+
+<p>"Of course you see no difficulties in the way of such an undertaking
+as you propose," added Christy.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">270</span>
+"There may be difficulties; but I think they can be overcome. I purpose
+to act through you, my friend, as my resources are rather limited at the
+present moment. In other words, I propose that you shall issue certain
+orders which I intend to dictate," Captain Flanger proceeded, as coolly
+as though he had been in his own cabin instead of that of his
+companion.</p>
+
+<p>"You mean to dictate your orders to me," repeated the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"Precisely so; and you will readily see that I am not exactly in a
+position to act in any other manner, as I cannot go back on deck and
+deliver them in person, for your officers would be prejudiced against
+me, and might be disposed to rebel against my authority."</p>
+
+<p>"Not improbable," added Christy. "You propose that I shall go on
+deck, and give your orders, acting as your proxy."</p>
+
+<p>"Hardly, my dear friend, for I fear that on deck you would give way
+to your own individual prejudices against me, and do something that
+would jeopard my interest in the premises. With your approbation, I
+should prefer to resort to a method that prevails in the army, though
+not to any considerable
+<span class = "pagenum">271</span>
+extent in the navy. More clearly, I will invite you to send your orders
+on deck in writing, over your own signature."</p>
+
+<p>"You think that method would suit you better than the usual one of
+delivering orders verbally," said Christy, laughing as much at the
+coolness as at the impudence of his companion.</p>
+
+<p>"It will not only suit me better, but you cannot fail to see that it
+is the only practicable way for me to operate with my present very
+limited resources. If I had a dozen good men and true,&mdash;not such
+dunderheads as your officer captured in the Magnolia,&mdash;I should be
+able to proceed in a more orderly and regular manner. In that case, I
+should issue my orders in person, and not compel you to act as my
+intermediary."</p>
+
+<p>"I understand you perfectly now; but as you have not, fortunately for
+me, and unfortunately for yourself, the dozen men at hand, I am to hold
+the fiddle while you play upon it, as I have seen a couple of negro
+minstrels do&nbsp;it."</p>
+
+<p>"An excellent simile, Captain Passford, and I could not have invented
+a better myself," returned the privateersman. "I think we understand
+each other perfectly, and therefore it is not necessary to
+<span class = "pagenum">272</span>
+use up any more time in explanations. You are too intelligent a person
+to fail to comprehend my plan. As an epitome of the whole scene, I may
+add that I propose to do what my friend Galvinne undertook with that
+cousin of yours: I intend to take the Bronx into Pensacola Bay, and have
+her used in the service of the righteous cause in which the people of
+the South are engaged," continued Captain Flanger, as though he believed
+in all he was saying.</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose it is the righteousness of the cause in particular that
+calls forth your admiration," chuckled Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"Precisely so; in this cause, though I drink whiskey, chew, and
+smoke, and never swear except when I am excited, I am a religious man,"
+said the intruder, laughing.</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose you were religiously inclined when you were engaged in the
+business of smuggling," added the commander.</p>
+
+<p>"I cannot say that I was; the cause of the South is religion itself,
+and I am there every time. Who told you that I had been engaged in
+smuggling?"</p>
+
+<p>"It dropped from some of the men that were captured in the
+sloop."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">273</span>
+"It could have dropped only from Mike Bornhoff, for he is the only one
+who knew anything about it. He is my property, and when we are fairly in
+Pensacola Bay I shall seize him up to the grating, and give him
+thirty-nine for opening his mouth when he ought to have kept it closed.
+Where is he now, for I did not find him among the prisoners?"</p>
+
+<p>"He has enlisted as a seaman, and seems to be a good one. By the way,
+where did you learn that my cousin attempted to take the Bronx into
+Pensacola Bay?" asked Christy curiously, though he was using up the time
+he could not yet improve.</p>
+
+<p>"It was not your cousin at all who attempted to take the vessel into
+Pensacola Bay; it was Galvinne, for Corny only acted as a figure-head,
+as I intend to use you. Galvinne was a prisoner by my side on board of
+the flag-ship, and told me all about it when he was releasing my right
+hand from the bracelet," replied Captain Flanger.</p>
+
+<p>"Then I am to do duty as a figure-head, am I?" laughed Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"Precisely; and you are a better-looking one than your cousin. But
+excuse me for changing the subject of the conversation, for I am losing
+<span class = "pagenum">274</span>
+time. I see by the telltale over our heads that the Bronx is headed to
+the south-west, which is doubtless the course you were ordered to take
+by the commodore."</p>
+
+<p>"The telltale is honest, and tells no lies," replied Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"Where are you bound, Captain Passford?" asked Flanger, in a careless
+and indifferent manner, as he looked about the cabin.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know."</p>
+
+<p>"Sealed orders?"</p>
+
+<p>"You must draw your own inferences, Captain Flanger."</p>
+
+<p>"It won't take a six-mule team to draw that one," added the
+privateersman, rather sourly for the first time. "Of course I understood
+that it would not be advisable for the commodore to let it be known
+exactly where the steamer is bound, and that you have sealed orders. I
+shall have to trouble you, Captain Passford, to produce the
+envelope."</p>
+
+<p>As he spoke Captain Flanger toyed with the revolver in his right hand
+as if he intended that the weapon should produce its proper impression
+on the mind, and especially upon the nerves, of
+<span class = "pagenum">275</span>
+the commander, who had continued to walk up and down in front of the
+table at which his dangerous associate was seated, occasionally pausing
+when a point was made on either side.</p>
+
+<p>"Of course you cannot expect me to betray the confidence of the
+commodore; that would not be kind or friendly on your part, Captain
+Flanger, for you can see that this is a delicate matter," said Christy,
+halting in front of the table.</p>
+
+<p>"It may be delicate; I admit that it is so for you: but as my plans
+may depend somewhat upon a knowledge of your instructions, I really feel
+compelled to insist upon this point, Captain Passford," replied the
+intruder as blandly as ever. "But we are living just now in a state of
+war, and it is quite impossible to act with as much delicacy us one
+might desire."</p>
+
+<p>"I am sorry that you feel constrained to act in this indelicate
+manner; but I cannot, on my honor and conscience, violate my orders, and
+I must respectfully decline to produce the envelope," replied Christy,
+feeling that he had come to a crisis in the affair.</p>
+
+<p>"You decline to give me your sealed orders? Do I correctly understand
+you, Captain Passford?"
+<span class = "pagenum">276</span>
+demanded the privateersman with a frown upon his brow.</p>
+
+<p>"Undoubtedly you do. I decline to give you my sealed orders. What
+then?" replied the commander, who began to feel a certain sense of shame
+because he had temporized so long with the bold pirate, for he regarded
+him as such.</p>
+
+<p>"What then?" repeated the intruder. "Why, you will reduce me to the
+disagreeable necessity of blowing out your brains, if you have any, as I
+should judge that you had not, after your refusal to accede to my
+request in the face of the death that awaits you."</p>
+
+<p>"I beg your pardon, Captain Flanger, but do you really purpose to
+blow out the brains of your figure-head?" asked Christy, as coolly as
+though no such threat had been suggested to him.</p>
+
+<p>About this time Dave, who had taken care to keep in the front of the
+table as he had been ordered to do, seized upon his feather duster, and
+began to dust the divan on the starboard side of the cabin. Flanger was
+so much occupied with the commander at that moment, that he was not
+disposed to take his eye off him for an instant; for certainly the
+situation had become critical, and
+<span class = "pagenum">277</span>
+he paid no attention to the steward. Dave was a sort of a feather-duster
+fiend, and he used the article a great deal of his time, apparently as
+much from habit as from cleanliness.</p>
+
+<p>"I should be extremely sorry to put a ball through your head, Captain
+Passford, not only because it would disfigure a handsome face, but
+because you may be of great use to me," replied the pirate.</p>
+
+<p>"And because, in your present enterprise as you have outlined it, you
+cannot get along without me," said Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"In fact, you are more than half right. The sealed orders are not
+absolutely necessary to me just now, and I shall not insist upon the
+production of them for the present. Now, if you will seat yourself at
+the table opposite me, I will dictate an order to you, which you will
+oblige me by reducing to writing, and then by signing your name to it as
+commander," continued Flanger, still toying with the heavy revolver.</p>
+
+<p>Christy's curiosity was excited: he thought the order would throw
+some further light on the plan of the pirate; and he seated himself.
+Captain Flanger proceeded to dictate to him an order to
+<span class = "pagenum">278</span>
+the officer of the deck, to the effect that his sealed orders directed
+him to cut out a rebel privateer under the guns of Fort McRae; ordering
+him to head the Bronx to the north-west for this purpose, and
+instructing him to call him as soon as he made out the shore, Christy
+wrote it, and the pirate told him to sign&nbsp;it.</p>
+
+<p>"You must excuse me, Captain Flanger, but I object to signing such an
+order," replied Christy, as he rose from his chair.</p>
+
+<p>"Sign it, or you are a dead man!" exclaimed Flanger fiercely.</p>
+
+<p>"Be it so; death before dishonor," replied the commander firmly.</p>
+
+<p>At this moment Dave had worked himself in behind the pirate; and,
+with a well-directed blow with the feather duster on the head of
+Flanger, he brought him to the floor.</p>
+
+<span class = "pagenum">279</span>
+<p class = "illustration">
+<img src = "images/pic281.png" width = "519" height = "348"
+alt = "illustration of quoted scene"><br>
+<span class = "caption"><span class = "smallcaps">Flanger in the
+Captain's Cabin.</span>&mdash;Page 281.</span>
+</p>
+
+
+
+
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapXXV">CHAPTER XXV</a></h4>
+
+<h6>THE DESTRUCTION OF A PROMINENT FACIAL MEMBER</h6>
+
+
+<p>The cabin steward had two feather dusters, one of which was very
+large, and the other of medium size. He had used the big one so
+industriously that very little was left of the feathers except the bare
+quills that were inserted in a cylinder of hard wood, too heavy for the
+use of a delicate female, though Dave had wielded it till it was in
+better condition to be thrown overboard than to be used on the panels
+and furniture of the cabin.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Flanger was at the critical point in his operations, and he
+was too busy with the commander to give any attention to the negro, whom
+he regarded with the contempt begotten of his Southern education. Dave
+was intelligent enough to understand the situation accurately, and he
+realized that it was rapidly becoming critical. He knew that Christy was
+unarmed, and that the
+<span class = "pagenum">280</span>
+whole attention of the pirate was concentrated upon him, so that he
+could do nothing to help himself.</p>
+
+<p>He knew also that if he attempted to leave the cabin to procure
+assistance, Flanger would shoot him with as little remorse as he would
+kill a coon in the woods. Watching his opportunity without trying to get
+behind the intruder till the decisive moment came, he sprang into the
+position he had selected in advance, and brought down the heavy head of
+the feather duster upon the temple of the privateersman.</p>
+
+<p>Probably it was the shock quite as much as the force of the blow that
+brought down the steward's victim. But it was a heavy stroke, for the
+wood of the feather duster was split into many pieces, and the stumps of
+the feathers were scattered all over the table. The onslaught could not
+fail to be very confusing to the ideas of the intruder, and he seemed to
+be tangled up in the arm-chair in which he had been seated.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Flanger was a man of stalwart proportions, and Christy
+realized that he was no match for him in a hand to hand encounter, even
+with the aid of the steward, for the ruffian would not fail to use his
+revolvers.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">281</span>
+Dave was not satisfied with what he had done, and as his foe went over
+in the chair, he sprang upon him, and tried to wrest the pistol from his
+hand, and a struggle on the floor was begun, the result of which could
+not be foreseen. Christy took in the situation at a glance, and while
+the steward and his victim were rolling and writhing on the floor, he
+darted into his stateroom, the door of which had been open all the time,
+and took his heavy revolvers from the drawer where he kept them, charged
+for immediate use.</p>
+
+<p>When he rushed back to the cabin, Flanger had got the better of his
+foe, and had risen to his feet, with his grasp upon the throat of the
+steward. Then he hurled him from him with a vigorous movement with his
+left hand, while he raised the right with the evident intention of
+shooting him. The commander saw the imminent peril of Dave; he took a
+hasty aim and fired before the intruder had time to do so. He was a good
+shot with the navy revolver, for he had taken lessons and practised a
+good deal with the weapon.</p>
+
+<p>He had aimed at the head of Flanger, and he saw that he had hit him,
+for his face was instantly covered with blood. He did not think it
+necessary
+<span class = "pagenum">282</span>
+to fire a second shot, but he was careful not to let the opportunity
+pass by if it was needed to reduce the privateersman to subjection.
+Flanger dropped his weapon instantly, and Dave as instantly picked it
+up. It was clear to Christy then that the battle had been fought and
+won, though the defeated party had another revolver in his pocket.</p>
+
+<p>In spite of his claim that he was a religious man, he indulged in a
+volley of profane language which made the commander's blood run cold in
+his veins. His right hand, from which he had dropped one of his
+revolvers, was pressed upon his nose, as though this organ was the seat
+of his injury. He stood behind the table, and continued to swear like a
+pirate in a passion. His face and his hand were absolutely covered with
+blood.</p>
+
+<p>Both Christy and Dave kept their positions, each with a revolver in
+his hand, ready to finish the victim if he exhibited any symptoms of
+further violence. This was the tableau presented in the captain's cabin
+when the door was suddenly opened by the first lieutenant, who rushed
+in, followed by the second lieutenant and Quartermaster Vincent. Mr.
+Flint had been on the quarter-deck,
+<span class = "pagenum">283</span>
+and had heard the report of Christy's revolver when he fired. Calling
+Mr. Camden and the quartermaster, he has come to ascertain the cause of
+the fracas; and the sight was certainly impressive when he entered.</p>
+
+<p>"Any orders, Captain Passford?" asked the first lieutenant, as he saw
+that Christy appeared to be master of the situation.</p>
+
+<p>"Stand by to secure that man," replied the commander, pointing at the
+wounded man behind the table. "He has a revolver in his left coat
+pocket."</p>
+
+<p>The three officers promptly obeyed the order, and laid violent hands
+on Captain Flanger, Mr. Flint taking the weapon from his pocket. They
+seized him by the collar of his coat, and the executive officer held his
+left arm, with the handcuffs on the wrist. The victim of the affray
+still held on to his nose, though Mr. Camden took possession of the
+arm.</p>
+
+<p>"You appear to be wounded, Captain Flanger?" said Christy,
+approaching the table.</p>
+
+<p>"Wounded, you"&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>The oaths and epithets he used need not soil our page; but the
+prisoner seemed to be suffering more from his wrath than from his
+wound.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">284</span>
+"You have shot off by dose, you!"&mdash;groaned Flanger. "The ball welt
+straight through&nbsp;it."</p>
+
+<p>"Then you are not dangerously wounded," added Christy. "I was afraid
+it had gone through your head."</p>
+
+<p>"I wish it had! You have bade a scarecrow of be for life!" he
+gasped.</p>
+
+<p>"What's the trouble here, Captain Passford?" asked Dr. Connelly,
+presenting himself at the door of the cabin. "Didn't I hear the report
+of a firearm in this direction just now?"</p>
+
+<p>"Very likely you did, if your hearing is good," replied Christy with
+a smile, for the large revolver, discharged in the small cabin, made a
+tremendous noise. "The gentleman behind the table, who is holding on to
+his nose, requires some of your professional skill. He was proceeding to
+capture the Bronx, and had gone to the point where you find him."</p>
+
+<p>"I dol't walt any Yalkee surgeod at work od be," protested Captain
+Flanger, whose speech was badly affected by the injury to his nasal
+organ, or by the pressure he applied to it with his hand.</p>
+
+<p>"You can consult your own inclination as to that, my excellent
+friend. I shall not force you
+<span class = "pagenum">285</span>
+to be treated by him," added Christy, "But I must suggest that this
+farce has been carried far enough in my cabin."</p>
+
+<p>"Farce! Do you cod this a farce?" demanded the wounded man
+indignantly. "You have shot off by dose!"</p>
+
+<p>In fact, Captain Flanger seemed to be more disturbed at the accident
+to his proboscis, than by the failure of his quixotic scheme to capture
+the Bronx. He was certainly a very good-looking man, and took good care
+of his person, as indicated by the care bestowed upon his hair and
+beard.</p>
+
+<p>"The farce came to an end when you menaced me with death if I
+declined to sign the order you dictated, and the steward played the
+first scene in the tragedy. I am sure it was a farce up to that time,"
+replied Christy. "Mr. Flint, have the prisoner put in irons, and remove
+him to the quarters of the men forward. Give him a berthsack and a
+blanket, and place a hand to stand guard over him."</p>
+
+<p>The executive officer sent Mr. Camden on deck for a pair of handcuffs
+and a couple of men to execute the order. Flanger still retained his
+<span class = "pagenum">286</span>
+standing position behind the table, holding on to his nose, which
+continued to bleed very freely. The surgeon went over to him, and
+endeavored to obtain a sight of the mutilated member.</p>
+
+<p>"I think you had better let me stanch the blood," suggested Dr.
+Connelly.</p>
+
+<p>"Do!" exclaimed the patient. "You will take off what is left of by
+dose."</p>
+
+<p>"As you please," replied the surgeon, as the second lieutenant
+returned attended by two stout seamen.</p>
+
+<p>"Remove the handcuff from his left wrist, and fit him out with a new
+pair," said Mr. Flint, who still held the left arm of the prisoner.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Camden took off the irons, for he had a key to them, and enclosed
+the wrist in the new pair. Then the two men were directed to take his
+right arm, which they did, and drew his hand from his nose. This act
+roused the ire of Flanger, and he began to struggle; but powerful as he
+was, the two seamen were too much for him, and he was fairly handcuffed.
+The second lieutenant was the officer of the deck, and he was sent back
+to his post of duty. Flanger's face was so covered and daubed with the
+gore from his wound that the
+<span class = "pagenum">287</span>
+condition of his prominent facial member could not be determined.</p>
+
+<p>"I protest agailst this brutal treatmelt!" stormed the prisoner, as
+he continued to writhe in his irons. "I am a woulded plisoler!"</p>
+
+<p>"I see you are; but you decline to permit the surgeon to dress your
+wound. I have no more time to fool with you, and the men will put you on
+a berthsack forward. If you want the surgeon to attend to your wound,
+you have only to say&nbsp;so."</p>
+
+<p>"It is a bad wound though not a dangerous one," said Dr. Connelly,
+who had approached the victim of his own conspiracy near enough to
+obtain a view of the injured nose. "The ball has torn away the middle of
+the member, and it hangs in pieces from the wound."</p>
+
+<p>"I have had enough of him; remove him to the quarters," added
+Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"You took splendid aim, Captain Passford," said the surgeon,
+smiling.</p>
+
+<p>"I did not aim at his nose, but at his head in a general way,"
+replied the commander. "I fired in a hurry, and I meant to reach his
+brains, if he had any. Take him away; I am disgusted."</p>
+
+<p>"The fortules of war are agailst me, Captail Passford;
+<span class = "pagenum">288</span>
+but if you ever fall ilto my halds, I will cut your dose off cleal to
+your face," howled the prisoner, boiling over with wrath.</p>
+
+<p>"Take him away!" added Christy with energy; and the two seamen
+dragged him out of the cabin, leaving only Mr. Flint, the surgeon, and
+the steward in the cabin. "Dave," he continued, stepping up to the last,
+and taking him by the hand, "you have behaved remarkably well, and I
+thank you for the good service you have rendered to me and the cause of
+your country."</p>
+
+<p>"I done do what I thought was right, Captain Passford, though folks
+like that fellow think a poor nigger is no account," replied the
+steward, putting every tooth in his head on exhibition.</p>
+
+<p>"Perhaps he will change his mind after this. If you have not saved my
+life, Dave, you have saved my self-respect, for your prompt action,
+quite as soon as it was prudent for you to act, redeemed me from any
+further submission, and I expected to throw away my life rather than
+sign that order. I think he would not have killed me, for that would
+have blocked his game; but he would have wounded me in two minutes more.
+I thank you with all my heart, Dave, and I shall not forget what you
+have done."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">289</span>
+"Thank you, Captain Passford," replied the steward.</p>
+
+<p>"I do not fully understand this affair, captain," said Mr. Flint.</p>
+
+<p>"Sit down, take a seat, doctor, and I will tell you all about it. You
+may go forward, Dave, and report to me the condition of the prisoner,"
+added Christy, as he seated himself at the table, and began to tell the
+story of the intruder's visit to his cabin.</p>
+
+<p>He finished the narrative, and the officers were discussing it when
+there was a knock at the door.</p>
+
+<p>"Sail on the port bow, sir," reported a quartermaster.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">290</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapXXVI">CHAPTER XXVI</a></h4>
+
+<h6>THE MEETING WITH THE BELLEVITE AT NIGHT</h6>
+
+
+<p>Christy looked at his watch when the sail was reported to him, and
+found that it wanted ten minutes of eleven. The Bronx had been steaming
+for just about three hours, and must have made about forty miles, as he
+hastily figured up the run in his mind.</p>
+
+<p>"How was the weather when you left the deck, Mr. Flint?" asked the
+commander.</p>
+
+<p>"Clear as a bell, and bright starlight," replied the executive
+officer.</p>
+
+<p>"Not a night for blockade runners," added the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"No, sir."</p>
+
+<p>"The sail is reported on the port bow, which looks as though she
+might be coming in from sea," continued Christy, as he went into his
+stateroom with his navy revolver in his hand.</p>
+
+<p>He put the formidable weapon back into the
+<span class = "pagenum">291</span>
+drawer from which he had taken it; but the lesson of the evening had
+made a strong impression on his mind. Though he had permitted Captain
+Flanger to believe that he was not at all disturbed by his presence in
+his cabin, and had kept up the humor with which the intruder had
+introduced himself, yet he had felt a sense of humiliation through the
+whole of the scene. It was a new thing to be confronted by an enemy in
+his own cabin; and the privateersman, armed with two heavy revolvers,
+had all the advantage, while neither he nor the steward had a weapon of
+any kind.</p>
+
+<p>With even an ordinary revolver in his hip pocket, he would not have
+been helpless, and he might have saved himself without requiring this
+service of the steward. Opening his valise, he took from it a smaller
+revolver, and put it in his hip pocket, which he had never used for any
+other purpose; and he resolved not to be caught again in an unarmed
+condition, even when no danger was apparent. In action he carried a navy
+revolver in each of his hip pockets.</p>
+
+<p>Thus prepared for any emergency, though none might come for years, he
+went on deck, and made
+<span class = "pagenum">292</span>
+his way to the bridge, where he could get the best view of the
+approaching sail. He obtained his first sight of the vessel as soon as
+he reached the bridge, and saw that the sail was a steamer, much larger
+than the Bronx. She carried no sail, for the wind was from the west; but
+the commander soon realized that she was moving at great speed.</p>
+
+<p>"We must be about forty miles off the station of the blockaders
+before the entrance to Mobile Bay," said Christy, after he had thought
+the matter over for a moment.</p>
+
+<p>"I should think so," replied the first lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p>"That sail appears to be headed for the station. She is a large
+steamer, and I judge by the way she is coming up with us that she is
+very fast," added Christy with some anxiety in his tones.</p>
+
+<p>"She must be a steamer of fifteen hundred tons, and perhaps more,"
+said Mr. Flint, after he had looked at her through his night glass.</p>
+
+<p>"In that case she is too big for us to fight her, and too fast for us
+to run away from her; and Captain Flanger may be a free man in a few
+hours."</p>
+
+<p>"It does not follow that we shall have to fight
+<span class = "pagenum">293</span>
+her or run away from her," added the first lieutenant, still gazing at
+the approaching steamer through his glass. "I don't believe she is a
+Confederate vessel. The rebels do not buy steamers as big as that one in
+England."</p>
+
+<p>"But they may have captured her," suggested Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"I may be mistaken, Captain Passford, but I think that steamer is the
+Bellevite," added Mr. Flint.</p>
+
+<p>"I hope so," replied Christy, who did not like the idea of fighting
+or trying to run away from a craft three times as strong as the Bronx.
+"Have the ensign set at the peak, Mr. Flint." And a quartermaster was
+sent aft to attend to this duty.</p>
+
+<p>The strange sail continued to approach; and, little by little, the
+first lieutenant, who had sailed in the Bellevite several years,
+identified her as that steamer. It was probable that she had chased some
+vessel, and was now returning to her station. As she came nearer, she
+fired a gun for the Bronx to come to; and when within hail of her,
+stopped her screw.</p>
+
+<p>"Steamer, ahoy!" came from her in the well-known voice of Mr.
+Blowitt, formerly the commander
+<span class = "pagenum">294</span>
+of the Bronx, and now executive officer of the Bellevite.</p>
+
+<p>"On board the steamer!" replied Mr. Flint from the bridge.</p>
+
+<p>"What steamer is that?" called Mr. Blowitt.</p>
+
+<p>"The United States steamer Bronx, under sealed orders. What steamer
+is that?"</p>
+
+<p>"The United States steamer Bellevite. We will send a boat to you,"
+returned Mr. Blowitt.</p>
+
+<p>The big steamer, as she certainly was compared with the Bronx,
+started her screw again, and came within less than half a cable's length
+of the little gunboat, for the water was very still, with a gentle
+breeze from the westward. The boat was dropped into the water; and in a
+minute or two it was at the accommodation ladder of the Bronx, when a
+couple of officers mounted the side.</p>
+
+<p>"I am glad to see you, Captain Passford," said Mr. Blowitt, who was
+properly received when he stepped down upon the deck.</p>
+
+<p>"I am just as glad to see you, Mr. Blowitt," replied Christy, taking
+the offered hand of his old friend.</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Vapoor, chief engineer of the Bellevite," said the executive
+officer, presenting Christy's
+<span class = "pagenum">295</span>
+greatest crony on earth, for he had held back in deference to his
+superior officer.</p>
+
+<p>"The happiest moment I have had since I saw you last!" exclaimed the
+engineer, as he grasped the commander of the Bronx with his right hand,
+while he threw his left around the neck of his friend, and would have
+hugged him if Christy had not gently avoided such a "gush" in presence
+of the watch on deck. "I wish you were back in the Bellevite,
+Christy."</p>
+
+<p>"I wish I were myself," replied the commander, in a tone so low that
+none but the visitors could hear him.</p>
+
+<p>"No, you don't," interposed Mr. Blowitt. "You are commanding a little
+gunboat, though you are only eighteen."</p>
+
+<p>"I thought I should like it, but I find I do not as well as I
+expected," answered Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"You don't like it!" exclaimed the engineer of the Bellevite.</p>
+
+<p>"I do not, Paul; I think it wears upon me, though I am willing to do
+my duty wherever I am ordered."</p>
+
+<p>"If you wish to get back into the Bellevite, of course you can do so,
+for it is not every fellow
+<span class = "pagenum">296</span>
+that wears shoulder-straps who has such a backing as you have. You have
+only to speak, and anything reasonable is yours. But how are all at
+home, Christy?"</p>
+
+<p>"Florry was very well the last time I saw her, not more than two
+weeks ago, and she talked a great deal about you, Paul," answered her
+brother, partly in a whisper.</p>
+
+<p>"Did she?" added Paul with a gush. "Then she has not forgotten all
+about me. I almost wish I were not an engineer, for then I might be sent
+home once in a while in charge of a prize."</p>
+
+<p>Christy had only time to tell very briefly the story of the adventure
+with Corny, and the capture of the Floridian, which he did for the
+purpose of introducing a matter of business in the line of his
+profession. The officers from the Bellevite asked him a great many
+questions, though he felt obliged to cut them short before they were
+half done with them.</p>
+
+<p>"You must excuse me, Mr. Blowitt, for I am sailing under sealed
+orders, and the commodore hurried me off as soon as I returned with the
+Bronx from St. Andrew's Bay; and I do not know that my mission admits of
+any delay," said
+<span class = "pagenum">297</span>
+Christy. "I have a prisoner on board, and I want to get rid of him, for
+he is a dangerous character;" and he briefly related the incident of the
+evening with Captain Flanger.</p>
+
+<p>"He is a tough sinner," added the first lieutenant of the Bellevite.
+"Of course I cannot take him without an order from Captain Breaker; but
+I will return to the ship, and put the matter before him."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know where I am ordered, and this Flanger is capable of
+making mischief if I should happen to get into a tight place," added
+Christy. "I suppose you are returning to the station off Mobile Bay, and
+you can dispose of him better than I can."</p>
+
+<p>"If Captain Breaker decides to take your prisoner, I will send a boat
+for him so as to make no unnecessary delay for you. Mr. Vapoor may
+remain, and return in the boat I send, for I am confident the commander
+will accede to your request. Good-by, Captain Passford," said Mr.
+Blowitt, offering his hand to Christy, who pressed it most
+earnestly.</p>
+
+<p>"What is the Bellevite doing off here, so far from her station,
+Paul?" asked Christy.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">298</span>
+"We chased a good-sized steamer out last night, and she gave us a long
+run; but we picked her up, and she is now on her way to New York. She is
+good for eighteen knots an hour, and the Government is sure to buy her
+when she is condemned. Mr. Ballard, the second lieutenant, has gone in
+her as prize-master. He is in poor health, and will get leave of absence
+till he is better; but I do not believe he will ever come down here
+again. Were you in earnest in what you said about not liking your
+present position, Christy?"</p>
+
+<p>"I don't say that I absolutely dislike it, for I mean to be happy in
+whatever place my duty may call me. The responsibility weighs heavy on
+me, and I should prefer to be in a subordinate position," replied
+Christy very seriously. "I can't sleep as I used&nbsp;to."</p>
+
+<p>"I am confident there will be a vacancy in the Bellevite, for Mr.
+Ballard will not come back: Dr. Linscott said as much as that to me,"
+added the engineer. "You can have his place if you want&nbsp;it."</p>
+
+<p>"But there is a third lieutenant who may deserve promotion,"
+suggested Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"Captain Breaker is dissatisfied with him, and
+<span class = "pagenum">299</span>
+he will get him out of the ship, at any rate, as soon as the opportunity
+presents itself. I advise you to write to your father, and tell him
+plainly just how you feel," said Paul.</p>
+
+<p>"I am not sure that Captain Breaker would be willing to receive me as
+his second lieutenant," Christy objected.</p>
+
+<p>"I am sure he would," protested Paul.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't want him to take me simply because my father desires him to
+do so," answered the young commander, shaking his head.</p>
+
+<p>"Then let your father give him the choice of two or three officers.
+That will settle the matter."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know, Paul; I will think of the matter, and write to you as
+soon as I have time. There comes the boat. Mr. Flint, have the prisoner
+brought on deck to be transferred to the Bellevite."</p>
+
+<p>In a few minutes the two stout sailors who had removed him from the
+captain's cabin appeared on deck, dragging Captain Flanger after them,
+for he would not walk, and did all he could with his hands made fast
+behind him to embarrass his conductors.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">300</span>
+"Captain Passford, I protest agailst this treatment of a prisoler of
+war," howled the privateersman.</p>
+
+<p>"All right, Captain Flanger."</p>
+
+<p>"I say I am abused, and dragged from below like a dog."</p>
+
+<p>"If you stand up and walk like a man, the dog will not be
+dragged."</p>
+
+<p>"Boat alongside, sir," reported a quartermaster.</p>
+
+<p>"Put him into the boat," added Christy.</p>
+
+<p>The prisoner was certainly a hideous-looking object, his face daubed
+with blood, and his nose a mass of tangled flesh; but he was put into
+the boat in spite of his struggles. Paul Vapoor bade his friend an
+affectionate adieu, and went over the side. The Bronx started her screw
+at once.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">301</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapXXVII">CHAPTER XXVII</a></h4>
+
+<h6>THE PLANNING OF AN EXPEDITION</h6>
+
+
+<p>The Bronx continued on her course indicated in the verbal order of
+the flag-officer. Christy felt that he had had a narrow escape from
+death, or at least a severe wound, at the hands of the desperado who had
+invaded his cabin. Flanger had escaped, after he had been put on board
+of the flag-ship, with the assistance of Galvinne; and he appeared not
+to have taken the trouble to render the same service to his confederate.
+The ships' companies of the two steamers were inclined to converse,
+giving and receiving the news; and doubtless the prisoner had taken
+advantage of the confusion to slip on board of the Bronx and secrete
+himself.</p>
+
+<p>His scheme, which must have been devised after he obtained admission
+to the cabin, was born of nothing less than madness, and could hardly
+have succeeded under any circumstances, though it
+<span class = "pagenum">302</span>
+might have ended in killing or disabling the commander. Christy felt
+that a kind Providence had saved him, and he rendered devout thanks for
+the merciful interposition, as it seemed to him.</p>
+
+<p>While he was still considering the subject, he heard the call for
+"All the port watch!" on deck, and Mr. Camden came below to wake the
+third lieutenant, for the routine was hardly in working order on board
+of the steamer. The commander went into his stateroom, and soon returned
+with the sealed envelope in his hand. He was deeply interested in its
+contents, for he hoped his vessel was ordered to take part in the
+Mississippi expedition, which was to attack Forts Jackson and St.
+Philip, and capture the city of New Orleans. Eight bells had been
+struck, indicating midnight, which was the hour at which he was directed
+to break the seal. The first lieutenant was quite as much interested in
+ascertaining the destination of the Bronx as the commander. Christy had
+invited him to his cabin.</p>
+
+<p>"Midnight is rather an odd time for the opening of the envelope
+containing the orders," said Mr. Flint, as he seated himself at the
+table. "But I suppose it was chosen for a purpose."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">303</span>
+"Undoubtedly; headed to the south-west the ship would be off the passes
+of the Mississippi at eight bells in the forenoon. If we are sent to
+Lake Pontchartrain or Ship Island, we should be a long way off our
+course at that time," added Christy, as he broke the seal of the
+envelope. "Neither Lake Pontchartrain nor the Mississippi. We are
+ordered to Barataria Bay, where a steamer is loading with cotton."</p>
+
+<p>"I did not believe a little vessel like the Bronx would be sent up
+the river," said Mr. Flint, when the commander had read the paper.
+"Barataria Bay&mdash;that locality is noted for something in history,
+isn't it, captain?"</p>
+
+<p>"Perhaps you have never read 'Lafitte, the Pirate of the Gulf;' but
+this bay was his famous resort," said Christy, smiling. "It was formerly
+quite as noted as a resort for smugglers, and Lafitte was more a
+smuggler than a pirate in this region. He was six feet two inches in
+height, a well educated and handsome man, so that he was a first-class
+hero for a novel of the dime class," added Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"I believe your late passenger in the cabin knows something about
+Barataria Bay and its surroundings,
+<span class = "pagenum">304</span>
+for I think I heard the Russian say that he had done some smuggling in
+this quarter," said Mr. Flint. "As you are doubtless aware, by a series
+of lakes, bayous, and a canal which comes out near Carrollton, just
+above New Orleans, water communication is open to the Mississippi River
+for small vessels."</p>
+
+<p>"Do you say that Captain Flanger has been a smuggler in these
+waters?"</p>
+
+<p>"I think the Russian said so."</p>
+
+<p>"In that case, probably Mike was with him, and he may be a useful man
+to us as a pilot," replied Christy. "The commodore says the Western Gulf
+squadron had no steamer that was suitable for this service, for there is
+only nine feet of water on the bar of Barataria at low water. For this
+reason he had been requested to send the Bronx, not only on account of
+her light draft, but of her speed."</p>
+
+<p>The commander read his orders through. It was believed that vessels
+were loading with cotton there, towed down in flatboats by small
+steamers, and that a steamer of four hundred tons was fitting out in the
+bay as a privateer. It might not be practicable for the Bronx to go into
+the bay; but she was to do what she could to capture the
+<span class = "pagenum">305</span>
+cotton vessels and the steamer when they came out.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Flint went to his stateroom, and turned in; but Christy spread
+his chart of the Gulf of Mexico, and using his parallel ruler, he found
+that the present course of the Bronx would take her to the Pass &agrave;
+Loutre, the most northerly entrance of the Mississippi River. He went to
+the bridge at once, and directed the officer of the deck to make the
+course south-west by south. Everything was going well on deck, and Mr.
+Pennant had proved that he was a competent officer.</p>
+
+<p>By this time the commander began to feel that sleep was a necessity
+for him, for he had hardly rested at all the night before, and he turned
+in at two bells. He dropped asleep almost instantly, and did not wake
+till he heard eight bells in the morning. It was quite light in his
+stateroom, and he realized that it was eight o'clock, instead of four,
+as he at first supposed.</p>
+
+<p>Dressing himself hastily, Christy hastened on deck, and to the
+bridge, where he found Mr. Flint, who informed him that the Bronx was
+off the South Pass of the Mississippi. The fleet of the flag-officer of
+the Western Gulf squadron had
+<span class = "pagenum">306</span>
+gone up the river, with the exception of a single vessel, which had not
+been able to get over the bar. There were a few sail in sight.</p>
+
+<p>"We are all right on the course, Mr. Flint; now make it west," said
+Christy to the executive officer; and then went to his cabin for his
+breakfast, directing the officer of the deck to report to him when the
+steamer was off the South West Pass.</p>
+
+<p>When he had finished his morning meal, he proceeded to study his
+chart again. He had never been to the westward of the mouths of the
+Mississippi; but he had a chart of the entrance to Barataria Bay. He
+examined it with the greatest care, and made himself familiar with the
+bearings and distances. In about an hour after he left the deck, a
+messenger came to the door of the cabin to inform him that the South
+West Pass was in sight, bearing due north.</p>
+
+<p>"Make the course west north-west," said he to the first lieutenant,
+as he joined him on the bridge.</p>
+
+<p>"West north-west, sir," repeated the executive officer, as he gave it
+to the quartermaster at the wheel.</p>
+
+<p>"We shall soon be where our operations begin; but I am afraid we are
+to have a lazy time of it,"
+<span class = "pagenum">307</span>
+added Christy, as soon as the vessel's head had been pointed in the
+direction indicated.</p>
+
+<p>"Why so, Captain Passford?" asked Mr. Flint.</p>
+
+<p>"Barataria Bay makes a big hole in the State of Louisiana, and most
+of it is shoal water. At the south of it is the Isle Grande Terre, on
+the western end of which is a fort, which commands the entire channel,"
+replied the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"That's bad," added Mr. Flint, shaking his head.</p>
+
+<p>"I have no idea of its strength; but I do not care to have the Bronx
+knocked to pieces by the big guns of a fort. The bar of Barataria and
+the shoal water of the entrance to the bay extend out about two miles
+into the Gulf. At low water, two miles from the fort, we should bury our
+keel in the mud. It looks just now as though we should have to put the
+Bronx under the guns of the fort, or simply blockade the entrance to the
+bay. That makes it look like a quiet time in these waters."</p>
+
+<p>"Of course the Confederates on the lower Mississippi are using all
+their resources to strengthen Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip; and they
+can make a better use of big guns and artillerymen than in defending an
+opening like this one," replied Mr. Flint.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">308</span>
+"This is not a cotton-growing region, but is given up to sugar raising,"
+added Christy. "They have to bring the cotton a long distance in order
+to ship it here."</p>
+
+<p>"For these reasons, I do not believe this fort is of much
+account."</p>
+
+<p>"Perhaps not; but I should not care to have the Bronx sunk by a
+columbiad in the attempt to find out the strength of the fort."</p>
+
+<p>"It is possible that the Russian knows something about this region,"
+suggested Mr. Flint.</p>
+
+<p>"I will have a talk with him," replied the commander, as he left the
+bridge.</p>
+
+<p>Seating himself on the quarter-deck, he sent for Michael Bornhoff,
+who presently reported to him. This man had proved himself to be
+entirely faithful and reliable; and Christy had no doubts in regard to
+his loyalty, for his race guaranteed that.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you know where we are bound, Mike?" asked Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"I know what all the crew know, for word has been passed around that
+we are bound to Barataria Bay," replied the Russian with a cheerful
+smile.</p>
+
+<p>"Were you ever there, Mike?"</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">309</span>
+"Was I ever there, captain? I lived there a year!" exclaimed the
+contraband. "I was in the fishing business at that time," he added with
+a significant smile on his face.</p>
+
+<p>"What do you mean by that?"</p>
+
+<p>"We had the Magnolia over here then, and I used to go out fishing in
+her about every night," chuckled Mike. "Sometimes I did not catch any
+fish, and sometimes I caught five hundred boxes of Havana cigars. I
+often caught other kinds of fish."</p>
+
+<p>"You did not always eat the fish you caught," suggested Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"No, sir; but I used to drink some of them."</p>
+
+<p>"Precisely so; West India rum and wines."</p>
+
+<p>"Cigars mostly, sir, was the kind of fish we caught. Captain Flanger
+brought them outside the Grand Pass: I took them up to Fort Lafitte, and
+the captain's brother worked them into New Orleans and other places.
+They did a big business before the custom-house folks broke
+it&nbsp;up."</p>
+
+<p>"Very likely; and I dare say you know all about this region."</p>
+
+<p>"No doubt of that, sir."</p>
+
+<p>"What do you know about the fort?"</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">310</span>
+"Not much, captain, for in our business we did not have anything to do
+with forts and such things," chuckled Mike. "The old quarters of the
+mechanics and laborers used to be on the Gulf shore, but they moved them
+up north of the fort, on the Grand Pass. About a mile east of the fort
+there is a big plantation."</p>
+
+<p>"That is all for the present, Mike," added Christy.</p>
+
+<p>The contraband touched his cap, for he had been rigged out in a new
+suit of seaman's clothes. The commander retired to his cabin, and again
+devoted himself to the study of the chart of the locality. His first
+purpose must be to obtain accurate information in regard to the strength
+of the fort, and the position of the steamer, if there were such a craft
+in the bay. He decided to approach the entrance by the East Channel,
+though it would not be possible for the Bronx to reach the Grand Pass
+from that direction, for there were hardly more than six feet of water
+at low tide; and the rise and fall was less than a foot and a half.</p>
+
+<p>He had decided upon his method of operations, and then wished again
+that he was not in command of the steamer; for the expedition he
+intended
+<span class = "pagenum">311</span>
+to send out was one he would have been glad to command in person,
+instead of remaining inactive on board of the Bronx. As soon as he had
+arranged his plan, he went on deck. To the astonishment of the first
+lieutenant, he changed the course of the steamer to the north, and at
+noon let go the anchor in four fathoms of water. The vessel remained
+there till it was dark, and then proceeded to the westward, sounding all
+the time.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">312</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapXXVIII">CHAPTER XXVIII</a></h4>
+
+<h6>THE NEGRO VILLAGE ON THE ISLE GRANDE TERRE</h6>
+
+
+<p>The commander of the Bronx had explained his plan to the first
+lieutenant. There was nothing especially perilous in the expedition to
+be sent out; and it was the policy of Christy to keep the steamer out of
+sight of the fort, and of those in the immediate vicinity of it. After
+the Bronx had been on her course about two hours, and four bells had
+just struck, the leadsman reported two fathoms. A little later eleven
+feet was the depth.</p>
+
+<p>"Quartermaster, strike one bell," said Christy.</p>
+
+<p>"One bell, sir," repeated the petty officer at the wheel.</p>
+
+<p>"Ten feet!" shouted the man at the lead.</p>
+
+<p>"Strike three bells," added the commander; and the steamer began to
+back her screw.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the Bronx had lost her headway, the screw was stopped, and
+a drift lead was dropped into the water. A sharp lookout had been kept,
+<span class = "pagenum">313</span>
+and some flickering lights had been reported. The weather had become
+cloudy since noon, but there was no fog and no wind.</p>
+
+<p>"You will let Mr. Pennant command this expedition, Mr. Flint," said
+Christy. "He will take the first cutter, with ten men, including
+Quartermaster Vincent and Bornhoff."</p>
+
+<p>The third lieutenant was sent for, and his instructions were given to
+him. Mike would be his pilot, and could give him such information as he
+required in regard to the locality. He was to land in some convenient
+locality, cross the island on foot at the plantation, to Fort Lafitte,
+distant less than a mile, and ascertain if there were a steamer or other
+vessels in the bay. He was also instructed to use all means in his power
+to ascertain the strength of the fort. He was to make a landing about
+half a mile west of the plantation buildings.</p>
+
+<p>Within the limits of these instructions, he was to act on his own
+judgment. Mike was sent for, and further information in regard to the
+course was obtained from him. The officer was cautioned to be prudent,
+and not fall into any traps. If he discovered that there was a steamer
+in the bay,
+<span class = "pagenum">314</span>
+and that the fort was not heavily armed, he was to burn a red roman
+candle as a signal to the Bronx, which would proceed to the southward,
+and then enter the Grand Pass by the deepest water.</p>
+
+<p>"Where are the negro quarters of this plantation, Mike?" asked Mr.
+Pennant.</p>
+
+<p>"Just west of the big house, sir," replied the Russian.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know exactly where we are now, Captain Passford," said the
+officer of the expedition.</p>
+
+<p>"We lie about south of what Mike calls the big house, a mile and a
+half distant from it. Make the boat's course north north-west, and you
+will strike the shore about half way between the planter's house and the
+fort. But when you get near enough to see both of them, you can land
+where you think best," Christy explained.</p>
+
+<p>The boat's crew had already lowered the first cutter into the water.
+The oars were muffled, for the chances were that no one in the vicinity
+of the plantation had discovered the presence of the Bronx, and it was
+not advisable to alarm the people. Vincent acted as cockswain of the
+boat, while the Russian, as most of the officers and men
+<span class = "pagenum">315</span>
+insisted upon calling him, was seated in the stern sheets with the third
+lieutenant. The eight men at the oars formed the rest of the crew.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't believe you will find many hands down here, Mr. Pennant,"
+said Mike in a whisper.</p>
+
+<p>"What do you mean by hands?" asked the officer.</p>
+
+<p>"Laborers, niggers," replied the Russian.</p>
+
+<p>"Why not?"</p>
+
+<p>"I expect they have sent all the strong ones up to work on the
+fortifications."</p>
+
+<p>"Shall we find no one at the negro quarters?" asked the lieutenant
+with interest.</p>
+
+<p>"Only the women and the old hands, too old to do much work."</p>
+
+<p>"Can you make out where you are, Mike?" inquired Mr. Pennant, after
+about half a mile had been made.</p>
+
+<p>"I can just see the fort and the big house. It is not so very dark
+to-night," answered the Russian.</p>
+
+<p>The course was believed to be correct for the point indicated by the
+captain, and in less than half an hour the boat grounded; but the shore
+was bold enough to enable the men to land. Mr.
+<span class = "pagenum">316</span>
+Pennant went to the forward part of the boat and took a careful look all
+around him. All was as silent as a tomb. Stepping into the fore-sheets,
+he leaped on shore, directing the Russian to follow him.</p>
+
+<p>"Vincent, you will remain in charge of the boat and the men," said
+the third lieutenant, addressing the quartermaster. "I will explore the
+island with Mike. I have the fireworks with me, and you will keep a
+sharp lookout in the direction of the fort. If you see a light close to
+the water, make for it as fast as you can. Do you
+understand&nbsp;me?"</p>
+
+<p>"Perfectly, Mr. Pennant."</p>
+
+<p>"But you need not expect any signal for a couple of hours, or even
+three. If we get into trouble, we shall retreat upon the boat direct; so
+keep your eyes wide open."</p>
+
+<p>The officer led the way up the shore, and the rows of sugar-cane
+extended almost to the water. They could make out the little village of
+negro cabins which lay between them and the planter's house, and they
+directed their steps towards it. It was but a short walk, and they soon
+reached the lane that extended between the rows of huts.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">317</span>
+The lieutenant took his two revolvers from his hip pockets, and examined
+them as well as he could in the dark, and Mike did the same, for it was
+necessary to be prepared for whatever might happen. The village was as
+silent as though it were entirely deserted; but it was nearly midnight,
+and doubtless they were asleep in the cabins. They entered one. It was
+still and dark within the house. Mr. Pennant had brought with him a
+small lantern, which he lighted where the glare of the match could not
+be seen; but it revealed nothing to the inquirers.</p>
+
+<p>Covering the lantern so that its light could not be seen, they
+followed the lane between the two rows of cabins for some distance
+farther, and then entered another. Like the first, it was deserted. They
+crossed to the other side of the avenue, where they saw some signs that
+the cabin was inhabited. Uncovering his lantern, Mr. Pennant threw the
+light upon the interior. It contained two beds, and each of them was
+occupied by two persons. In one were two silvered heads to be seen,
+while the other displayed two heads that appeared to belong to
+women.</p>
+
+<p>"Shut the door, Mike," said the officer, in order to prevent the
+light from being seen.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">318</span>
+"I think I know one of the old men," added the Russian as he returned
+from the door, "Shall I wake him&nbsp;up?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes; but don't frighten him," replied Mr. Pennant.</p>
+
+<p>"Uncle Job," said Mike, placing his hand on the shoulder of the
+sleeper on the side of the bed nearest to him.</p>
+
+<p>The head and hair of the old colored man were peculiar enough to
+enable the Russian to identify him if he had ever seen him even once
+before. His mouth was twisted to one side either naturally or by some
+injury, and his kinky hair made him look as though he carried a great
+bale of cotton on the top of his head. He opened his eyes when Mike
+shook him gently, and looked at the two men at the side of his bed with
+a wondering rather than an alarmed expression.</p>
+
+<p>"Who dar?" inquired the negro.</p>
+
+<p>"Good-morning, Uncle Job," replied Mike, taking the hand of the aged
+colored person. "How is your health?"</p>
+
+<p>"Don't hab no healf, massa," replied Job, gazing earnestly at the
+intruder upon his slumbers.</p>
+
+<p>"Don't you know me, Uncle Job?"</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">319</span>
+"'Pears like I do; I reckon you's Massa Cap'n Flanger."</p>
+
+<p>"Not exactly; but I'm his man, Mike Bornhoff."</p>
+
+<p>"Jes' so; you was born ob de debbil," replied the old negro, rising
+in his bed, and showing all his remaining teeth in an expansive
+smile.</p>
+
+<p>"He remembers me," said Mike turning to the lieutenant. "We have
+struck the right man. But he don't mean that I am any wickeder than the
+rest of the world. I used to be called here by my last name, and Job
+invented the pun he has just used."</p>
+
+<p>"Why do you say that we have struck the right man, Mike?" asked Mr.
+Pennant, caring little for the former relations of the two men.</p>
+
+<p>"Because, though he don't look it, he is the best posted nigger in
+these parts. He is the wise man among his people, and a sort of leader
+among them, and fetich man besides."</p>
+
+<p>"All right; get him up if you can. Is he able to walk?"</p>
+
+<p>"He is as tough as a he-bear, and can walk a hundred miles on a
+stretch," replied Mike. "He knows everything that is going on in these
+times."</p>
+
+<p>The lieutenant had covered his lantern, for he
+<span class = "pagenum">320</span>
+did not wish to wake the other sleepers in the cabin, after the
+description the Russian had given of his man. Mike spoke in a low tone
+to him, and it did not take him long to make his toilet, for he slept
+just as he was clothed during the day. No one knew how old he was, but
+he was still brisk in his movements. The officer led the way to one of
+the deserted cabins at a considerable distance from the one occupied by
+Uncle Job.</p>
+
+<p>No one was stirring in the vicinity, and the silence was as profound
+as death itself. Not a word was said till they reached the cabin the
+officer had selected, and when they had entered, he closed the door
+behind them. The lantern was unveiled, and the lieutenant seated himself
+upon a block of timber, of which there were several in the room.</p>
+
+<p>"Now, Uncle Job, I want you to answer some questions," Mr. Pennant
+began.</p>
+
+<p>"'Pose I don't answer 'em?" suggested the negro.</p>
+
+<p>"Then I shall put you in irons, and take you on board of the
+steamer," added the officer sternly.</p>
+
+<p>"De steamer! wot's de steamer? Is't a Yankee gumboat?" demanded Uncle
+Job, opening his eyes with wonder and astonishment.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">321</span>
+"That's just what it is."</p>
+
+<p>"Den I gib you all de answers you want," replied the negro with a
+cheerful smile. "Whar de gumboat?"</p>
+
+<p>"She is off the shore not far from here. Now you will answer my
+questions. There is a fort here?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, sar; ober dar," he replied, pointing to the west.</p>
+
+<p>"How many men are there at the fort?"</p>
+
+<p>"Only twenty, sar; all gone ober to New Orleans, sar."</p>
+
+<p>"How many guns has it? I mean big guns, Uncle Job?"</p>
+
+<p>"I done count only four ob dem w'en I was dar last time."</p>
+
+<p>"Only four!" exclaimed Mr. Pennant. "Are you telling me the truth,
+Uncle Job?"</p>
+
+<p>"I neber spoke noffin but the truf, Massa Ossifer."</p>
+
+<p>"Are those four very large,&mdash;long as this cabin is wide?" asked
+the lieutenant with interest.</p>
+
+<p>"No, sar!" exclaimed Job with energy.</p>
+
+<p>"But they must have had very big guns."</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, sar; but dey done tote 'em all ober to de Mis'sip Riber."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">322</span>
+This seemed to be reasonable to the lieutenant, and in accordance with
+the belief of his superiors on board of the Bronx, for no Union
+man-of-war of any size could pass through the water courses to the great
+river. It looked as though the big guns had been replaced with those of
+smaller calibre.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Pennant put out the light in his lantern, and the party started
+to cross the island.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">323</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapXXIX">CHAPTER XXIX</a></h4>
+
+<h6>A PROFESSIONAL VISIT TO THE FORT</h6>
+
+
+<p>Mr. Pennant had some doubts about the correctness of the important
+information he had obtained, but he was at a loss to know how to verify
+it. It was a matter of course that sentinels patrolled the vicinity of
+the fort, or at least the principal approach to it. He decided to
+postpone his inquiry into this matter till a later hour of the night or
+morning.</p>
+
+<p>"Whar you gwine, Massa Ossifer?" asked Uncle Job, after they had
+walked a short distance from the negro village.</p>
+
+<p>"Over to the other side of the island," replied the lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p>"Wot you gwine to do ober dar, massa?"</p>
+
+<p>"I want to see what there is over there."</p>
+
+<p>"Dis nigger kin told you wot dar is over dar."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, what is there over there?"</p>
+
+<p>"Dar's a steamer ober dar, an' I speck de Yankee
+<span class = "pagenum">324</span>
+gumboat's gwine in dar to look arter dat steamer," said Uncle Job,
+chuckling as though he enjoyed the prospect of such an event. "Say,
+Massa Ossifer, is Massa Linkum in yore gumboat?"</p>
+
+<p>"Not exactly; but she is well filled with his people," replied Mr.
+Pennant, laughing.</p>
+
+<p>"I done wish dat Massa Linkum come down here hisself," added the
+venerable colored person.</p>
+
+<p>"He can hardly spare the time to do that; his business is such that
+he cannot leave," replied the lieutenant, much amused at the simplicity
+of the negro. "Now tell me something more about this steamer in the bay.
+How big is she?"</p>
+
+<p>"I can't told you 'zackly, massa; she as big as de fort."</p>
+
+<p>"Where did she come from?" asked the lieutenant, who had more
+confidence in the honesty than in the intelligence of Job.</p>
+
+<p>"I dunno, massa; but she done come in from de sea. When she git off
+dar two mile she done stick in de mud," answered the negro, pointing in
+the direction of the bar. "Den de little steamers from up the bay take
+off de loadin', and she done come&nbsp;in."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">325</span>
+"With what was she loaded?"</p>
+
+<p>"All sorts o' tings, massa; guns, and pistols, and close. Dis nigger
+help take de tings out ob her."</p>
+
+<p>"What is she doing now in the bay?"</p>
+
+<p>"Loadin' wid cotton de steamers fotch down."</p>
+
+<p>"Where does she lie now?"</p>
+
+<p>"Jes' off de ole Fort Lafitte, whar de water's deep."</p>
+
+<p>In less than half an hour the party reached the locality indicated by
+Job. The officer could see the steamer which looked, in the gloom of the
+night, as though she was a craft of about five hundred tons. She was
+moored in the deep water so far in that she could not be seen by vessels
+in the offing. On each side of her was a small river steamer, and she
+seemed not to have completed her cargo.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you know the name of that steamer, Uncle Job," inquired Mr.
+Pennant.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, sar; I knows it like my own name, but I can't spoke it if I die
+for't," answered Job, laughing.</p>
+
+<p>"Try to do so."</p>
+
+<p>"No use, Massa Ossifer; dis nigger don't hab teef enough to do
+dat."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">326</span>
+"Can't you spell it?"</p>
+
+<p>"No, sar; can't spell noffin."</p>
+
+<p>But Job was very obliging, and he made a hissing sound, followed by
+an effort to sneeze which was a failure. Then he hissed some more,
+though the loss of his front teeth interfered with the effort. Then he
+said "fing."</p>
+
+<p>"I know what he means," interposed the Russian. "I know that steamer,
+for she came in at Cedar Keys when I was there. He means the
+Sphinx."</p>
+
+<p>"Dat's it, Massa Ossifer!" exclaimed Job, apparently delighted to
+find that he had made himself understood.</p>
+
+<p>"Has she any big guns?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, sar; she done h'ist two out ob her innards, and done took two
+more from de fort."</p>
+
+<p>"All right; I think we understand the situation up here," said Mr.
+Pennant, as he led the way in the direction from which they had
+come.</p>
+
+<p>They returned to the negro village, for the commander of the
+expedition did not feel as though he had yet finished his mission on
+shore.</p>
+
+<p>"Mind yore eye, Massa Gumboat!" exclaimed Job, in a low tone, but
+with great earnestness.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">327</span>
+"Dar's somebody comin' from de fort! He's comin' mighty quick
+shore."</p>
+
+<p>The negro hurried the officer and Mike into one of the cabins, and
+shoved them into a sort of closet, while he went to the door himself. He
+passed out into the lane, as the man came into it from the middle of the
+field, for he had not been near enough to the shore to discover the
+boat.</p>
+
+<p>"Who dar?" called Job.</p>
+
+<p>"Soldier from the fort," replied the man. "What are you doing out
+here at this time of night?"</p>
+
+<p>"I done get sick, massa, and I's gwine up to de big house to see de
+doctor," replied the negro, who probably used the first excuse that came
+into his head.</p>
+
+<p>"The doctor!" exclaimed the soldier. "Is there a doctor there?"</p>
+
+<p>"I reckon dar's one dar if he done habn't leabe yisterday."</p>
+
+<p>"Then you can do my errand for me," added the soldier.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, sar; what's dat, massa?"</p>
+
+<p>"One of our men is very sick, and we have no doctor. We are afraid he
+will die before morning,
+<span class = "pagenum">328</span>
+and we want a doctor. Ours was ordered off a week ago."</p>
+
+<p>"I go for de doctor if he's dar," said Job.</p>
+
+<p>"Very well; I will go back and tell the sick man the doctor's
+coming," added the soldier. "That will give him a hope, if nothing
+more."</p>
+
+<p>"Dis nigger's 'feered de doctor done gone away."</p>
+
+<p>"If he isn't there, we can't have him; but hurry up, Uncle Job, and
+come over and tell us if he isn't there," said the soldier, as he
+hurried away as rapidly as he came, evidently believing that hope was a
+panacea to a sick man.</p>
+
+<p>As the soldier did not offer to come into the cabin, Mr. Pennant had
+come out of his hiding-place, and had heard all that was said by the
+soldier, even while he was in concealment.</p>
+
+<p>"Is there any doctor at the big house?" asked the lieutenant as soon
+as Job entered the house.</p>
+
+<p>"No, sar; all de family done leave, an' was gwine to New Orleans.
+Arter a while I go to de fort and tell de sodgers the doctor done gone,"
+replied Job.</p>
+
+<p>"I will go with you, Uncle Job," added Mr. Pennant quietly.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">329</span>
+"You, Massa Gumboat!" cried the negro. "De sodgers put de bagonet frou
+your crop like a knife frou a pullet's froat!"</p>
+
+<p>"Not if you tell them I am the doctor," added the lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p>"De doctor! Be you a doctor, sar?"</p>
+
+<p>"I have done something in the business, and perhaps I can cure the
+man who is sick, if they have the proper medicine," added the
+officer.</p>
+
+<p>"Dey hab de medicine at de big house."</p>
+
+<p>"Can you get into it?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, sar; de oberseer's sick abed, and dis nigger go right in like
+massa hisself," replied Job, as he led the way in the direction of the
+planter's house.</p>
+
+<p>The Russian was sent to the boat to await the return of the
+lieutenant; but he was instructed not to open his mouth to his shipmates
+in regard to what had been done on the island. Job found a way to get
+into the big house, and conducted the officer to the dispensary, where
+he had so often gone for remedies for his ailments. He found what he
+wanted, and then he felt reasonably certain that he should make a
+success of his professional visit to the soldier. He took several small
+<span class = "pagenum">330</span>
+bottles of medicines in addition to the particular one upon which he
+depended.</p>
+
+<p>Job conducted him to the fort, which was over a mile distant. The
+lieutenant was not dressed in his uniform with the shoulder straps,
+though he had procured one from the store ship at the station; but he
+had adjusted his garments to the needs of the occasion, so that, if
+captured he could hardly be recognized as a Union officer. But he had
+his navy revolvers in his hip pockets, though they were covered by the
+skirts of the frock coat he wore, for he had borrowed this garment of
+the surgeon.</p>
+
+<p>At the principal entrance of the fort they were challenged by the
+sentinel. Mr. Pennant was somewhat afraid his northern dialect would
+betray him, for he was not a highly educated man, though he was
+exceedingly well informed in all matters pertaining to the duties of a
+shipmaster.</p>
+
+<p>"Stand! Who comes there?" said the sentinel.</p>
+
+<p>"Friends," replied the lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p>"Advance, friends, and give the countersign!"</p>
+
+<p>"We have no countersign to give."</p>
+
+<p>"Who are you?" demanded the soldier.</p>
+
+<p>"Dr. Waterton," answered Mr. Pennant, giving
+<span class = "pagenum">331</span>
+the first name that came into his head, for the medical title was the
+essential thing.</p>
+
+<p>"All right, doctor; I have been directed to admit you. Pass in,
+sir."</p>
+
+<p>Job was familiar with the interior of the fort, and he led the way;
+but before they had crossed the parade, the soldier who had gone for the
+doctor came to them, and conducted them to a casemate, where the sick
+soldier was still suffering terrible pains.</p>
+
+<p>"Lieutenant Fourchon, this is the doctor; but I do not know his
+name," said the soldier.</p>
+
+<p>"Dr. Waterton," added Mr. Pennant.</p>
+
+<p>"I am glad to see you, Dr. Waterton, for I have exhausted all my
+remedies," said Lieutenant Fourchon. "I was not born to be a doctor. The
+patient seems to be no better."</p>
+
+<p>"It does not look like a very bad case," added the doctor, finding it
+necessary to say something, as he felt the pulse of the sufferer.</p>
+
+<p>Though the lieutenant of the Bronx was not a physician, he was not
+altogether a pretender, for in the capacity of mate and temporary
+commander, he had done duty in the healing art in the absence of a more
+skilful person.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">332</span>
+"A glass of water and a teaspoon," said he to the soldier-nurse; and
+they were promptly brought to him.</p>
+
+<p>The doctor took from his pocket a small bottle of chloroform he had
+obtained from the big house, and dropped a quantity of it into the
+teaspoon. Mixing it with a little water in a glass, he gave it to the
+patient, who swallowed it quickly in spite of its burning taste.</p>
+
+<p>"Now a piece of flannel," added the doctor.</p>
+
+<p>Upon this when it was brought he dropped a quantity of the
+chloroform, and applied it to the seat of the pain. In a moment the
+soldier cried out against the burning heat of the remedy; but the
+practitioner insisted that it should remain a while longer. But he
+relieved him of it in a short time.</p>
+
+<p>"How do you feel?" asked the doctor.</p>
+
+<p>"Better; a great deal better," replied the patient.</p>
+
+<p>In fact, in less than an hour he said he was entirely relieved from
+the severe pain. He was very grateful to the doctor, whom no one
+suspected of being a Yankee gunboat officer.</p>
+
+<p>"I had the same thing once before, and I was
+<span class = "pagenum">333</span>
+sure I should die with it this time," said the sick soldier, "It lasted
+me all night and part of the next day the other time."</p>
+
+<p>"I am afraid you did not have a very skilful doctor at that time,"
+replied the practitioner with a smile.</p>
+
+<p>Lieutenant Fourchon pressed the hand of the doctor, and left the
+casemate with him.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">334</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapXXX">CHAPTER XXX</a></h4>
+
+<h6>THE ATTACK UPON THE FORT</h6>
+
+
+<p>The Confederate officer was evidently of French descent; at any rate,
+he was very polite. He expressed his obligations to the supposed
+physician for the service he had rendered in very earnest terms. Mr.
+Pennant had been able to see that there were no guns in the casemates of
+the fort, and this was really all he wanted to know.</p>
+
+<p>"All your guns seem to be mounted outside," said the naval officer as
+he halted on the parade.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, sir; most of the guns have been removed to points where they
+can be used to greater advantage than here. The few we have are
+twenty-four pounders, mounted <i>en barbette</i>," replied Lieutenant
+Fourchon. "The fort is practically abandoned; and in a short time will
+be entirely so, for the enemy's ships of war can do no harm here, and
+there is not water enough above to permit their passage into the
+Mississippi."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">335</span>
+"But the fort can protect your vessels in the bay," suggested the
+lieutenant of the Bronx.</p>
+
+<p>"The shoal water is the best protection for the small steamers that
+ply on these inside waters; and the Yankee gunboats can take all others
+as they come out. The entrance to the bay has not been regularly
+blockaded, for there has been little occasion to do so thus far."</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Pennant had learned all he wanted to know, and from the parade he
+could see even in the darkness that only four guns were mounted on the
+works. He began to feel in a hurry to carry out the remainder of the
+programme assigned to him. He took the hand of the Confederate officer
+when he reached the point where Uncle Job was waiting for him, bade him
+good-morning, and left the fort.</p>
+
+<p>"How's de sick man, Massa Gumboat?" asked the old negro, chuckling as
+though he appreciated the stroke of strategy made by his companion.</p>
+
+<p>"He is better; in fact, he was about well when I left him," replied
+the practitioner. "But I have no more time to waste," added he, as he
+quickened his pace, moving in the direction of the shore.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">336</span>
+The day was beginning to break in the east, and he was afraid the
+commander of the Bronx would become uneasy in regard to him. The
+quarters of the soldiers were passed, though they were not in use, and
+the shore reached. The lieutenant thanked the guide for the service he
+had rendered, and told him he could go back to his cabin, and finish his
+night's sleep.</p>
+
+<p>"No, sar; see you frou, Massa Gumboat," replied Job.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you wish to leave this place, Uncle Job?" asked the officer.</p>
+
+<p>"No, sar; I want to be free, but I'm not gwine away, I want to see de
+gumboat."</p>
+
+<p>"You shall see it, and go on board of it if you wish; but we may have
+a battle with the fort."</p>
+
+<p>"Don't care for de fight, sar; Job isn't 'feered o' noffin'."</p>
+
+<p>It was less than halt a mile to the cutter, and they soon reached it.
+The Russian was standing on the shore, and most of the men were asleep
+on the thwarts, though Vincent was wide awake. Mike recognized the form
+of the old negro, and reported that the lieutenant was coming.</p>
+
+<p>"Now burn your roman candle, and let us get
+<span class = "pagenum">337</span>
+off as soon as possible," said Mr. Pennant. "Bowman, help this man to a
+seat in the stern sheets;" and he assisted Uncle Job to get in
+himself.</p>
+
+<p>The men passed him along over the thwarts, and seated him in the
+stern. Vincent burned the red candle himself, and it cast a fiery glare
+over the scene, which must have astonished the occupants of the fort if
+they saw it. As soon as it had burned out, the quartermaster leaped over
+the stem of the cutter, and made his way to the stern, where he jumped
+over the backboard, and took his place at the tiller ropes. The cutter
+was backed off the ground, and out into the deeper water.</p>
+
+<p>"Up oars! Let fall!" said Mr. Pennant. "Stern, all! Give way!"</p>
+
+<p>The cutter backed rapidly from the shore, and was then brought about.
+The lieutenant stood up in his place, and could just distinguish the
+Bronx, a mile and a half distant, in the gloom of the early morning. He
+watched her a few minutes and soon saw her swing around, and head to the
+south-east.</p>
+
+<p>"Make the course about south, Vincent," said the officer, as soon as
+he discovered that the steamer was in motion.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">338</span>
+"South, sir," replied the quartermaster.</p>
+
+<p>"Now, give way with a will, my men!" called Mr. Pennant in brisk
+tones, "for we shall soon have a twenty-four pound shot chasing us
+out."</p>
+
+<p>When the cutter was about half a mile from the shore, making it about
+three-quarters of a mile from the fort, the peal of a cannon was heard,
+and a puff of smoke could be seen as it rose on the clear, starred sky,
+for the clouds had rolled away during the night. The shot dropped into
+the water a short distance abreast of the cutter.</p>
+
+<p>"Good!" exclaimed Mr. Pennant; and this was the first time he had
+ever been under fire, though he had imagined it enough to feel entirely
+at home.</p>
+
+<p>Another shot followed the first, and dropped into the water; and if
+it had gone fifty feet farther, it would have struck the boat.</p>
+
+<p>"Good again!" exclaimed the lieutenant. "I think that is about the
+range of those guns."</p>
+
+<p>A third shot fell a little nearer the cutter; but it was evident
+enough that it was out of the reach of the feeble guns of the fort. The
+firing continued but a few minutes longer, for it was as plain to
+Lieutenant Fourchon as to Lieutenant
+<span class = "pagenum">339</span>
+Pennant that the shots were harmless to the boat. The commander on shore
+could see by this time, if he had not before, that a gunboat was in the
+offing, and that he might soon have a better use for his powder than
+wasting it upon the boat.</p>
+
+<p>The lieutenant had closely watched the movements of the Bronx. He had
+made the signal that the fort was not very dangerous to the well-being
+of the gunboat, and he understood her present movement. The light was
+increasing, and the Bronx could be distinctly seen, headed to the
+south-east, or in other words, making for the deep water outside the
+bar. Mr. Pennant still kept the cutter headed to the south.</p>
+
+<p>The steamer went off till she looked very much smaller, and then
+changed her course to the south-west. The lieutenant in the cutter
+ordered the bowman to sound with the small hand lead, after he had
+brought the boat to a full stop. The man reported eight feet. The head
+of the boat was then turned to the west, and the crew ordered to give
+way. In a quarter of an hour more the course was checked, and the bowman
+directed to sound again. Sixteen feet was reported.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Pennant stood up in the stern sheets, and
+<span class = "pagenum">340</span>
+gazed in the direction of the fort. On the shore of the Grand Pass,
+above the fort, were three buildings, formerly occupied by mechanics and
+laborers. The sailing directions for entering the bay were to bring the
+fronts of these structures in range, and proceed for a time on the
+course indicated. Mr. Pennant had obtained this bearing after he had
+backed the boat a few feet. The depth of water then informed him that he
+was in the channel.</p>
+
+<p>But he had no intention of again approaching the fort, and he headed
+the boat to the south-east, or nearly so, and then ordered the men to
+give way. He called the attention of the coxswain to the range, and
+directed him to keep it. The bowman was required to keep the lead going
+all the time.</p>
+
+<p>"Ten and a half feet!" reported the bowman.</p>
+
+<p>"That is the shoalest we shall get," added the officer.</p>
+
+<p>The crew had been ordered to ease off, and the cutter moved very
+slowly. A quarter of an hour later the sounding was ten and
+three-quarters feet. The next report was fourteen feet, and then no
+bottom at twenty feet. The Bronx was approaching
+<span class = "pagenum">341</span>
+the boat with full steam, and stopped her screw a short distance from
+the cutter. In a few moments more the boat was at the davits, and the
+commander of the expedition reported to Captain Passford.</p>
+
+<p>"What have you here, Mr. Pennant?" asked the commander with a smile,
+as he pointed to Uncle Job, who seemed to be as bashful as a young girl,
+and utterly confounded by what he saw on the deck of the Bronx.</p>
+
+<p>"That is Uncle Job, Captain Passford," replied the lieutenant. "He
+has been of very great service to me, and he enables me to make a very
+full report to you, sir. This is the captain of the gunboat, Uncle Job,"
+he added to the negro.</p>
+
+<p>The old man had no hat to touch or take off, for the mass of hair was
+a sufficient protection to his head; but he bowed almost to the deck,
+and was too timid to say a single word.</p>
+
+<p>"I am very glad to see you, Uncle Job," said Christy, taking the hand
+of the venerable colored person. "I thank you for the service rendered
+to my officer. Now, Mr. Pennant, you will come to my cabin and make your
+report. Bring Uncle Job with you."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">342</span>
+As soon as he reached the cabin, Christy brought from his stateroom
+twenty dollars in gold, which he presented to the old negro, who
+accepted the gift with many thanks.</p>
+
+<p>"Dave," called the captain.</p>
+
+<p>"Here, sir," replied the steward, coming into the cabin and gazing
+with astonishment at the negro. "This man has done a good work; take
+care of him, give him a good breakfast, and see that no one insults
+him."</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the steward had taken him to the steerage, Mr. Pennant
+made his report in full, even to the number and calibre of the guns at
+the fort, and including the cure he had wrought upon the Confederate
+soldier. Christy was amused at this last part of the narrative; but he
+had no time to waste in conversation.</p>
+
+<p>The screw of the Bronx was started again. Though the Russian was a
+pilot over the bar, his services were not needed as such. The first
+cutter had kept the range of the buildings on the island, and Mr. Flint
+had already picked it up. The steamer proceeded at less than half speed,
+but the tide was at its highest. By this time it was seven o'clock in
+the morning, for a great deal of the time
+<span class = "pagenum">343</span>
+had been used up in moving the cutter and the steamer. Breakfast had
+been served to all hands, and Christy had fortified his stomach for a
+busy forenoon. As the Bronx proceeded on her course, the lead going all
+the time, making not more than two knots an hour, the report of a gun
+was heard from the fort.</p>
+
+<p>"They are awake there," said Christy with a smile to the first
+lieutenant, and both of them watched for the fall of the shot, which
+struck the water at least a quarter of a mile ahead of the vessel. "Beat
+to quarters, Mr. Flint."</p>
+
+<p>The strength of the Bronx was mainly in her heavy midship gun. The
+commander had ascertained the range of the twenty-four pounder barbette
+guns of the fort, and made his calculations accordingly. He could batter
+down the masonry of the works at his leisure, if he chose to waste his
+time and ammunition in that way; but the Confederates proposed to
+abandon the fort, and it would not pay to destroy&nbsp;it.</p>
+
+<p>"Fourteen and a half feet!" shouted the leadsman.</p>
+
+<p>"That will do, Mr. Flint; stop her, and let go the anchor. Get out a
+spring astern and make it fast to that buoy," said the commander.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">344</span>
+In ten minutes more the Bronx quivered under the discharge of the great
+midship gun, and a cloud of smoke rose above her deck.</p>
+
+<p>"Good for you, Mr. Ambleton!" exclaimed Christy, a few seconds later,
+when he saw the wreck of one of the twenty-four pounders on the
+fort.</p>
+
+<p>This result was followed by emphatic cheers from the forty-five men
+on deck.</p>
+
+<p>"I can do that again, Captain Passford," replied the gunner, who was
+in charge of the piece.</p>
+
+<p>"Do it, then," added Christy.</p>
+
+<p>He did not do quite as well every time, but in two hours there was
+not a gun in place on the barbette of the fort.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<span class = "pagenum">345</span>
+<h4 class = "chapter"><a name = "chapXXXI">CHAPTER XXXI</a></h4>
+
+<h6>A WOUNDED COMMANDER</h6>
+
+
+<p>The fort had become harmless so far as the use of its guns was
+concerned; but the channel of the Grand Pass was hardly a quarter of a
+mile in width, and even twenty soldiers with muskets could pick off the
+men on the deck of the Bronx. Christy's orders required him to capture
+the steamer that was fitting out in the bay, and he intended to do it.
+The order to weigh the anchor and cast off the spring was given, and the
+commander sent for the chief engineer.</p>
+
+<p>"We are within a mile of the fort, Mr. Sampson, and I mean to run by
+it. We shall be exposed to the fire of musketry for about half a mile,
+and the quicker we make this distance, the less the danger to the men,"
+said the commander, when the engineer presented himself. "We will not
+get under way till you have all the steam you need to give the steamer
+her best speed."</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">346</span>
+"I understand the situation perfectly, Captain Passford, and I will
+report when we are ready to go ahead in the manner you desire," replied
+Mr. Sampson, as he saluted the captain and hastened below.</p>
+
+<p>"The officer in command of that fort is not idle," said Mr. Flint,
+who had been using his glass very industriously since the firing ceased.
+"The soldiers are busy setting up the guns again, or some of them."</p>
+
+<p>"We will soon stop that," added Christy. "Give them another shot from
+the midship gun, Mr. Flint."</p>
+
+<p>The gunner was again fortunate in his aim, and it was seen that the
+solid shot cleaned off the carriage upon which the soldiers were at
+work. With the aid of the glass it was found that two of the men had
+been killed or wounded. The work on that gun was suspended, but the
+officer could be seen in the act of directing his force to another of
+the barbette pieces.</p>
+
+<p>"That lieutenant is a brave man," said Mr. Pennant, "and I know he is
+a gentleman."</p>
+
+<p>"I am only sorry that he is fighting on the wrong side," added
+Christy, as he observed the
+<span class = "pagenum">347</span>
+earnestness of the officer in the discharge of his duty. "Is he an old
+man?"</p>
+
+<p>"No, sir; I don't believe he is over twenty, if he is that," replied
+the third lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p>Another solid shot sped on its way, and Mr. Ambleton, the gunner,
+fully justified the reputation he had earned, though the missile only
+ploughed up the earth in front of the party on the fort. But then
+Lieutenant Fourchon proved that he was a wise and a prudent man, as well
+as a brave one, for he retreated from the exposed position with his men.
+It was almost sure death for them to remain there, for they could not
+help seeing the cloud of smoke that rose from the funnel of the Bronx,
+indicating her intention to go up the Pass.</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Sampson directs me to report that he is ready to proceed," said
+a messenger from the chief engineer.</p>
+
+<p>Quartermaster Vincent was placed in charge of the wheel, with Boxie
+as helmsman. All that could be done to protect the pilot-house had been
+done, though it was not yet supposed to be proof against the musket ball
+that would be fired in that direction. All the men not absolutely needed
+for
+<span class = "pagenum">348</span>
+duty were sent below, but they were armed with revolvers and cutlasses,
+ready for service at any instant. The officers retired from the bridge,
+for it was folly for any one to be unnecessarily exposed to the musketry
+fire from the loopholes of the fort.</p>
+
+<p>"Strike one bell, Vincent!" said Mr. Flint, when the captain had
+given him the order to go ahead.</p>
+
+<p>The steamer went ahead slowly; but the steam was hissing, and she
+seemed to be as impatient as a fiery horse at the slow starting.</p>
+
+<p>"Four bells, Mr. Flint!" added the commander when the Bronx was
+fairly under way.</p>
+
+<p>The order went to the quartermaster, and the vessel began to dart
+ahead as though she fully realized what was expected of her. There was
+nothing to impede her progress, for the fort was as silent as though it
+had ceased to exist. A trusty hand was heaving the lead in the
+fore-chains, for the Bronx was not yet within musket-shot range of the
+island.</p>
+
+<p>"Mark under water three!" shouted the leadsman, with an earnestness
+inspired by the occasion.</p>
+
+<p>Christy planked the deck with Mr. Flint just
+<span class = "pagenum">349</span>
+abaft the foremast. Both of them were as cool and self-possessed as
+though they had been sitting at the cabin-table; but neither of them
+felt that the battle had been won, for the officer in command of the
+fort was evidently a man of ability, who had not yet exhausted his
+resources. The first lieutenant had watched the works very closely with
+his glass, and he had informed the captain that something was in
+progress there, though he could not tell what it was.</p>
+
+<p>Christy certainly felt very anxious, and he could not help asking
+himself whether or not he was engaged in a foolhardy enterprise in
+attacking the fort. His orders related only to the steamer that was
+loading in the bay, and he had been warned in his instructions to take
+the fort into consideration in his operations. He felt that he had given
+proper attention to the fort, inasmuch as he had disabled all its guns.
+He might have simply blockaded the entrance to the Pass; but he might
+have stayed in the offing a month before she ventured to come out. He
+was still willing to believe that he had not overstepped his orders.</p>
+
+<p>"And a quarter three!" cried the leadsman.</p>
+
+<p>"Make the course north-west, Mr. Flint," said
+<span class = "pagenum">350</span>
+Christy, following the sailing directions with a proper allowance for
+the tide. "No more sounding; send the man below. We shall have from
+three to seven fathoms of water till we have passed the fort."</p>
+
+<p>The Bronx continued to dart ahead at her best speed, and no sound
+came from the fort. It was only a question of minutes now before the
+steamer reached a point inside of the island where she could accomplish
+her mission by the capture of the Sphinx. The officers remained on deck,
+but they were protected by the bulwarks, the masts, and especially under
+the shelter of the top-gallant forecastle. Christy had earnestly warned
+the second and third lieutenants not to expose themselves needlessly to
+the musketry of the fort, and Mr. Flint was discreet enough to need no
+such warning.</p>
+
+<p>"Soldiers on the fort, sir!" shouted Vincent, when the Bronx was
+within less than a quarter of a mile of the works.</p>
+
+<p>Christy and the first lieutenant sprang from the shelter where they
+had been waiting the passage of the fort, and rushed up the steps to the
+bridge. The commander of the force on shore, with half a
+<span class = "pagenum">351</span>
+dozen men, was at work on one of the guns on the barbette; but it was
+impossible to make out what they were doing. Then there was a flash, a
+cloud of smoke went up, and a shot crashed into the deck directly under
+the pilot-house, tearing up the planks, and disappearing in the space
+below.</p>
+
+<p>"Wheel disabled, sir!" shouted the quartermaster.</p>
+
+<p>"Beat to quarters, Mr. Flint!" said Christy, trying to make out what
+mischief had been done by the shot; but he could only see that it had
+cut the wheel ropes.</p>
+
+<p>"Strike two bells, Vincent!" he called to the quartermaster.</p>
+
+<p>By this time the executive officer had beat the crew to quarters, and
+every man was at his station.</p>
+
+<p>"Strike three bells, Vincent," continued the commander. "Mr. Flint,
+open fire upon the fort with the midship gun. Have the carpenter report
+at once on the damage done by that shot. Strike two bells, Vincent."</p>
+
+<p>It was plain enough to all the officers and men that the commander
+knew what to do in the emergency, and every one was energetic in the
+<span class = "pagenum">352</span>
+discharge of his duty. Mr. Ambleton was fully alive to the peril of the
+moment, and he was careful to make his aim sure with the great gun. It
+had been loaded before with a solid shot, and presently the steamer was
+shaken to her keel by the concussion of its discharge.</p>
+
+<p>Christy was still on the bridge, and he watched with intense interest
+the effect of the shot. In a moment he saw the carriage of the only gun
+that seemed to be mounted on the barbette flying in pieces in every
+direction. He directed the gunner to use a shell next time; but the
+soldiers had hastened away from the place, bearing with them two of
+their companions, doubtless wounded by the splinters.</p>
+
+<p>"Let go the anchor, Mr. Flint!" shouted Christy.</p>
+
+<p>This was done under the direction of Mr. Camden. A fresh breeze had
+sprung up from the north-west, and the Bronx came up to the cable still
+headed in the direction of her former course. The carpenter reported
+that the shot had passed out at the side between decks, and that he had
+plugged the hole. The third lieutenant was busy rigging new wheel ropes,
+which he said would be
+<span class = "pagenum">353</span>
+ready in half an hour. Mr. Flint, at the order of the captain, had
+manned the broadside guns, and loaded them with shrapnel, for the most
+perilous part of the enterprise was yet to come.</p>
+
+<p>The fort was silent. It was evident now that the commander of the
+little garrison had not left the barbette before till he had prepared at
+least one of his guns for further service; but it had again been
+disabled, and it was not known on board of the steamer whether or not he
+had any other gun fit for use. It was presumed that he had not, for the
+Bronx was within easy cannon shot of his works. Christy used the glass,
+but could not discover any gun that appeared to be mounted.</p>
+
+<p>"All ready, Mr. Flint," reported the third lieutenant, when he had
+completed the repairs on the steering gear.</p>
+
+<p>The first lieutenant inspected the work, and reported to the captain,
+who immediately ordered him to weigh the anchor. The chief engineer had
+been directed to be ready to proceed, and the steam was hissing with a
+merry music. The midship gun was of no service now, and Mr. Flint had
+been directed to keep up a steady fire with the
+<span class = "pagenum">354</span>
+broadside guns at the embrasures of the fort as soon as the Bronx was in
+range.</p>
+
+<p>Again the steamer darted ahead at a speed which would soon carry her
+beyond the reach of the musket ball of the soldiers. Christy still
+remained upon the bridge, observing the fort and all that was done on
+the deck of the Bronx. He directed his glass frequently at the barbette
+of the fort; but the prudent commander of the garrison had evidently
+concluded to confine his efforts to the casemates. At least one-fourth
+of his men had been disabled.</p>
+
+<p>"Open with the broadside guns, Mr. Flint!" called Christy, as the
+Bronx came abreast of the works.</p>
+
+<p>As he spoke, Boxie dropped in his place at the wheel, and Vincent
+grasped the spokes. The blood was streaming down the face of the old
+man, and he did not move after he fell. Two sailors bore him below; but
+the surgeon promptly declared that he was dead.</p>
+
+<p>The rattle of musketry became quite sharp, and the bullets were
+penetrating the bulwarks. Two had been wounded at one of the guns, and
+carried below. Christy stepped over to the end of the
+<span class = "pagenum">355</span>
+bridge to call a hand to take the place of Boxie, and at that moment he
+felt a sharp sting, as it were, in his right arm, above the elbow.
+Involuntarily he raised his hand to the place, and felt the warm blood
+oozing from the wound. It produced a momentary faintness; but he braced
+himself up, and wound his handkerchief around his arm, calling upon the
+wheelman to tie it, as he hastened to the aid of Vincent. He said not a
+word about the accident.</p>
+
+<p>The Bronx dashed upon her course, and in a moment more she was out of
+the reach of the balls from the muskets. Half a mile farther up the
+Pass, the captain ordered Vincent to strike two bells. The Sphinx was in
+sight, not half a mile distant, with a small steamer on each side of
+her. Doubtless her captain had full confidence in the ability of the
+fort to protect his vessel, and he continued his operations as though he
+was in no possible danger.</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Flint, send Mr. Camden in the first cutter and Mr. Pennant in
+the second to take possession of that steamer," said Christy, holding on
+at the rail in front of him. "Put fifteen men well armed into each boat,
+and send the second engineer with
+<span class = "pagenum">356</span>
+them. Hurry them off, or they may burn the vessel."</p>
+
+<p>The two boats were soon in the water, though the first lieutenant
+wondered that he had not been sent on this important service. The two
+officers hurried their crews, and the boats flew on their mission. The
+commander felt that it was necessary to keep an eye on the fort, for its
+energetic officer was not at all inclined to be idle at the present
+exciting time. The Bronx had hardly stopped her screw before the
+soldiers were to be seen on the barbette; but the shell with which the
+midship gun had been charged sent them all to the casemates in an
+instant.</p>
+
+<p>"What is the matter, Captain Passford?" asked the first lieutenant,
+as he halted on the deck. "You are as pale as a ghost."</p>
+
+<p>"A ball went through my arm; but it is all right," replied Christy
+with a ghastly smile.</p>
+
+<p>He refused to go below, or to permit Dr. Connelly to come to him
+until he had attended to the poor fellows who had been wounded on
+deck.</p>
+
+<p>At the end of a couple of hours, the flames arose from the two bay
+steamers which had been alongside the Sphinx, for the second lieutenant
+<span class = "pagenum">357</span>
+had been ordered to burn them. The smoke was pouring out of the two
+smoke-stacks of the steamer. Several boats filled with men pulled to the
+shore, landing the crews of the three vessels. In less than another hour
+the Sphinx was under way, and soon came alongside the Bronx.</p>
+
+<p>As only one of the broadsides of the gunboat was available in the
+action with the fort, the starboard battery was transferred to the
+captured vessel. Men enough to handle them were put on board, and Mr.
+Camden was put in command of her. It was late in the afternoon when all
+this work had been done, and then the Bronx led the way through the
+Pass, her mission fully accomplished.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the steamer was abreast of the fort, the broadside guns
+poured the shrapnel into the embrasures and loopholes, though nothing
+could be known of the effect of the firing. The muskets were as active
+as before. Christy was on the bridge still, for the doctor had dressed
+his wound, and he had taken some refreshment.</p>
+
+<p>This time it was discovered that the vigorous commander of the
+garrison had dug out some rifle-pits on the top of his works, and his
+men were
+<span class = "pagenum">358</span>
+doing effective work with their muskets. Three men had been wounded on
+the deck of the Bronx, the third lieutenant being one of them. Christy
+shouted to Mr. Flint, ordering him to send the men below, and cease the
+use of the broadside guns, for the garrison were on the barbette,
+sheltered by their earth-works, where the guns could not reach them, so
+high was their position.</p>
+
+<p>With the aid of his speaking trumpet he gave the same order to Mr.
+Camden on board of the Sphinx; but he had hardly uttered the command
+before his left leg gave way under him, and he sunk to the floor of the
+bridge. A ball had struck him in the thigh, and he could feel the blood
+flowing down his limb. He grasped the rail of the bridge, and drew
+himself up. There he stood like a statue, supporting himself with his
+well arm, till the Bronx had passed out of musket-shot range.</p>
+
+<p>"Good heavens!" exclaimed the first lieutenant, as he came out from
+his shelter. "You are wounded again!"</p>
+
+<p>"I must give up now, I fear," replied Christy feebly; and then he
+fainted.</p>
+
+<p class = "illustration">
+<img src = "images/pic358.png" width = "356" height = "534"
+alt = "illustration of quoted scene"><br>
+<span class = "caption"><span class = "smallcaps">Christy Receives a
+Second Wound.</span>&mdash;Page 358.</span>
+</p>
+
+<p>He was carried to his stateroom by his officers, and the doctor
+examined his last wound. He was
+<span class = "pagenum">359</span>
+restored to consciousness, but he looked like death itself beneath the
+ruddy brown of his weather-beaten face.</p>
+
+<p>"You will take the command now, Mr. Flint," said he when he saw the
+executive officer watching him with the most intense interest. "What do
+you think of it, Dr. Connelly?" he asked, turning to the surgeon.</p>
+
+<p>"Severe, but not dangerous," answered the doctor. "The ball did not
+touch the bone, but it ploughed deep through the flesh. You were
+fortunate in having plenty of meat on your bones."</p>
+
+<p>Dave was the most assiduous of nurses, and had no little skill in
+attending to the wants of the sick. The young commander was made
+comfortable in a few hours, and Mr. Flint came below to see him at the
+end of an hour when he had performed his most pressing duties. He
+reported that Mr. Pennant's wound was slight, and did not disable him.
+Eight seamen in all had been wounded, and one of them was likely to die
+of his injury.</p>
+
+<p>"But we have done our work well, Captain Passford, and I don't
+believe that one-half the garrison of that fort are fit for duty at this
+moment," added the first lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">360</span>
+"But that was a splendid fellow who commanded there," continued Christy
+with admiration. "If his guns had not been taken away from him, and his
+force reduced to a handful of men, we should have had to wait for the
+Sphinx to come out of the bay; and it might have been three weeks or a
+month before she concluded to do&nbsp;so."</p>
+
+<p>"We have damaged the enemy enough to make it pay, and the steamer and
+her cargo will put at least seventy-five thousand dollars into the
+pockets of our side in the conflict."</p>
+
+<p>"And by taking the bull by the horns, instead of waiting till the
+captain of the Sphinx concluded to take his chances of being captured in
+getting to sea, we have made the Bronx available for duty at once in
+another quarter, where she can do better work than in chewing her cable
+off the bar of Barataria," said the wounded commander, thus satisfying
+his conscience that he had done his duty.</p>
+
+<p>The venerable colored man, who had given so much assistance and
+information to the third lieutenant on shore, had no desire to leave his
+home, and he was landed in the darkness of the evening at a considerable
+distance from the fort. Christy
+<span class = "pagenum">361</span>
+had rewarded him handsomely for the service he had rendered. The men in
+the first and second cutters had taken all the cotton in the small
+steamers, and put it on board of the Sphinx before they set them on
+fire. The four guns in the hold had been hoisted out to make room for
+the bales, and the vessel had been put in condition for her voyage.</p>
+
+<p>Early in the evening, the two steamers were standing out into the
+Gulf headed to the south-east. In the middle of the afternoon of the
+next day, Mr. Flint reported to the flag-officer off Pensacola Bay. The
+wounded captain was as comfortable as a young man could be with two
+bullet-holes in his limbs. It was the first time he had been wounded so
+as to disable him; but he felt that he had faithfully done his duty to
+his country, and he was as cheerful as a man in his condition could be.
+Dr. Connelly reported that he would not be fit for service again for six
+or eight weeks.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Pennant, the third lieutenant, on account of his wound, which was
+not severe enough to render him unfit for ordinary duty, was appointed
+prize-master of the Sphinx, with orders to report
+<span class = "pagenum">362</span>
+at New York for condemnation. A furlough was given to Christy, with a
+stateroom on board of the captured steamer. She was fitted out so that
+she could defend herself, or even capture any vessel of the enemy within
+her reach, and not too strong for her. She was not as fast as the Bronx,
+but she had logged over twelve knots on the passage from Barataria Bay,
+and was therefore likely to be added to the force of the navy.</p>
+
+<p>Ensign Flint was appointed to the command of the Bronx by the
+flag-officer, who had called upon Captain Passford in his stateroom.
+Christy had not failed to commend his executive officer in the highest
+terms. The commodore suggested that Christy could not be very kindly
+disposed towards Captain Battleton of the Vernon, on account of his
+decision against him in the matter of his identity.</p>
+
+<p>"On the contrary, I do not see how he could have done otherwise,
+commodore, and I have expressed to him my friendly feeling," replied
+Christy. "I think he is a devoted and faithful officer, sir."</p>
+
+<p class = "illustration">
+<img src = "images/pic364.png" width = "350" height = "524"
+alt = "illustration of quoted scene"><br>
+<span class = "caption"><span class = "smallcaps">Dave Receives his
+Appointment as Steward.</span>&mdash;Page 364.</span>
+</p>
+
+<p>"He desires employment on more active duty than the command of a
+store-ship, and I am
+<span class = "pagenum">363</span>
+instructed to give him such a position if I have one at my disposal,"
+added the flag-officer.</p>
+
+<p>"I certainly hope you will do so, sir, if possible."</p>
+
+<p>"I propose to appoint him executive officer of the Bronx."</p>
+
+<p>"I am sure Mr. Flint could not have a better man."</p>
+
+<p>In due time this appointment was made, and Captain Flint, on the
+recommendation of Christy, was entirely satisfied to receive him as his
+first lieutenant.</p>
+
+<p>"One thing more, Captain Passford," continued the flag-officer; "the
+ship's steward of the Mercidita has been very sick for three weeks, and
+has applied for a sick-leave. I shall be obliged to transfer Mr. Nawood
+of the Bronx to his place."</p>
+
+<p>"I can mention just the right person to take Mr. Nawood's place,"
+said Christy eagerly.</p>
+
+<p>"You seem to have a man ready for every vacant position. Who is he?"
+asked the commodore with a pleasant smile.</p>
+
+<p>"His name is David Davis; but he is not a relative of the president
+of the Southern Confederacy, for he is a mulatto. He has rendered very
+<span class = "pagenum">364</span>
+important service on several occasions, and there is not a truer or
+braver man on board of the Bronx, or any other ship of the squadron,"
+replied Christy with enthusiasm.</p>
+
+<p>The commodore shook his head, but he looked very good-natured.
+Christy narrated the part Dave had taken in the capture of Captain
+Flanger in the cabin, and in recovering possession of the Bronx when it
+was shown that the officers were rebels. Mr. Flint was sent for. He was
+quite as earnest in his plea for the steward as the commander had been,
+and the written appointment of Mr. David Davis was in Christy's hands
+when the flag-officer took his leave of the wounded commander.</p>
+
+<p>"Dave," said the wounded lieutenant, the next time the steward came
+into the room, "no more 'massa,' no more 'moggywompus,' no more 'done do
+it.' You know better than to use such expressions, and you are no longer
+a 'nigger;' you are the ship's steward of the Bronx."</p>
+
+<p>"What's that, Captain Passford?" demanded Dave, opening his eyes like
+a pair of saucers.</p>
+
+<p>Christy handed him the appointment just made, and the steward danced
+about like a madman. He
+<span class = "pagenum">365</span>
+had expected nothing for his meritorious service, and he found himself
+in a position of trust and responsibility. He expressed his gratitude in
+the most earnest language, and without using a single objectionable
+phrase, for his education was better than his habit in the use of
+speech.</p>
+
+<p>Ensign McLinn, who had served on board of the little steamer, but had
+recently been on sick leave, was appointed second lieutenant of the
+Bronx, while Mr. Camden, outranked by the other officers, remained as
+third lieutenant. Christy and Mr. Pennant were transferred to the
+Sphinx, with a prize crew; and that same evening the Bronx sailed under
+her new commander, with sealed orders, to the eastward.</p>
+
+<p>The Sphinx sailed the next day for New York, and made a tolerably
+quick passage. Of course Christy was received with open arms by the
+family at Bonnydale, and with a profusion of blushes by Bertha Pembroke,
+who happened to be there on a visit. His father and mother looked with
+no little anxiety at the pale face of their son, though he was still
+cheerful and happy. He had lost a portion of his flesh, and his uniform
+hung rather loosely upon him.</p>
+
+<p><span class = "pagenum">366</span>
+He was too feeble from the effects of his wounds, for that in the thigh
+had proved to be more severe than the surgeons had indicated, to tell
+the exciting story of the escapade of Corny Passford; but when he did
+relate it, three weeks later, it thrilled the listeners for three whole
+evenings.</p>
+
+<p>"You took the bull by the horns at an opportune moment, my son," said
+Captain Passford, Senior. "If you had not done so you would have been in
+a rebel prison at this moment. As it is, poor Corny has got back to Fort
+Lafayette, with Galvinne and our man-servant, whom I never should have
+suspected of being a Confederate officer."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't think I care to go to the Gulf again as the commander of a
+vessel," added Christy, who had not changed his mind on this
+subject.</p>
+
+<p>"Why not, my son?"</p>
+
+<p>"I don't like the responsibility, in the first place, and the
+inactivity, in the second. When I am forty or fifty years old, I shall
+like a command better. Others seem to look upon me now as a boy, capable
+of any sort of quixotism, however prudent I may be, and point at me as
+one who has been
+<span class = "pagenum">367</span>
+made a commander of a steamer by influence at court. There is a vacancy
+at the present time on board of the Bellevite, for the second lieutenant
+will be compelled to resign on account of his health."</p>
+
+<p>This matter was fully discussed during the next two months; and at
+the end of that time the young lieutenant was again in condition for
+duty. Both Mr. Camden and Mr. Pennant obtained the appointment of ensign
+on the strength of his reports. Christy was as earnest as ever in his
+desire to Stand by the Union; he was ordered to the Bellevite as second
+lieutenant, and, after three months' absence, went to the Gulf again,
+where we shall find him once more, both on sea and shore, Fighting for
+the Right.</p>
+
+
+
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+</td></tr>
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+without cant, without moralizing, full of genuine fun and hard common
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+
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+</td></tr>
+</table>
+
+<hr class = "mid">
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+faults, and exaggerating no virtues, but paints each in their own lights
+and shadows so vividly that to avoid the one and imitate the other must
+be the natural impulse of all boys and girls who read his most excellent
+and fascinating stories."&mdash;<i>San Jos&eacute; Mercury</i>.</p>
+
+<p class = "advert">
+Every boy of our acquaintance likes the books by Trowbridge. Every young
+girl ought to enjoy them, also, for they are wholesome, true to nature
+and human nature, and full of good sentiment. His stories are always
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+
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+<tr><td class = "sansbook">
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+<span class = "inset">And other Stories</span>
+</td></tr>
+</table>
+
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+
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+To see life as it is, and depict it by easy and truthful touches, is a
+high attainment. Mr. Trowbridge has abundantly vindicated his claim to a
+place among the writers to whom readers attribute the grace and power of
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+"Lost on the Tide," etc., are all stories of deep interest, which one
+will follow with attention. The book does not preach, but conveys some
+salutary lessons.</p>
+
+<p class = "advert">
+There is many and many a volume written for boys, but they are not all
+alike beneficial; therefore the standard writers, to which class belongs
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+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Stand By The Union, by Oliver Optic
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STAND BY THE UNION ***
+
+***** This file should be named 18816-h.htm or 18816-h.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
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+
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+</pre>
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+</body>
+
+</html>
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@@ -0,0 +1,8677 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Stand By The Union, by Oliver Optic
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Stand By The Union
+       SERIES: The Blue and the Gray--Afloat
+
+Author: Oliver Optic
+
+Illustrator: L. J. Bridgman
+
+Release Date: July 13, 2006 [EBook #18816]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STAND BY THE UNION ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Louise Hope, David Garcia, Juliet Sutherland
+and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
+http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images
+generously made available by The Kentuckiana Digital
+Library)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+THE BLUE AND THE GRAY--AFLOAT
+
+Two colors cloth  Emblematic Dies  Illustrated
+Price per volume $1.50
+
+  TAKEN BY THE ENEMY
+  WITHIN THE ENEMY'S LINES
+  ON THE BLOCKADE
+  STAND BY THE UNION
+  FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHT
+  A VICTORIOUS UNION
+
+THE BLUE AND THE GRAY--ON LAND
+
+Two colors cloth  Emblematic Dies  Illustrated
+Price per volume $1.50
+
+  BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER
+  IN THE SADDLE
+  A LIEUTENANT AT EIGHTEEN
+  ON THE STAFF
+  (Other volumes in preparation)
+
+Any Volume Sold Separately.
+Lee and Shepard Publishers Boston
+
+
+
+
+  [Illustration: Mr. Galvinne is Subdued.--Page 166.]
+
+
+
+
+                      The
+
+               BLUE AND THE GRAY
+
+                     Series
+
+                 [Illustration]
+
+                By Oliver Optic
+
+               STAND by the UNION
+
+
+
+
+         _The Blue and the Gray Series_
+
+               STAND BY THE UNION
+
+                       by
+                  OLIVER OPTIC
+
+                   Author of
+"The Army and Navy Series" "Young America Abroad"
+"The Great Western Series" "The Woodville Stories"
+"The Starry Flag Series" "The Boat-Club Series"
+"The Onward and Upward Series" "The Yacht-Club Series"
+"The Lake Shore Series" "The Riverdale Stories"
+"The Boat-Builder Series" "Taken by the Enemy"
+"Within the Enemy's Lines" "On the Blockade" etc.
+
+
+                  BOSTON 1896
+          LEE AND SHEPARD  PUBLISHERS
+10 Milk Street Next "The Old South Meeting House."
+
+
+
+
+      Copyright, 1891, by Lee and Shepard
+             _All rights reserved._
+
+              Stand by the Union.
+
+
+
+
+                      To
+             My Two Young Friends,
+
+           MISS HELEN CAMPBELL SMITH
+                      and
+           MISS ANNA ROCKWELL SMITH,
+
+                The Daughters Of
+         My Friend Mr. George A. Smith
+                  Of Boston,
+
+                  This Volume
+          Is Affectionately Dedicated.
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE
+
+
+"STAND BY THE UNION" is the fourth of "The Blue and Gray Series." As in
+the preceding volumes of the series, the incidents of the story are
+located in the midst of the war of the Rebellion, now dating back nearly
+thirty years, or before any of my younger readers were born. To those
+who lived two days in one through that eventful and anxious period,
+sometimes trembling for the fate of the nation, but always sustained by
+the faith and the hope through which the final victory was won, it seems
+hardly possible that so many years have flowed into the vast ocean of
+the past since that terrible conflict was raging over so large a portion
+of our now united country.
+
+Though it is said that the South "robbed the cradle and the grave" to
+recruit the armies of the Confederacy, it is as true that young and old
+in the North went forth in their zeal to "Stand by the Union," and that
+many and many a young soldier and sailor who had not yet seen twenty
+summers endured the hardships of the camp and the march, the broiling
+suns, and the wasting maladies of semi-tropical seas, fought bravely and
+nobly for the unity of the land they loved, and that thousands of them
+sleep their last sleep in unmarked graves on the sea and the land. The
+writer can remember whole companies, of which nearly half of the number
+could be classed as mere boys. These boys of eighteen to twenty, who
+survived the rain of bullets, shot, and shell, and the hardly less fatal
+assaults of disease, are the middle-aged men of to-day, and every one
+of them has a thrilling story to tell. The boys of to-day read with
+interest the narratives of the boys of thirty years ago, and listen with
+their blood deeply stirred to the recital of the veteran of forty-five
+years, or even younger, who brought back to his home only one arm or
+one leg.
+
+In his youth the author used to listen to the stories of several aged
+Revolutionary pensioners, one of whom had slept in the snows of Valley
+Forge, another who had been confined on board of the Jersey prison-ship,
+and a third who had been with Washington at the surrender of Cornwallis.
+Not one lives to-day who fought in the battles of the Revolution; but
+a multitude of those who trod the battle-fields of the war that was
+finished twenty-seven years ago have taken their places, and have become
+as interesting to the present generation as the heroes of former wars
+were to the fathers and grandfathers of the boys and girls of to-day.
+
+In the official record of a certain regiment recruited up to the full
+standard, we find that 47.5 per cent of the non-commissioned officers
+and privates were under twenty-one years of age. We find a few in the
+list who were only sixteen and seventeen years. In this regiment, we
+find two captains only twenty-one years of age, and three lieutenants
+who were only twenty. This regiment was exceptional in regard to age,
+though we find that over twenty-five per cent of several companies,
+taken at random, were under age. Even boys of fourteen and fifteen were
+enlisted as musicians, "drummer boys," and served out their full term.
+It can, therefore, be truthfully said, that those who were literally
+"boys" did their full and fair share in fighting for the Union. Perhaps
+even a larger proportion of minors served in the navy than in the army;
+and the record of some of them could be recited to prove that in those
+days boys became men prematurely, and distinguished themselves by brave
+and daring deeds.
+
+The incidents of the story contained in this volume are suggested by
+actual occurrence during the Rebellion, though they are not absolutely
+historical details, but are as probable as many real events of the war.
+The enemy were busy in some of the Northern cities, and there were many
+daring operations undertaken by them which justify the story in its
+principal features. Most of the characters have been introduced in the
+preceding volumes of the series; and in the succeeding volume the hero
+will be presented in a somewhat different field of action, though in
+whatever sphere he moves he will continue to be engaged in "FIGHTING
+FOR THE RIGHT."
+
+  Dorchester, Mass., April 23, 1891.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+A Mysterious Visitation                                   15
+
+CHAPTER II.
+The Absconding Man-servant                                26
+
+CHAPTER III.
+Christy Passford is utterly confounded                    37
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+The Sick Officer in the Stateroom                         48
+
+CHAPTER V.
+Lieutenant Passford and his Apparent Double               59
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+The Conference in the Captain's Cabin                     70
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+The Announcement of the Decision                          81
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+The Prisoner of War                                       92
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+A Moral Philosopher                                      103
+
+CHAPTER X.
+A Change of Quarters in the Confusion                    114
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+Laying out a Plan of Operations                          125
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+A Lesson in Ordinary Politeness                          136
+
+CHAPTER XIII.
+The Opening of the Secret Orders                         147
+
+CHAPTER XIV.
+The Affray on the Quarter-deck of the Bronx              158
+
+CHAPTER XV.
+A Rebellious and Prejudiced Prisoner                     169
+
+CHAPTER XVI.
+The Disposal of the Prisoners                            180
+
+CHAPTER XVII.
+The Second and Third Lieutenants                         191
+
+CHAPTER XVIII.
+A Battle on a Small Scale                                202
+
+CHAPTER XIX.
+The Skipper of the Sloop Magnolia                        213
+
+CHAPTER XX.
+An Expedition to St. Andrew's Bay                        224
+
+CHAPTER XXI.
+A Non-combatant on Board the Bronx                       235
+
+CHAPTER XXII.
+The Stranger in the Captain's Cabin                      246
+
+CHAPTER XXIII.
+A Very Impudent Declaration                              257
+
+CHAPTER XXIV.
+A Critical Situation in the Cabin                        268
+
+CHAPTER XXV.
+The Destruction of a Prominent Facial Member             279
+
+CHAPTER XXVI.
+The Meeting with the Bellevite at Night                  290
+
+CHAPTER XXVII.
+The Planning of an Expedition                            301
+
+CHAPTER XXVIII.
+The Negro Village on the Isle Grande Terre               312
+
+CHAPTER XXIX.
+A Professional Visit to the Fort                         323
+
+CHAPTER XXX.
+The Attack upon the Fort                                 334
+
+CHAPTER XXXI.
+A Wounded Commander                                      345
+
+
+
+
+STAND BY THE UNION
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+A MYSTERIOUS VISITATION
+
+
+"Who's there?" demanded Christy Passford, sitting up in his bed, in the
+middle of the night, in his room on the second floor of his father's
+palatial mansion on the Hudson, where the young lieutenant was waiting
+for a passage to the Gulf.
+
+There was no answer to his inquiry.
+
+"Who's there?" he repeated in a louder tone.
+
+All was as still as it ought to be in the middle of the night, and no
+response came to his second inquiry. The brilliant young officer, who
+had just passed his eighteenth birthday, knew what it was even better
+than an older person to pass a whole night on difficult duty, without
+a wink of sleep, for he had been accustomed to spend a portion of every
+night in planking the deck on his watch; but at Bonnydale, his quiet
+home, far removed from the scenes of actual conflict, he was an
+industrious sleeper, giving his whole attention to his slumbers, as a
+proper preparation for the stirring scenes in which he was again about
+to engage.
+
+He slept soundly; but he had dreamed that some one opened the door of
+his room, or some one had actually done so. He was not a believer in
+dreams, and when an impression had fastened itself upon his mind, he was
+inclined to investigate it. It seemed to him that he had been awakened
+from his sleep by the opening of the door of his chamber. Some member of
+the family might be sick, and he might be needed to go for the doctor,
+or for some other service.
+
+He leaped from his bed when no answer came to his second demand, lighted
+his lamp, and put on his trousers. With the light in his hand, he opened
+the door; but there was no one there, and not a sound of any kind could
+be heard. He walked about the hall in his bare feet, and listened
+attentively at the doors of several of the chambers, especially at that
+of Mr. Pembroke, the invalid gentleman whom, with his daughter, he had
+brought home as a passenger in the captured Vixen.
+
+Christy heard nothing, and he silently descended the stairs to the lower
+hall. All was as quiet there as upon the floor above, and he had begun
+to think that the impression he had received had been given him in a
+dream, though he could not remember that he had been dreaming. But when
+he came to the front door, he found it was ajar. It was usually secured
+by a spring lock, and those who were liable to be out in the evening
+were provided with night-keys.
+
+At the present time his father was in Washington, and he could not have
+neglected to close the door. He had been to the railroad station to meet
+the last train, thinking it possible that his father might return, and
+he was confident that he had been the last to enter the house. He was
+very sure that he had not left the door unfastened, and this assurance
+made him confident that some person had entered the house. The noise at
+the door of his chamber was not an illusion or a dream: though it had
+been made by closing rather than by opening it, or he would have been
+likely to find the intruder in his room when he lighted his lamp.
+
+It seemed to him to be a matter of course that the midnight visitor had
+come into the mansion for the purpose of plundering its occupants, or of
+securing the valuables it contained. Putting his lamp on the table, he
+went out upon the veranda, and looked all about him. The grounds were
+very extensive, and a broad avenue led to the street. It was very dark;
+but as he cast his eyes in the direction of the grand entrance to the
+estate, he discovered some dark object in motion; but he lost sight of
+it in a moment.
+
+It was a living being, or it would not move, and he was certain that he
+had made a discovery. Then two regrets flashed through his mind as he
+stepped down from the veranda; the first, that he had not put on his
+shoes before he left his chamber, and the second, that he had not taken
+his pistols, for a bullet would travel a great deal faster than a
+barefooted officer, even of the United States Navy. But he ran with all
+his speed to the street, to the great detriment of his uncovered feet.
+
+He reached the grand entrance in an exceedingly short space of time;
+but he might as well have been in his chamber, for no ruffian, robber,
+or Confederate spy could be seen. He had no means of knowing which way
+the intruder at the mansion had turned, to the right or the left, or
+whether, like the timid colored gentleman in a trying situation, he
+had taken to the woods. Christy walked up the street, and then down the
+street; but the underbrush had recently been cut in the grove, and he
+did not venture to explore it without any protection for his feet.
+
+He peered into the gloom of the night with all his eyes, and listened
+with all his ears for over an hour; and then, watchful and careful
+officer as he was, there were five hundred chances against him to one
+in his favor, of finding the intruder, and he reluctantly returned to
+the mansion.
+
+Like the other male occupants of the house, the lieutenant was provided
+with a night-key. For one who had only just developed a tolerably
+thriving mustache, Christy was a prudent and methodical young gentleman.
+As a part of his method, he had a great many small drawers in his rooms,
+and a dozen or more keys; but he had never lost them, for the reason
+that he carried them chained to his nether garment. But he had two sets
+of keys, one for the house, and one for the ship. He had taken the
+night-key from the former, and put it in his vest pocket; and when he
+reached the front door of the mansion, the key he wanted was in his
+chamber, and he had been careful to shut the door when he left the
+house.
+
+He could not get in, and he walked around the building to find a window
+which had not been closed. His mother had a reasonable dread of robbers,
+and she always looked out for the windows before she retired. He did
+not wish to arouse the family by ringing the great gong bell, but it was
+too cold to spend the rest of the night out-doors in his half-clothed
+condition, for he was as liable to take a severe cold as any less
+brilliant individual, and he might have to spend a month in his chamber,
+instead of reporting to the flag-officer of the Eastern Gulf squadron,
+in command of the Bronx.
+
+He rang the bell, and the sound from it reverberated through the entire
+mansion. It was some time before a servant came to open the door; but
+the man who let him in was astonished to see him partially dressed, and
+wondered if he had not been walking in his sleep. In the lower hall, he
+was satisfied that the whole house was astir, for the gong which had
+sounded was the "emergency bell," used only when the ordinary one at the
+front door was not likely to be heard.
+
+"Walsh!" called Mrs. Passford from the head of the stairs.
+
+"Yes, ma'am," replied the man who had admitted Christy, and who was
+still wondering what fit, freak, or fancy had beset the young officer.
+
+"Who is it? What is the matter?" demanded the lady of the mansion, in
+tones which indicated anxiety if not alarm.
+
+"It is Mr. Christy, ma'am; nothing is the matter," replied Walsh;
+but then he appeared to think that he had replied without proper
+consideration, and he revised his speech. "I don't know that anything's
+the matter, ma'am," and still he gazed at the young gentleman, as though
+he deemed it possible that he had suddenly gone crazy.
+
+"Nothing is the matter, mother," called Christy. "I am all right."
+
+"But why are you out at this time of night, my son? It is nearly two
+o'clock in the morning," said Mrs. Passford, as she descended the
+stairs. "You are not half dressed, Christy."
+
+"But I am all right, mother, and there is not the least reason to worry
+about anything, for the ship is not going to the bottom just yet,"
+replied Christy, indulging in a forced laugh to assist in quieting his
+mother's fears.
+
+"But why are you out doors at this time of night?" Mrs. Passford
+insisted. "You will catch a cold that will lay you up, if you go out
+in that condition."
+
+"I should not have rung that bell if I had not been afraid of taking
+cold," added the son.
+
+"But, Christy, something has happened; and you must tell me about it, or
+I shall not sleep another wink to-night," persisted the lady, concluding
+that her son was trying to conceal something from her, as indeed he was,
+for he feared it would alarm her if he told her some one had come into
+the house.
+
+"There is nothing to be frightened about, mother; and I will tell you
+all about it," added Christy, as he took his overcoat from the stand and
+put it on. "I waked an hour ago, or more, with the idea that some one
+had opened the door of my room," and he related the circumstances to his
+mother, including his search in the grounds and the road.
+
+"Do you think any one came into the house?" asked Mrs. Passford, though
+with but little of the woman's terror that such a statement might have
+caused.
+
+"That is my decided opinion. A noise at my chamber door woke me; I found
+the front door ajar, though I know I closed it when I came in last
+night, and I saw something moving down the avenue, which could only have
+been a man. Of course, I conclude that it was a burglar; but none of us
+have been killed or harmed."
+
+Christy went to his room and completed his toilet. The house was warm,
+and he was soon comfortable enough after the out-door chill. By this
+time Miss Florry Passford had put in an appearance in the upper hall,
+with Bertha Pembroke. The alarm was again briefly explained, and the
+invalid gentleman was assured that nothing alarming had occurred. Then
+the young lieutenant and his mother proceeded to ascertain what the
+burglar had accomplished in the house.
+
+On the lower floor nothing appeared to have been disturbed. In the
+parlor a gold watch, adorned with diamonds, had been left on the table
+by Florry, who had forgotten it; but it had not been taken. The burglar
+could not have helped seeing it if he had explored the house as such
+gentry do on such occasions. In the dining-room no attempt to open the
+steel safe set in the wall, which contained a vast amount of silver,
+jewelry, money, and other valuables, had been made. In a word,
+wherever they examined the rooms, no sign of any depredations could be
+discovered. The burglar did not appear to have lunched in the pantry
+where some choice viands had been placed. The robber had certainly
+been very considerate, and had done no mischief either for plunder or
+diversion. He had evidently, in the opinion of Mrs. Passford and her
+son, undertaken a profitless enterprise.
+
+"But what could have been his object in coming into the house?" asked
+the bewildered lady.
+
+"I shall have to give it up, mother."
+
+"He might have taken Florry's watch, she was so careless as to leave on
+the table in the sitting-room," added she.
+
+"But he did not."
+
+"He could not have been disturbed until you spoke to him; and he might
+have ransacked the whole of the lower part of the house."
+
+"But he did not."
+
+They had given up the examination of the premises, and given up the
+conundrum, and Christy was leading the way up-stairs. He went into his
+room, followed by his mother.
+
+"He must have come into your room, my son, or you would not have heard
+him at the door. Perhaps he has robbed you," suggested Mrs. Passford.
+
+The young officer declared he had nothing there to steal. As he spoke,
+he took from his coat pocket on the bedpost an envelope containing his
+commission and other papers. It was safe; so were his purse and watch.
+
+The mystery was not solved till Christy embarked for the Gulf.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+THE ABSCONDING MAN-SERVANT
+
+
+Lieutenant Christopher Passford, in his two years' experience in
+the navy, had been under the fire of the enemy too many times to
+be intimidated by a burglar, and he felt a certain contempt for the
+midnight marauder, who had entered the mansion and disturbed his restful
+slumbers. He returned to his bed, therefore, and slept like a marine
+till the call bell woke him in the morning.
+
+As he dressed himself he could not help thinking of the mysterious
+visitation, and he asked himself a great many questions in regard to the
+object of the intruder, since it did not appear that he had entered the
+house for the purpose of robbing its occupants. He could not determine
+whether or not the fellow had actually come into his room; but his
+porte-monnaie, which contained a considerable sum of money, and his gold
+repeater, a very valuable watch, were just where he had left them the
+night before.
+
+In the breast pocket of his uniform coat he found the envelope which
+contained his commission as a lieutenant, received only two days before
+his orders, and some other papers. As a precaution against inquisitive
+persons, if the package should happen to be mislaid in the house, he had
+applied some mucilage in the library, and resealed the envelope. It had
+not been tampered with so far as he could discover, and he returned it
+to the pocket.
+
+The mysterious visitor at the mansion, whoever or whatever he was, could
+not be regarded as a burglar, or, if he was, he had strangely neglected
+his opportunities, for he had failed to appropriate at least five
+hundred dollars worth of watches and money, which he could hardly have
+helped seeing. His object was not plunder, and there was nothing to
+indicate the purpose of his visit. In retiring from the house the
+intruder had left the front door ajar: and Christy thought it would
+have been the most natural thing in the world to close it, in order to
+conceal the way by which he had left the mansion. But he might have done
+this to avoid the noise of shutting it, or had neglected it in his haste
+to escape.
+
+When he had completed his toilet Christy looked at his watch, and was
+rather surprised to find that it was a full hour later than usual when
+the call bell had been rung. He went down-stairs, and found his mother
+and Florry very busy in the dining-room, setting the table. This was the
+man's work, and the young officer was astonished to see his mother and
+sister doing it.
+
+"What has broken now, mother?" asked the lieutenant, glancing from one
+to the other of the busy couple.
+
+"I don't know that anything has broken," replied Mrs. Passford, with a
+smile, after she had said good-morning to her son.
+
+"You and Florry are not in the habit of setting the table, mother; and
+the first bell rang an hour later than usual," added Christy.
+
+"We were all disturbed last night, and I did not wake till the cook
+knocked at my door. She told me she could not find Walsh, and breakfast
+had been ready half an hour. That is the reason why everything is late
+this morning," Mrs. Passford explained.
+
+"But where is Walsh?" inquired Christy.
+
+"I am sure I do not know. I called in the coachman, and he has been to
+his room and looked all over the place without finding him."
+
+"That is very odd," mused the officer, wondering whether this sudden
+disappearance had anything to do with the principal event of the
+preceding night.
+
+"Peach says he has taken his valise with him, which indicates that he
+has gone for good."
+
+"Who is Peach?" asked Christy, who had been at home so little that he
+hardly knew the names of the servants.
+
+"He is the coachman. I am not sorry that Walsh has gone, for he has
+saved me the trouble of discharging him. Wilder, who had been with us so
+many years, took it into his head to enlist in the army, and I was not
+willing to persuade him to shirk his duty. Walsh has not been here quite
+two weeks. He said he was born in the West Indies; but he was always
+prying into matters that did not concern him, and I have several times
+found him standing at the door when we were talking about family
+matters. I reproved him for it; but it did no good. Your father intended
+to discharge him as soon as he returned from Washington."
+
+Christy went to the library, and busied himself in considering whether
+or not the sudden departure of Walsh had any connection with the
+mysterious midnight intruder. The two events had been near together in
+point of time; but he could establish no other relation between them.
+Then it flashed upon his mind that the man-servant had been the person
+who had opened or closed his door, and visited his room; but he was sure
+he had seen a man near the grand entrance of the estate. He had been all
+around the house, and Walsh could not have escaped his observation. He
+had answered the bell, and admitted him after his search. He concluded
+that the servant was not the person who had disturbed his slumbers.
+
+The morning mail brought a letter from Captain Passford, informing the
+family that he was detained in Washington, and that he could not be at
+home to say good-by to his son, who was to leave that day in the store
+ship Vernon. He wrote a special letter to Christy, containing not only
+his adieux, but the good advice he would otherwise have given him in
+person.
+
+The breakfast was rather a sad gathering on account of this parting, for
+Christy was to leave in another hour. Bertha Pembroke and her father
+were quite as sad as the mother and sister, and the young officer did
+his best to cheer up the family and the guests. He tried to make them
+laugh, but he found it was up-hill work.
+
+"You will be in command of a steamer, Christy, when you reach the Gulf.
+I hope you will not be rash, and try to do too much," said Mrs.
+Passford, as they rose from the table.
+
+"I don't think I am ever rash, mother; and if I have been exceedingly
+fortunate, it was more because the circumstances favored me than because
+I ran great risks," replied Christy very seriously, for he was sensitive
+on the point his mother had brought up. "Father has said a great deal to
+me on this subject, and I have always done my best to carry out his
+principles. It is not my fault that I have a friend at court, and have
+had opportunities that have not been offered to many others. But the
+tide may turn against me on my next cruise."
+
+"I hope it will not, my son," added his mother very earnestly.
+
+"No one knows what is going to happen, and I may spend the next year or
+two in a Confederate prison. I don't think my Uncle Homer would cry his
+eyes out if such should be my fate, for he has lost several vessels and
+cargoes of cotton on my account," returned Christy.
+
+"But I am sure he has no ill-will against you."
+
+"I don't think he has."
+
+"By the way, Christy, have you heard anything from him or his family
+lately?" asked Mrs. Passford.
+
+"Not a word, and I am not likely to hear from them. Corny Passford was
+exchanged, and sent back to the South a year ago or more; and I have no
+idea what has become of him since."
+
+After breakfast Christy packed his valise, where he placed the new
+uniform in which he intended to present himself on the quarter-deck of
+the Bronx. The carriage was at the door to convey him to the railroad
+station. The parting was not less tender than it had been on former
+similar occasions, and Mrs. Passford preferred that it should be in the
+house rather than at the railroad station, in the presence of curious
+observers. Many tears were shed after the carriage drove off, for the
+patriotic young man might find a grave in southern soil, or beneath
+southern waters.
+
+The young lieutenant choked down his emotions, and tried to think of the
+future; his case was not different from that of hundreds of thousands of
+others who had gone forth to fight the battles of their country, many
+thousands of whom slumber in hallowed graves far away from home and
+friends. As the train moved on towards the great city, he obtained the
+command of his emotions, and felt a new inspiration of patriotic ardor.
+
+On his arrival in New York he hastened across the ferry to the
+navy-yard. As he approached the opposite shore, he discovered a steamer
+getting under way. He had not seen the vessel on board of which he was
+ordered to report as a passenger, but when he asked a deck hand what the
+steamer was, he was informed that it was the Vernon. The ferry-boat had
+just gone into the slip, and Christy was terribly startled to learn that
+he was late. He was still two hours ahead of the time indicated in his
+orders, and the Vernon was actually getting under way.
+
+The young officer was more excited than he had ever been in the face of
+the enemy, for the present looked like a case in which his honor was at
+stake. He felt that it would be his ruin if the Vernon sailed without
+him. There had been some mistake in his orders, or in those of the
+commander of the store ship, and he was likely to be the sufferer for
+it. He rushed to the stern end of the ferry-boat in order to obtain a
+better view of the steamer; and at this moment he discovered a boat,
+pulled by one man, headed towards the navy-yard.
+
+"Boat, ahoy!" shouted Christy, with almost frantic earnestness.
+
+"On board the ferry-boat!" replied the man, resting on his oars.
+
+"Five dollars if you will put me on board of that steamer before she
+gets off!" added the officer.
+
+"I'm the one for your money," returned the oarsman, as he headed his
+boat into the slip.
+
+Without much difficulty Christy dropped his valise into the boat, and
+then dropped himself in after it. The belated passenger cast an earnest
+look at the Vernon, which had just begun to move, though at a snail's
+pace, and he hoped he should be able to get on board of her.
+
+"Naval officer, sir?" interrogated the boatman.
+
+"Yes; but I have no time to spare, and you must not stop to talk,"
+replied Christy rather sharply.
+
+"Time enough, sir, if you are going on board of the Vernon, and I will
+give you one of my oars if I don't put you on her deck," said the
+boatman very positively. "I hope you are nimble with your feet and
+hands, sir."
+
+"I will take care of that part of the matter if you will put me
+alongside the steamer," answered Christy. "No more talk, if you please,
+for you are wasting your wind."
+
+"I have plenty of it for this job. You said five dollars, I believe,
+sir," added the man, looking earnestly at his passenger.
+
+"Five dollars is just what I said," replied the lieutenant, as he took
+a bill of that denomination from his porte-monnaie, rolled it around the
+boat-hook, and fixed it so that it should not blow away.
+
+"Thank you, sir," said the rower, as he pulled with more vigor even than
+before, and did not say another word till the boat was alongside the
+Vernon.
+
+Christy found a rope hanging over the side, to which the boatman
+attached his valise, the young officer going up the line hand over hand
+as though he was used to that sort of thing. The oarsman secured his
+five-dollar bill, and Christy hauled up his valise. He felt that he had
+saved himself from the dishonor of failing to obey his orders, and he
+looked about him for some one who would be able to explain to him how
+the steamer happened to be sailing two hours before the time named in
+his orders. Three or four sailors were at work in the waist, where the
+lieutenant came on board; and Christy was not a little astonished to
+observe that Walsh, the absconding man-servant, was one of them.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+CHRISTY PASSFORD IS UTTERLY CONFOUNDED
+
+
+The appearance of Walsh, fully dressed in the garb of a seaman, was so
+great a surprise to Christy Passford, that he hardly noticed any other
+person on the deck of the Vernon. He had given no particular attention
+to the man when he saw him at his father's house, though he regarded him
+as a very good-looking and intelligent person for one in the situation
+in which he found him. The absconding man-servant had certainly made
+good use of his time since he left Bonnydale, for he appeared to have
+become a full-fledged sailor in the space of ten hours.
+
+For the size of the steamer, she seemed to be manned by a very large
+crew; but the letter he had received from his father that morning
+informed him that the greater part of the crew of the Bronx had been
+transferred to other vessels upon more active service, and that a large
+number of seamen were to be sent immediately to reinforce the squadron.
+This was not pleasant intelligence, for he had become acquainted with
+all on board of the Bronx, and he would have preferred to begin his
+permanent service as commander with the former ship's company of the
+little steamer. However, the exigencies of the service required the
+change, and he could not complain.
+
+It was probable that the greater part of his new crew would be made up
+from the men now on board of the Vernon; and this belief caused him to
+regard these men with more interest than he might otherwise have done.
+He had no fault to find after the glance he had bestowed upon them, for
+they presented a very trim appearance in their new uniform, and looked a
+great deal more tidy than they would after they had been on duty a few
+weeks.
+
+Lieutenant Passford was on board of the Vernon, and he had no further
+solicitude in regard to a literal obedience to his orders. The commander
+of the steamer, whoever he was, did not appear to have noticed the new
+arrival, and no one gave any attention to Christy. He walked forward
+to take a better view of the crew, and the seamen touched their caps
+to the shoulder straps of a lieutenant with which he had been careful
+to ornament his coat.
+
+The men at work in the waist finished their task as Christy was
+returning from his promenade, with the intention of presenting himself
+to the commander. Among those who saluted him in proper form was Walsh.
+He seemed to be a little diffident about encountering the son of his
+late employer, and turned his face away as he touched his cap. But the
+officer had fully identified him, and spoke to him, calling him by name.
+The sailor made no reply; but Christy had placed himself directly before
+him, and he could not escape without a breach of discipline.
+
+"I spoke to you, Walsh," said the lieutenant, in the tone he had learned
+to use when he intended to enforce respect and obedience.
+
+"I beg your pardon, sir; my name is not Walsh," replied the sailor, with
+all the deference the occasion required.
+
+"Your name is not Walsh!" exclaimed Christy with a frown.
+
+"No, sir; that is not my name, and I supposed that you spoke to some
+other man," pleaded the late man-servant of the mansion at Bonnydale.
+
+The lieutenant gazed earnestly into the face of the sailor, for he was
+willing to admit to himself the possibility of a mistake. Walsh, or
+whatever his name might have been, was a man of robust form, not more
+than an inch or two short of six feet in height. He was clean-shaved,
+with the exception of his upper lip, whereon he sported a rather long
+dark brown mustache, of which a Broadway dandy might have been vain. As
+a servant, he had been rather obsequious, though Christy had observed
+that he used very good language for one in his menial position. As the
+officer examined his form and features, and especially regarded the
+expression in general, he was satisfied that he could not be mistaken.
+
+"I did not speak to another man; I spoke to you," added Christy, as he
+intensified the gaze with which he confronted the man, resorting to the
+tactics of a sharp lawyer in the cross-examination of an obdurate
+witness.
+
+"I ask your pardon, sir, but you called me Welch, or some such name,"
+replied the late servant, as Christy was sure he was in spite of his
+denial.
+
+"I called you Walsh; and that is the name to which you responded at two
+o'clock this morning," persisted the lieutenant.
+
+"That is not my name, sir; and I refer you to the ship's papers to prove
+it. I am not the man to be ashamed of my name, which is not Welch or
+Walsh, sir, if you will excuse me for saying so."
+
+"Will you deny that you were employed as a servant at the house of
+Captain Passford, at Bonnydale on the Hudson?" demanded Christy, with
+not a little energy in his tones and manner.
+
+"Where, sir, if you please?" asked the sailor, with a sort of bewildered
+look.
+
+"At Bonnydale!"
+
+"Boddyvale? I never heard of the place before in my life, sir," answered
+the runaway servant.
+
+Possibly the man under examination was not wholly responsible for his
+distortion of the name of Captain Passford's estate, as Christy was
+beginning to reap the penalty of his imprudence the night before, in
+exposing himself barefooted and half-clothed to the chill midnight
+air, and was developing a cold in the head that already affected his
+enunciation.
+
+"Bonnydale!" repeated the officer, after using his handkerchief, and
+thus improving his utterance of the word.
+
+"I never heard of the place before, sir," persisted the seaman.
+
+"Byron!" called a boatswain's mate from the forecastle.
+
+"That's my name--Byron, sir, at your service," said the man, as he
+touched his cap to the lieutenant, and rushed forward in answer to the
+call of his superior, evidently glad to escape from the inquisition to
+which he had been subjected. "On deck!" he added, as he made his way to
+the forecastle.
+
+Christy was a passenger on board of the Vernon, and he had nothing to
+do. The commanding officer appeared to be engaged in the details of his
+duty, though the steamer was in charge of a pilot. He could see from
+his shoulder straps that he was an ensign, and the officers in the waist
+and on the forecastle were of the same rank. If there were any other
+passengers on board of the vessel who were commissioned officers, they
+were not visible on the deck, though they might be in their staterooms,
+arranging their affairs for the voyage.
+
+The young lieutenant leaned against the rail, and gave himself up to the
+consideration of what had occurred since he came on board. He had been
+bewildered by one mystery the night before, and he could not help asking
+himself if the conduct of Walsh had anything to do with the visit of the
+intruder at Bonnydale. He could not trace out any connection between the
+two events; but, on the other hand, he was unable to satisfy himself
+that the mysterious visit, the sudden disappearance of the man-servant,
+and the denial of his identity by the latter, were not in some manner
+related to each other.
+
+He had no premises on which to base an argument for or against one thing
+or another. All was dark to him, and he could not get hold of anything.
+After he had raised up a variety of suppositions, and combated
+vigorously with them, the darkness seemed only to become more dense,
+and he was compelled to abandon the subject without arriving at any
+reasonable explanation. Under the instruction of his father, he had
+cultivated "a judicial mind," which compelled him to reject all mere
+speculation.
+
+Christy was not disposed to believe that he was a brilliant officer,
+or to accept unchallenged the extravagant praise that had been bestowed
+upon him. He endeavored to follow the Gospel injunction "not to think of
+himself more highly than he ought to think." But while he tried to keep
+the flower of modesty in full bloom in his soul, he could not deny that
+he had given the enemies of his country a great deal of trouble, and
+subjected them to some heavy losses. Then he recalled the conspiracy on
+board of the Bronx while he was acting-commander of her; and though it
+was for the interest of the Confederacy to get rid of so active an
+officer, he believed it was the vessel and not himself that the
+conspirators desired to obtain.
+
+Before the Vernon reached The Narrows, everything on her deck had been
+put in order by the large crew, and less activity prevailed on board.
+Christy thought it was time for him to report to the commander, and he
+moved aft for this purpose. He did not even know the name of this
+gentleman, and he saw no one to introduce him formally; but the ensign
+in command had doubtless received an order to take him as a passenger to
+the Gulf.
+
+Before he reached the sacred limits of the quarter-deck, Christy met a
+quartermaster, of whom he inquired the name of the commander.
+
+"He has a good name for the captain of a fighting ship," replied the
+petty officer, respectfully touching his cap to the shoulder straps of
+the inquirer. "The commander is Captain Battleton."
+
+"Captain Battleton," repeated Christy, to assure himself that he had
+correctly understood the name.
+
+"Captain Battleton," added the quartermaster. "I hope you are feeling
+better to-day, sir."
+
+"I am feeling very well to-day, except that I have started a cold in the
+head," replied Christy, astonished at this display of interest in the
+state of his health.
+
+"I am glad to hear it, sir, for you appeared to be quite sick last night
+when you came on board," added the quartermaster.
+
+"Did I, indeed? I was not aware of it. I came on board last night? I was
+not aware of that fact," said Christy.
+
+The petty officer did not hear his remarks, for he had been called by
+the second lieutenant in the waist, and, with a touch of his cap,
+hastened away. The lieutenant opened his eyes very wide, as he looked
+down at the seams in the deck, and wondered whether he were asleep or
+awake. He had been quite sick, and he had come on board the night
+before! It was very strange that he was not at all aware of either of
+these facts. He felt reasonably confident that he had slept in his own
+chamber at Bonnydale the night before, and at that time he was certainly
+in a very robust state of health, however it might be at the present
+moment. Even now, he could not complain of anything more severe than an
+embryo cold in the head, which the medicine his mother had given him
+would probably reduce to a state of subjection in a day or two.
+
+At first, he was disposed to be amused at the answers the quartermaster
+had given him, for it was evident to him then that he had been mistaken
+for another person. It looked as though some officer had come on board,
+and reported under his name, for he had not yet learned anything in
+regard to the gentleman who had appeared to be quite sick when he
+reported himself. It had the elements of another mystery in it. But the
+petty officer could easily have made an honest mistake; and this was the
+solution he accepted, without bothering his bewildered brain any further
+about it.
+
+The commander appeared to be less occupied at this moment than he had
+been before, and Christy stepped forward to the quarter-deck, and
+politely saluted him. Captain Battleton was not less punctilious in his
+etiquette. He was a young man, though he was apparently six or seven
+years older than Christy. He was an ensign, and looked like a gentleman
+who was likely to give a good account of himself when he was called to
+more active duty than that of commanding a store ship.
+
+"Good-morning, Lieutenant Passford!" said Captain Battleton, as he
+extended his hand to his passenger. "I am glad to see that you are
+better."
+
+Christy was utterly confounded at this salutation.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+THE SICK OFFICER IN THE STATEROOM
+
+
+Captain Battleton spoke to Christy as though he had met him before, and
+needed no introduction. He was glad to see that the young officer was
+better, which indicated that he had been sick. He was confounded by the
+situation, for he had not been sick an hour, and he had never seen the
+commander of the Vernon in his life. The petty officer had told him that
+he appeared to be quite sick when he came on board the night before.
+
+What he had learned within the last few moments was even more perplexing
+than the mysterious visitation at Bonnydale. Then the appearance of
+Walsh on board, and his denial of his identity, were still in his mind,
+and he wondered whether or not all these strange circumstances had any
+connection. But he was standing in the presence of the commander of the
+steamer, and he had no time to reach a conclusion of any kind,
+satisfactory or otherwise.
+
+Christy took the offered hand of Captain Battleton, and looked earnestly
+into his face to determine whether he had ever seen him before; but the
+face was entirely new to him. He was quite confident that he had never
+seen the commander before. There was something rather ludicrous in the
+situation, and he felt as though he was taking part in a farce; at any
+rate, there was nothing serious or compromising in it, and in spite of
+the confusion in his mind, he could not help smiling.
+
+"I thank you, Captain Battleton, for your very kind interest in the
+state of my health, but with the exception of the first signs of a cold
+in the head, I never was better in my life," said Christy in reply to
+the salutation of the commander, still holding his hand.
+
+"Then you have improved wonderfully since last evening," added Captain
+Battleton.
+
+"I am glad to be informed of the fact, for I am not conscious of any
+such improvement as you describe. In fact, I am not in quite so good
+condition in a sanitary point of view as I was last evening, for I took
+my cold about midnight, or a little later, last night," added Christy,
+his smile becoming a little more pronounced.
+
+It was now the turn of Captain Battleton to be puzzled, if not
+mystified, by the statement of his passenger, and he looked inquiringly
+into his face as if to ascertain if he was not the victim of a practical
+joke. But naval officers on duty are not given to pleasantries; and if
+he had any such suspicion, he banished it at once, for there was nothing
+in the appearance of the lieutenant to warrant it.
+
+"Pardon me, Mr. Passford, but were you not sick when you came on board
+of the Vernon last evening?" asked the commander, with something like a
+frown upon his brow as the situation became more bewildering.
+
+"If you will excuse me for making an indirect reply, captain, I did not
+come on board of the Vernon last evening," answered Christy, his smile
+becoming still more decided; and if he had not been on the quarter-deck
+of a vessel in service, he might have suspected that he was himself the
+victim of a practical joke.
+
+"You did not come on board of the Vernon last evening!" exclaimed
+Captain Battleton, gazing very earnestly into the face of his passenger.
+
+"I did not, captain," replied Christy quietly, though he was amused
+rather than disquieted by the earnestness of the commander.
+
+"You did not?"
+
+"Certainly not; and if my simple affirmation is not enough, I could
+prove that I slept in my father's house at Bonnydale last night, took
+my breakfast there this morning, and was in the city of New York at ten
+o'clock this forenoon," answered Christy, in the best of humor.
+
+"This is very strange," said Captain Battleton, fixing his gaze upon
+the planks on which he stood, possibly considering whether he or his
+passenger was dreaming or out of his head.
+
+"If I were still at Brooklyn doubtless I could find the boatman who put
+me on board of the Vernon not more than an hour ago," continued Christy,
+willing to convince his auditor that he was entirely in earnest in his
+statement.
+
+"I beg your pardon, Mr. Passford, but I did not intend to question the
+truth of your reply to my question," said the commander, fearing that he
+had overstated his doubts. "I am simply bewildered, confused, confounded
+by this interview."
+
+"So am I, captain," added the lieutenant, laughing outright at the
+perplexity in which both of them were involved. "I have told you the
+simple truth in regard to my movements."
+
+"And you did not come on board of the Vernon last evening?"
+
+"Emphatically I did not."
+
+"You were not sick last evening?"
+
+"I was not; not even as sick as I am at this moment," replied Christy,
+using his handkerchief.
+
+"I don't understand it," said Captain Battleton, shaking his head.
+
+"Now, captain, will you permit me ask what you do not understand, for I
+assure you I am profoundly ignorant of the situation which perplexes
+you. I was ordered to be on board of the Vernon at one o'clock, and I
+found her under way at eleven. I happened to find a boatman before I
+left the ferry-boat, who put me on board, or I should have missed my
+passage. That is simply all I know about the matter."
+
+"When I called upon you in your stateroom this morning, you told me
+that"--
+
+"I beg your pardon, Captain Battleton, but I have not been in any
+stateroom, sick or well, on board of the Vernon, and I respectfully
+suggest that it was quite impossible for you to have called upon me this
+morning, or at any other time," Christy interposed, very pleasantly,
+though quite as perplexed as the commander.
+
+"Of course I shall not raise an issue as to your veracity, Mr. Passford,
+but after the statement you have made to me, I must change the form of
+my phraseology," continued the commander, using a smile to cover any
+possible doubts or suspicions in his mind. "When I called at the
+stateroom of the officer who reported on board last evening as
+Lieutenant Christopher Passford, he told me that I was expected to
+get under way and proceed to my destination as soon as the officer and
+the seamen were on board."
+
+"Did he bring you an order to this effect?" asked Christy more
+seriously.
+
+"He did not, and perhaps I have made a mistake, though my superior
+officer told me at the yard that it would be safe for me to obey the
+verbal order," replied Captain Battleton, looking somewhat troubled.
+
+"I have no intention to meddle with what does not concern me, captain.
+It appears that Lieutenant Passford has already reported to you," said
+Christy; and this was the astounding fact to him of the situation.
+
+He was absolutely confident that he was himself Lieutenant Christopher
+Passford, and as absolutely confident that the other officer could not
+be that person, whoever else he might be. The commander appeared to be
+considering what Christy had suggested to him in regard to his orders,
+and the passenger had a minute or two to think of the situation in which
+he found himself placed. But what was the use to think of it? He was at
+the end of a blind alley, where there was no light from any direction
+except that by which he had entered it. He had no premises from which to
+reason, and it was useless to consider the matter.
+
+"Mr. Passford, I find myself placed in a very unpleasant position," said
+the commander, after he had deliberated a few minutes. "I have stated
+the facts to you; and the deduction I have to draw from them is, that I
+have two persons by the name of Lieutenant Passford on board."
+
+"That seems to me to be a correct deduction," added Christy.
+
+"The brilliant officer who bears this name is too well known to hide his
+light under a bushel. I have not the honor to be personally acquainted
+with him, and therefore I am unable to decide which of the gentlemen who
+report to me under that name is the real one."
+
+"Precisely so."
+
+"You will pardon me if I add that I think one or the other of them must
+be an impostor," added Captain Battleton with some diffidence.
+
+"That is a perfectly justifiable conclusion; and it rests with you to
+decide which is the genuine Lieutenant Passford, and which is the
+impostor," replied Christy frankly. "You will be perfectly justified
+in calling upon both for all the evidence they are able to present.
+I suggest that each of them must carry his commission about him, as
+well as his orders from the department; and it seems to me that these
+documents will enable you to decide without any delay;" and Christy
+involuntarily put his hand upon his breast pocket, where he carried
+these valuable papers.
+
+He could feel the envelope that contained them, and he was satisfied of
+the triumph which awaited him when the evidence should be required of
+the two claimants of the name. At the same time he felt that he was
+moving in a cloud of mystery, which had begun to enfold him in the
+middle of the preceding night.
+
+"I thank you for the suggestion, Mr. Passford, and I must say that you
+seem to be entirely fair," said the commander.
+
+"If I am the impostor, I do not know myself; but I have no desire to
+forestall your decision. You saw the sick officer when he came on board
+last evening, and you have visited him in his stateroom to-day. Do I
+look enough like him to be taken for him?" asked Christy with a smile,
+as he placed himself in an attitude to be scrutinized by the commander.
+
+"I am sure that you do, sir; and when I saw you on the quarter-deck for
+the first time, I had no doubt you were the officer who came on board
+sick last evening," replied Captain Battleton.
+
+"That makes it all the more remarkable, for I was not aware that there
+was any officer in the navy who resembled me so closely," added Christy
+more bewildered than before, and beginning to scent a plot of some kind
+against him or his country.
+
+"I must say that any man who will take upon himself the position and
+reputation of the real Lieutenant Passford is a bold man, and even, if
+he succeeds in taking his place, he will fail in playing the _role_."
+
+"I should thank you, Captain Battleton, for the compliment, if I were
+not under suspicion of being some other person. May I ask when it will
+be convenient for you to settle the question, for it is not pleasant for
+me to feel that I am looked upon as even a possible impostor?"
+
+"I shall not regard you as an impostor, Mr. Passford, for I mean to be
+entirely impartial, and I shall not brand you even in thought until the
+evidence warrants me in doing so," replied the commander, as he called
+the surgeon who was just coming on deck. "How do you find your patient,
+Dr. Connelly?"
+
+"I find him--I thought I found him; but he appears to be on deck,"
+replied the surgeon, as he fixed his gaze upon Christy, preluded by
+a start, dramatic enough to prove that he was astonished to find his
+patient was not in his room below. "I left him not five minutes ago, for
+I have not yet been able to discover what ails him. He complained of a
+severe headache and pains in his bones; but he has not a particle of
+fever, or any symptom of anything that I can discover. I am glad to see
+you on deck, Mr. Passford. How is your headache?"
+
+"If I have had any headache, I have entirely recovered from it," replied
+Christy, laughing heartily. "I came on board only an hour ago, doctor,
+and I have had no headache, thank you."
+
+"Looking at you more closely, I see that you are not my patient, and you
+will excuse me for giving you a headache. But you resemble my patient
+very closely," added the doctor.
+
+"I did not answer your question, Mr. Passford," interposed Captain
+Battleton. "In an hour we will settle the question."
+
+Christy seated himself and began to consider the strange situation.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+LIEUTENANT PASSFORD AND HIS APPARENT DOUBLE
+
+
+The Vernon continued on her course, and in another hour the pilot
+had been discharged. Christy had puzzled his brains over the events of
+the day and the night before without being able to arrive at any
+satisfactory conclusion. He was extremely anxious to see the officer
+who had taken his name and assumed his character, as he was to obtain
+all the information within his reach. His reflections assured him
+that some one had chosen the _role_ of an impostor for the purpose of
+accomplishing some treasonable object, and he was anxious to fathom the
+mystery for his country's sake rather than his own.
+
+Captain Battleton would soon begin his investigation, and Christy was
+confident that the sick officer would be proved to be the impostor. He
+was not at all worried or even disturbed in regard to the result, for he
+felt that "truth is mighty and must prevail." His only solicitude was to
+unravel the plot. Bands of Confederates had been put on board of several
+steamers for the purpose of capturing them; and it was possible that
+this plan had been adopted to obtain possession of the Vernon, for she
+was a good vessel, and was fitted out as a man-of-war.
+
+It was plain enough to Christy that the remarkable attempt of one or the
+other of the officers on board as passengers to personate the other had
+been explained to those on the quarter-deck, for he observed that they
+all regarded him with curiosity, and were interested in the matter. As
+the surgeon passed near him he spoke to him.
+
+"Does your patient below seem to be improving, doctor?" he asked.
+
+"He still complains that his head and his bones ache, so that I cannot
+say he is improving," replied Dr. Connelly.
+
+"How old a man does he appear to be?"
+
+"I should take him for a young man of twenty or twenty-one, but he says
+he is only eighteen. He is a very young officer to be put in charge of
+a steamer, for I understand that he is ordered to the command of the
+Bronx. But then he has made a reputation as the commander of that
+vessel, which doubtless justifies his appointment."
+
+"Does he talk at all?"
+
+"Oh, yes; he has told me about some of his exploits; and as he seems to
+forget his aches when he speaks of them, I have encouraged him to talk
+as much as possible."
+
+"Is he really sick, doctor?" asked Christy, with a smile which meant
+something.
+
+"He says he is, and I have to take his word for it," replied the
+surgeon, with a corresponding smile.
+
+"I heard you tell the captain that you could not make out the nature of
+his malady."
+
+"I cannot so far, though that does not prove that he is not sick; but I
+will venture to say he could not get his discharge from the navy on his
+present symptoms. He may have drunk too much wine or whiskey recently,
+though he certainly was not in liquor when he came on board."
+
+"How is your patient, Dr. Connelly?" asked Captain Battleton, joining
+them at this moment.
+
+"About the same the last time I saw him. He ate all the toast I sent
+to him, and seemed to enjoy it. I don't think he is in a dangerous
+condition," replied the surgeon.
+
+"I am glad to hear it. Have you informed him that we have another
+lieutenant on board of the Vernon?" continued the commander.
+
+"No, captain: I have not. That is not my affair, and I don't meddle with
+what does not concern me."
+
+"An excellent rule. Is he aware of the fact that there is another
+Richmond in the field?"
+
+"If he is, he has said nothing to me about the matter."
+
+"Do you think he could go out into the cabin, doctor?" asked the
+captain. "I wish to see him on a matter of the utmost importance.
+Is he dressed?"
+
+"He is; he dressed himself this morning, and sits up part of the time."
+
+"Then you will oblige me by getting him into the cabin; I mean my cabin.
+I will be there in ten minutes."
+
+The surgeon went below, leaving the commander and Christy together.
+
+"Can you make anything of this affair yet, Mr. Passford?" asked Captain
+Battleton.
+
+"I can come to no conclusion in regard to it, though I may be able to
+do so when I have seen my double," replied Christy, whose curiosity
+in regard to the sick officer was strongly excited. "It looks like a
+conspiracy of some kind, but I can go no farther in the direction of a
+solution."
+
+The commander looked at his watch after they had conversed a little
+while longer, and then invited Christy to visit his cabin with him.
+The other Lieutenant Passford was seated in an arm-chair at the table.
+Christy looked at him with the deepest interest, but the back of the
+other was turned to him, and he did not get a full view of his face. The
+sick man was dressed in the naval uniform with the shoulder straps of a
+lieutenant.
+
+"I wish to introduce a gentleman to you; Lieutenant Passford, let me
+make you acquainted with Lieutenant Passford," said the commander as he
+led the way into the captain's cabin.
+
+"Thank you, Captain Battleton; I shall be very happy to make the
+acquaintance of Lieutenant Passford," said the occupant of the cabin,
+rising as he spoke, and approaching Christy. "Corny Passford!" exclaimed
+the sick officer. "I did not expect to see you here. This gentleman is
+my own cousin, Captain Battleton, though I am sorry to say that he is
+a rebel; but for all that he is one of the finest fellows in the known
+world, and you will appreciate everything about him except his politics,
+which I do not admire myself."
+
+Christy was not stunned or overwhelmed by this impudent speech. He
+looked at the speaker, and promptly recognized his cousin Corny. He was
+astonished at the brazen assurance of the other, for he had always
+seemed to him to be a fairly modest young man. Corny extended his hand
+to Christy, and it was accepted.
+
+"I am very glad to see you, Corny," said he of the South, "and not the
+less glad because the meeting is so unexpected."
+
+"It is certainly very unexpected on my part, Corny," replied Christy,
+who began to comprehend the object of his cousin; but there was
+something so ludicrous in the situation that he was more disposed
+to laugh than to look upon it seriously.
+
+"I am very glad to see you, Corny," continued he who bore that name in
+reality. "I did not expect to find you on board of the Vernon. How are
+uncle Homer, aunt Lydia, and Gerty?"
+
+"I have not seen _my_ uncle Homer for several months; but I had not the
+remotest idea that you had an uncle Homer," replied Christy, laughing
+heartily, for the situation seemed so amusing to him that the serious
+part of his cousin's obvious plan had so far hardly dawned upon him.
+"I should like to inquire of you, as one good turn deserves another,
+in regard to the health of your father and mother and Gerty."
+
+"My father is quite well, but he left Bonnydale last Tuesday to go to
+Washington, and had not returned when I left home. My mother is quite
+well, and so is Florry," replied the sick officer, who did not appear
+to be suffering from a very severe headache just then, for he was quite
+cheerful and animated.
+
+"This appears to be a family party," interposed Captain Battleton, who
+was very much amused to hear each of the young officers call the other
+by the same name, and both of them appeared to be Corny Passford.
+
+"It is a family party, captain," replied the sick officer, smiling as
+cheerfully as though he had never had any practical knowledge of
+headache and pains in the bones, which was the description of his malady
+given to the surgeon. "As I have hinted before, my cousin Corny is a
+rebel of the first order; and you can imagine my astonishment at finding
+him in the uniform of a lieutenant on board a United States naval
+vessel."
+
+"Good, Corny!" exclaimed Christy, dropping upon the divan of the cabin
+and laughing heartily.
+
+"I can easily imagine your astonishment, Mr. Passford, for it seems to
+me to be a very remarkable state of things," added the captain, as he
+looked from one to the other of the claimants. "One thing seems to be
+admitted by both of you, that you are both Passfords, and that you are
+cousins."
+
+"So far we do not disagree by the breadth of a hair. My cousin Corny was
+_raised_ in the South, while I was raised in the North," continued the
+sick passenger.
+
+"I don't like to contradict my cousin, but I was _brought up_ in the
+North," said Christy, hoping Captain Battleton would notice the
+difference in the phraseology.
+
+"Then you were both brought up in the North," suggested the captain.
+
+"Not at all, for, as I said, my cousin Corny was brought up in the
+South, at Glenfield, near Mobile," protested the ailing officer, who
+was careful this time not to use the word "raised."
+
+"Where were you yesterday, Corny?" asked Christy, suddenly suppressing
+his mirth.
+
+"I was in New York, preparing to come on board of the Vernon."
+
+"Then you were not at Bonnydale?" demanded Christy sharply.
+
+"Of course I was there; but it was a pretty day, and I went to the city
+to attend to some affairs of mine," replied the sick man, with the first
+signs of embarrassment he had exhibited.
+
+"In spite of the fact that it was a pretty day, I should think you would
+have spent your last day on shore with your mother and sister as I did,"
+replied Christy.
+
+"I was sick, and I wished to be as near the Vernon as possible. I felt
+better in the afternoon and attended to my affairs; but I got bad again
+in the afternoon, and I came on board in the evening, for I was afraid I
+should not be able to do so in the morning," answered the invalid,
+becoming as lively as before.
+
+"Gentlemen, this seems to be a strange muddle," said the captain,
+who was not disposed to listen any longer to the sparring between the
+cousins. "At the suggestion of the lieutenant who came on board this
+forenoon, I have taken the earliest opportunity to settle the question
+as to which is the original and genuine Mr. Passford who was ordered on
+board of the Vernon as a passenger for the Gulf, and who, I am informed,
+is appointed to the command of the Bronx. I have not much time to spare,
+and if you do not object, I shall call in the first lieutenant and the
+surgeon to take part in this conference. I am perplexed, and I desire
+witnesses if not assistants in these proceedings."
+
+"I have not the slightest objection to the presence of as many officers
+as you may choose to call in," added the invalid.
+
+"I shall be equally reasonable," said Christy. "The more witnesses there
+are the better it will suit me."
+
+Captain Battleton struck a bell on his table, and sent the steward who
+answered it to procure the attendance of the officers indicated, and
+they soon presented themselves.
+
+"Gentlemen, Lieutenant Salisbury, the executive officer of the Vernon,"
+said the captain. "Both of these gentlemen are Lieutenant Christopher
+Passford," he added, with a twinkle of the eye. "Dr. Connelly, you have
+both met."
+
+"Are we to understand that one of these officers is the double of the
+other?" asked the first lieutenant, who seemed to be disposed to take in
+the situation as a pleasantry of the commander.
+
+"Hardly; both of them claim to be the same officer, and I have invited
+you to assist me in deciding which is the real Mr. Passford."
+
+The entire party then seated themselves at the table.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+THE CONFERENCE IN THE CAPTAIN'S CABIN
+
+
+Captain Horatio Passford lived at Bonnydale on the Hudson. He was rich
+in several millions of dollars, but he was richer in the possession of
+a noble character, one of the most prominent traits of which was his
+patriotism. He had presented his large and fast-sailing steam yacht to
+the government of the nation at the beginning of the struggle. His motto
+was, "Stand by the Union," and from the first he had done everything in
+his power to sustain his country against the assaults of dissolution.
+
+  [Illustration: The Conference in the Captain's Cabin.--Page 70.]
+
+He had a wife, a daughter, and a son, and his family were as patriotic
+as he was himself. At sixteen Christy, the son, had gone into the navy.
+He had learned to be a sailor and an engineer in his repeated cruises in
+the Bellevite, his father's large steam yacht, now a man-of-war in the
+navy. In two years the young man had worked his way up to the rank of
+lieutenant. He was very large for his age, and his nautical and
+mechanical education had prepared him for service to a degree which
+made him almost a prodigy, though his courage and skill had been fully
+equalled, if not surpassed, by other naval officers not older than
+himself.
+
+Homer Passford, the only brother of his father, had early in life
+settled in Alabama, and become a planter, where he had made a
+respectable fortune, though he was a poor man compared with the northern
+brother. He had a wife, a son, and a daughter. At the beginning of the
+war of the Rebellion he had promptly espoused the cause of the South,
+and from his point of view, he was fully as patriotic as his brother on
+the other side. He was ready to give himself, his son, and his fortune
+to the independence of the South. His character was quite as noble as
+that of his brother, and he had done all he could in person and with his
+wealth to insure the success of the Southern cause.
+
+His son Cornelius followed the lead of his father, and was faithful
+to the teachings given him in his southern home. He had enlisted as a
+soldier; but when it was found that he could be more serviceable to the
+Confederacy in certain irregular enterprizes, he was detached for this
+service. He had been engaged in an attempt to capture the Bellevite in
+connection with older and more skilful persons. The plan had failed,
+Corny had been severely wounded, and while on parole had lived at
+Bonnydale. From there he had been sent to a military prison, and had
+been exchanged. From that time, Christy knew nothing about him until he
+met him on board of the Vernon.
+
+Corny was two years older than Christy; but the latter looked even more
+mature than the former. The resemblance between them had hardly been
+noticed by the two families, though Christy had spent several months
+at different times at the plantation of his uncle. But the resemblance
+was noted and often spoken of by persons outside of the families,
+the members of which, being in the habit of seeing them often together,
+did not notice the similarity of features and expression. Both of them
+resembled their fathers, who were often mistaken the one for the other
+in their early years.
+
+After he found that the sick officer was his cousin Corny Passford,
+Christy began to apprehend the object of his southern relative in
+presenting himself as the bearer of his name and rank in the navy,
+though he had no time to consider the subject. Corny had given him no
+opportunity to look the matter over, for he had talked most of the time
+as opportunity was presented.
+
+Captain Battleton seated himself in the armchair which Corny had
+abandoned, and placed a quire of paper before him as though he intended
+to take notes of the proceedings. Christy was not at all disturbed
+by the formal aspect the affair was assuming, for he felt entirely
+confident that poor Corny would be a prisoner of war at its conclusion.
+He had his commission and his orders in his pocket, and he was positive
+that they would vindicate him.
+
+"I reported to the department that I had only a single vacant stateroom
+in the ward room of the Vernon, and I was ordered to receive Lieutenant
+Christopher Passford as a passenger, as I could not take another
+officer," said the captain. "It is not a serious question compared
+with others at issue, but the occupation of the single room, now in
+possession of the gentleman who came on board last evening, depends
+upon the result of our present inquiry."
+
+"I should say there would be no difficulty in settling this question,"
+said Mr. Salisbury.
+
+"These gentlemen are cousins, and both of them bear the name of
+Passford," added the captain, as he raised his finger, pointing to
+Corny. "Will you give us your name in full, if you please?"
+
+"Christopher Passford," replied the invalid officer, with the most
+unblushing effrontery.
+
+"Your father's name?"
+
+"Horatio Passford."
+
+"Where does he live?"
+
+"At Bonnydale, on the Hudson," replied Corny confidently.
+
+"Excuse me, Captain Battleton; may I ask a question?" interposed the
+first lieutenant.
+
+"Certainly, Mr. Salisbury. This is not a court-martial, but an informal
+investigation, and I shall be glad to have you and Dr. Connelly entirely
+free to ask any questions you please," replied the captain, who was
+anything but a martinet.
+
+"Where did you say your father lived, Mr. Passford?" asked the executive
+officer.
+
+"At Bonnydale, on the Hudson," answered Corny, as we may call him now
+that the reader knows who he is.
+
+"Is Bonnydale the name of the town or city in which your father lives?"
+
+"It is the name of my father's place," replied Corny; and Christy, who
+was observing him very closely, saw that he was a little disturbed.
+
+"Bonnydale sounds like a fancy name, such as any gentleman might give to
+his estate, as Sunnyside was the home of Washington Irving. Is this the
+fact?" asked Mr. Salisbury.
+
+"I suppose it is," answered Corny, with increasing confusion.
+
+"Don't you know?"
+
+"We always called it Bonnydale; and I know no other name for it."
+
+"But Bonnydale is not an incorporated town. In what city or town is your
+father's place situated?"
+
+"I know no name but Bonnydale," replied Corny; and the flush of fever or
+something else was on his cheeks now.
+
+"Nothing more, captain," said the first lieutenant; and the stock of the
+other claimant mounted a little.
+
+"Mr. Passford," continued the captain, indicating Christy with his
+finger, "your father's name, if you please."
+
+"Horatio Passford," replied Christy with a smile.
+
+"Where does he live?"
+
+"At Bonnydale, on the Hudson."
+
+"Permit me, Captain Battleton," interposed Mr. Salisbury; and the
+commander nodded his acquiescence. "Is Bonnydale the name of the town
+or city in which your father lives, Mr. Passford?"
+
+"It is the name of my father's place," answered Christy, using the same
+words that Corny had.
+
+"Bonnydale sounds like a fancy name, such as any gentleman might give
+to his estate," continued Mr. Salisbury, smiling, as he repeated the
+phrases he had used before. "Is this the fact?"
+
+"It is; the name was given to the estate by my mother," replied Christy,
+unable to follow Corny any farther.
+
+"In what town or city is your father's estate situated?"
+
+"It is within the limits of the town of Montgomery."
+
+"Nothing further, captain," said the executive officer; and the stock of
+this particular Lieutenant Passford mounted another trifle.
+
+"Your cousin, who, according to your statement, was raised in the South,
+seems to be better informed in regard to the geography of Bonnydale than
+you do," added Captain Battleton.
+
+"He is always inquiring into things that I don't care a straw about,"
+replied Corny, vexed that he had been tripped up in a matter so simple.
+
+The commander was disposed to carry the investigation a little farther
+in the same direction, and he sent Christy into the ward room, where
+he was instructed to remain until he was sent for. Captain Passford,
+senior, was well known to all the officers present by reputation, and
+he had assisted Dr. Connelly in procuring his appointment, so that the
+latter had had occasion to visit Bonnydale three times.
+
+The captain asked Corny a hundred questions in regard to the estate,
+making memoranda of his answers. Once he suggested to the surgeon that
+he had better examine the pulse of his patient, for he did not wish to
+overtask him in the investigation. The subject of the inquiry declared
+that his headache had almost disappeared, and he needed no indulgence on
+account of his health.
+
+After half an hour of questioning, Corny was sent to the ward room, and
+Christy was called to the captain's cabin. About the same questions were
+put to him as to his cousin; but both of them were prompt in their
+answers. In the last two years, Corny had been more at Bonnydale than
+Christy, and he was quite as much at home there, so that there was no
+reason why he should not be able to describe the mansion and its
+surroundings as accurately as the genuine Lieutenant Passford.
+
+So far, Corny, with the single exception of his failure to give the
+geography of the estate, stood quite as well as his cousin. Then the
+first lieutenant questioned them both, as they were seated at the table,
+in a very general way. In their answers, Corny used the word "raised,"
+while Christy was "brought up." Several phrases in more common use at
+the South than at the North were noted in his answers, which did not
+appear in the diction of Christy.
+
+When the questioning was finished, the leaning of the trio of officers
+was in favor of Christy; but not one of them said anything in the
+presence of the two Passfords. The captain declared that he had already
+used up too much time in the inquiry, and he must close the conference
+very soon. Then he asked if either of the gentlemen had any papers they
+wished to present in support of his identity.
+
+"I have my commission as a lieutenant, and my orders to take passage
+in the Vernon, and to take command of the Bronx on my arrival at the
+station of the Eastern Gulf squadron," said Corny, as he pulled a huge
+envelope from his breast pocket; and Christy could not but notice the
+perfect confidence with which he spoke.
+
+"I have precisely the same papers," added Christy, with as much
+assurance as his cousin.
+
+"I had nearly forgotten the most important evidence that can be
+presented in this matter," said the captain with a smile. "I dare say
+that each of the gentlemen will produce his commission, his orders, and
+his appointment to the command of the Bronx; and I don't know how we can
+decide between the papers. It looks as though the Bronx was likely to
+have two commanders."
+
+"Here are my papers, captain," added Corny, as he passed his envelope
+across the table to the commander.
+
+"This is not an official envelope," said the captain, as he took the
+package, and then fixed his gaze on the owner of the documents.
+
+"No, sir; it is not. I had the misfortune to leave it on the table at
+Bonnydale, and Walsh, the man-servant, supposing it to be of no value,
+threw it into the fire," replied Corny promptly.
+
+The commission and other papers were all right in every respect. Christy
+handed his envelope to the commander, and he broke it open. It contained
+nothing but a lot of blank paper.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE DECISION
+
+
+When Captain Battleton took from the envelope the blank papers, no one
+seemed to be inquisitive as to the result, for, as the commander had
+suggested, they all expected to find the commission and other papers
+regularly and properly made out and signed. Several sheets were unfolded
+and spread out upon the table, and Christy was hardly more surprised
+than the others at the table.
+
+"Your papers do not seem to be altogether regular, Mr. Passford," said
+the captain, as he held up one of them so that all could see it.
+
+"I see they are not," answered Christy blankly.
+
+"But they are enclosed in an official envelope," added the captain,
+as he held up the cover of the papers. "In this respect they have the
+advantage of those presented by the other gentleman. You appear to be as
+much surprised as any of the rest of us, Mr. Passford. Can you explain
+the fact that you present nothing but blank papers instead of your
+commission and orders?"
+
+"At present I cannot; after I have had an opportunity for reflection
+I may be able to do so," replied Christy, from whom a more decided
+demonstration than he made was expected.
+
+"It is evident from what we have heard, and from the documents submitted
+to me that one of these gentlemen is Lieutenant Christopher Passford,"
+said Captain Battleton; "but we have no means of identifying the
+officer. In what vessels have you served, Mr. Passford?"
+
+"My first service was in the Bellevite, and my last in the Bronx, of
+which I was acting commander on her voyage from New York to the Gulf,"
+answered Christy, to whom the question was addressed.
+
+"Is there any officer on board with whom you have served?"
+
+"So far as I have seen, there is not."
+
+"Any seaman?"
+
+"I have not noticed any seaman whose face was familiar to me."
+
+"If I am correctly informed, you came home as prize master of the Vixen,
+convoying quite a fleet of steamers and schooners," continued Captain
+Battleton, looking about the cabin as though the inquiry had become
+wearisome to him.
+
+"I did; you were correctly informed," answered Corny, as the wandering
+gaze of the commander rested upon him.
+
+"Both of you were in command of the Vixen, I suppose," added the captain
+with a smile.
+
+"I was, captain; but I cannot speak for my cousin Corny," replied the
+possessor of the commission.
+
+"I can say with entire confidence that I was in command of the Vixen,"
+added Christy.
+
+"A considerable number of officers and seamen must have come with you in
+the Vixen and the other vessels," said the captain, raising his finger
+to indicate that the question was addressed to Christy.
+
+"Yes, sir; the Vixen was fully armed and manned to protect the fleet of
+prize vessels she convoyed."
+
+"Do you remember the names of the officers who served with you in the
+Vixen?" asked the captain.
+
+"I could not very well forget them in so short a time," replied Corny,
+upon whom the gaze of the commander had again rested as he looked about
+him.
+
+"Very well; perhaps you had better answer the question;" and the captain
+pointed at Corny. "Who was your first lieutenant?"
+
+"Ensign Gordon Fillbrook," replied Corny promptly.
+
+This was a correct answer, and Christy saw that his cousin had fully
+armed himself for his daring scheme, whatever it was.
+
+"Your second lieutenant?"
+
+"Ensign Frederick Jones," answered Corny, with some hesitation.
+
+"Now will you inform me, Mr. Passford, who your officers were?" The
+commander pointed at Christy. "Your executive officer?"
+
+"My cousin gave his name and rank correctly."
+
+"And the second lieutenant?"
+
+"Ensign Philip Bangs."
+
+"Here you differ. Did you make a report of your voyage home, Lieutenant
+Passford?" continued the captain, pointing at Corny.
+
+"I did, sir; for we captured a privateer on the voyage," answered Corny.
+
+"Did you keep a copy of that report?"
+
+"I did, captain; I keep copies of all my reports. I have them in my
+valise," answered he of the South in a matter-of-fact manner.
+
+Christy laughed in spite of the importance of the investigation at the
+coolness and self-possession of his cousin; but he could not understand
+how Corny would be able to produce a copy of his report, which was in
+his valise with several such papers.
+
+"I must trouble you to produce it, Lieutenant Passford," added the
+commander.
+
+"Perhaps I ought to say in the beginning that it is not in my own
+handwriting, for after I had written it, Mr. Jones copied it for me,"
+Corny explained, and, perhaps, thought he might be called upon to give a
+specimen of his chirography.
+
+"That is immaterial," added Captain Battleton, as Corny left the cabin
+to procure the document. "Have you a copy of your report, Lieutenant
+Passford?" He pointed to Christy.
+
+"I have, captain; and it is in my own handwriting," replied the officer
+addressed.
+
+"Produce it, if you please."
+
+He had placed his valise in the gangway, and he had not far to go to
+procure the report, his first draft of the document, which he had
+revised and copied at Bonnydale.
+
+"I don't think we are getting ahead at all, Mr. Salisbury," said the
+captain, while the cousins were looking for their reports.
+
+"I confess that I am as much in the dark as I was in the beginning,"
+replied the executive officer.
+
+"I can make nothing of it," added the surgeon. "It looks to me as though
+the commission alone would have to settle this matter."
+
+"I don't see how I can go behind the official documents," replied the
+commander as Corny presented himself at the door.
+
+A minute later Christy appeared with his report in his hand, and both
+of them were presented to the captain. The handwriting was as different
+as possible in the two papers. Corny's was in a large, coarse hand, but
+it was a fair copy, while Christy's contained several corrections and
+inter-lineations. No one could recognize the writing of either of the
+claimants, and the documents proved nothing at all. The captain was
+evidently weary of the investigation, and nothing but the commission
+seemed to throw any reliable light upon the claim of either one or the
+other.
+
+"Any further questions, Mr. Salisbury?" asked the captain, bestowing a
+bored look upon the executive officer.
+
+"Nothing more, Captain Battleton."
+
+"Dr. Connelly?"
+
+"Nothing, captain."
+
+"Now, gentlemen, I will thank you to retire to the ward room, and I
+will send for you to hear my decision," continued the commander, and
+the cousins retired together, and both of them appeared to be as
+good-natured as though they were in perfect accord on the question
+in dispute.
+
+"What is your opinion, Mr. Salisbury?" asked the captain, when the
+claimants had retired, careful not to indicate his own conclusion.
+
+"While I acknowledge that I am somewhat prepossessed in favor of the
+Lieutenant Passford who came on board this morning, I do not think
+he has established his claim to be the true Lieutenant Christopher
+Passford. The other uses some peculiarly Southern phrases, as though he
+had been 'raised' in the South, and he is not perfect in the geography
+of Bonnydale. I think the commission is the only evidence upon which you
+can properly rely," replied the first lieutenant.
+
+"Your views, if you please, Dr. Connelly."
+
+"One of these officers is evidently a Confederate, and the other a loyal
+citizen. The commission, as Mr. Salisbury suggests, outweighs all the
+rest of the evidence. One or the other of the two men is an impostor,
+and without the commission, I should decide that my patient was the
+false Lieutenant Passford," answered the surgeon.
+
+"We appear to agree, gentlemen, for you have expressed my own views
+as well as I could state them myself," added the captain. "But when I
+decide that the holder of the commission, which I am satisfied is a
+genuine document, is the loyal officer, and entitled to be received as
+the future commander of the Bronx, I must declare that the other is a
+Confederate; and not only that, but also that he is acting as a spy;
+that he is on board of the Vernon with mischievous intentions. It will
+be my duty to regard him as a prisoner of war, at least. What do you
+think of it, Mr. Salisbury?"
+
+"I do not see how you can escape that conclusion," replied the first
+lieutenant.
+
+"I am a sort of peace officer," added Dr. Connelly, when the captain
+glanced at him, "and I will express no opinion as to the status of the
+officer, though it appears to be as you describe it."
+
+"This is an informal conference, doctor, and I hope you will express
+your views freely," said the captain.
+
+"There is something in the situation which I cannot explain. I will only
+say that it is just possible there is a conspiracy at the bottom of the
+whole affair; and I should think it would be well to keep a close watch
+upon both of these officers. Why, on the voyage of the Bronx to the
+Gulf, Ensign Passford, as he was then, discovered two Confederate
+officers in his crew, and squarely defeated their efforts to capture
+his ship in the action with the Scotian, I believe it was."
+
+"I have heard of it; and in quite a number of instances, Confederates
+have been put on board of steamers for the purpose of taking them from
+their officers," added the captain. "At the same time, I do not see that
+I can decide this question on any other evidence than that of the
+commission and other official documents."
+
+Both of the other officers assented to this view, and the captain sent
+for the two claimants. Neither of them had spoken a word to the other
+during their stay in the ward room. Christy looked upon his cousin as a
+Confederate who was serving what he called his country, and he had not
+the slightest disposition to quarrel with him, and especially not to
+lead him to utter any unnecessary falsehoods. Possibly Corny was
+somewhat diffident about playing his assumed character before his cousin
+when they were alone, for they had always been the best of friends.
+
+"Gentlemen, I have come to a decision in this matter," said the captain,
+when the two claimants had placed themselves before him in a standing
+position. "I cannot go behind the commission presented by the officer
+who came on board last evening, and I consider it my duty to regard him
+as the real Lieutenant Passford, recently promoted to his present rank.
+There is nothing more to be said."
+
+"Of course I expected that would be your decision," replied Corny, as
+he took the papers which the captain returned to him, including his
+commission and report.
+
+"You may retire now, if you please, Mr. Passford," added the commander.
+
+Corny bowed politely to the officers at the table, and left the cabin.
+He did not even glance at Christy, and his face did not look like that
+of one who had just won a decided victory. Christy remained standing
+where he had placed himself; and he began to wonder what disposition
+would be made of him under present circumstances.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+THE PRISONER OF WAR
+
+
+After rendering his decision it was evident that Captain Battleton had
+something to say to Christy, for he waited in silence till Corny had
+closed the door behind him before he even looked at the officer standing
+before him. The lieutenant from the moment the envelopes were opened and
+their contents exposed to the view of all present, had fully expected
+the result just announced. Whatever he thought, suspected, or surmised
+when he saw the blank papers taken from his official envelope, he kept
+to himself.
+
+"You have heard the decision I have just given, Mr. Passford, for I have
+no doubt that is your real name," said the captain, when the cabin door
+was closed.
+
+"I have, captain," replied Christy, bowing respectfully.
+
+"Have you anything to say in regard to it?"
+
+"Nothing at all," replied Christy, bowing again, and bearing himself
+with the dignity of a veteran officer; and in the matter of demeanor,
+the Confederate Captain Carboneer had presented to him one of the best
+models he had seen, both in action and as a prisoner.
+
+"You do not wish to make any explanation of the remarkable situation in
+which you find yourself placed at the present moment?"
+
+"At present, I do not, captain."
+
+"You certainly could not have been aware that your official envelope
+contained only blank paper. I cannot believe that one more simple-minded
+than I believe you to be would have had the effrontery to present such
+matter as evidence that he was an officer of the United States Navy,"
+continued Captain Battleton, with a look of greater severity than he had
+before assumed, possibly because he realized that the real Lieutenant
+Passford was higher in rank than he was himself.
+
+"I supposed the official envelope contained my commission and orders."
+
+"You believe that your papers were taken from you, and the blanks
+substituted for them?"
+
+"I cannot explain the matter at present, and you must excuse me from
+offering merely vague suspicions and conjectures."
+
+"Do you realize your present situation, Mr. Passford?" asked the
+captain, apparently disappointed at the unwillingness of the young man
+to attempt an explanation.
+
+"I think I do, captain, and I submit to your authority as the commander
+of the ship," answered Christy, with a dignified bow.
+
+"As I said before, I have no doubt you are a Passford; and I have been
+compelled to decide that you are not the son of Captain Horatio
+Passford, the distinguished gentleman who has done so much for his
+country in the present war."
+
+"With the evidence before you, I do not see how you could have decided
+otherwise."
+
+"Whether the decision be just or not, I am obliged to regard you as son
+of the Homer Passford who supports the government of the Confederacy.
+You and the other Mr. Passford have recognized each other as cousins."
+
+"We are cousins."
+
+"Then it follows that one of the two must be a Confederate who is on
+board of a United States ship for some purpose not yet explained, but
+fairly supposed to be hostile."
+
+"I admit the correctness of your conclusion."
+
+"I have already recognized the Union officer, and therefore you must be
+the Confederate."
+
+"Without reflecting upon your decision, I must deny that I am a
+Confederate, and proclaim that my motto is 'Stand by the Union!'"
+
+"In spite of your denial and your motto, I shall have to regard you as
+a prisoner of war, and treat you as such," said the captain, rising from
+his chair, the others following his example.
+
+"I submit to your authority, Captain Battleton," replied Christy, bowing
+to the commander.
+
+"But I do not wish to subject you to any unnecessary restraint, and I
+shall be willing to accept your parole that you will engage in no
+hostile movement on board of the Vernon," continued the captain, in
+milder tones.
+
+"I cannot accept a parole, captain, for that would be equivalent to an
+admission that I am a Confederate; and I claim to be a loyal officer."
+
+"If you are, I am sorry that you are unable to prove your claim. I have
+only one officer on board as a passenger, for the reason that I had only
+one spare stateroom. There is no place for you in the ward room, and it
+does not appear that you are an officer."
+
+"I shall find no fault with my accommodations, whatever they are,"
+replied Christy.
+
+"I must object to your wearing the shoulder straps of a lieutenant on
+board of the Vernon," added Captain Battleton.
+
+"I have a plain frock in my valise which I wore when the Teaser was
+captured," added Christy with a smile. "I will remove my coat and wear
+that."
+
+"Now I will see where I can find a place for you to berth," said the
+captain as he left the cabin.
+
+"I am sorry you did not explain the blank paper in your envelope, Mr.
+Passford," said the surgeon, as they were leaving the cabin.
+
+"I cannot explain it--how can I?" replied Christy. "Whoever took out my
+papers and put the blanks in their place, did not make me his confidant
+in the operation."
+
+"But can you not recall some event or circumstance which will throw some
+light on the mystery?" persisted Dr. Connelly.
+
+"I can; but I have not had time to consider any events or circumstances,
+and it would not be treating Captain Battleton with proper respect to
+submit a string of crude conjectures to him."
+
+At this moment the captain appeared in the gangway, and interrupted the
+conversation. He informed the prisoner of war, as he chose to regard
+him, that he had directed the carpenter to put up a temporary berth for
+him. Christy opened his valise, and took from it his frock, which he put
+on after he had disposed of his coat. Then he looked like a common
+sailor. He was informed that his berth was just forward of the steerage,
+in that part of the steamer where the men slung their hammocks. The
+third lieutenant was directed to show him to the place indicated.
+
+The carpenter and his assistants were still at work on the berth, and
+Christy, placing his valise near it, seated himself by it. For the first
+time since he came on board of the Vernon he had an opportunity to
+reflect upon the events of the day. Corny Passford was the present
+master of the situation. 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. Where had he obtained the commission, and where the
+original report? These were not hard questions, now that the
+preliminaries of the plot had been fully developed.
+
+Walsh, the man-servant at Bonnydale, was now a seaman on board of the
+Vernon, under the real or assumed name of Byron. He denied his identity,
+as he would naturally do under the circumstances; but Christy had not
+a doubt that he was the man who had suddenly disappeared after the
+mysterious visitation of the night before. Doubtless, Corny had been the
+visitor at the mansion, and had procured the contents of the official
+envelope on this occasion.
+
+He appeared to have been unwilling to trust Byron, as the seaman
+preferred to be called, and had attended to the business in person with
+the assistance of his confederate. The report was lying on the table in
+his chamber, and Byron could have borrowed it for any length of time to
+enable Corny to make a copy. Whoever had visited his chamber in the
+night, whether Corny or the man-servant, he must have taken the official
+envelope to the library, or some other part of the house, for it had
+been carefully opened, and restored to its former condition after the
+genuine documents in it had been replaced by the blank paper.
+
+It was now all as clear to Christy as though he had observed the
+proceedings of the conspirators, and taken notes of all they had done.
+The purpose of all these operations was quite as obvious as the details
+of the scheme. Either the Vernon or the Bronx was to be captured,
+perhaps both, for of course Christy could not determine in what manner
+the mischief was to be accomplished. Prisoner of war as he was, he never
+felt burdened with a greater responsibility than when he realized the
+actual situation.
+
+This responsibility was not of a personal nature. He did not have the
+feeling that he had been vanquished in the contest before the captain,
+and the fact that he was a prisoner hardly disturbed him. It was the
+prospective injury to the cause of his country which occasioned his
+solicitude. His object was to save the Vernon, the Bronx, or both, from
+being handed over to the enemy without a struggle to save them, one or
+both.
+
+He had no fault to find with the captain for his decision against
+him, which seemed to be natural and warrantable. He had no ill-feeling
+against his cousin, for he was trying to serve the cause he had
+espoused. He was even willing to believe that he would have done the
+same thing himself under like circumstances.
+
+After he had considered the subject for a couple of hours he went back
+to one of his first points, relating to the fitness and capacity of
+Corny to accomplish the task he had undertaken. It was evident enough
+on the face of it that his cousin, even if he had been a veteran naval
+officer, could not carry out the plan alone. He must have confederates,
+in the double sense, on board of the Vernon. In the early stages of the
+war, men who had served in the navy as officers were coming home from
+all parts of the world to take part on one side or the other in the
+struggle. Those even who were disloyal could obtain commissions in
+the loyal navy if their consciences would let them take the oath of
+allegiance with a mental reservation. Christy had encountered several
+of this kind.
+
+Many of the seamen were foreigners who cared little on which side they
+served, and one or more of the four officers in the ward room might be
+at work for the Confederacy. Christy thought he was in an excellent
+position to investigate the matter, and he decided that this should be
+his first duty. Among the crew there must be some who were to take part
+in the plot of Corny, whatever it was.
+
+Before the close of the conference the Atlantic had begun to be quite
+"sloppy," and the Vernon was now laboring in an ugly cross sea, which
+caused her to roll heavily.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+A MORAL PHILOSOPHER.
+
+
+The temporary berth was finished, the bedding put into it, and Christy
+took possession of it. For the present he had done all the thinking he
+cared to do, and he felt that his present duty was in action. He was a
+prisoner of war, and as such he was in disgrace in a loyal ship's
+company; at least, he felt that he was so under present circumstances.
+He was not disgusted at his failure to establish his identity, nor
+disheartened at the prospect before him. More than ever before in the
+two years of his experience as a naval officer, he realized that it was
+his duty to "Stand by the Union."
+
+The watch below were all around him. Some of them were mending their
+clothes, others were reading newspapers they had brought with them, but
+the greater part of them were in squads engaged in talking about the
+events of the war. The nearest group to Christy were conversing about
+the two lieutenants who claimed to be the real officer ordered to the
+command of the Bronx. It seemed rather strange to the listener that they
+should know anything about the events which had happened in the secrecy
+of the captain's cabin, and this circumstance led him to believe that at
+least one of the officers of the ship must be a confederate of Corny.
+
+There was nothing necessarily secret in the proceedings in the cabin,
+and the stewards might have heard what was said in the ward room after
+the decision had been rendered, reporting it to members of the crew,
+who had circulated it as the latest news. At any rate, the group near
+Christy were talking about the two officers who claimed to be Lieutenant
+Passford. They spoke in low tones, and Christy could hardly hear what
+they said. His berth was ready for him, and he concluded to lie down in
+it. He took no notice of the speakers, and soon pretended to be asleep.
+
+"Do you know who is in that berth, Warton?" asked one of the four men,
+speaking in a low tone, but loud enough to enable Christy to hear him.
+
+"I don't know; do you, Rockton?" replied the one addressed; and it was
+evident to the listener that the men were at least persons of average
+education with but little of the common sailor in it.
+
+"I do; one of the officers told me all about it not half an hour
+ago," answered Rockton. "The fellow who is asleep there is the other
+Passford."
+
+"Is that so? Then we mustn't talk here," added Warton, apparently
+somewhat alarmed. "Who told you so?"
+
+"I said one of the officers; and you know as well as I do which one."
+
+The speakers said no more, but leaving the locality near the berth, they
+moved forward in a body. Christy was sorry he was not to hear any more
+of the conversation; but he felt that he had made some progress in his
+work. He had obtained the names of two of the men, and ascertained that
+one of the officers in the ward room was a Confederate. With this
+information he could the more readily obtain more. Christy did not wish
+to sleep, and he felt that he could not afford to spend his time in that
+way. He sat up in the berth, and wrote the two names he had heard in his
+pocket-diary, in order to make sure that he did not forget them. While
+he was thus engaged Dr. Connelly came into the quarters of the crew.
+
+"Well, Mr. Passford, are you all right?" asked the surgeon, as soon as
+he discovered Christy in the dim light of the place.
+
+"All right in every respect," replied the young officer cheerfully.
+
+"You are not sea-sick?" inquired the doctor, laughing.
+
+"Sea-sick! No, sir; I believe I never was sea-sick in my life."
+
+"You are more fortunate than your cousin, for he is having quite a hard
+time of it," added the doctor, who seemed to be very much amused that
+the future commander of the Bronx, who had been to sea so much, should
+be afflicted in this manner.
+
+"He was always sea-sick when he first went out, and it appears that he
+has not yet got over the habit. He was so badly off on one occasion that
+my father thought of taking him on shore, and sending him back to Mobile
+by land."
+
+"Do you refer to the lieutenant appointed to the command of the Bronx on
+our arrival in the Gulf?" asked Dr. Connelly, laughing.
+
+"I do not; I am that person myself," replied Christy very decidedly. "By
+the way, I wonder that the commander did not subject the two claimants
+to an examination in navigation and seamanship. It might have thrown
+some light on the subject."
+
+"Probably Captain Battleton did not think of that, taking it for granted
+that you were both sailors; but the other Mr. Passford is not in
+condition to undergo such an examination at present."
+
+"I do not ask for it, though of course I am anxious to have the truth
+come out, for just now I am in disgrace as an impostor, to say nothing
+of being regarded as an enemy of the Union," replied Christy. "He
+who occupies a stateroom in the steamer is my own cousin, and the
+pleasantest relations have always subsisted between our families. I have
+nothing against him personally, and I would do him a kindness as readily
+as ever before in my life."
+
+"But he has placed you in a very awkward position, Mr. Passford."
+
+"I am willing to believe that he is doing his duty to his country, and
+his grand mistake is in believing that the fraction of it in rebellion
+is his country."
+
+"If you are the genuine Lieutenant Passford, in spite of the captain's
+decision, your cousin has told lies enough to-day to swamp a reprobate,
+to to say nothing of a Christian," added the surgeon, seating himself at
+the side of the berth.
+
+"I do not regard his statements as lies in any proper sense of the word,
+Dr. Connelly," replied Christy with considerable spirit. "I have had
+occasion to deceive the enemy on several occasions; and nearly two years
+ago I looked up the morality of lying on the field of battle and its
+surroundings. I think my father is as good a Christian man as draws the
+breath of life, and I found that I simply held to his opinions."
+
+"Your father is good authority," added the surgeon.
+
+"I studied history a little in relation to this subject, for I wanted
+to know whether any lies I might tell in serving my country were to
+be registered against me. I know that I would not tell a lie in the
+ordinary relations of life; but I am sure that I should have been a
+traitor to the Union if I had told the enemy the simple truth on several
+occasions. I captured a schooner loaded with cotton by pretending to be
+what I was not. If it is justifiable to kill a man in war, it must be
+justifiable to tell a lie to the enemy."
+
+"I think you are right, Mr. Passford. You spoke of history."
+
+"George Washington is regarded as one who could not tell a lie from the
+time the little hatchet story had birth to the end of the Revolution. We
+read that he strongly impressed Clinton with the belief that he intended
+to attack New York; and the school history says that this deception was
+so successfully practised, that Washington was some distance on his way
+to Virginia before Clinton suspected where he was leading his army.
+
+"Bancroft says that Clinton was deceived by letters which were written
+to be intercepted. The books say that Washington used every art in his
+power to deceive Clinton. He wrote letters containing the barefaced
+lie that he intended to attack New York when he intended to attack
+Cornwallis. It was not a mere white lie, for he intended to deceive. We
+don't regard Washington as a liar, and he was not a liar in any proper
+sense of the word. All the high-toned generals on both sides in the
+present war do not hesitate to deceive the enemy, for it is a part of
+their duty to do so. In my judgment, a lie that is acted is the same as
+a spoken lie."
+
+"You are a moral philosopher, Mr. Passford," said the surgeon, laughing
+at the earnestness of the speaker.
+
+"Hardly, doctor; I looked up the subject for my own benefit. I simply
+mean to say that I do not consider my cousin a liar," replied Christy,
+who was an earnest debater when he became warm in his subject.
+
+Dr. Connelly left him, and made his tour of inspection among the men.
+The steamer was still rolling heavily, and the prisoner found himself
+more comfortable in his berth than on the lower deck. He had not yet
+learned whether or not he was to remain confined in his present
+quarters, and when the surgeon returned from his tour, he asked him
+to inquire of the captain in regard to his limits. He was informed that
+he could go on deck for an hour in the forenoon, and an hour in the
+afternoon. It was nearly night and he did not avail himself of this
+permission.
+
+For the next three days it blew a gale, moderating at times, and then
+piping up again. To a sailor it was not bad weather, but Christy learned
+from the surgeon that his cousin was confined to his berth during all
+this time. The prisoner went on deck for the time permitted each
+forenoon and afternoon. He had his eyes wide open all the time, on the
+lookout for anything that would afford him further information in regard
+to the plot in the midst of which he was living.
+
+He identified Rockton and Warton, but not the other two who had formed
+the group near his berth, on his first visit to the deck. On the fourth
+day out, he saw one of these men talking cautiously to the second
+lieutenant. Following up this clew he satisfied himself that Mr.
+Galvinne was the black sheep in the officers' quarters. Corny came on
+deck that day, for the sea was comparatively smooth, and took a seat on
+the quarter-deck.
+
+Christy did not go near him, but he watched him very closely. He had not
+long to wait before Mr. Galvinne, who was then the officer of the deck,
+spoke to him, and they had quite a long conversation. He could not hear
+a word of it; but the fact that they were intimate enough to hold what
+appeared to be a confidential interview was enough to satisfy the
+prisoner that the second lieutenant was the principle confederate of his
+cousin. How many of the crew were "packed" for the enterprise he could
+form no idea.
+
+The weather continued favorable till the end of the cruise, and then on
+the eighth day the Vernon arrived near her destination off Pensacola
+Bay. Thus far no attempt had been made to capture the steamer, and the
+plot was as dark as it had been in the beginning. Christy thought that
+Corny was becoming somewhat nervous when the vessels of the squadron
+were made out in the distance.
+
+"There appear to be only three steamers in sight," said the captain, who
+had come into the waist to observe the fleet.
+
+"That is the flag-ship, I think, anchored the farthest from the shore,"
+replied Mr. Galvinne, to whom the remark had been addressed.
+
+"I suppose that is the Bronx astern of her," added Captain Battleton.
+"It is the smallest of the three, at any rate. Mr. Salisbury, you will
+run directly for the flag-ship," he added to the executive officer on
+the quarter-deck.
+
+Christy recognized the Bronx if others did not, for none of the officers
+had been on this station before. He wondered if the present deception
+was likely to be carried out to the accomplishment of the end the
+conspirators had in view. He could see nothing to prevent its
+accomplishment.
+
+"I must ask you to report below, Mr. Passford," said the captain rather
+sternly; and perhaps he did not care to be charged with over-indulgence
+of his prisoner.
+
+He bowed submissively, and went to his berth in the men's quarters. The
+anchor had been cast loose, and the cable put in condition to run out.
+Christy had hardly reached his berth before he heard the rattle of the
+chain, and the voyage was ended.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+A CHANGE OF QUARTERS IN THE CONFUSION
+
+
+Christy obeyed the order of Captain Battleton when he was directed to
+report below; but he felt that he was permitting the plot of his cousin
+to be carried out without any opposition, and without any attempt to
+check its progress. But he was a prisoner, and he realized that he could
+do nothing. His case had been tried, and he had been condemned to his
+present condition. It was useless to appeal to the captain, for he had
+already passed upon all the facts that had been presented before him.
+
+Seated on the side of his berth he considered the situation very
+faithfully. The Bronx lay off St. Rosa's Island; she was on the
+blockade, evidently ready to trip her anchor, whenever occasion should
+require. In regard to her officers Christy only knew that Mr. Flint was
+in temporary command of her, in place of Mr. Blowitt, who had become the
+executive officer of the Bellevite. The other officers must have been
+appointed for temporary service.
+
+As Christy viewed the matter, there appeared to be no obstacle to the
+success of Corny's scheme for the capture of the Bronx, unless it was
+Mr. Flint, who might or might not discover that the new commander was an
+impostor. If his old associate saw the two cousins together, he would
+have no difficulty in determining which was his former commander; seeing
+Corny alone he might be deceived. With the flag-officer, who had seen
+Christy but once or twice, he was not likely to suspect that Corny was
+an impostor.
+
+The Bronx had but one officer on board who had been permanently
+appointed to her, and at least two others must be selected to serve
+on board of her. It would be an easy matter for Corny to procure the
+appointment of Mr. Galvinne, who was doubtless competent to handle the
+vessel as the impostor certainly was not.
+
+When he realized that the scheme of his cousin, or whoever had devised
+it, was in a fair way to accomplish its object, Christy felt that he
+must do something. Though he was a prisoner and in disgrace, he did not
+feel that he was absolved from the duty of attempting to save the Bronx
+to the Union. He had refused to accept a parole, or anything of that
+kind, and his honor as an officer did not require him to submit to the
+discipline of his situation. He was a prisoner; but the responsibility
+of retaining him as such belonged to the captain of the Vernon for the
+present.
+
+His reflections relieved him of all scruples in regard to any action he
+might resolve to take. He was held in confinement as a Confederate. When
+he had been taken by the enemy and locked up as a Union prisoner, he had
+considered his duty, independently of his desire to be free, and he had
+effected his escape with Flint. In the present instance his confinement
+was not irksome, but he felt more keenly than before that he ought to do
+something to save the little gunboat; and he could do nothing without
+first getting into a position where he could act.
+
+Between the decks of the Vernon, he could do nothing; he could not even
+see what was going on, though he had no doubt the captain was in the act
+of reporting to the flag-officer. Probably Corny would go off in the
+first boat to report for duty, and receive his orders. The seamen
+who were simply passengers on board of the steamer, were below in
+considerable numbers, gathering up their bags, and preparing for the
+transfer to the flag-ship, or to the Bronx, for there were no other
+vessels near to receive them.
+
+Christy felt very much like a caged tiger. He had hoped that the
+Bellevite would be on the station when he arrived, for there were plenty
+of officers and seamen on board of her who could identify him beyond the
+possibility of a doubt. In that case he intended to make a strong appeal
+to Captain Battleton, for he would then have the means of arriving at a
+correct conclusion. Then he could explain in what manner he had been
+robbed of his papers with some chance of having his statement accepted.
+
+The prisoner walked up and down the lower deck, doing his best to
+conceal the agitation which had taken possession of him. No one took any
+notice of him, for the seamen had become accustomed to the presence of
+the captive officer. While he was struggling to contain his emotions, he
+heard the rattle of the cable again, and saw the chain descending to the
+locker below.
+
+"What does that mean, my man?" asked Christy of one of the men near him.
+"They appear to be weighing the anchor."
+
+"That is what they are doing," replied the man indifferently.
+
+"What is that for?"
+
+"The flag officer has not told me yet what he is about, and I am not
+good at guessing, though I am a Yankee," replied the man chuckling,
+as though he believed he had said something funny.
+
+"The flag-officer has signalled for the Vernon to come alongside,"
+interposed another seaman who had heard the question.
+
+"Thank you, my man," replied Christy, beginning at once to consider how
+this change would affect him.
+
+"The Bronx is getting under way also," said the civil tar, who evidently
+had some sympathy for the prisoner. "Probably she is also ordered
+alongside. Twenty-five of us have been detailed to serve on board of
+her, and I am one of them."
+
+"Then I may see you again, my friend. Thank you for your information,
+and will you give me your name?" added Christy.
+
+"My name is Ralph Pennant; I have a sea-going name, and I suppose
+that is the reason why I went to sea," replied the seaman, with a
+good-natured laugh. "I have been the mate of a steamer, but I could not
+get any better position than that of able seaman, and I wanted to be in
+this stir-up."
+
+"I have no doubt you will work your way up in good time," added Christy,
+who saw that Pennant was an intelligent and reliable man, though it was
+possible from the appearance of his face that he had been in the habit
+of imbibing too much whiskey for his own good.
+
+In a short time the Vernon was alongside the flag-ship. Christy had put
+his uniform coat in his valise, and still wore the frock he had taken
+from it. He had removed his linen collar, and put on a woollen shirt and
+a seaman's cap, for he did not care to be taken for an officer among the
+crew. He carried his valise to the vicinity of the forehatch, and looked
+up through the opening to ascertain what he could of the movements on
+board.
+
+"There comes the Bronx," said a seaman standing at the head of the
+ladder.
+
+"Ay, ay; and she is coming alongside the Vernon," added another.
+
+The store-ship had been made fast to the flag-ship, and at this moment
+came a call for all hands to go aft. Christy could not endure the
+suspense any longer, and taking his valise in his hand he went on deck,
+just as the Bronx came alongside. Mr. Flint was on duty with a couple
+of young officers, and gave the orders to make her fast to the Vernon.
+Captain Battleton was going up the side of the flag-ship, followed by
+Corny.
+
+Christy put his valise in a convenient place, and then concealed himself
+in the firemen's quarters under the top-gallant forecastle. He found a
+place beneath a bunk which would effectually conceal him unless a very
+thorough search should be made for him. But he only kept this place as a
+resort in case of emergency, for he placed himself where he could see
+out at the door; and it was a good location to overlook all that took
+place on the quarter-deck where the officers were, and the waist where
+the men had been assembled.
+
+The second lieutenant was calling over a list of names, which Christy
+concluded was the draft of seamen for the Bronx. Possibly Captain
+Passford had used some influence in this selection, for all the other
+hands were to be put on board of the flag-ship to be assigned to such
+vessels as needed to be reinforced by the officers of the staff.
+
+As the names were called the men passed over to the starboard side, with
+their bags in their hands, for there was evidently to be no delay in
+making the transfer. But it was a full hour before Captain Battleton
+and Corny returned from the flag-ship. The prisoner on the forecastle
+thought his cousin looked very complacent, and his return indicated
+that his plot had not miscarried, and that the flag-officer had not
+challenged the identity of the future commander of the Bronx.
+
+Corny's first movement on board of the Vernon was to take the hand of
+Mr. Galvinne, whom he appeared to be congratulating on a promotion or
+appointment. The second lieutenant promptly handed his lists to the
+third lieutenant, Mr. Winter, who proceeded with the calling of the
+names. Corny and Mr. Galvinne immediately went below, and Christy
+concluded that the officer he had spotted as the traitor had been
+appointed to the little gunboat, either as first or second lieutenant,
+and that they were making their preparations to go on board of her. In a
+few minutes they appeared with the steward of the ward room carrying
+their baggage.
+
+Corny politely saluted Mr. Flint, the acting commander of the gunboat.
+Mr. Galvinne was introduced, and there was plenty of bowing and formal
+politeness. Corny presented his commission and orders for the inspection
+of the officer in command, and for the present the formalities were
+completed. Corny was evidently in command of the Bronx; but Christy
+could not determine the position of Mr. Flint, and he watched his
+movements with intense interest for some time.
+
+The late acting-commander did not leave the deck, as he would have been
+likely to do if he had been relieved and ordered to report on board of
+the flag-ship, though he might have been superseded as executive
+officer,--a position which he was clearly entitled to hold. A little
+later, the draft of seamen were ordered to file on board of the Bronx.
+Then the observer saw Mr. Galvinne, with a rather pompous gesture point
+to the men who were coming on board, and say something he could not hear
+to Mr. Flint. He had evidently directed him to receive the seamen as
+they came on deck. This indicated that the late second lieutenant of the
+Vernon had been appointed executive officer of the Bronx.
+
+Christy felt that the time for action had come. Taking his valise in his
+hand he joined the file of men, and cleverly inserting himself between
+a couple of them, he went on the deck of the Bronx without being
+challenged as to his right to do so. Doubtless Captain Battleton had
+reported that he had a prisoner on board, though he had not had time to
+tell the whole story of the investigation, which had probably been
+postponed to a more convenient time. Mr. Flint went forward to receive
+the seamen as they came on deck, and he ordered them to pipe below and
+leave their bags there.
+
+"Where is your bag?" asked Mr. Flint, as Christy, the actual commander
+of the Bronx, passed him. "What are you doing with a valise?"
+
+"I have no bag, sir," replied Christy in submissive tones.
+
+"Find a bag, for we shall throw that valise overboard," added Mr. Flint.
+
+"I don't think you will, sir, after the circumstances have been
+explained."
+
+Suddenly the officer started back, and began to look very sharply at the
+presumed sailor. But the file pressed behind him, and Christy was too
+glad to move with it to delay a moment longer. He went below to the
+familiar quarters of the crew, and saw many of his old seamen still on
+board, though many of them had been taken to reinforce other vessels.
+
+Christy deposited his valise in a secure place near the door leading
+into the steerage. All hands were on deck attending to the transfer of
+seamen, even to the stewards. The way was clear, and the late prisoner
+promptly decided what to do. He thought the captain's cabin was the
+proper place for him, and he went there.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+LAYING OUT A PLAN OF OPERATIONS
+
+
+Christy had deposited his valise in a place where it was not likely to
+be seen unless a search was made for it. There was no one in the ward
+room to obstruct his advance to the captain's cabin. He had served as
+acting-commander of the vessel in a voyage from New York to the Gulf,
+and been the executive officer on board for a short term, and he was
+perfectly at home in every part of her. In the conspiracy on his last
+voyage in the Bronx, Pink Mulgrum had concealed himself under the
+berth in the captain's stateroom, where Dave, the cabin steward, had
+discovered him, though he might have remained there a month if his
+hiding-place had not been suspected.
+
+Christy thought this would be an excellent retreat for him, not only
+because it promised him the greatest security, but because it would
+permit him to hear what passed between the pretended commander and
+others, especially Mr. Galvinne. He had been reasonably confident of
+returning to the gunboat when he went to the North as prize master,
+though not as her commander, and he had left his trunk on board.
+
+It was a humiliating posture for the actual commander of the vessel, but
+he promptly got down upon the floor of the stateroom, and crawled under
+the berth. He placed the trunk and some other articles there so as to
+form a sort of breast-work, behind which he carefully bestowed himself.
+It was not an uncomfortable position, for the floor was carpeted and an
+old satchel filled with his cast-off garments furnished him a pillow
+sufficiently soft for a person on extraordinary duty.
+
+The cabin was to be occupied by Corny, though his cousin had no doubt
+that Mr. Galvinne was the real leader in the adventure of capturing the
+steamer. Both of them would be obliged to keep up appearances for the
+present. Christy's first thought after he had settled himself in his
+new quarters related to the cabin steward, who had served him very
+faithfully, and whom he had brought off in the Teaser, the former name
+of the Bronx. He had no doubt he was still on board, and probably acting
+in his former capacity, for Mr. Flint knew that he was attached to the
+man for the service he had rendered, not only to him but to his country.
+He was absolutely sure that Dave could be trusted under any and all
+circumstances, and the first thing he did would be to make a connection
+with him.
+
+Christy became rather impatient because the Bronx did not get under
+way; but he concluded from such sounds as came to his ears that she
+was taking in shot, shells, and powder, as well as stores and supplies.
+At any rate, neither Corny nor his first lieutenant came into the cabin,
+so far as he could ascertain. But he had not been in his hiding-place
+an hour before he heard a noise in the adjoining apartment. It was not
+the commander, for the noise was an occasional rapping; it was not an
+unfamiliar sound to him, for he had often heard it before when he lay in
+his berth. Dave was a remarkably neat person, and he was always dusting
+the cabin and stateroom when he had nothing else to do. He was sure that
+the rapping was caused by the steward's feather duster.
+
+In a few minutes, when he had made the cabin tidy for the reception of
+"Massa Cap'n Passford," he transferred his labors to the stateroom. He
+worked in the berth and all its surroundings, including the desk, which
+still contained the real commander's papers, and then gave his attention
+to the trunk beneath.
+
+"Dave," said Christy, after he had obtained a view of the back of the
+steward's head which satisfied him that he was the right man.
+
+"Mullygumps!" exclaimed Dave, as he suspended his labors on the trunk.
+
+No doubt he was greatly surprised to hear his name, pronounced as though
+it came up through the deck, as he had abundant reason to be.
+
+"Dave," repeated Christy, in a more decided tone after he had heard the
+voice of the steward.
+
+"Is that you, Pink Mulgrum?" demanded Dave. "I give you the whole State
+of Alabama, but I thought we done rid of you long ago. Who's there?"
+
+"Don't you know me, Dave?" asked Christy, speaking out plainly so that
+the steward might recognize his voice.
+
+"Maggywogs! That sounds like Massa Christy's voice; but I done seen him
+on deck five or ten minutes ago."
+
+"No, you didn't, Dave; that was Corny," replied Christy.
+
+"Gollywops! But he was in command of the Bronx, for I done seen Mr.
+Flint hand it over to him. Go 'way! You can't fool this colored person."
+
+"I tell you the truth, Dave; but things are mixed," added Christy.
+
+"I believe you; they be mixed if you be the captain when I done seen him
+on deck just now."
+
+"Sit down on the floor, Dave, and I will tell you all about it,"
+continued Christy, though the difficulty of convincing the steward was
+not unexpected.
+
+"Let me see your face before you told me anything," persisted Dave, as
+he pulled out one end of the trunk, and dropped upon his knees where he
+could see under the berth.
+
+Christy crawled to the front of the berth, and thrust his head out into
+the stateroom in as natural a position as he could place it.
+
+"Wollywogs! You look like Massa Christy, for sure," exclaimed Dave, as
+he gave himself up to a study of the face presented to him. "But the
+captain looks like Massa Christy too."
+
+"You have never seen my cousin Corny, I believe, Dave; but he looks like
+me. Now sit down, and I will tell you all about it."
+
+"I never saw Massa Corny; but I done hear enough about him when I was at
+Bonnydale. Show me your knife and your watch, Massa Christy."
+
+He complied with the request, as he saw that it was a very simple means
+of identification, for the steward had some skill as a mechanic, and
+he had frequently sharpened the knife, and knew the repeater of the
+lieutenant from having seen it so often, for it was a very peculiar
+watch. Dave's last doubt vanished when these articles were produced.
+
+"But the other Massa Passford looks just like you," added Dave.
+
+"If you saw us together you would not mistake him for me," replied
+Christy, as he proceeded to explain the situation to the steward, upon
+whom he depended for very important assistance.
+
+He related the incidents which had occurred at Bonnydale, the loss of
+his commission and orders, and the decision of Captain Battleton against
+him, concluding with the statement that he was then a prisoner of war,
+but had made his escape from the place where he had been required to
+remain.
+
+"A prisoner of war!" exclaimed the steward. "The commander of the ship a
+prisoner!"
+
+"That is exactly the situation, Dave. Can you tell me what they are
+doing on deck?" asked Christy, who began to feel more hopeful of the
+future.
+
+"The Bronx is taking in provisions, stores, and ammunition. They say the
+captain has his orders, but I don't know about that."
+
+"Can you tell me what position Mr. Flint has on board?"
+
+"He's just what he was before, when you was on board; he is the second
+lieutenant, and we have a new man for first, I believe they call him
+Gallivan," replied Dave, who was intelligent enough to comprehend what
+he saw on deck.
+
+"His name is Galvinne, and he was second lieutenant of the Vernon; but
+he is a Confederate. I think he is to be the real commander of the Bronx
+if they succeed in getting her into Pensacola," added Christy.
+
+"Into Pensacola!" exclaimed the steward, aghast at the remark.
+
+"Of course my cousin Corny intends to hand the vessel over to the
+Confederate government."
+
+"Gollywompus! My old master will get me back then!" groaned Dave, who
+had been very happy in his new service and at Bonnydale where he had
+spent considerable of his time while Christy was waiting for the fitting
+out of the Bronx. "I think I had better get on board of the flag-ship
+right off."
+
+"Don't do it, Dave, for I hope to save the vessel to the Union, and you
+can render me the most important service in this matter," added Christy.
+
+"Then I stay for sure; I don't go back on you, Massa Christy," protested
+the steward warmly.
+
+"Thank you, Dave."
+
+"There ain't no hole in this millstone for me," continued Dave, suddenly
+becoming very thoughtful. "I don't see how Massa Corny can run away with
+the steamer when she has her officers and crew on board."
+
+"I have just told you that the first lieutenant is a Confederate
+officer; and I have not yet learned who is the third lieutenant. Among
+the crew I know there are at least four men, and there may be twenty of
+them, who are to take part in this plot. The loyal men will not be
+likely to interfere with the officers unless they have a leader. The
+fact that the Bronx is headed into a Confederate port would not create a
+rebellion on board unless they were informed of the actual situation. By
+the time the Union men found out the plot, it would be too late for them
+to do anything, for the vessel would be under the guns of the forts."
+
+"But what are we going to do, Massa Christy?" asked the steward, dazzled
+by the situation.
+
+"We must recapture the vessel before she gets into port; and what I want
+most now is to see Mr. Flint. You must fix the matter in some way, Dave,
+so that I can see him. Now go on deck, and ascertain what is going on
+there. If you get a chance, speak to Mr. Flint; but be extremely
+careful."
+
+"You can trust Dave, Massa Christy," replied the steward, as the officer
+drew back into his hiding-place.
+
+Dave arranged the trunk and other articles to the best advantage for the
+concealment of the lieutenant, and then left the stateroom. Christy, as
+soon as he had become acquainted with the situation, had arranged his
+plan of action, and the new officers of the Bronx were likely to
+encounter a mutiny, either to inaugurate or end their sway. In less than
+half an hour, the steward returned to the stateroom with the information
+that he had spoken to the second lieutenant, and informed him that the
+real commander of the Bronx was concealed under the berth in the
+captain's stateroom.
+
+"Mr. Flint has not had his breakfast yet, and he will come below for it
+very soon," added Dave. "He was just coming down for it when he got the
+signal to come alongside the flag-ship."
+
+"Did Mr. Flint say anything?" asked Christy.
+
+"Not a word, sir; only said he would be down to his breakfast in a few
+minutes."
+
+The lieutenant took out his memorandum book, and looked at the names of
+the men he had spotted as disloyal, Rockton and Warton, to which he had
+added two others, Nichols and Swayne, after he had observed that they
+were very intimate with the two whose names he had learned from their
+own mouths.
+
+  [Illustration: Dave Identifies Christy.--Page 130.]
+
+"Now, Dave, I have another commission for you to execute," continued
+Christy, as he tore out the leaf on which he had written the names. "Not
+less than twenty-five of the crew of the Bronx came from New York in the
+Vernon. One of them is Ralph Pennant, and he is an intelligent man, and
+one that can be trusted. You will see him. Tell him the commander is an
+impostor. Do you know what an impostor is, Dave?"
+
+"I reckon I do, sir; your cousin Corny is an impostor," replied the
+steward promptly.
+
+"You will find this man, and give him this paper. The names on it are
+those of disloyal men. Tell him to look out for them, and find out as
+far as he can who are true to the Union."
+
+Christy had hardly finished his instructions to the steward before he
+heard footsteps in the cabin. Dave looked into the apartment and
+discovered Mr. Flint, who went into the stateroom at once.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+A LESSON IN ORDINARY POLITENESS
+
+
+Though the second lieutenant of the Bronx had not been to breakfast, it
+was not his stomach that made the first demand upon him. He directed the
+steward to remain in the gangway and apprise him of the coming of any
+person in the direction of the cabin and ward room. Dave took his
+station on the steps. Mr. Flint entered the stateroom, and the first
+thing he did was to drop down on his knees and thrust his right hand
+into the space under the berth. It was instantly grasped by Christy, and
+given a warm pressure.
+
+"Is it really you, Captain Passford?" asked the second lieutenant.
+
+"No doubt of it," replied Christy.
+
+"I thought you were somewhat changed in your looks when I saw you come
+on board of the Bronx, and then I felt that the greeting you gave me was
+rather stiff for an old comrade who had passed some time with you in a
+Confederate prison," added Mr. Flint.
+
+"We have no time to talk sentiment now. It is necessary for you to
+understand the situation better than you do," interposed Christy; and he
+proceeded to explain in what manner his cousin Corny happened to be in
+command of the Bronx, while he was himself nominally a prisoner of war.
+
+"Your absence from the between decks of the Vernon has been discovered,
+and Captain Battleton has caused the strictest search to be made for you
+on board of all three of the ships. The last I saw of him he was
+evidently talking with the flag-officer about you, as I judged from his
+looks and gestures," replied the second lieutenant.
+
+"He has not found me yet; and I think that the stateroom of the
+commander of the Bronx is the last place he will think of looking for
+me. But I have no time to talk of merely selfish matters, for I am not
+at all worried about my personal safety while we are within Union
+lines. If this plot succeeds, and the conspirators get the ship into a
+Confederate port, I shall feel differently about this matter. Has any
+third lieutenant been appointed, Mr. Flint?"
+
+"There has, captain; he is a young man by the name of Byron; but I did
+not learn his rank."
+
+"Byron!" exclaimed Christy, recalling Walsh, and the name he had
+insisted was his own when he first encountered him on board of the
+Vernon. "He may have a rank in the Confederate navy, but he has none
+in that of the Union. In other words, he is a Confederate officer or
+seaman, and he is the man who helped Corny steal my commission and
+orders."
+
+"We have a nest of them in the cabin--the captain and two officers.
+What is to be done? We cannot allow the Bronx to be captured by any
+such trick as this, with forty-five loyal seamen on board of her,
+to say nothing of myself as a loyal officer."
+
+"All the crew are not loyal," replied Christy, as he explained the
+instructions he had given to the steward.
+
+"But most of the crew must be loyal, for twenty of the old seamen
+remain on board, and every one of them is as true as steel," Mr. Flint
+insisted.
+
+"But the conspirators do not intend that any issue shall be raised
+until the vessel is under the guns of a Confederate fort. Doubtless Mr.
+Galvinne, whom I look upon as the actual commander of the steamer, for
+Corny is no sailor, will run into Pensacola Bay under the American flag.
+Probably he is a pilot in these waters, and knows what signal to make to
+the Confederate forts."
+
+"I don't believe he would attempt to run in while it is broad daylight,"
+suggested Mr. Flint. "Captain Corny already has his sailing orders. They
+are sealed, but he is to proceed to the eastward. I should say that he
+would obey orders, and when it is time for him to break the seals this
+evening, he will come about, hug the shore of St. Rosa's till he comes
+to the entrance of the bay, when he will go in."
+
+"If he does that, so much the better, for we shall have more time to
+prepare for a decided stroke," replied Christy. "I have my plan all
+ready, though of course it may fail, and to-night we may all be
+prisoners of war."
+
+"But don't you believe it will be better to appeal to the flag-officer?"
+asked the second lieutenant.
+
+"What good will that do?" demanded Christy. "My cousin has made out his
+case before the captain of the Vernon."
+
+"But you had no witnesses then. You have twenty or thirty of them now.
+I know you, and so do all the members of the old crew."
+
+"But it appears that you promptly accepted your commander in the person
+of my cousin," said Christy, laughing in spite of the gravity of the
+situation.
+
+"If I had seen you and Corny together, I should have known which was
+which," pleaded Mr. Flint.
+
+"Do you think if I should present myself on deck at this moment, wearing
+the frock and shirt of a common seaman, the men would identify me
+alongside Corny, who wears the uniform of an officer?"
+
+"I am not so sure of that."
+
+"I don't see how the commodore could go behind the commission which
+Corny carries in his pocket, with the orders of the department, any more
+than Captain Battleton could. I have thought of this, and I am afraid to
+trust myself to the chance," replied Christy very decidedly. "Besides,
+I desire to take the conspirators in the very act of running away with
+the Bronx; then I can make out a good case."
+
+"But how is this desirable end to be accomplished?" inquired the second
+lieutenant, who seemed to be troubled with some doubts.
+
+"Very easily, I think."
+
+"But you must not be rash, captain."
+
+"Will it be the highest prudence to permit the conspirators to take
+the Bronx into a Confederate port, Pensacola, or any other?" demanded
+Christy with more earnestness than he had yet manifested.
+
+"We may not be able to help ourselves."
+
+"By taking the bull by the horns in good season, I am confident we can
+prevent this mischief."
+
+Without discussing this matter any farther, Christy detailed his plan to
+Mr. Flint, which was certainly very simple, and the second lieutenant
+could raise no objection to it. He was requested to select the men who
+were to take part in the enterprise, and all the particulars were
+definitely arranged. There was nothing more to be done, and Christy was
+left to himself to consider what he had done. The hungry officer helped
+himself hastily from the table which was waiting for him in the ward
+room, and then hastened on deck.
+
+The transfer of cargo, so far as the Bronx was concerned, was completed.
+It appeared that the flag-officer was hurrying the departure of the
+steamer on her mission, whatever it was. He had just had a long talk
+with Corny, and doubtless there was danger that the object of the cruise
+might be defeated by delay. In a short time the Bronx was under way,
+headed to the eastward, in accordance with her verbal orders, for the
+sealed envelope was not to be opened till nine o'clock in the evening,
+as Christy learned from Mr. Flint.
+
+The deck was in charge of the second lieutenant, who was seeing that
+everything was put in order. But it might have been observed that he was
+more familiar with the men than was his habit. For the first time since
+he came on board, Corny went below to take a look at his quarters, Dave
+bearing his valise before him. At the same time Mr. Galvinne presented
+himself in the ward room to take possession of the stateroom of the
+first lieutenant, which was the farthest forward on the starboard side.
+It had been Christy's room during his service in the Gulf, though he had
+made himself at home in the captain's cabin when he was acting commander
+on the voyage from New York.
+
+"This is my cabin, is it?" said Corny, as he followed the steward into
+the apartment.
+
+"I think you ought to know it by this time, Captain Passford," answered
+Dave; and the remark was enough to condemn the impostor in the opinion
+of the servant. "You lived in here when you were in command of the
+vessel."
+
+"All right. You may go into the ward room and ask Mr. Galvinne to come
+in here," added Corny, who did not feel quite at home in the cabin, and
+was in mortal terror of committing some indiscretion in his unaccustomed
+position.
+
+"Invite the first lieutenant to the captain's cabin," said Dave. "Yes,
+sir;" and the steward left the cabin.
+
+It was some little time before Mr. Galvinne presented himself, for
+probably he did not feel bound to obey the orders of the bogus captain
+with especial promptness. However, he came after a quarter of an hour,
+and seated himself familiarly in an arm-chair at the table. He had the
+bearing of the superior officer, to which Corny made no objection.
+
+"We are all right so far," said Corny.
+
+"Perhaps we are; but you talk too much by half, Passford, and I have
+been dreading that you would make a slip of some kind," replied Mr.
+Galvinne rather crustily. "You were as stupid as a Kentucky mule when
+you stopped to talk with Byron in the waist."
+
+"And you were as stupid as an Alabama mule when you snapped at me for
+doing so in the presence of some of the sailors," replied Corny, with
+considerable spirit; and Christy, who heard all that was said, was glad
+to have him maintain the dignity of the family in his new situation.
+
+"I hope you will not make a donkey of yourself before we have finished
+this business," added the executive officer for the time being. "Now
+have you looked at your orders?"
+
+"I have not; they are sealed orders, and I am not to open them till nine
+o'clock this evening," replied Corny.
+
+"I believe you have lost all the wits you ever had, Passford," said Mr.
+Galvinne contemptuously.
+
+"If I did, you did not pick them up."
+
+"I am not going to banter with you, Passford. Where are your orders?"
+demanded the first lieutenant in a tyrannical manner.
+
+"They are in my pocket," replied Corny sourly.
+
+"Hand them over to me, and let us have no more fooling."
+
+"I will take care of the orders myself."
+
+"What! Are you not going to give them to me?" demanded Mr. Galvinne,
+apparently as much in astonishment as in anger.
+
+"Not till you change your tone. I wish you to understand that I am in
+command of this ship, and I have my commission in my pocket. I intend to
+be treated with decency at least."
+
+"Well, this is pleasant; and it will be my duty to report your conduct
+to my superior officer. In command of this ship! Why, you don't know
+enough to lay off the course of the ship, or even to box the compass."
+
+"I know enough to understand when I am treated like a gentleman. Change
+your manners, or I will order you to leave my cabin. You talk to me as
+though I were a small boy, and had nothing to do with the enterprise in
+which we are engaged," returned Corny.
+
+"Do you expect me to obey your orders?" demanded the executive officer
+in a sneering tone.
+
+"If you don't, I will send for the second lieutenant and a file of men
+to put you out of my cabin."
+
+There was a silence for a few moments.
+
+"This will never do, Passford," said the tyrannical officer.
+
+"I don't think it will, Galvinne. Behave like a gentleman, and we shall
+have no difficulty," added Corny.
+
+"Will you permit me to see your orders, Mr. Passford?" said the officer.
+
+The breach was closed, and Corny produced the sealed envelope.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+THE OPENING OF THE SECRET ORDERS
+
+
+Christy listened with interest to the conversation in the captain's
+cabin, though so far it had afforded him no information in regard to the
+present situation, and it was hardly likely to do so, for he had already
+been told by Mr. Flint what the next movement of the Bronx was to be.
+She had already been ordered to proceed to the eastward, and her sealed
+instructions would reveal the enterprise in which she was to engage.
+
+The steamer had been so successful while in command of Captain Blowitt
+in breaking up the shipping of cotton in a port where a larger vessel
+could not operate, that Christy promptly concluded that she was to
+be used in a similar enterprise. The listener was amused rather than
+impressed by the conversation which was in progress so near him, and
+especially at the display of dignity and authority on the part of his
+cousin.
+
+Mr. Galvinne had proved himself to be a very gentlemanly officer in what
+little Christy had seen of him on the voyage from New York; but the
+situation was entirely changed so far as he was concerned. It appeared
+from the conversation, as the listener had for some time supposed,
+that the second lieutenant of the Vernon was the real leader of the
+enterprise of which Corny was the nominal head. Probably the restraint
+of over a week imposed upon him had fretted his spirit, and when he
+found himself alone with his incompetent superior, he became conscious
+of the superiority his knowledge and training gave him.
+
+Christy rather sympathized with him in his contempt for the one who was
+only nominally his superior, though that could not excuse the breach of
+good manners of which he had been guilty, whether in the old or the new
+navy. He felt that Mr. Galvinne was a man of ability, and that he was
+the only person whom he had to fear in carrying out his plan for the
+recovery of the vessel.
+
+"I am not a naval officer, though I have given a good deal of attention
+to the study of nautical subjects in connection with this enterprise,
+and I am not a cipher," continued Corny, after he had handed the sealed
+envelope to his companion. "I expect to be treated with reasonable
+consideration, even while I defer to you in all nautical matters. Let
+us understand each other."
+
+"I acknowledge that I was altogether too brusque with you, Mr. Passford,
+and I beg your pardon for my rudeness," said Mr. Galvinne.
+
+"I am entirely satisfied, Mr. Galvinne; and here is my hand," added
+Corny, who doubtless felt that he had fully vindicated himself.
+
+"I have been living on a hot gridiron for the last ten days, and in
+the first moments of freedom I overstepped the limits of propriety.
+I hope we understand each other now, for we are engaged in an important
+enterprise, and we cannot afford to be at variance," replied the naval
+officer. "Our work is yet unfinished, though it has progressed admirably
+so far. Have I your permission to open this sealed envelope?"
+
+"Certainly, Mr. Galvinne; I had heard so much about sealed orders in the
+instructions given me for this undertaking, that I was under the
+impression that they were not to be seen till the time marked on the
+envelope."
+
+"It is not necessary to obey the orders of the Yankee flag-officer under
+present circumstances," answered Mr. Galvinne in a chuckling tone, as it
+sounded to the listener.
+
+The naval officer read the orders aloud for the benefit of his
+associate. The flag-officer had obtained information that a steamer
+was loading with cotton at St. Andrew's Bay, and Captain Passford was
+instructed to visit that locality and capture the vessel, and any others
+that might be found there.
+
+"Why was it necessary to give secret orders for such an expedition as
+this?" asked Corny.
+
+"It was wise on the part of the Yankee commodore to make his orders
+secret; for information might have been sent by telegraph or otherwise
+to St. Andrew's, which would have enabled our people to get the steamer
+mentioned out of the way, or to prepare a successful resistance to the
+gunboat sent to capture it," Mr. Galvinne explained in the tone of one
+who enlightens an ignorant person.
+
+"I see; that is plain enough," added Corny. "How far is it to St.
+Andrew's?"
+
+"If I remember rightly it is eighty-three sea miles from the entrance
+to Pensacola Bay. But you do not run away with the idea that it is
+necessary for you, as the present commander of the Bronx, to visit this
+place?" asked the naval officer.
+
+"Of course we are not bound to obey the orders of the Union
+flag-officer," added Corny. "But now you know the situation thoroughly,
+Mr. Galvinne, and I suppose you are ready to arrange your plans for the
+future."
+
+"There is not much planning to be done; all we have to do is to run into
+Pensacola when we are ready to do so," replied the naval officer.
+
+"Do you think it advisable to do so at once?" asked Corny; and his
+motive seemed to be simple curiosity, for he was not competent to give
+advice on a naval question, though he was in nominal command of the
+steamer.
+
+"Certainly not; for as soon as it was seen on board of the flag-ship
+that the commander of the Bronx was disobeying his orders, we should be
+chased by the two ships on the station and fired upon."
+
+"How shall you manage it?"
+
+"We shall be well out of sight of the flag-ship by dark, or sooner, and
+then we can come about, and keeping closely under the lee of the land,
+we shall reach the entrance of the bay before morning; and then all we
+have to do is to run in."
+
+"But the flag-ship will make out the steamer," suggested Corny.
+
+"We shall be too far in for her to do us any harm, for the water has not
+less than four fathoms anywhere along the shore of St. Rosa's Island."
+
+"But she will signal the fort to fire upon us."
+
+"They can't make us out soon enough to do us any harm, or not much,
+at any rate," replied Mr. Galvinne confidently.
+
+"I hope it will all come out right, but I have some fears," added the
+impostor.
+
+"You need not have. You have played your part remarkably well, Mr.
+Passford, and it was an excellent idea on the part of Major Pierson, who
+suggested this plan of putting you in the place of your cousin. He had
+seen you and your relative together, I believe?"
+
+"He had, for we were both prisoners of war after our unsuccessful
+attempt to capture the Bellevite, on the Hudson."
+
+"I have heard about that; and I know that your cousin Christopher is no
+chicken."
+
+"He is what the Yankees call smart, and I know he is all that," added
+Corny. "What do you suppose has become of him? When Captain Battleton
+sent for him in order to let the commodore see us both together, he
+could not be found. As you know, all three vessels were very thoroughly
+searched without any success."
+
+"There are a great many hiding-places on board of any vessel, and I am
+very clear in my own mind as to what became of him. Of course, the
+flag-officer, seeing both of you together, would have been as much
+perplexed as the captain was, and he would have been compelled to accept
+the evidence of the commission and the orders in your possession."
+
+"But Christy would have found plenty of witnesses here: the second
+lieutenant and the seamen on board of the Bronx, for example."
+
+"The evidence might have perplexed him; if he had done anything, he
+would have been more likely to retain both of you on board of the
+flag-ship, and appointed a new officer in command of the Bronx, rather
+than go back of the evidence of the commission," argued Mr. Galvinne.
+
+"But Christy has disappeared all the same; and where do you suppose
+he is?"
+
+"I have no doubt he is concealed on board of the Vernon, with the
+intention of returning to New York, where he has plenty of influential
+friends to fight his battle for him. But I must go on deck, or something
+may go wrong in my absence."
+
+Christy heard the footsteps of the late second lieutenant of the Vernon
+as he left the cabin. He had listened to the details of the plan formed
+by the naval officer, and it agreed with the prediction of Mr. Flint.
+While he was thinking of what he had just learned, he heard the step of
+Corny--for it could not be that of any other person so soon--coming into
+the stateroom; then he saw his feet from behind his barricade of bags
+and baggage.
+
+He had not expected his cousin to make any full examination of the room
+to be occupied by the commander of the gunboat, for his stay on board
+would be short, and he could not feel any great interest in the room.
+His curiosity might lead him to make a closer examination of the
+interior of the apartment than would be agreeable to his cousin. He felt
+that he was in danger of being discovered in his hiding-place; but he
+instantly made up his mind as to what he would do in the event of such
+an accident. He had hoped to be spared from any personal conflict with
+his cousin, and he had made his plan so as to avoid any such
+disagreeable necessity.
+
+But if Corny carried his investigations too far for his safety, and
+especially for the success of his enterprise, he decided that the
+ties of blood should not prevent him from doing his whole duty as he
+understood it. He was therefore prepared to muzzle the intruder, and
+confine his hands behind him with a strap he had taken from his valise.
+Happily Corny did nothing more than look under the berth while still
+standing in the space in front of it, and in this position he could not
+see the fugitive. The impostor wandered about the cabin for a time, and
+then Christy heard his footsteps on the stairs as he ascended to the
+deck.
+
+He had hardly left the cabin before the steward entered the stateroom,
+and reported that he had seen Ralph Pennant, and that he had told him
+all he knew about the loyalty and the disloyalty of the new hands in the
+crew. Ralph reported that he had "spotted" the four seamen whose names
+had been given him before the Vernon reached the station.
+
+"What does he say in regard to me?" asked Christy.
+
+"He said he believed you were bony fido commander of the Bronx, and he
+is ready to obey your orders. Mr. Flint had a talk with him while the
+first lieutenant was below; he talked to Boxie, and three more of the
+men, and he did it mighty sly, too, for the third lieutenant was on the
+deck all the time. There's eight bells, Massa Christy, and the second
+lieutenant will have the deck."
+
+"I did not think it was so late; but that reminds me that I have eaten
+nothing since my breakfast was brought to me early this morning," said
+Christy.
+
+"I hope to drink up every drop of water in the Alabama River if I
+did not forget all about that! Gollywomps! Dave is getting stupid,"
+exclaimed the steward, springing to his feet. "I can't bring you a
+regular dinner, Massa Christy, but I will do the best I can."
+
+"Never mind the regular dinner; but bring me something to eat, if it is
+only some crackers and cheese," added Christy; and the steward hastened
+to his pantry.
+
+He soon returned with a huge slice of ham and some cold biscuits. The
+hungry fugitive, who had not left his appetite at home, immediately
+attacked the provision as though it had been an enemy of the Union, and
+stood by it till he had devoured the whole of it; and it proved to be
+just a pattern for his empty stomach, and he declined Dave's offer to
+bring him another.
+
+He had hardly finished it before Mr. Flint paid him another visit, and
+reported everything ready for the recapture of the steamer.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+THE AFFRAY ON THE QUARTER-DECK OF THE BRONX
+
+
+Christy was satisfied that all was going well in regard to the capture
+of the Bronx, and he went to sleep after he had disposed of his dinner,
+and arranged the final details of the enterprise with the second
+lieutenant. Mr. Flint was somewhat impatient to carry out his plan; but
+Christy insisted that nothing should be done till the orders of the
+flag-officer had been actually disobeyed. It was decided that coming
+about, and heading the Bronx to the westward would constitute
+disobedience.
+
+When Christy awoke it was dark, or at least dusky, as far as he could
+judge in his concealment. He heard the rattle of dishes, knives and
+forks in the cabin, and he understood that the captain was taking his
+dinner. A conversation was in progress, and Christy concluded from the
+voices he heard that Corny had invited his first lieutenant to dine with
+him.
+
+"I think we shall be in Pensacola Bay by daylight," said Mr. Galvinne;
+"and we have just the right kind of weather for our enterprise. It is
+cloudy, and it looks as though we might have a fog, for they often come
+up after dark when the wind is as it is now."
+
+"What time shall you come about?" asked Corny, apparently from curiosity
+rather than any especial interest in the navigation of the steamer.
+
+"About nine o'clock; perhaps sooner. Byron will have the deck from eight
+bells for the first watch; I hope and expect Flint will turn in at that
+time, for he will have the mid-watch. It might be a little awkward if he
+happens to be on deck when we change our course from east to west."
+
+Christy did not believe that the second lieutenant would turn in at the
+time indicated, though he might make a pretence of doing so, and shut
+himself up in his stateroom. Mr. Galvinne proceeded to say that he
+should have Rockton and Warton ready to make Mr. Flint a prisoner in
+case he became too inquisitive. Nichols and Sayles would be available
+near the quarter-deck in case any demonstration was made by any portion
+of the crew.
+
+"But there will be no trouble of any kind," added the first lieutenant.
+"We are not carrying sail, and I shall quietly give the word to the
+quartermaster to make the course west instead of east. Flint is the only
+man on board who is at all likely to question the regularity of the
+proceedings on board; and I do not see how he can do it, for he knows
+nothing at all about the orders under which we are sailing. In fact,
+we shall be on the other tack before the time comes to open the sealed
+envelope."
+
+"I hope it will all come out right," added Corny.
+
+"You may depend upon it that we shall be under the guns of Fort
+Barrancas, or farther up the bay, before daylight," replied the actual
+commander.
+
+"What am I to do, Mr. Galvinne?" asked Corny.
+
+"Nothing at all; you can turn in as soon as you like and sleep through
+the whole, for there will be nothing at all to disturb you. As I said,
+Flint is the only person on board who is likely to make the least
+trouble, and he will be asleep in his berth. If he asks hard questions
+when he comes on deck at eight bells for the mid-watch, our men will
+secure him. That is the whole of it. I must go on deck now, for I can
+smell the fog."
+
+"How are you going to get to the entrance of the bay in a fog?" inquired
+Corny.
+
+"If we keep her due west we shall be all right; and I know this coast as
+well as I do my father's plantation," replied Mr. Galvinne; and Christy
+heard him open the door.
+
+"I think I shall go on deck and see the fun, if there is any, and turn
+in if there is none," added Christy.
+
+The dishes rattled for a moment, and then the fugitive heard the step
+and the voice of Dave in the stateroom.
+
+"I done bring you something more to eat, Massa Christy," said the
+steward, who appeared to have suffered some lapse in his grammar and
+pronunciation during the absence at the North of his instructor; and as
+he spoke he handed in a piece of pie and a large slice of cake.
+
+Christy was not very hungry after his late dinner, but he ate the
+dainties brought to him, and found that the cook of the Bronx had lost
+none of his skill. He might not have an opportunity to eat again very
+soon, for he did not lose sight of the fact that failure was possible,
+and he might soon be an occupant of a Confederate prison with Flint,
+as he had been once before.
+
+Dave busied himself in clearing the cabin table, and Christy impatiently
+waited the time for the decided action which had been planned. About
+half an hour later, when he realized from the condition of the stateroom
+that it was quite dark, the sounds coming to him assured him that the
+course of the Bronx had been changed as indicated by Mr. Galvinne.
+No noise or confusion on deck followed it, and the naval officer's
+prediction seemed to be in a fair way to be realized.
+
+Another half hour elapsed, and except the monotonous plaint of the
+screw, no sound was to be heard. A footstep came from the cabin, where
+Dave was at work, or appeared to be, for he had been stationed there for
+his part of the programme which was presently to be carried out.
+
+"Steward, light the lamp in my stateroom," said Corny; and Christy was
+glad to find that he intended to retire for the night, for he had no
+duties to perform unless there was a disturbance on the quarter-deck.
+
+The lamp on gimbols was lighted, and Corny took possession of the room,
+and had not a suspicion that he was not its only occupant. He lay down
+in his berth after he had removed his coat and shoes, and in a few
+minutes Christy judged that he was asleep from the sound of his
+breathing, which soon degenerated into a mild snore. Mr. Flint was to
+make a beginning in the project, or, as Dave called it, "open the ball."
+
+In less than another half hour, Christy heard a knock on the cabin door,
+which was the signal from the second lieutenant that it was time to
+begin operations. He crawled to the front of the space beneath the berth
+at the sound, and at the same moment Dave came in at the door of the
+stateroom, which had been left open.
+
+The steward lost no time in acting his part, the first step of which was
+to jam a handkerchief into the half-open mouth of Corny Passford; but he
+had been counselled to use no more force than was necessary to subdue
+him. Dave then turned him over on his back in spite of his aimless
+struggles, for, as he was roused from his sound slumber, he was too much
+bewildered to accomplish anything like an effective resistance. The
+strap which Christy had provided for the purpose was used in fastening
+his hands behind him, and so far as Corny was concerned, the battle was
+fought and the victory won.
+
+Christy had crawled out of his narrow quarters under the berth as soon
+as Dave began to operate on the sleeper above him, and he stood ready to
+assist the steward if his services were required; but there was hardly
+anything like a struggle, for Corny had been so completely surprised
+that he was incapable of doing anything in self-defence. With his hands
+strapped behind him, and with the gag still in his mouth, he was
+permitted to remain in the berth under the guard of Dave.
+
+Not a particle of noise had been made in the stateroom; at least, none
+that could be heard on the deck above. Christy hastened from the little
+apartment through the cabin to the gangway, where he found Mr. Flint at
+the head of the stairs prepared to execute the part of the work assigned
+to him, which was to fall upon Mr. Galvinne; but he did not appear to be
+in a favorable position for the attack.
+
+"What are you waiting for, Mr. Flint?" asked Christy in a whisper, as he
+joined the second lieutenant.
+
+"He has gone into the waist," replied the officer in waiting. "He will
+be back in a moment."
+
+Christy had looked into the ward room as he passed the door, for the
+captain's cabin was not provided with a separate companion-way, as is
+usual on men-of-war, for the space could not be spared in so small a
+vessel. All was still there, but two men stood near the door waiting for
+the signal to rush to the deck.
+
+"What are those men doing aft, Mr. Byron?" demanded the first
+lieutenant, with some excitement in his manner. "They were very
+nearly on the quarter-deck, and they seemed to be very reluctant to
+go forward."
+
+"I am sure I don't know, Mr. Galvinne; I did not order them there,"
+replied the third lieutenant, who was in charge of the deck.
+
+"I suppose they have seen that the course of the ship has been changed,
+and I thought they might have come aft to ask some questions, though the
+men ought to be better trained than that," added Mr. Galvinne, as he
+came quite near the companion-way where the second lieutenant was
+waiting for him, with Christy behind him, and ready to support him.
+
+Mr. Flint sprang upon the quarter-deck and threw himself upon Mr.
+Galvinne, closely followed by Christy. At the same time, and as soon
+as the gangway was clear, the two men who had been stationed in the
+ward room leaped upon the deck, and threw themselves upon the third
+lieutenant. At the same moment, the six men who had been lurking in the
+waist, and who had attracted the attention of the executive officer,
+hastened to the scene of the conflict. Rockton, who had been made a
+quartermaster, and the helmsman, Warton, went to the assistance of the
+first and third lieutenants.
+
+Neither of the two disloyal officers of the Bronx was an infant, and
+each struggled like a brave man against the force that attacked them.
+Mr. Flint had fallen upon Mr. Galvinne from behind, and had thrown him
+down at the first onslaught. He fought like a tiger, but with the aid of
+Christy and two of the men from the waist, he was subdued, and Christy
+had a strap ready to confine his hands behind him. Then he was drawn
+over to the rail and made fast to a belaying pin.
+
+Byron was not less energetic than his superior in his own defence, but
+the two stout sailors who had been selected to capture him were more
+than doubly a match for him, and he was carefully secured. At the same
+time there was a free fight between Rockton and Warton on the one side,
+and the sailors who had come aft, but the disloyal tars were conquered
+in the end. The prisoners were all bound and made fast to the rail. The
+entire watch had come aft while the battle was in progress, and those
+who had been instructed in the situation and had taken part in the
+recovery of the ship explained to their loyal companions the meaning of
+the affair which had just been brought to a conclusion. Involuntarily
+they gave three tremendous cheers, and then three more for the genuine
+commander.
+
+Not a few of them who had served with Christy in the Gulf declared they
+had not believed that the person who was the nominal captain was their
+old first lieutenant; they knew that something was wrong, they said,
+though they could not tell what. Perhaps they found the captain less
+active than formerly, and considered him somewhat changed after his
+visit to the north; but doubtless they were as much blinded by the
+resemblance as others had been.
+
+"Mr. Flint, I appoint you acting first lieutenant of the Bronx," said
+Christy, as soon as the affray was over. "You will restore order on
+board."
+
+The new executive officer sent the men forward, called out one of the
+old quartermasters to con the wheel, and placed a loyal seaman under
+his charge as helmsman. Order was almost instantly restored under
+his direction, and the men had enough to talk about to last them the
+entire night. Mr. Flint had his doubts in regard to the security of the
+prisoners; their bonds of straps and rope were removed, and their places
+supplied by iron handcuffs.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+A REBELLIOUS AND PREJUDICED PRISONER
+
+
+"Well, Mr. Flint, we have been more successful than I feared we might
+be," said Christy, after the prisoners except Corny had been put in
+irons, though they consisted of only five officers and seamen.
+
+"As usual, you are the hero of the adventure," replied the new first
+lieutenant, laughing. "But I must say it was the stupidest enterprise in
+which rational men ever engaged."
+
+"I decline to be regarded as the hero of the adventure, as you call it;
+and it was not so stupid as you suggest," replied Christy, with the
+greatest good-nature.
+
+"Perhaps you builded better than you knew; but if you had not escaped
+from the Vernon, and managed the whole affair, it would have been a
+success," added Mr. Flint.
+
+"Then the scheme cannot be considered so stupid as you represent it."
+
+"But it had not one chance in ten of success. Your cousin looks more
+like you than he did the last time I saw him."
+
+"He fixed himself up to pass for me, and that helped his case very
+greatly. He put on a uniform like mine, such a one as you have never
+seen him wear."
+
+"He did not look quite natural to me; but I could not make out what
+made the change in his looks," continued Mr. Flint. "You can see for
+yourself, that the plot would have been a success if you had not been on
+board of the Bronx to tell me what had happened. Whatever passed between
+the flag-officer and Captain Battleton, nothing at all was said among
+the officers about the decision the commander of the Vernon had been
+obliged to make when he accepted your cousin as the genuine Christopher
+Passford, ordered to the command of the Bronx. While I thought you were
+somewhat altered in appearance, and that your greeting to me was rather
+cold and formal when you came on board, I did not suspect that the
+officer who represented you was an impostor."
+
+"Do you think you should have let these conspirators run into Pensacola
+Bay without meddling with the matter?" asked Christy.
+
+"I am sure I should, for I could not have helped myself. The captain had
+his orders, to be opened about this time; and I should have supposed you
+were going into the bay to shell out Fort Barrancas."
+
+"You could hardly have supposed that a little gunboat like the Bronx was
+sent all alone on such a mission."
+
+"I obey my orders without question, and I should not have suspected
+anything was out of the way. I was rather cut up when I found that
+Galvinne had been appointed executive officer; and that, with the cold
+greeting you gave me, led me to ask in what manner I had lost your good
+opinion."
+
+"Of course Corny asked for his appointment, for Mr. Galvinne was the
+real leader of the enterprise. I think you and some of the rest of us
+have narrowly escaped a Confederate prison."
+
+"That is plain enough; and we only escaped it because you took it into
+your head to leave the Vernon at the time you left her. I think the
+Bronx would have gone into Pensacola Bay without the least trouble, for
+I have no doubt Galvinne knew just what signals to make to Fort McRae,
+and just as well what ones to make to Fort Pickens. The ship would have
+been there by midnight, and up to that time I should have been asleep in
+my stateroom; and they would not have taken the trouble to call the
+watch below at that hour."
+
+"No matter; we have the Bronx again, and she is not yet to become
+a Confederate cruiser. But Corny had the sealed orders of the
+flag-officer, and I heard Mr. Galvinne read them. The Bronx is ordered
+to St. Andrew's to attend to the case of a steamer loading there to run
+the blockade. Shall I obey the orders, or return to the flag-ship?"
+
+"The commodore hurried us off, for he feared any delay might allow the
+steamer to escape."
+
+"We have five prisoners on board; and we can take care of them well
+enough," replied Christy; "but the principal difficulty is that we have
+no officers."
+
+"But we have plenty of good men, and some of them will make good
+officers," suggested the first lieutenant.
+
+"We have no surgeon, I believe, for Dr. Spokeley is sick, and was to be
+sent home before I left in the Vixen for New York," added the commander,
+now restored to his own right on board.
+
+"Oh, yes; we have a surgeon, for Dr. Spokeley is to go to New York in
+the Vernon, and the doctor of the store-ship is appointed to the Bronx."
+
+"Dr. Connelly!" exclaimed Christy.
+
+"Just so; and I dare say he is asleep in his stateroom at this moment."
+
+"Then we had better obey the sealed orders of the flag-officer; we will
+come about, and head her for St. Andrew's. Fortunately I have been there
+myself in the Bellevite, and I have been up the harbor and bay in boats,
+for the yacht, as she was at the time, drew too much water to go into
+the bay, for it is shoal inside. Come about, Mr. Flint, and make the
+course due east."
+
+"I hope we shall do as well as we did at Cedar Keys," replied the first
+lieutenant, when he had given the order to come about to the
+quartermaster.
+
+"Look up the log slate, for I suppose they have made the entries, and
+when we have run eighty knots from the station, keep a sharp lookout for
+the land. Now I will go to my cabin, and find the envelope that contains
+the orders, and look them over."
+
+Christy went below, and found Dave in the stateroom, apparently
+unwilling to take his eyes off the prisoner who still lay in the berth.
+He went to the table in the cabin, and found upon it the sheet upon
+which the orders had been written. They were of no use to Galvinne, and
+he had thrown them down as soon as he had read them. He sat down at the
+table and read the paper; but the order was very simple, and left all
+the details to the discretion of the commander, for it was understood
+that Captain Passford was well acquainted with the coast as far as St.
+Mark's.
+
+Christy was still clothed in the frock and cap of a common sailor, and
+he realized that it was time for him to put on his uniform. He went to
+the quarters of the men where he had concealed his valise, and carried
+it back to the cabin, where he proceeded to make the change. In a short
+time he had put himself in proper condition to take his place on the
+quarter-deck in command when his presence was required. He had nothing
+to do at present, and he concluded to write his report of the remarkable
+proceedings on board since the Bronx left the station. He wanted his
+desk, and he went to the stateroom.
+
+"Well, Dave, how is your prisoner?" he asked, halting at the door.
+
+"I got him safe, Massa Cap'n," replied the steward, exhibiting most of
+the teeth in his mouth, for he was pleased with himself after he had
+executed the commission assigned to him, and did not feel as much like a
+contraband as he might.
+
+"I am in command, Dave, and there must be no more 'massa' now," added
+Christy.
+
+"I done forget all about my talk, Captain Passford," replied Dave.
+
+"That is bad grammar," said the commander, laughing, for he was in an
+exceedingly pleasant humor, as may well be supposed. "You know what is
+right, and you must not talk like a contraband."
+
+"I won't do so any more, Captain Passford," protested the steward,
+showing his ivory, though he was not a very black man, and the contrast
+was not as great as in many instances.
+
+"How do you find yourself, Corny?" asked the captain, turning to the
+berth.
+
+"I am all right, Corny; but I should like to have you or some one tell
+me what has been going on in this steamer, for this black rascal will
+not say a word to me," replied the prisoner.
+
+"I don't blame him, if you call him a black rascal," added Christy. "But
+you need not call me by your own name any longer, cousin, for it will
+not help your case any more. Your game is played out, and you have been
+beaten with your own weapons. When you want to play another Yankee
+trick, you had better remember that you are not a Yankee, and you are
+not skilled in the art of doing it."
+
+"What do you mean by that, Corny?" asked the prisoner, disregarding the
+advice of his cousin.
+
+"Corny again!" exclaimed the captain.
+
+"I am the commander of this steamer, and I have been assaulted in my
+berth!" replied the sufferer, warming up a little.
+
+"Whew! Then you are still the commander of the Bronx?" repeated Christy,
+laughing at his cousin's persistence.
+
+"You know that I am. Wasn't the commission decided to be mine?"
+
+"But we have concluded to reverse the decision of the commander of the
+Vernon, and submit the case to the flag-officer for final adjustment. In
+the mean time, I have taken possession of the steamer, and put all your
+confederates in irons. For the present, at least, I am in command of the
+Bronx, and I want my stateroom. With Dave's assistance, I must ask you
+to turn out of that berth."
+
+"I decline to give up my stateroom, or my command of the steamer,"
+replied Corny in a sulky manner. "I should like to know how you happen
+to be on board of the Bronx, Corny."
+
+"Did you believe that I intended to let you take possession of this
+steamer, and run her into a Confederate port, Corny? My name is Passford
+as well as yours, and I am not a traitor, and don't believe I am a
+coward. At a time which suited my convenience, I left the Vernon and
+came on board of the Bronx."
+
+"Where did you hide, for the vessel has been searched in every part of
+her for you?"
+
+"I have been under the berth in this stateroom, a hiding-place which was
+suggested to me by one of your people who used it as such, and was
+caught, as I was not."
+
+"No one thought you would hide in the captain's cabin."
+
+"That is the very reason why I chose this place. I have had the pleasure
+of listening to all your conversations with Mr. Galvinne, and I knew
+your plans from beginning to end."
+
+"You have been under this berth since the steamer left the flag-ship!"
+exclaimed Corny, apparently amazed at the fact.
+
+"I have; but I have no more time to enlighten you. I can only say that
+with the assistance of the only loyal officer left on board, and the
+loyal seamen, I have recaptured the vessel, and now we are on our way to
+St. Andrew's to obey the orders which the flag-officer delivered to you
+when you were a rebel in disguise. Now Dave will help you out of the
+berth."
+
+"No, he won't! If I was to be captured at all, Corny, you insulted me
+when you set a nigger to do the job," said the prisoner angrily.
+
+"You are playing a farce now, cousin; but I cannot stay to fool with
+you. Take him out of the berth, Dave."
+
+"Will you set a nigger upon me again, Christy?" using the commander's
+proper name for the first time.
+
+"If you will get out of the berth yourself, I will allow you to do so,"
+added Christy.
+
+"I will," replied the prisoner.
+
+He made the attempt to do so, but he would have fallen to the floor,
+with his hands fastened behind him, if Christy and Dave had not received
+him in their arms. The steward hugged him like a brother, perhaps
+maliciously, and carried him to a divan in the cabin. Corny had
+apparently abandoned his cause, and his cousin gave him a berth in
+the ward room for the rest of the night.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+THE DISPOSAL OF THE PRISONERS
+
+
+Before Christy could begin his report he was called to the deck by the
+first lieutenant, though everything had appeared to be quiet and orderly
+there. Ralph Pennant had been at work among the crew, and was unable to
+discover that any of the men were disloyal; but the commander had
+better information obtained by his own investigations. Ralph was in
+consultation with Mr. Flint when Christy went on deck.
+
+"I think the men are all right, and, so far as I can ascertain, not a
+man is a rebel," said Ralph in answer to a question of the executive
+officer.
+
+"You have the names of the four men that I sent to you by the steward,
+have you not?" asked Christy.
+
+"I have, captain; Rockton and Warton took part with Mr. Galvinne, but
+Sayles and Nichols did nothing, and they seem to be as in earnest on the
+right side as the other two were on the wrong side," replied Ralph.
+
+"I should not be willing to trust them. I know they were the intimate
+associates of Rockton and Warton, for they were in council together on
+board of the Vernon. In carrying out our orders, we may have a fight
+either with a battery or with some vessel, and we must not have any
+black sheep in the crew,--one who might speak a word or make a sign that
+would ruin all our calculations," added Christy.
+
+"Of course I can't say that Sayles and Nichols are not rebels; but they
+have done nothing that is suspicious, and one of our men has pumped them
+both," answered Ralph.
+
+"Have them closely watched, or they may play us some trick when we least
+suspect it, and in some critical moment," said the commander.
+
+"But I wished to see you in regard to the prisoners," interposed Mr.
+Flint. "We have four of them here made fast to the rail, and Galvinne
+complains of his treatment; he says he is cold."
+
+"I should think he might be, for the night air is very chilly," replied
+Christy. "I should have preferred to get rid of these men before we went
+into any enterprise, for they are dangerous persons to us."
+
+"With their arms locked together behind them, they are not in condition
+to do any harm," added Mr. Flint.
+
+"I will go below and see what can be done with them. I desire to make
+them as comfortable as possible, though I do not believe they will be
+satisfied with any location to which I may assign them."
+
+"I think you need not be too particular about them; they have made their
+own nest, and now they must live in it," said the first lieutenant.
+
+"You may come with me, Ralph," added Christy, as he descended the
+companion-way.
+
+The commander found Dave keeping close watch over Corny Passford, though
+he was fast asleep in his berth. Passing through the ward room and
+steerage, Dave unlocked the door that led into the quarters of the crew.
+Next to the bulkhead, or partition, was space enough for the prisoners,
+and the steward was required to bring five berth sacks, which were
+placed on the deck.
+
+"The only objection I have to this as prison quarters is that Sayles and
+Nichols will be too near them; but I shall keep a sentry over them all
+the time," said Christy.
+
+"I should think they would be safe with a guard," added Ralph.
+
+"Now, Dave, you will wake your prisoner, and I will relieve you of all
+responsibility in regard to him. He is dressed, is he not?" continued
+the commander when they reached the ward room.
+
+"He is, Captain Passford, for he did not undress when he turned in last
+night," replied the steward.
+
+"What is the matter now?" asked the prisoner in the ward room, after he
+had rubbed his eyes for a time.
+
+"Nothing is the matter now on our side of the house, but I must put you
+with the other prisoners," replied Christy. "You may unbuckle the strap,
+Dave, so that he can get out of the berth."
+
+"Who are the other prisoners?" demanded Corny, as though he had a right
+to know.
+
+"They are your confederates in the plot, Corny. Who do you suppose they
+are? Jeff Davis is not one of them. The most important one, not even
+excepting yourself, cousin, is Mr. Galvinne, late first lieutenant of
+the Bronx."
+
+"Is he a prisoner?" asked Corny, as he got out of the berth.
+
+"Of course he is. Do you think I should let him lie around loose on
+deck? The next one is the man-servant at Bonnydale by your appointment,
+formerly Walsh, but now Byron. He is a very good actor, but he has
+played out his _role_."
+
+"He was by profession an actor in Mobile," added Corny.
+
+"I should think he might have been. By the way, Corny, where is my
+commission that you and he stole from my pocket at Bonnydale?"
+
+"That is my commission," replied Corny, putting his hand involuntarily
+on his left breast, where he had carried his papers on board of the
+Vernon.
+
+"You stole it, cousin, and you must give it back to me," added Christy,
+very decidedly.
+
+"I shall not," replied Corny, with quite as much firmness.
+
+"Take it from him," said the commander.
+
+The hands of the impostor were now free, and he placed himself in a
+defensive attitude; but Ralph Pennant, who was rather above the average
+stature, threw his arms around him, and he was pinned as tightly as
+though he had been put into a strait jacket. Corny was probably stiff in
+his arms from their confinement, and he was unable to make a very
+spirited defence. While the seaman held him, Christy took the envelope
+from his breast pocket, and transferred it to his own. But there was
+considerable noise made in the brief scuffle, which waked some of the
+sleepers. From one of the staterooms an officer rushed out, and demanded
+the cause of the disturbance. The person proved to be the surgeon.
+
+"We are putting things to rights on board," replied Christy, who had not
+seen the doctor before, for he had retired early to his room.
+
+"I don't quite understand this matter," said the surgeon. "What are you
+doing, Mr. Passford?"
+
+"Captain Passford, if you please, Dr. Connelly, for I have the honor to
+be in command of the Bronx at the present moment. This is Mr. Passford,"
+added Christy, pointing to his cousin.
+
+"Then you have reversed the decision of Captain Battleton?"
+
+"For sufficient reasons, I have; with the assistance of the loyal
+members of the ship's company, I have taken possession of the
+vessel, and we are now on our way to carry out the orders of the
+flag-officer.--Conduct the prisoner to his future quarters," said
+Christy, in a very business-like manner.
+
+During this conversation, Ralph, still holding his prisoner, had sent
+the steward on deck for a pair of handcuffs, which the seaman proceeded
+to apply to the wrists of Corny.
+
+"What are you about?" demanded the prisoner, attempting to shake off his
+captor when he felt the cold iron.
+
+"Just giving you a pair of bracelets," replied Ralph, as he grappled
+again with his victim, and asked Christy to adjust the handcuffs. "Just
+for ornament, you know."
+
+In the grasp of such a powerful man as Ralph Pennant, Corny was
+powerless, and he was compelled to submit, though his opposition
+appeared to be merely a matter of form with him, for he could not help
+realizing that it was utterly useless; but he had not been in the affray
+on deck, and he had not learned the full lesson from experience. The
+irons were locked upon his wrists, and the seaman was directed to
+conduct him to the place assigned to all the prisoners.
+
+"This is mean of you, Christy, to put me in irons," said Corny
+reproachfully as he turned to his cousin; "I might have asked Captain
+Battleton to put you in irons on board of the Vernon; but I did not."
+
+"If he had done so, I should not have complained. I have been a prisoner
+of war, and I had to take my chances. We may be in action for aught I
+know in a few hours, and I do not mean to have half a dozen rebels at my
+heels to trip me up if I can help it. The circumstances are entirely
+different from those on board of the Vernon."
+
+"I don't think so," muttered Corny. "You treat your own flesh and blood
+as though blood was nothing but water with you."
+
+"I stand by the Union, and those on the other side must keep out from
+under. When I was in a Confederate prison, my uncle Homer, your father,
+did not do a single thing for me. Lead on, Ralph."
+
+Dr. Connelly was so much astonished at the proceedings that he did not
+turn in, but completed his toilet, and came out into the ward room
+again. He looked troubled, for he had heard nothing of the struggle on
+the quarter-deck, and the situation was a revelation to him. He looked
+and talked as though he thought that Christy and his associates who had
+captured the vessel were simply mutineers. The captain sent the steward
+for Boxie, and, giving him a pair of pistols and a cutlass, informed
+him that he was to stand guard over the five prisoners until he was
+relieved. The old man, who had been one of the seamen on board of
+the Bellevite when she was a yacht, took his place forward of the
+berth-sacks, and began his march athwartship.
+
+"You know me, don't you, Boxie?" said Corny as he recognized the old
+salt, who was the sheet-anchorsman of the crew, and who was generally
+their spokesman.
+
+"You will hold no conversation with the prisoner, Boxie; but you may
+let them talk among themselves, and note what they say if it is of any
+importance. You will be relieved with the first watch."
+
+Ralph Pennant and three seamen conducted the other prisoners to their
+quarters. They were supplied with blankets, in which those from the deck
+wrapped themselves up. Corny and Galvin began to compare notes at once;
+but Boxie kept his ears open as he marched up and down within two feet
+of his charge.
+
+"I hope you have not committed any rash act, Mr. Passford," said Dr.
+Connelly as the party passed through the ward room.
+
+"I do not stand on mere forms, Dr. Connelly; but if you continue to call
+me simply 'mister,' I shall understand from it that you do not recognize
+me as the rightful commander of the Bronx," replied Christy, as he
+invited the surgeon with a gesture to enter the captain's cabin.
+
+"I beg your pardon, Captain Passford; I used the title of 'mister' from
+habit, and not as meaning anything," replied the surgeon. "I was forced
+by the evidence, and quite as much by the lack of evidence, to concur
+with Captain Battleton in his decision."
+
+"I find no fault with you on that account, doctor," added Christy.
+
+"You made no protest to the flag-officer, but suddenly disappeared.
+When I went to my stateroom in the evening, your cousin was in command,
+and had sailed to execute the orders given him. You can judge of my
+astonishment when I learned just now that the captain and his officers
+were prisoners," the surgeon explained.
+
+"I do not propose to submit to another investigation by you, or any one
+but the flag-officer; but for your information I am willing to give you
+the facts," said Christy with dignity, of which he had a full supply
+whenever it was needed. "As long as the officers in charge of the
+Bronx continued to obey the orders of the commodore to proceed to
+the eastward, I did nothing; but when they headed the steamer to the
+westward, which they did as soon as it was dark, I understood very well
+that they were disobeying their orders, and intended to run the Bronx
+into Pensacola Bay, and deliver her to the Confederate authorities. Then
+I carried out my plan and captured the vessel."
+
+The surgeon was satisfied with this evidence.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+THE SECOND AND THIRD LIEUTENANTS
+
+
+The surgeon went on deck with Christy, where he was presented in due
+form to Mr. Flint, though he had been introduced to him before in his
+former position as second lieutenant. The commander went forward to the
+bridge and pilot-house, and consulting the log slate, found that the
+last entry gave seventy-eight knots from the station. But it was foggy,
+as Mr. Galvinne had predicted that it would be, and the quartermaster
+conning the wheel said it was as "dark as a stack of black cats."
+Nothing could be seen in any direction, and the commander decided that
+it was not prudent to proceed any farther.
+
+The leadsman was ordered to sound, as the screw was stopped, and he
+reported sixteen fathoms with the deep-sea lead. Christy ordered the
+quartermaster to go ahead again, and keep the hand-line going all the
+time. Mr. Flint came forward, and took his place on the bridge, where
+the officer of the deck was usually stationed on board of the Bronx.
+
+The reports of the leadsman were satisfactory, and the steamer went
+ahead for an hour. Then they began to give a diminution of the depth of
+water, indicating, as Christy stated it, that the vessel was approaching
+the land. He looked over the log slate, and found that the course had
+been due east till the order had been given to head her in the opposite
+direction. She had sailed rather more than an hour on that tack, during
+which the recapture of the steamer had been made.
+
+"Mark under water twelve!" shouted the man with the hand lead.
+
+"We are coming up with the shore," said Mr. Flint, as Christy joined him
+on the bridge.
+
+"Yes; but you will get four or five fathoms almost up to the beaches.
+When I was here, the Bellevite was anchored outside, and we went gunning
+and fishing in St. Andrew's Bay. The bay is about thirty miles long; but
+it is as crooked as a ram's horn, and there is no town on it, though
+there are some scattered houses," added Christy. "We shot fat ducks, and
+caught plenty of red snappers and pompana there."
+
+"And a half ten!" shouted the leadsman, as though he meant to have his
+figures understood, as they indicated the shoaling of the depth.
+
+But Christy gave no order to reduce the speed of the vessel, and seemed
+to feel so thoroughly at home that Mr. Flint began to be a little
+nervous. The young commander had carefully studied the chart of the
+coast with the practical knowledge he had of the locality.
+
+"Can you form any idea where we are, Captain Passford?" asked the
+lieutenant.
+
+"I figured up the course a while ago, and I think we are off St.
+Andrew's Bay. If they had not put her about and run for an hour or more
+to the westward, I should be satisfied in regard to my position; as it
+is, I am not quite clear in regard to it," replied the commander.
+
+"Quarter less ten!" shouted the leadsman, with even more vigor than
+before.
+
+"That will do; stop her and anchor, Mr. Flint," said Christy, as he
+looked about him in an endeavor to penetrate the fog in which the vessel
+was buried.
+
+Then he listened for any sounds that might come to him from the
+direction of the shore; but all was as still as the tomb itself. The
+screw stopped in obedience to the order of the executive officer, who
+went down to the deck to supervise the anchoring of the steamer, as he
+had no inferior officer to attend to this duty.
+
+"Mr. Flint, drop a drift lead, and station a hand to observe it," said
+Christy, hailing the first lieutenant.
+
+"A drift lead, sir," replied Mr. Flint.
+
+This was a lead weighing twenty pounds, which is dropped on the bottom
+by men-of-war to determine if the anchor holds, or if the vessel is
+drifting.
+
+"Station a strong lookout, Mr. Flint, and send a man aloft on the
+foremast and another on the mainmast," continued Christy when the other
+orders had been obeyed.
+
+This completed the preparation for the night. The captain consulted his
+repeater, and ascertained that it was twenty minutes past twelve. The
+Bronx was in position to learn the fact if any vessel attempted to run
+out of St. Andrew's Bay, provided his calculations in regard to the
+locality of the Bronx were correct. Christy went down to the deck, and
+walked aft with Mr. Flint.
+
+"I think some of us need a little sleep to-night," said the commander.
+
+"Then you had better turn in, Captain Passford," said the executive
+officer. "We can do nothing more to-night except to keep a sharp
+lookout."
+
+"You are the only officer on board except myself," replied Christy. "We
+are still in the dark as to what we have to do here. We may have to send
+off a boat expedition, as we did at Cedar Keys, and we are in absolute
+need of more officers."
+
+"We have plenty of material out of which to make them, and we can do
+as we did after the fight with the Scotian and the Arran, when we made
+them," replied Mr. Flint. "We have men of good education in the crew,
+who have either commanded coasters, or been mates on steamers."
+
+"If you will name one, I will name another," added Christy.
+
+"Quartermaster Camden. He commanded a three-masted schooner in the coal
+trade. He is not college educated, but he is a remarkably well-informed
+man who shipped in the navy to learn the details of duty on board of a
+man-of-war."
+
+"I appoint him acting second lieutenant," added Christy.
+
+"I am sure he will get a commission as soon as he applies for it,
+captain," added the first lieutenant, pleased with the prompt decision.
+"Now, who is your man?"
+
+"Ralph Pennant. I had my eye on him while I was aboard of the Vernon,
+where he became a sort of oracle among the seamen on account of his
+abundant information on general subjects. He talks like a man with a
+good education, and he has been mate of a steamer of good size. But I
+know very little concerning him, and am afraid he has one out."
+
+"What is that, captain?"
+
+"I am afraid he is fond of whiskey, though I do not know that he is."
+
+"He can't get any whiskey here unless it is served out to him; so that
+habit, if it is his habit, will do him no harm," argued Mr. Flint.
+
+"I appoint him third lieutenant temporarily."
+
+"That will amount to their being made ensigns when you go north again if
+they prove to be worthy of promotion," added the executive officer, with
+a chuckle. "That was what happened to Baskirk and Amden."
+
+"If they are worthy, I shall certainly do the best I can for them,"
+added Christy, gaping.
+
+Camden was called aft and formally appointed second lieutenant, but
+Ralph was in the watch below, and was in his hammock. The commander
+retired to his stateroom, and, letting his report wait till another day,
+he was soon sound asleep.
+
+In accordance with the directions he had left with the first lieutenant,
+Christy was called with the watch at four o'clock in the morning. Though
+the first lieutenant is not a watch officer, he may be required to do
+duty as such when the number of commissioned officers is reduced below
+three, and Mr. Flint had remained in charge of the mid-watch, which had
+been called to the deck at midnight. The captain relieved him and
+Camden, and both of them went below, the new appointee taking the
+stateroom of the second lieutenant.
+
+"Pass the word for Ralph Pennant," said Christy, as soon as he reached
+the quarter-deck.
+
+"I have had considerable talk with Camden, and I am satisfied that he
+will make a capital officer," said the executive officer, as he moved
+towards the companion-way. "I suppose you have sent for Pennant with the
+intention of appointing him third lieutenant."
+
+"That is my purpose; and here he comes."
+
+"On deck, sir," reported Ralph, touching his cap to the commander,
+as Mr. Flint descended the steps to the ward room.
+
+"I think you told me that you had had some experience on board of
+steamers, Pennant," replied Christy.
+
+"I told you that I had been the mate of a steamer," answered the seaman.
+
+"What is your age?"
+
+"Twenty-eight years."
+
+"Then you are older than you appear to be," continued Christy; and he
+proceeded to question the seaman in regard to his education and
+experience as a seaman.
+
+He had not been mistaken in his estimate of the man, so far as he could
+judge from his answers. Pennant had taken a steamer home to New York
+from Havana after the captain had died there of yellow fever. He had
+expected to be given the command of the vessel; and when he failed to
+obtain the position he resigned his place as mate, but secured the same
+position in another and larger steamer.
+
+"Do you ever drink whiskey, Pennant?" asked Christy abruptly.
+
+"At present, no, sir," replied the seaman decidedly. "I learned a few
+months ago that I failed to obtain the command of the steamer I brought
+home from Havana because it was said I took too much whiskey. I knocked
+off then, and have not drank a drop since."
+
+"That was a sensible thing to do. You are aware that we are short of
+officers, I suppose," said the commander.
+
+"Yes, sir; and since I came on deck, I heard that Phil Camden had been
+appointed acting second lieutenant," replied Pennant.
+
+"That is true; and now I am going to appoint you acting third
+lieutenant. You will call the watch aft."
+
+"I am very much obliged to you, Captain Passford, for this favor; and I
+know you would not give me the place if you did not think me worthy of
+it," replied the seaman as he went forward and called the watch to the
+mainmast.
+
+"My men, I have just appointed Ralph Pennant acting third lieutenant;
+and you will obey and respect him as such," said Christy, addressing the
+watch, and then dismissing them.
+
+The men gave three hearty cheers as they were dismissed, proving to
+the commander that Pennant was a popular man among them, as Camden had
+also been proved to be when his appointment had been announced to the
+starboard watch. As in politics, legislation, war, and business, the
+masses of the people soon ascertain who are their natural leaders, the
+crew of the Bronx, or that portion who had come from New York in the
+Vernon, had been prompt in discovering the abilities of the two men now
+promoted.
+
+"Now, Mr. Pennant, you may remove your bag to the ward room, and the
+third stateroom on the starboard side, counting from the forward one,
+is yours for the present," continued Christy.
+
+"But I have no uniform, Captain Passford," suggested the appointee.
+
+"I have one in my stateroom; but it is altogether too small for you,"
+replied the commander, glancing in the gloom of the night at the
+stalwart form of the third lieutenant, lacking not more than an inch of
+six feet, and his weight could not have been less than one hundred and
+eighty. "We will see what can be done in the morning."
+
+"The crew all know me, and I dare say I can get along without a uniform
+till we get back to the station, where I could get one from the
+store-ship; but it is not likely that I shall need one then."
+
+"I cannot say as to that. When you go forward take a look at the
+prisoners, and report to me," added Christy, as Mr. Pennant went below.
+
+In a few minutes he reported that the prisoners were all fast asleep.
+Boxie had been relieved as guard, and another seaman was marching back
+and forth by their couches. It was still dark and foggy, and a hail came
+from the mast-head forward.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+A BATTLE ON A SMALL SCALE
+
+
+"On deck!" shouted the lookout at the foremast head. "Light on the
+starboard bow!"
+
+"Silence, all!" cried the commander, as soon as he heard the hail from
+aloft. "Go forward, Mr. Pennant, silence the hands, and direct the
+lookout to hail in lower tones."
+
+The third lieutenant sprang forward to obey the order, and Christy
+followed him at a more moderate pace, consistent with his dignity as
+the officer highest in rank on board. It was not so much a question
+of dignity, however, with him as it was the intention to preserve his
+self-possession. A light had been reported on the starboard bow; but
+Christy had no more means of knowing what it meant than any other person
+on deck. It suggested a blockade runner, a battery, or a house near the
+shore where he did not expect to find one.
+
+The captain went on the bridge; but he could not see the light. He
+descended to the deck, and then mounted the fore-rigging. The lookout
+saw him, and said he could not see the light any longer; it had been in
+sight a couple of minutes, and then had disappeared. It was useless to
+look for it if gone, and Christy returned to the bridge, where Mr.
+Pennant was attentively studying the compass.
+
+"In what direction is the head of the steamer pointed, Mr. Pennant?"
+he asked as he joined the lieutenant.
+
+"Exactly north-east, sir," replied Mr. Pennant.
+
+"Then the report of the light on the starboard bow places it directly to
+the eastward of us," added Christy. "That is about where the entrance to
+St. Andrew's Bay ought to be, if my calculations were correct. We have
+been running to the eastward since we left the blockaders' station off
+Pensacola Bay. My ruler on the chart gave me that course, and Mr.
+Galvinne followed it while he was in charge. We could not have got more
+than half a mile off the course in coming about twice. The shoaling of
+the water also indicates that we are all right."
+
+The body of the fog evidently lay near the water, and the lookout had
+probably seen the light over the top of the bank, as it could not be
+made out on the bridge. Christy expressed his belief that the sun would
+burn the fog off soon after it rose. No variation of the drift lead had
+been reported, and the Bronx was not even swinging at her anchor. For an
+hour longer entire silence was preserved on the deck, and the lookout
+made no further report.
+
+"There is some sort of commotion among the men on the top-gallant
+forecastle," said Mr. Pennant, while Christy was still studying the
+situation, and one of the men was seen in the act of hurrying aft.
+
+"I heard men's voices off to the eastward," said this man, when he had
+mounted the bridge, and touched his hat to the officers there; and he
+spoke in a whisper, in conformity with the orders given.
+
+"Could you hear any slapping of a paddle wheel, or other noises that
+sound like a steamer?" asked Christy in the same low tone.
+
+"No, sir; nothing but the voices; but I think the speakers must be in
+a vessel of some sort, for the sound since I first heard it, and could
+hardly make it out, comes from farther south," replied the man.
+
+"Take a force of twelve men, with pistols and cutlasses, Mr. Pennant, in
+the first cutter, and pull down to the south-east. Whatever you find in
+the shape of a vessel or a boat, capture it, and return to the Bronx.
+Get off with as little noise as possible, and muffle your oars."
+
+Silently Mr. Pennant selected his crew for the boat, saw them armed, and
+had the cutter lowered into the water. In a very short space of time the
+boat was off. The commander did not believe that anything very serious
+would result from this boat expedition, for he was confident there was
+no vessel of any size near the Bronx. The men in the cutter pulled very
+quietly, and hardly splashed the water with their oars, for they had all
+been trained by Christy himself to pull without noise when he was
+executive officer.
+
+This was the first responsible position Mr. Pennant had been called
+upon to fill, and he knew that his future depended in a large measure
+upon the skill and fidelity with which he obeyed his orders. His crew
+believed in him, and they were very painstaking in their efforts to work
+in silence. He had stationed quartermaster Vincent in the bow of the
+boat as the lookout, and he was industriously peering out into the gloom
+of the fog and darkness to discover a vessel or a boat. He had heard the
+sounds himself, and he knew there was something there. When the boat had
+pulled about fifteen minutes, Vincent raised his hand up into the air;
+this was a signal which the third lieutenant understood, for he had
+arranged several of them with the quartermaster.
+
+"Stand by to lay on your oars," said Mr. Pennant in the lowest tones
+that could be heard by the crew. "Oars!"
+
+At the last order the men levelled their oars, feathering the blades,
+and remained like eight statues in their seats. Vincent listened with
+all his ears in the dead silence which prevailed.
+
+"I hear the voices again," he reported to the lieutenant in the stern
+sheets, in a voice just loud enough to reach him; "they are more to the
+southward."
+
+"Stand by!" added Mr. Pennant, who had been duly trained in boat service
+at an oar. "Give way together! No noise!"
+
+The boat went ahead again, though only at a moderate speed consistent
+with the least possible noise. The quartermaster in the bow continued to
+gaze into the fog bank, though by this time there was a little lighting
+up in the east, indicating that the day was breaking. For half an hour
+longer the cutter continued on its course. Occasionally Vincent had
+raised his hand over his head, and then dropped it to his left,
+indicating to the officer in command that the sounds came from farther
+to the southward, and the cockswain was directed to change the course.
+
+In another half hour the noises could be distinctly heard by the third
+lieutenant, and he directed the course of the cutter without the need of
+any more signals from the bow. His first move was to make a more decided
+course to the southward. Then he hastened the crew in their work.
+
+"Sail, ho!" called Vincent, who had not abated his vigilance on the
+lookout; and he pointed with his right hand in the direction he had seen
+the craft.
+
+Mr. Pennant concluded that the sail could not be far off, or it could
+not be seen, and it would be useless to maintain the dead silence, which
+was painful to all in the boat. He stood up in his place, and, after
+looking for a couple of minutes, he made out the sail himself. So far as
+he could judge from what he saw, the craft was a small sloop of not more
+than thirty-five feet in length.
+
+"Give way now, lively!" said the third lieutenant, in his ordinary
+tones. "I make her out, and she is a small sloop. We shall not have much
+of a brush."
+
+Under the vigorous pulling of eight stalwart men, the cutter leaped
+forward at a speed that would have won an ordinary boat race, and in ten
+minutes more, the sloop could be distinctly made out, the cutter running
+across her bow. She was close-hauled, with the wind from the south-west,
+and very little of it. On board of her were at least ten men, as the
+quartermaster counted them, and there might have been more in her cuddy
+under the hail-deck forward.
+
+"Boat, ahoy!" shouted a man on the forecastle of the sloop.
+
+"On board the sloop!" replied Mr. Pennant, standing up in the stern
+sheets. "What sloop is that?"
+
+"The Magnolia, bound to Appalachicola," replied the spokesman of the
+craft. "What boat is that?"
+
+"The first cutter of the United States steamer Bronx! Heave to, and give
+an account of yourselves," hailed the officer in command. "Stand by to
+lay on your oars!" he added in a lower tone to his crew. "Oars!"
+
+But the boat seemed to be running too far away from the sloop, though it
+was near enough for the lieutenant and quartermaster to see that there
+was a decided commotion on board of her.
+
+"Hold water!" added the lieutenant. "Stern all!"
+
+The momentum of the cutter was checked, and the boat placed in a
+convenient position for a further conference with the sloop. Either by
+intention or carelessness the skipper of the sail-boat had permitted her
+to broach to, probably because he was giving too much attention to the
+boat and too little to the sloop. When the cutter lost its headway, it
+was not more than fifty feet from the sloop.
+
+"Hold the sloop as she is, and I will board you," said Mr. Pennant,
+as he saw the skipper filling away again.
+
+"Keep off, or we will fire into you!" shouted the man on the forecastle,
+who appeared to be the principal man of the party.
+
+"See that your pistols and cutlasses are ready for use," said the third
+lieutenant, in a tone loud enough to be heard by the crew only.
+
+"We are all private citizens," added the sloop's spokesman.
+
+"No matter what you are; I propose to overhaul you and judge for myself
+what you are," answered the officer in command of the cutter. "Let go
+your sheet, skipper!"
+
+Instead of obeying the order, the boatman hauled in his sheet, and the
+sloop began to fill away. Mr. Pennant could form no idea of what the
+party were. It was possible that they were private citizens, and
+non-combatants; if they were, they had only to prove they were such by
+submitting to a further inquiry.
+
+"Stand by, my men! Give way together, lively!" shouted the lieutenant as
+though he intended that those on board of the sloop should hear him as
+well as his own crew.
+
+The cutter darted ahead; but she had not advanced half the distance
+before the men on board of the sloop fired a volley with muskets at the
+approaching boat. Mr. Pennant dropped his left arm very suddenly, and
+the stroke oarsman went down into the bottom of the boat.
+
+"Come aft, Kingston!" called the third lieutenant to the nearest man in
+the bow, and the one indicated crawled aft with all the haste he could
+make. "Take Hilton's oar!" added Mr. Pennant, as with his right arm he
+drew the wounded man back into the stern sheets.
+
+The progress of the boat was hardly interrupted by the volley, and in
+less than a minute after the discharge of the muskets, her stem struck
+the bow of the sloop, though not till the lieutenant had checked her
+headway, and ordered the men to stand by to board the rebellious craft.
+The quartermaster made fast to the sloop, and then grasped his cutlass.
+
+"Lay her aboard!" shouted Mr. Pennant; and Vincent led the way, leaping
+directly into the midst of the eight men in the standing room.
+
+"Do you surrender?" asked the lieutenant of the principal man on the
+forecastle as he came alongside of him.
+
+"I don't see that we can help ourselves," replied the spokesman in
+a surly tone; for the prospect before him was not very pleasant,
+especially as a volley had been fired from the sloop, presumably by his
+order, for he was the one who had made the threat in the first place.
+
+"Don't strike, my men; they have surrendered," continued Mr. Pennant
+with a gesture to his men.
+
+"This is an outrage," said the man on the forecastle, who could not help
+seeing that the whole party were in a fair way to be annihilated if they
+made any further resistance.
+
+"I dare say it is, my friend," replied Mr. Pennant blandly, for he had
+been in the navy long enough to adopt the characteristic politeness
+which distinguishes its officers. "Take possession of all the muskets
+and other weapons you can find, Vincent, and put them in the cutter."
+
+This order was promptly obeyed. Before it was fully carried out an
+elderly gentleman crawled out of the cuddy, and stood up in the standing
+room; he was a man of dignity, and evidently of importance.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+
+THE SKIPPER OF THE SLOOP MAGNOLIA
+
+
+"You were very unwise to order these men to fire upon the boat," said
+the dignified gentleman, addressing the man on the forecastle of the
+Magnolia; "it was a great mistake, Captain Flanger."
+
+"That's so!" exclaimed Mr. Pennant, feeling of his left arm as he spoke;
+for he had been wounded there, though the injury had not for a moment
+abated his energy.
+
+"I did not mean to allow the sloop to be captured by a boat load of men
+like that," replied Captain Flanger; "and if our men had used their
+bayonets we should have been all right. I told them to fix their
+bayonets, but they paid no attention to me."
+
+"It was a great mistake," repeated the dignified gentleman, shaking his
+head.
+
+Mr. Pennant had time now to look over the craft he had captured, and the
+men on board of her. It was simply a large sailboat, and those on board
+of her wore plain clothes. They did not appear to be soldiers or
+sailors, though there was a number of bayonets scattered about the
+standing room. The seamen from the cutter had leaped on board of the
+sloop, with cutlasses in their belts; but there was not space enough to
+permit the use of the weapon, and they had seized each of the men by the
+collar and put a pistol to his head.
+
+"How many men have you on board, Captain Flanger?" demanded the third
+lieutenant, still standing up in the boat abreast of the person he
+addressed.
+
+"Count them for yourself!" exclaimed Captain Flanger in brutal tones.
+
+"All right: I will count you first," added Mr. Pennant, as he reached
+over and seized the leader of the party by the collar with his right
+hand.
+
+  [Illustration: Colonel Homer Passford Visits the Bronx.--Page 219.]
+
+Flanger attempted to shake off his grasp, but the lieutenant was a very
+powerful man, and he dragged him into the boat in the twinkling of an
+eye. He tossed him into the bottom of the boat, five of the boat's crew
+being still in their seats, trailing their oars, for only seven of them
+had been able to get on board of the Magnolia for the want of space.
+
+"Tie his hands behind him," added Mr. Pennant to the men, who fell upon
+Flanger the moment he lighted in the bottom of the cutter.
+
+The prisoner was disposed to make further resistance, but two men fell
+upon him and made him fast to one of the thwarts. The leader of the
+party, as he appeared to be from the first, could do no further
+mischief, and the lieutenant gave his attention to the others on board
+of the sloop. The dignified gentleman, who was dressed in black clothes,
+though they had suffered not a little from contact with grease and tar,
+had seated himself in the standing room. He looked like a man of many
+sorrows, and his expression indicated that he was suffering from some
+cause not apparent.
+
+There were nine men left in the standing room, including the gentleman
+in black; they were coarse and rough-looking persons, and not one of
+them appeared to be the social peer of him who had condemned the firing
+upon the boat. The skipper remained at the tiller of the boat, and he
+looked as though he might have negro blood in his veins, though he was
+not black, and probably was an octoroon. He said nothing and did
+nothing, and had not used a musket when the others fired. He behaved as
+though he intended to be entirely neutral. A few drops of negro blood in
+his veins was enough to condemn him to inferiority with the rude fellows
+on board of the sloop, though his complexion was lighter than that of
+any of his companions.
+
+"Vincent, pass one half of the men on board of the cutter," said Mr.
+Pennant, when he had looked over the boat and the men on board of it.
+
+The quartermaster obeyed the order, and four of the party were placed
+in the bow and stern sheets of the cutter. Six oarsmen were directed
+to take their places on the thwarts. The lieutenant retained his place
+in the stern sheets, which he had not left during the affray or the
+conference. Three seamen, with a pistol in one hand and a cutlass in the
+other, were directed to remain on board of the sloop; but the party had
+been disarmed, and their muskets were in the bottom of the cutter, and
+they were not likely to attempt any resistance. The painter of the sloop
+was made fast to the stern of the Bronx's boat, and Mr. Pennant gave the
+order for the crew to give way.
+
+It had been a battle on a small scale, but the victory had been won, and
+the cutter was towing her prize in the direction of the gunboat. The
+lieutenant's first care was to attend to Hilton, the stroke oarsman who
+had been wounded in the affair. He placed him in a comfortable position
+on the bottom of the boat, and then examined into his condition.
+A bullet had struck him in the right side, and the blood was flowing
+freely from the wound. Mr. Pennant did the best he could for his relief,
+and the man said he was comfortable.
+
+"Sail ahead!" shouted the bow oarsman, looking behind him.
+
+"What is it, Gorman?" asked the lieutenant, standing up in his place.
+
+"A steamer, sir," answered Gorman.
+
+"I see her; it is the Bronx," added Mr. Pennant.
+
+By this time it was broad daylight, and apparently the fog was not as
+dense as it had been earlier in the morning. The boat with her tow
+continued on her course, now headed for the gunboat which the officer
+had made out. In ten minutes more the expedition was within hailing
+distance of the steamer, which immediately stopped her screw.
+
+The cutter came up at the gangway of the Bronx, and Christy was standing
+on the rail, anxious to learn what the boat had accomplished. He had
+heard the report of the volley fired at the cutter, and had been very
+solicitous for the safety of her crew. He had weighed anchor as soon as
+he heard the sounds, and proceeded in the direction from which they
+came.
+
+"I have to report the capture of the small sloop, the Magnolia, in tow,"
+said the third lieutenant, touching his cap to the commander. "We have
+eleven prisoners. Hilton is wounded, and I will send him on board first,
+if you please."
+
+"Do so," replied Christy. "Mr. Camden, pass the word for Dr. Connelly."
+
+A couple of men were directed to convey the wounded seaman up the steps,
+and he was handed over to the doctor, who had him conveyed to the sick
+bay. The obdurate Captain Flanger was next sent up to the deck, where
+Mr. Camden received him, and made him fast to the rail without note
+or comment; and even Christy made no remark except to give necessary
+orders. The other prisoners were not bound, and they were put under
+guard in the waist. The dignified gentleman in black was the last to
+come up the stairs.
+
+The moment he put his feet upon the deck, the commander stepped back,
+with a look of profound astonishment, if not of dismay, on his face, as
+he glanced at the important prisoner of the party. At first he seemed to
+be unable to believe the evidence of his senses, and gazed with intense
+earnestness at the gentleman.
+
+"Uncle Homer!" exclaimed Christy, extending his hand to him, which
+Colonel Passford, as he was called at home, though he was not in the
+Confederate army, warmly grasped; and the first smile that had been seen
+on his face played upon his lips.
+
+"I am glad to see you, Christy," said the prisoner, if he was to be
+regarded as such, for he certainly was not a sailor or a soldier.
+
+"I cannot say as much as that," replied Christy, still holding the
+gentleman's hand; "I must say I am sorry to see you under present
+circumstances, for you come as a prisoner in the hands of my men."
+
+"I am a non-combatant, Christy," replied Colonel Passford. "I have not
+served in the Confederate army or navy, or even been a member of a home
+guard."
+
+"I have not time now to look into that question; but I can assure you
+that you will be treated with the greatest consideration on board of my
+ship," added Christy as he conducted him below, and left him with Dave
+in his own cabin, returning at once to the deck to inquire into the
+operations of the first cutter. The boat had been hoisted up to the
+davits, and the Magnolia was made fast astern. All hands had been called
+when the Bronx got under way, and the men were all at their stations.
+
+Mr. Pennant reported in all its details upon his expedition. Dr.
+Connelly said his patient was severely, but not dangerously, wounded; he
+would recover, but he would not be fit for duty for two or three weeks.
+
+"While you are here, doctor, I will show you my arm, which is beginning
+to be somewhat uncomfortable," said the third lieutenant with a cheerful
+smile.
+
+"Are you wounded, Mr. Pennant?" asked the commander, who had listened to
+his report at length, without suspecting that he had a wound.
+
+"I was hit in the left arm; but very fortunately the wound did not
+disable me," replied the lieutenant as he proceeded to take off his
+coat.
+
+"But I cannot dress the wound here, Mr. Pennant," added the surgeon.
+
+"Then I will wait till I have time to attend to it," replied the heroic
+officer who treated the injury with contempt; "I have not finished my
+report to the captain yet. I will be in the ward room as soon as the
+captain is done with me."
+
+"But I can wait, Mr. Pennant," interposed Christy.
+
+"So can I, if you please, captain," added the lieutenant, smiling as
+pleasantly as though he had been free from pain, as he could not have
+been with the wound in his arm. "I wish to say a few words about the
+gentleman in black we captured on board of the sloop."
+
+"Did you learn his name?" asked Christy, greatly interested in what the
+officer was about to say.
+
+"No, sir, I did not; I heard no one call him by name. He was in the
+cuddy forward when we boarded the Magnolia; and when he came out of the
+little cabin, the first thing he said was, 'It was very unwise for you
+to order the men to fire upon the boat. It was a great mistake, Captain
+Flanger.'"
+
+"That shows that he at least was a non-combatant," added Christy,
+pleased to hear this report of his uncle.
+
+"That is all I have to say about him. I studied the skipper of the sloop
+and watched him. I am sure he did not fire a musket, and he seemed to
+take no part in the affairs of the men on board. Captain Flanger is the
+active man of the party; but I have no idea who or what he is. If you
+look at the skipper, you will see that he is an octoroon, or something
+between a mulatto and a white man, and in my opinion he is not a
+cheerful worker on that side of the house. Perhaps the skipper will
+be willing to tell you who and what the party are. They claimed to be
+private citizens, and that the sloop was bound to Appalachicola; perhaps
+the gentleman in black can explain the mission of the party."
+
+"If he can he will not, if they were engaged in an operation in the
+interest of the Confederates," added Christy with a smile. "That
+gentleman is Colonel Homer Passford."
+
+"He bears your name," said Mr. Pennant.
+
+"He is my uncle; my father's only brother."
+
+"Then I am sorry I brought him in."
+
+"You did your duty, and it was quite right for you to bring him on
+board. He is as devoted to the Confederate cause as my father is to the
+Union. But go below, and have your wound dressed, Mr. Pennant."
+
+The lieutenant went to the ward room where the surgeon was waiting for
+him. Christy called out the skipper of the sloop, and walked into the
+waist with him. The octoroon was a large man, of about the size of the
+third lieutenant, and he could have made a good deal of mischief if he
+had been so disposed.
+
+"Bless the Lord that I am here at last!" exclaimed the skipper, as he
+looked furtively about him.
+
+Christy understood him perfectly.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX
+
+AN EXPEDITION TO ST. ANDREW'S BAY
+
+
+"What is your name, my man?" asked Christy, as he looked over the
+stalwart form of the skipper of the Magnolia.
+
+"Michael Bornhoff," replied the prisoner.
+
+"Are you a Russian?" asked the commander, inclined to laugh at this
+singular name of one of the proscribed race.
+
+"No, sir; but I was named after a Russian sailor Captain Flanger picked
+up in Havana. I don't mean this Captain Flanger that was on board of the
+Magnolia, but his father," replied the stout fellow.
+
+"Are you a free man?"
+
+"No, sir; I belong to Captain Flanger: his father is dead, and left me
+to his son."
+
+"Why did you bless the Lord that you were here at last?"
+
+"Because I have been trying to get here for more than a year," replied
+the contraband, after looking about him for a moment, and then dropping
+his voice as though he feared Captain Flanger might hear what he said.
+"Now, mister, will you tell me who you are before I say anything more?
+for I shall get my back scored with forty-nine stripes if I open my
+mouth too wide;" and again he looked timidly around the deck.
+
+"You are on board of the United States steamer Bronx, and I am the
+commander of her," replied Christy, desiring to encourage Michael
+Bornhoff to tell all he knew about the expedition in the Magnolia.
+
+The skipper took his cap off, and bowed very low to Christy when he
+realized that he was talking to the principal personage on board of the
+gunboat. He was well dressed for one in his position, and displayed no
+little dignity and self-possession. Perhaps, if he had not been tainted
+with a few drops of black blood in his veins, he might have been a
+person of some consequence in the Confederate service.
+
+"Not a bad wound at all, Captain Passford," said Mr. Pennant. "The
+doctor says I am still fit for duty."
+
+"Captain Passford!" exclaimed Michael Bornhoff, as he heard the name;
+and the third lieutenant passed on to take a look at the prisoners.
+
+"That is my name," added Christy, smiling at the earnestness of the
+skipper.
+
+"That is a bad name for this child," said the octoroon, shaking his
+head. "Are you the son of Colonel Passford?"
+
+"I am not; but I am his nephew," replied the commander, willing to be
+perfectly frank with him.
+
+"Bless the Lord that you are his nephew and not his son!" exclaimed
+Michael fervently, as he raised his eyes towards the sky, which was
+beginning to be visible through the fog. "I have heard about you, for
+I was to pilot a vessel out of Cedar Keys when you came up there in
+command of the boats. Colonel Passford was over there, and he saw you
+on board of the Havana."
+
+"Then we understand each other, Mr. Bornhoff," added Christy.
+
+"Perfectly, Captain Passford; and I would trust you with my freedom,
+which is the dearest thing on earth to me. But don't call me 'mister,'
+or you will make me forget that I am a nigger," said the skipper,
+laughing in his delight to find that he was in good and safe hands.
+"Captain Flanger called me Mike always, and that is a good enough name
+for me."
+
+"Very well, Mike; you are a free man on board of this ship."
+
+"I ought to be, for I am a whiter man than Captain Flanger."
+
+"Now tell me what you know about that expedition on board of the
+Magnolia," said Christy more earnestly. "Mr. Pennant reports that your
+passengers claimed that they were peaceable citizens, and that your
+sloop was bound to Appalachicola. Was that true?"
+
+"Just then they were peaceable enough; but they were not when Captain
+Flanger ordered them to fire on your men. Colonel Passford and I were
+the only peaceable citizens on board of the sloop, and I was no citizen
+at all," replied the skipper, laughing.
+
+"You are one now, at any rate. Were you bound to Appalachicola?"
+
+"Not just then, captain," chuckled Mike, who seemed to be amused
+and delighted to feel that he was telling the secrets of his late
+companions.
+
+"We were going to Appalachicola after a while, where we were to pilot
+out some vessels loaded with cotton."
+
+"Then there are cotton vessels at that port, are there?" asked Christy,
+pricking up his ears at this suggestion.
+
+"Half a dozen of them, and a steamer to tow them to sea."
+
+"Are you sure of this information, Mike?"
+
+"I did not see them there, Captain Passford; but it was your uncle's
+business to look after them, as he was doing in St. Andrew's Bay."
+
+"Then my uncle has vessels in that bay which are to run out?" inquired
+Christy, deeply interested in the revelations of the skipper.
+
+"Only one, sir: a steamer of five hundred tons, called the Floridian."
+
+"Precisely; that is the vessel we are after. But what was my uncle doing
+on board of your sloop, with Captain Flanger and the rest of your
+party?"
+
+"My master was the captain of the Floridian, and we came out here to
+see if there was any blockader near, that had come up in the fog. The
+steamer was to be brought out by the pilot, who has been on board of her
+for three days."
+
+"Who were the men with muskets on board of the sloop?"
+
+"Those were the coast guard, sir," replied Mike, chuckling again.
+
+"The coast guard? I don't understand that," replied Christy, puzzled at
+the expression.
+
+"Eight of them, sir; and they have been keeping guard on Crooked, St.
+Andrew's, and Hurricane Islands, to let them know inside if there was
+any blockader coming this way. They had sky-rockets and flags to make
+signals with."
+
+"But why were they brought off if the steamer is still in the bay?"
+
+"The Floridian was coming out this morning in the fog, if Captain
+Flanger made the signal for her to do so. Then the captain was to go on
+board of her, and I was to sail the rest of the party to Appalachicola,"
+replied Mike, still chuckling with delight at his ability to give the
+commander such important information.
+
+"Then the Floridian is all ready to come out of the bay?" asked Christy,
+suppressing the excitement he was beginning to feel.
+
+"All ready, sir; and the signal was a sky-rocket, which the pilot could
+see over the fog."
+
+"We will not give them any signal, but we will treat them to some
+visitors. Is the steamer armed, Mike?"
+
+"No, sir; not a single big gun, and she has only hands enough to work
+her. Steam all up when we came out of the bay, sir," said Mike, laughing
+heartily, apparently in spite of himself.
+
+"Call all hands, Mr. Camden," said the commander in brusque tones.
+
+The boatswain's whistle sounded through the steamer. In a moment, as it
+were, all hands were in their stations. Nothing like a drill with the
+present ship's company had been possible, though the men had been
+trained to some extent at the navy-yard and on board of the Vernon; but
+the majority of the crew were old men who had served some time on board
+of the Bronx, and under the present commander.
+
+The prisoners appeared to be quite as much interested in the proceedings
+on deck as the ship's company, and closely observed everything that was
+done. Michael Bornhoff was quite excited, and walked the deck hurriedly,
+as though he was in search of something to do; but he was very careful
+not to go near the place where Captain Flanger was made fast to the
+rail.
+
+"Mr. Flint," called the commander to the first lieutenant, as soon as
+the crew were assembled on deck, "there is a steamer of five hundred
+tons in St. Andrew's Bay, all ready to come out at a given signal from
+the party just captured by the first cutter. I propose to capture her
+with the boats, and you will take the command of the expedition. The
+first and second cutters will be employed, and you will see that they
+are ready."
+
+"The boats are in good condition, sir, and they will be ready in five
+minutes," replied Mr. Flint, who had come on deck at the call for all
+hands, and had hardly learned the results of the recent boat expedition.
+
+"Mr. Camden will take charge of the second cutter," added Christy.
+
+While the crews were making the boats ready, and Mr. Camden was
+selecting the extra men for them, as he was instructed to do, Christy
+gave the executive officer a brief account of the capture of the sloop,
+and an epitome of the information he had obtained from Bornhoff.
+
+"What am I to do, Captain Passford?" asked Mike, who was watching the
+proceedings on deck with the most intense interest. "I want to ship in
+the Yankee navy as a pilot, for I know this coast from the Mississippi
+to Key West."
+
+"Are you a sailor?" asked Christy.
+
+"I went to sea for eleven years, and Captain Flanger, father and son,
+put my wages in their pockets."
+
+"You cannot ship as a pilot, only as an able seaman, if you know how to
+hand, reef, and steer, and how to make knots and splices."
+
+"I know all that, captain, like I know my name."
+
+"Then I will look upon you as an able seaman until you are formally
+enlisted. Mr. Flint, this man is Michael Bornhoff; he is an able seaman
+and a pilot in these waters. I think you had better take him with you,
+for he is fully informed in regard to the Floridian, which you are to
+bring out. Let him have pistols and a cutlass," said Christy.
+
+In ten minutes more the expedition left the ship, and soon disappeared
+in the low bank of fog that still hung over the shore. Each of the
+cutters had been manned by twelve men besides the officer, and Mike was
+an extra hand with the first lieutenant. 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. He could not settle the question at once, and he went down into his
+cabin, where his uncle was waiting very impatiently to see him, and had
+asked Dave a dozen times in regard to him.
+
+Colonel Passford was naturally very anxious to ascertain what had been
+done, and what was to be done, by the Bronx; but the steward was too
+discreet to answer any of his questions, and he was not aware that his
+son Corny was a prisoner on board as well as himself.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI
+
+A NON-COMBATANT ON BOARD THE BRONX
+
+
+Colonel Passford was reclining on the divan when the commander entered
+the cabin; but he rose to his feet as soon as he saw his nephew. Christy
+thought he looked thinner and paler than when he had last seen him.
+He was now only forty-two years old, but he looked like a man of fifty.
+
+"I have been wanting to see you, Christy," said the planter, as he
+approached his nephew. "I learn, with no little astonishment, that you
+are the commander of this steamer."
+
+"I am, uncle Homer," replied the young man.
+
+"Then you can tell me better than any one else in regard to my status
+on board of the Bronx," added the colonel, who had won this title years
+before in the militia. "Am I considered a prisoner of war?"
+
+"I do not so consider you, uncle Homer; but I cannot say how my superior
+officer will look at the matter when I report to him. You were taken in
+a sloop that fired upon the first cutter of the Bronx, wounding one of
+the crew and the officer in command."
+
+"That was the folly of Captain Flanger; and I protested the moment I
+discovered what had been done," added the planter, who seemed to be
+anxious to relieve himself of all responsibility for the discharge of
+the muskets.
+
+"Were you in charge of the sloop, uncle Homer?"
+
+"I was not; I had nothing to do with the sloop. She belonged to Captain
+Flanger."
+
+"Who is Captain Flanger?" asked Christy.
+
+"You have him on board, and perhaps he had better answer the question
+himself," replied Colonel Passford with a smile.
+
+"It was a superfluous question, for I know all about him. He is the
+captain of the Floridian, though that would not make him a combatant
+unless he fights his ship; and that is what he did on board of the
+Magnolia. I regard him and his companions, except the skipper of the
+sloop, as prisoners of war. You proved by your words and conduct that
+you were not a combatant, and you are at liberty to depart when you
+please."
+
+The young commander did not feel entirely sure that his ruling was
+correct, for a naval officer must be learned in a great variety of
+subjects which he had not had time to study; but he was willing to take
+the responsibility in the present instance.
+
+"It is easy enough to say that I may depart; but how shall I do it?"
+added the planter with a smile. "I cannot swim ashore."
+
+"I will put you ashore in a boat at the nearest land when the fog clears
+off," replied Christy.
+
+"The nearest land is an island, and there is hardly anything like a
+village on the entire Bay of St. Andrew's. The region is deserted now,
+and I might wander about there for a month, till I starved to death,
+before I could get to a settled region."
+
+"I shall not compel you to land, and you can remain on board till I
+report to the flag-officer of the Eastern Gulf squadron, off Pensacola,
+if you desire to do so; but you will be subject to his decision and not
+mine then."
+
+"I prefer that to starving to death in this region," replied the
+colonel.
+
+"Very well, uncle Homer, that is settled," added Christy. "Now, how are
+aunt Lydia and Gerty? I hope they are well."
+
+"Very well the last time I saw them, which was three weeks ago. They are
+busy making garments for the soldiers," answered the planter.
+
+"When did you last hear from Corny, uncle Homer?"
+
+"It is all of two months since I had any news in regard to him. He is
+still a soldier and has not yet been promoted. His company is still at
+Fort Gaines; but he has been sent away once or twice on detached duty.
+He is not given to writing many letters; but the last time I was in
+Mobile I was told that he had again been sent off on some sort of secret
+service with a naval officer by the name of Galvinne. I do not know
+whether the report was true or not."
+
+"It was quite true, uncle Homer; and he has been quite as unfortunate
+as he was in his former expedition to the North," added Christy very
+quietly.
+
+"What do you know about him, Christy?" asked the colonel with the
+deepest interest.
+
+"I can assure you first that he is alive and well. I am not informed how
+he got to New York, but he did get there, and in company with two naval
+officers, one by the name of Byron, as well as Galvinne."
+
+"Byron was an actor in Mobile; he had been the mate of a cotton ship,
+and he obtained a commission in the navy; but for the want of a steamer
+both of them were unemployed," the planter explained.
+
+"In New York they got up a plan to obtain a small steamer, about the
+size of the Bronx," continued Christy. "Galvinne had been in the navy,
+and he readily obtained an appointment as second lieutenant of the
+store-ship Vernon. Byron shipped as a seaman. Corny was appointed by the
+two officers to take the place of a regular officer, who came down in
+the Vernon. He looked something like the officer whom he personated, who
+was to command a small steamer in the gulf."
+
+"It was a hazardous plan," suggested Colonel Passford, "and I should
+suppose that Corny was hardly competent to play such a _role_. I hope
+the scheme was successful, for, as you know very well, all my prayers
+and all my aspirations are for the triumph of the Confederate cause."
+
+"The scheme was successful up to a certain point, and Corny obtained
+the command of the steamer, passing for the genuine officer before the
+commodore, and even on board of the vessel where the commander was well
+known."
+
+"That sounds like a story for a novel," added the planter, smiling.
+
+"If there had been no setback, Corny would have gone into Pensacola Bay
+in a few hours more, in nominal command of the steamer, though of course
+Galvinne was the real commander."
+
+"It is a strange story, and I cannot see how Corny succeeded in passing
+himself off as the officer he personated."
+
+"He stole that officer's commission and other papers while he was
+sleeping in his own home," added Christy.
+
+"But where did you learn this history of Corny's operations?" asked
+his uncle, knitting his brow as though he did not quite believe the
+narrative.
+
+"Oh, I am the officer whom Corny personated," replied the commander with
+a quiet smile. "The story is not a second-handed one, uncle Homer."
+
+"Corny pretended to be Christy, did he? Then you must have seen him if
+he took your commission."
+
+"He did not do that in person; but employed Byron to do it for him; and
+for several weeks this actor was a house-servant at Bonnydale," answered
+Christy, as he proceeded to narrate the adventure more in detail. "It is
+not an old story, for the last event occurred on board of the Bronx at
+about eight o'clock last evening."
+
+"The plan was not finally successful, more is the pity," added the
+Southern gentleman.
+
+"It was not; for I had concealed myself on board when I realized what
+Galvinne was about, and, with the aid of the officers who knew me,
+captured the vessel. I am now in command of her, and I am likely to
+have a prize to assist in establishing my identity when I report to the
+flag-officer."
+
+"But what became of Corny?" asked Colonel Passford, with no little
+anxiety on his face.
+
+"He is quite safe; he is a prisoner of war below, with a pair of
+handcuffs on his wrists," replied Christy. "You and he together made the
+nest for him, and he must sleep in it. I cannot say what the commodore
+will do with you."
+
+"Corny on board of this steamer!" exclaimed the father. "In irons too!"
+
+"I consider the naval officers as dangerous men, and I had to treat
+Corny in the same manner that I did his associates. If you wish to see
+him, I will send for him."
+
+"Of course I should like to see my son."
+
+Christy struck his bell, and the steward promptly appeared at the door.
+
+"Dave, go to the quarters, and conduct the prisoner, Mr. Passford,
+to this cabin. You may take off his handcuffs; here is the key," said
+Christy, and steward took the key and departed.
+
+"How high is the grass in the streets of New York, Christy?" asked the
+colonel, with a twinkle of the eye, and a smile.
+
+"Grass! They don't raise it in the city; and there isn't as much of it
+in all the streets as I saw in the principal one in Mobile when I was
+there, on my way from the prison to the bay," replied the commander
+cheerfully. "I don't believe that business was ever so lively in New
+York and the other cities of the North as it is at this time; and I left
+there ten days ago."
+
+"Do the people there really expect to put down the Rebellion, as they
+call it, nephew?" asked Colonel Passford, in a tone which indicated his
+confidence in the final success of his cause.
+
+"They have no doubt whatever that the Rebellion will be crushed out.
+The last time we met you did not believe that a blockade could be
+established; but it has been done, and the government is strengthening
+it every day. It is effective, too; and I have been concerned in the
+capture of nearly a dozen vessels that were trying to break through."
+
+"You have been very fortunate, nephew; but it will be impossible to
+conquer the South. We shall be the victors in the end as sure as there
+is a God in heaven who watches over the affairs of men."
+
+"One who can believe that would swallow Baron Munchausen without
+blinking. But I think we had better not talk politics, uncle Homer, for
+we don't get ahead at all. I shall continue to stand by the Union, and
+the South will raise the same cry after a few years more," said Christy,
+as Dave opened the door, and ushered the prisoner into the cabin.
+
+Father and son shook hands, but they were not so demonstrative as
+they might have been. Christy was not disposed to burden them with
+his presence, but he insisted that Dave should stay there during the
+interview. He left them together for two hours, and then sent Mr.
+Pennant and a seaman to remove Corny to the quarters. Dave said they
+had talked only of family matters, though the son had explained to his
+father the plan to obtain possession of the Bronx.
+
+When the commander went on deck, the fog had disappeared, and the shore
+was to be seen at the distance of about six miles from the steamer. At
+eight bells, or noon, a steamer was discovered coming out of the bay by
+a channel between two islands. She carried the American flag over the
+Confederate, and no one doubted that she was the Floridian. In half an
+hour she was alongside, and she looked like a fine vessel, for she had
+come from the other side of the ocean as a blockade-runner.
+
+Mr. Flint reported that she had been captured without any resistance on
+the part of the crew. There was no incident worth relating in connection
+with the capture, though she was full of cotton, and brought over
+seventy thousand dollars when the vessel and cargo were sold. The two
+cutters were brought alongside, and hoisted up to the davits.
+
+"I suppose the steamer has a supply of coal on board, Mr. Flint."
+
+"Enough to take her to Liverpool," replied the first lieutenant.
+
+"There are several vessels in Appalachicola Bay, and I thought of
+attending to them; but I think we have too much on our hands now, and
+I shall sail at once for the station. You will take charge of the
+Floridian, Mr. Flint, with such crew as you need," said Christy.
+
+In less than half an hour the two vessels were under way, and just at
+dark they were within hail of the flag-ship.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII
+
+THE STRANGER IN THE CAPTAIN'S CABIN
+
+
+The Bronx had been absent from the station hardly more than thirty
+hours; but she had accomplished the mission with which she had been
+charged in her secret orders. The Vernon was still at anchor near the
+flag-ship. Christy hastened on board of the latter to make his report,
+which he had written out during the passage; in fact, he had two
+reports, one of the capture of the Bronx, and the other of the
+Floridian.
+
+"You have done your work very promptly, Captain Passford," said the
+commodore with a smile.
+
+"The circumstances favored me, sir," replied Christy, bowing. "I desire
+to call your attention to the first of the two reports I submit, for the
+first battle I was called upon to fight was on board of the Bronx."
+
+"On board of the Bronx!" exclaimed the flag-officer. "Do you mean that
+you had a mutiny to suppress?"
+
+"I had not the honor to communicate with you yesterday before the Bronx
+sailed for her destination; but I believe you were called upon to decide
+upon the identity of the officer who presented himself to you as the
+lieutenant appointed to the command of the Bronx, introduced by Captain
+Battleton of the Vernon."
+
+"I was hardly called upon to decide anything, for the matter in doubt
+had been settled by the commander of the Vernon before it came to my
+knowledge; but I agreed with him that the commission ought to settle the
+point. Are you not the officer presented to me by Captain Battleton,
+Captain Passford?" asked the commodore, gazing earnestly into the face
+of Christy.
+
+"I am not, sir."
+
+"You are not! Who are you, then?"
+
+"I am Lieutenant Christopher Passford."
+
+"Who was the other officer?"
+
+"He was not an officer, either of the navy or the army, but my cousin,
+Cornelius Passford, a soldier in the Confederate army."
+
+"I am amazed, and I fear the officers in charge at Brooklyn are not as
+cautious as they should be. Not long ago a steamer had to return to the
+navy-yard there because her machinery had been tampered with; and the
+enemy are putting men on board of steamers for the purpose of capturing
+them. Where is your cousin now, Captain Passford?"
+
+"He is a prisoner on board of the Bronx, with two Confederate naval
+officers who were his associates in the conspiracy; and we have also two
+seamen," replied Christy, who proceeded to give the narrative in full of
+the work done on board of the Bronx on the evening of the day she sailed
+from the station.
+
+The sea was smooth, and the commander of the Bronx was directed to bring
+her alongside the flag-ship. As soon as this was done, all the prisoners
+on board of her were transferred to the custody of the commodore.
+Christy introduced his uncle Homer to the flag-officer, suggesting that
+he was a non-combatant, and stating that he had offered to put him on
+shore at St. Andrew's Island.
+
+"I think you are correct in your view, Captain Passford, though probably
+he is of more service to the Confederate government, as your father is
+to our own, than a score of sailors or soldiers; but modern civilization
+does not hold civilians as prisoners of war. Besides, he is doing so
+much to provide our vessels with prizes in the matter of cotton ships,
+that it would be a pity to take him out of his sphere of usefulness to
+us," added the commodore with a smile.
+
+"The other men in the sloop, with the exception of the skipper, fired
+upon my boat, and wounded an officer and a seaman."
+
+"They were taken in arms, and therefore they are prisoners. But you lost
+all your commissioned officers but one in the affair on board of the
+Bronx, Captain Passford."
+
+"I did, sir; and I was obliged to fill their places;" and Christy
+described the men he had appointed.
+
+"There are no officers here that I can give you in their places, and I
+am obliged to order you away immediately on another expedition. The
+Floridian is a valuable prize; and I must send her to New York, for I am
+confident the government will purchase her for the navy. Your acting
+lieutenants must continue to serve as such for the present."
+
+"I ask for no better officers, sir. They are well educated, and have
+had a great deal of experience as sailors outside of the navy," replied
+Christy.
+
+At this time the preparations for the reduction of the forts on the
+Mississippi were in progress, and every available vessel was called into
+activity. The Bronx had been built for a blockade-runner, and for a
+steamer of her size she was of exceptional speed. The vessels of the
+Eastern Gulf squadron were employed to a considerable extent in
+destroying salt works on the west coast of Florida; but the commodore
+was not disposed to order the fleet little gunboat upon such service.
+
+"Is the Bronx in condition for immediate service, Captain Passford?"
+asked the flag-officer.
+
+"She is, sir; she has not been in action since her crew was reinforced,"
+answered Christy.
+
+"I did not expect your return so soon, but I have your sealed orders
+ready. You will get under way as soon as possible," added the commodore,
+handing him the sealed envelope. "You will make your course south-west,
+and open your orders at twelve o'clock to-night."
+
+The commander of the Bronx left the cabin where the interview had taken
+place. On the deck he met his uncle, who was curious to know what was to
+be done with him.
+
+"I can only say that you will not be held as a prisoner of war; but I
+must leave you in the hands of the flag-officer, who will dispose of you
+as he thinks best. I sail in the Bronx immediately."
+
+Christy hastened on board of his vessel, after hastily shaking hands
+with uncle Homer. All the prisoners had been removed from her, and the
+commodore had sent a ship's company to the Floridian to relieve the
+prize crew in charge of her. He had only to wait for Mr. Flint and the
+men attached to the Bronx; and they came on board within an hour.
+
+"You will call all hands, Mr. Flint," said the commander, as soon as the
+executive officer appeared on the deck; and the call of the boatswain's
+mate sounded through the vessel.
+
+"I came on board to pay my respects to you, Captain Passford," said
+Captain Battleton of the Vernon, who had been waiting for him. "Things
+have changed since I last saw you. I do not know whether I ought to
+apologize to you for my decision on board of the Vernon, or not."
+
+"Not at all, Captain Battleton," replied Christy, taking the hand of the
+commander of the store-ship. "The flag-officer sustained your decision;
+and with my commission in the pocket of my cousin, I do not see that you
+could have adjusted the question in any other manner. I assure you I
+have not a particle of ill-feeling towards you on account of what you
+did in the discharge of your duty."
+
+"But I do not quite understand the matter yet. You disappeared very
+suddenly; and when I wanted to present you to the commodore, you could
+not be found," added the captain of the Vernon. "I am very curious to
+know what became of you."
+
+"I came on board of the Bronx, and put myself in a place where you
+were least likely to look for me,--under the berth in the captain's
+stateroom. I was at home there, for I had occupied the room while I was
+the acting commander of the vessel on her voyage to the Gulf. But you
+must excuse me now, for I am ordered to get under way at once; and the
+ship's company of the Floridian have reported on board."
+
+"I may yet be called upon to serve under you some time in the future;
+and I did not wish to have any prejudice against me on account of my
+decision, in which my officers concurred."
+
+"I have not the slightest prejudice against you and while we stand by
+the Union, shoulder to shoulder, we shall be friends," replied Christy,
+warmly pressing the hand of the captain of the Vernon.
+
+Captain Battleton returned the pressure as heartily as it had been
+given, and departed from the gunboat. The commander gave the order to
+the first lieutenant to get under way; and the fasts were cast off from
+the flag-ship. The Bronx backed away from her, came about, and was ready
+to proceed on her voyage to the destination as yet unknown on board of
+her.
+
+"Make the course south-west, Mr. Flint," said the commander, as soon as
+the vessel was ready, and her screw was in motion.
+
+"South-west," repeated the first lieutenant, addressing the
+quartermaster who was conning the wheel.
+
+Standing on the bridge with the executive officer, Christy took his
+leave mentally of the flag-ship, and the few other vessels that were
+on the station; for most of them were on duty in various expeditions
+engaged in the destruction of salt works. A boat expedition had just
+captured Appalachicola, with all the vessels loading with cotton in
+the bay. The young commander congratulated himself that he had a fast
+steamer, for that caused him to be employed in more active duty than the
+work of destruction on shore.
+
+"South-west," said Mr. Flint, after the port watch had been dismissed,
+leaving the starboard with Mr. Camden as watch officer on deck.
+"I thought it probable that we should be sent to Appalachicola after
+the information the Russian gave us."
+
+"The boats of the Mercidita and Sagamore have captured the place, and
+picked up five or six small vessels loaded with cotton, I was informed
+by the commodore," replied Christy.
+
+"We are bound to the westward, and the course looks as though we might
+be ordered up the Mississippi," suggested Mr. Flint.
+
+"I hardly think so, though I should be pleased to have it so."
+
+"Why do you think it is not likely, Captain Passford?" asked the
+executive officer curiously.
+
+"Because the Bronx is a fast vessel compared with most of the steamers
+of the navy, hardly any of which are good for more than twelve knots an
+hour, while this ship will make sixteen when she is driven, and fourteen
+under ordinary circumstances when we are not trying to save coal. Of
+course I have no idea what duty we are to perform, and I am not anxious
+to know till the time comes, though midnight is a rather odd time to
+open the envelope."
+
+"Probably the odd time means something."
+
+"No doubt of it; for to-morrow morning by four bells we shall be off the
+passes of the Mississippi, and our mission may be up Lake Pontchartrain,
+or at Ship Island. But let that matter rest, for in three hours and a
+half we shall know all about it. I want to ask you about the man you
+call the Russian."
+
+"He is a good man, and quite as intelligent as any of our seamen. He is
+a pilot on the coast of Florida, and may be farther to the westward so
+far as I know. He is forty-seven years old, though he does not look it,
+and has been to sea all his life. By the way, that Captain Flanger has
+done some business as a smuggler, Mike informs me."
+
+"He looks like a desperate character," added Christy, as he went below
+to attend to his supper, which he had so far neglected.
+
+Dave was standing by the door when he entered his cabin. Seated at the
+table was a man of stalwart frame, who was helping himself to the viands
+prepared for the commander, and making himself entirely at home.
+
+"Good-evening, Captain Passford; I hope you are all right. I waited a
+reasonable time for you to come below to supper; but as you did not
+appear, I have made myself at home, for my appetite has been somewhat
+stimulated to-day," said the stranger.
+
+The commander looked at the man; but he did not know him.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII
+
+A VERY IMPUDENT DECLARATION
+
+
+Christy looked at the stranger with astonishment, and he could not
+imagine who he could be. He had seen no such person on board of the
+Bronx or on the deck of the flag-ship. When the prisoners from the
+Magnolia had been brought on board, Christy had been too much occupied
+with other matters to bestow any attention upon them with the exception
+of "the dignified gentleman in black," who proved to be his uncle. He
+had had no curiosity in regard to them, and Mr. Camden had disposed of
+them at the rail.
+
+The commander thought it very strange that there should be a person on
+board of the steamer, and especially in possession of his cabin, who was
+an entire stranger to him. He looked at the intruder, who was a stoutly
+built man of rather more than forty years of age, with his hair and full
+beard somewhat grizzled by age. He was dressed like a seaman in blue
+clothes, though he was evidently not a common sailor, but might have
+been the master or mate of a vessel.
+
+"I am sorry to have kept you waiting for your supper, sir," replied
+Christy, falling in with the humor of his involuntary guest. "But that
+was the fault of my steward, who ought to have informed me that I was to
+have the pleasure of your company at supper."
+
+"Don't blame him, Captain Passford, for it was not his fault that he did
+not announce my presence to you. He wished to do so, but I assured him I
+was not disposed to disturb you, for you must be occupied with your own
+affairs, and I persuaded him not to go for you," added the person with
+perfect self-possession.
+
+"You were very considerate," answered Christy, looking at the steward,
+who had stationed himself behind the unwelcome guest.
+
+Dave looked as solemn as an owl, and his ivories seemed to be sealed up
+in his expansive mouth. He attempted to make a sign to the captain, but
+it was not understood. At that moment, the stranger raised his finger
+and beckoned to the steward.
+
+"What is your name, boy?" he asked.
+
+"Dave, sir," replied he, evidently deeply impressed by the visitor for
+some reason not yet apparent to the captain.
+
+"I don't like to have a man stand behind me, and you will take your
+place in the rear of Captain Passford, who is more worthy of your
+attention than I am;" and though Dave was a brave fellow, he obeyed the
+order.
+
+It was evident enough to Christy that there had been some kind of a
+scene in the cabin before he came below, for the steward had certainly
+been intimidated by the powerful visitor.
+
+"This fish seems to be red snapper, captain, and it is very good. Will
+you allow me to help you to some of it?" continued the stranger very
+politely.
+
+"Thank you, sir; I will take some of it, if you please," replied
+Christy, as he passed his plate across the table. "Of course, as you
+have done me the honor to take a seat at my table, I must be acquainted
+with you."
+
+"We have met before," replied the stranger. "Shall I help you to some of
+these fried potatoes? They are very good, and I can recommend them.
+
+I have already learned that you have an excellent cook on board. I
+should judge from these potatoes that he was brought up in New Orleans."
+
+"It may be he was; I don't know about that. You say that we have met
+before, but to save my life, I cannot recall the time, and I am sorry to
+add that I do not identify your face as that of any person I ever saw
+before. I have the pleasure of introducing myself to you as Lieutenant
+Christopher Passford, commanding the United States steamer Bronx."
+
+"Thank you, Captain Passford, and I cannot well help being less polite
+and less frank than you are; and I shall take the liberty of introducing
+myself to your acquaintance and good offices as Captain Boyd Flanger,
+lately in command of the steamer Floridian, entirely at your service."
+
+"Indeed!" exclaimed Christy, not a little startled at the information
+thus communicated, for it was plain enough that the intruder meant
+mischief in spite of his good manners. "I was under the impression that
+you had taken up your abode on board of the flag-ship with others who
+were captured in the Magnolia."
+
+"That is very true; I went on board of the flag-ship, but I am somewhat
+fastidious in my notions, and I concluded not to remain there," replied
+Captain Flanger. "Without any intention of flattering you, Captain
+Passford, candor compels me to say that I prefer your company to that of
+the commodore. Can I help you to anything more on my side of the table?"
+
+"Thank you; I will have one of those lamb's tongues," replied Christy.
+
+"They are very nice; I have just tried one of them," added Captain
+Flanger, as he passed the plate over to the commander.
+
+"You do not use your left hand, captain; I hope you were not wounded in
+the affair this morning off St. Andrew's Bay."
+
+"No, sir; I was not wounded. Your men did not fire into our party, as we
+did into your boat. The fact is, Captain Passford, I have an ornament on
+my left wrist which I am a little timid about displaying before people,
+though I do not object to showing it to you," replied the guest, as he
+held up his left hand, and from the wrist a pair of handcuffs hung down,
+for he had succeeded in removing it only from his right hand.
+
+"Such an ornament must be a nuisance to you, Captain Flanger, and I
+think we will have it removed. Dave, go and ask the second lieutenant to
+report to me with his keys and a file," said Christy.
+
+"I beg your pardon, Captain Passford, for countermanding your order; but
+Dave will do nothing of the sort," interposed the intruder, as blandly
+as before. "Dave knows better than to obey such an order."
+
+Dave did know better than to obey the order, and Christy was morally
+certain that he had been menaced with a pistol, or threatened in some
+manner if he attempted to leave the cabin. He acted as though he felt
+confident that a bullet would be sent through his head if he disobeyed
+the bold visitor. At the same time there was a certain amount of energy
+and earnestness visible in the expression of the steward, which assured
+Christy that he was ready to take part in any action that was reasonably
+prudent and hopeful.
+
+Captain Flanger had been handcuffed and made fast to the rail of the
+vessel with the other prisoners, and with them he had been transferred
+to the flag-ship. It was probably in this removal that he had found the
+means of securing his liberty, and had made his way on board in some
+manner not at all apparent to the commander of the Bronx, who had been
+in conference with the commodore when the change was made.
+
+Whether the escaped prisoner had gone to the captain's cabin for a
+special purpose, or had simply followed the most convenient way that was
+opened to him in his flight, it was plain enough to Christy that, at the
+present time, he had an object before him. He had practically taken
+possession of the cabin, and had already overawed the steward. The
+commander could not see his way to do anything to improve the situation.
+He had no weapon about him but his sword, and he was satisfied that the
+intruder was provided with one or more revolvers, as indicated by the
+appearance of the side pockets of his blue coat.
+
+Whatever had been said about the imprudence and even recklessness of
+the young lieutenant, he was really a prudent and even cautious officer.
+He realized that any movement on his part would draw the fire of the
+insolent intruder, and he saw that strategy was far preferable to
+open violence, since the latter was likely to end only in killing or
+disabling him. If he could visit his stateroom and obtain his pair of
+navy revolvers, or even the smaller ones in one of the drawers of his
+desk, it would improve the chances in his favor. It was evident that he
+would not be permitted to do this, and he did not attempt it.
+
+"Dave is a wise man," said the commander, after he had given a few
+moments to the consideration of the situation.
+
+"Dave is a sensible man, and I trust I shall find you his equal in that
+respect, Captain Passford," replied the intruder, still seated in his
+chair at the supper-table.
+
+"I claim to be reasonably sensible," answered Christy. "As you have done
+me the honor to visit me in my cabin, Captain Flanger, it is reasonable
+to suppose you have some object in view, for I do not regard it as a
+merely friendly call."
+
+Though the young officer was prudent and discreet, he did not lose his
+self-possession, and he smiled as though he had been simply the host in
+the dining-room of the mansion at Bonnydale. There was a certain humor
+about the intruder which would have pleased him under other
+circumstances.
+
+"Quite right, captain!" exclaimed the visitor. "I have an object in
+view, and both my inclination and my duty are urging me to carry it
+out. How your boat happened to capture the Magnolia is beyond my
+comprehension up to the present moment, though I think the principal
+reason was the lack of a sufficiently osseous vertebra on the part of
+your worthy uncle, Colonel Passford. Then the officer in charge of the
+cutter did not do what I expected him to do. Instead of falling back
+when he and one of his crew were wounded, as he ought to have done, and
+using the heavy revolvers with which his men were armed, he did not
+delay a moment, but smashed into the sloop, and jerked his men on board
+of her, cutlass in one hand and revolver in the other; and that brought
+me to the end of my rope. I could not do anything more."
+
+"I am sorry that you are dissatisfied with my third lieutenant's mode
+of operations," replied Christy, laughing, though his mirth was of the
+graveyard order. "But Mr. Pennant is a new officer, and that was the
+first active duty he had been called upon to perform. Very likely he
+will suit you better next time."
+
+Christy yawned, or pretended to do so, and in the act he rose from the
+table. Captain Flanger was silent as he did so, and watched the captain
+with the eye of a lynx, as the latter placed himself behind the chair he
+had occupied. He was in position to make a movement of some kind, and
+the intruder deliberately drew from his right-hand coat pocket a heavy
+revolver. Holding this in his hand, he drew another from the left-hand
+pocket, and threw it on the table.
+
+"I don't wish to be rude with a gentleman as polite as yourself, Captain
+Passford; but you interrupted my remarks by rising from your chair,"
+said Captain Flanger, with the revolver still poised in his hand, while
+he dropped the other with the handcuff upon it at his side.
+
+"Excuse me for interrupting you, Captain Flanger; but I have eaten a
+hearty supper, encouraged by your friendly presence, and I was sleepy,
+for my rest was broken last night, and I wanted simply to stretch
+myself," replied Christy, yawning and stretching himself again.
+
+"All right, captain; it is not necessary for me to say a single word,"
+added the intruder, as he made a slight demonstration with the weapon
+in his right hand, which was not lost upon the commander. "With your
+permission, I will proceed with my remarks."
+
+"Certainly, captain; go on."
+
+"My first misfortune was in being made a prisoner. My second and most
+annoying mishap was the capture of the Floridian," continued Captain
+Flanger. "It was my intention to fit her out as a privateer, with the
+proceeds of the sale of her cargo of cotton, for she is a good vessel,
+and as fast as the Bronx, as you call her."
+
+"Then I was very fortunate in capturing her," added Christy with a
+smile.
+
+"Perhaps not, for I intend to replace her with the Bronx."
+
+The commander was amazed at the impudence of the intruder.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV
+
+A CRITICAL SITUATION IN THE CABIN
+
+
+Christy looked at his cool and impudent visitor, whose declaration
+was to the effect that he intended to take possession of the Bronx in
+compensation for the loss of the Floridian. It looked as though he
+intended to capture the gunboat now fully officered, and manned by
+forty-six seaman; and so far as the commander could judge, he intended
+to do it single-handed.
+
+The lieutenant's first thought, after he realized the intention of the
+intruder, was that he was insane, for no man in his senses would think
+of accomplishing such a mad enterprise. His second idea was that he had
+mistaken the declaration of Captain Flanger, though he had certainly
+said that he meant to replace the Floridian with the Bronx, and the
+statement could hardly mean anything else.
+
+Christy was forced to admit to himself that the bold intruder had full
+possession of the captain's cabin of the steamer, and that he had the
+advantage of him in being armed; that any decided opposition on his part
+would result in his being killed or wounded. It was not prudent for him
+to do anything, and at the present stage of the proceedings he could do
+nothing but temporize with his resolute foe.
+
+"I beg your pardon, Captain Flanger; but do I understand that you
+intend, single-handed and alone, to capture the Bronx?" asked the
+commander, with a smile of incredulity on his face.
+
+"Well, Captain Passford, if you fail to comprehend my purpose, it
+is the fault of your understanding, and not of my plain and explicit
+declaration, for I assuredly said that I intended to replace the
+Floridian with the Teaser, or the Bronx as you have named her, though
+she will not be called by any such nut-cracking name after I get her,"
+replied the daring privateersman, as blandly and pleasantly as though he
+were planning a picnic.
+
+"Of course you see no difficulties in the way of such an undertaking as
+you propose," added Christy.
+
+"There may be difficulties; but I think they can be overcome. I purpose
+to act through you, my friend, as my resources are rather limited at the
+present moment. In other words, I propose that you shall issue certain
+orders which I intend to dictate," Captain Flanger proceeded, as coolly
+as though he had been in his own cabin instead of that of his companion.
+
+"You mean to dictate your orders to me," repeated the commander.
+
+"Precisely so; and you will readily see that I am not exactly in a
+position to act in any other manner, as I cannot go back on deck and
+deliver them in person, for your officers would be prejudiced against
+me, and might be disposed to rebel against my authority."
+
+"Not improbable," added Christy. "You propose that I shall go on deck,
+and give your orders, acting as your proxy."
+
+"Hardly, my dear friend, for I fear that on deck you would give way to
+your own individual prejudices against me, and do something that would
+jeopard my interest in the premises. With your approbation, I should
+prefer to resort to a method that prevails in the army, though not to
+any considerable extent in the navy. More clearly, I will invite you to
+send your orders on deck in writing, over your own signature."
+
+"You think that method would suit you better than the usual one of
+delivering orders verbally," said Christy, laughing as much at the
+coolness as at the impudence of his companion.
+
+"It will not only suit me better, but you cannot fail to see that it is
+the only practicable way for me to operate with my present very limited
+resources. If I had a dozen good men and true,--not such dunderheads as
+your officer captured in the Magnolia,--I should be able to proceed in a
+more orderly and regular manner. In that case, I should issue my orders
+in person, and not compel you to act as my intermediary."
+
+"I understand you perfectly now; but as you have not, fortunately for
+me, and unfortunately for yourself, the dozen men at hand, I am to hold
+the fiddle while you play upon it, as I have seen a couple of negro
+minstrels do it."
+
+"An excellent simile, Captain Passford, and I could not have invented a
+better myself," returned the privateersman. "I think we understand each
+other perfectly, and therefore it is not necessary to use up any more
+time in explanations. You are too intelligent a person to fail to
+comprehend my plan. As an epitome of the whole scene, I may add that I
+propose to do what my friend Galvinne undertook with that cousin of
+yours: I intend to take the Bronx into Pensacola Bay, and have her used
+in the service of the righteous cause in which the people of the South
+are engaged," continued Captain Flanger, as though he believed in all he
+was saying.
+
+"I suppose it is the righteousness of the cause in particular that calls
+forth your admiration," chuckled Christy.
+
+"Precisely so; in this cause, though I drink whiskey, chew, and smoke,
+and never swear except when I am excited, I am a religious man," said
+the intruder, laughing.
+
+"I suppose you were religiously inclined when you were engaged in the
+business of smuggling," added the commander.
+
+"I cannot say that I was; the cause of the South is religion itself, and
+I am there every time. Who told you that I had been engaged in
+smuggling?"
+
+"It dropped from some of the men that were captured in the sloop."
+
+"It could have dropped only from Mike Bornhoff, for he is the only one
+who knew anything about it. He is my property, and when we are fairly
+in Pensacola Bay I shall seize him up to the grating, and give him
+thirty-nine for opening his mouth when he ought to have kept it closed.
+Where is he now, for I did not find him among the prisoners?"
+
+"He has enlisted as a seaman, and seems to be a good one. By the way,
+where did you learn that my cousin attempted to take the Bronx into
+Pensacola Bay?" asked Christy curiously, though he was using up the time
+he could not yet improve.
+
+"It was not your cousin at all who attempted to take the vessel into
+Pensacola Bay; it was Galvinne, for Corny only acted as a figure-head,
+as I intend to use you. Galvinne was a prisoner by my side on board of
+the flag-ship, and told me all about it when he was releasing my right
+hand from the bracelet," replied Captain Flanger.
+
+"Then I am to do duty as a figure-head, am I?" laughed Christy.
+
+"Precisely; and you are a better-looking one than your cousin. But
+excuse me for changing the subject of the conversation, for I am losing
+time. I see by the telltale over our heads that the Bronx is headed to
+the south-west, which is doubtless the course you were ordered to take
+by the commodore."
+
+"The telltale is honest, and tells no lies," replied Christy.
+
+"Where are you bound, Captain Passford?" asked Flanger, in a careless
+and indifferent manner, as he looked about the cabin.
+
+"I don't know."
+
+"Sealed orders?"
+
+"You must draw your own inferences, Captain Flanger."
+
+"It won't take a six-mule team to draw that one," added the
+privateersman, rather sourly for the first time. "Of course I understood
+that it would not be advisable for the commodore to let it be known
+exactly where the steamer is bound, and that you have sealed orders.
+I shall have to trouble you, Captain Passford, to produce the envelope."
+
+As he spoke Captain Flanger toyed with the revolver in his right hand
+as if he intended that the weapon should produce its proper impression
+on the mind, and especially upon the nerves, of the commander, who
+had continued to walk up and down in front of the table at which his
+dangerous associate was seated, occasionally pausing when a point was
+made on either side.
+
+"Of course you cannot expect me to betray the confidence of the
+commodore; that would not be kind or friendly on your part, Captain
+Flanger, for you can see that this is a delicate matter," said Christy,
+halting in front of the table.
+
+"It may be delicate; I admit that it is so for you: but as my plans may
+depend somewhat upon a knowledge of your instructions, I really feel
+compelled to insist upon this point, Captain Passford," replied the
+intruder as blandly as ever. "But we are living just now in a state of
+war, and it is quite impossible to act with as much delicacy us one
+might desire."
+
+"I am sorry that you feel constrained to act in this indelicate manner;
+but I cannot, on my honor and conscience, violate my orders, and I must
+respectfully decline to produce the envelope," replied Christy, feeling
+that he had come to a crisis in the affair.
+
+"You decline to give me your sealed orders? Do I correctly understand
+you, Captain Passford?" demanded the privateersman with a frown upon his
+brow.
+
+"Undoubtedly you do. I decline to give you my sealed orders. What then?"
+replied the commander, who began to feel a certain sense of shame
+because he had temporized so long with the bold pirate, for he regarded
+him as such.
+
+"What then?" repeated the intruder. "Why, you will reduce me to the
+disagreeable necessity of blowing out your brains, if you have any,
+as I should judge that you had not, after your refusal to accede to my
+request in the face of the death that awaits you."
+
+"I beg your pardon, Captain Flanger, but do you really purpose to blow
+out the brains of your figure-head?" asked Christy, as coolly as though
+no such threat had been suggested to him.
+
+About this time Dave, who had taken care to keep in the front of the
+table as he had been ordered to do, seized upon his feather duster, and
+began to dust the divan on the starboard side of the cabin. Flanger was
+so much occupied with the commander at that moment, that he was not
+disposed to take his eye off him for an instant; for certainly the
+situation had become critical, and he paid no attention to the steward.
+Dave was a sort of a feather-duster fiend, and he used the article a
+great deal of his time, apparently as much from habit as from
+cleanliness.
+
+"I should be extremely sorry to put a ball through your head, Captain
+Passford, not only because it would disfigure a handsome face, but
+because you may be of great use to me," replied the pirate.
+
+"And because, in your present enterprise as you have outlined it, you
+cannot get along without me," said Christy.
+
+"In fact, you are more than half right. The sealed orders are not
+absolutely necessary to me just now, and I shall not insist upon the
+production of them for the present. Now, if you will seat yourself at
+the table opposite me, I will dictate an order to you, which you will
+oblige me by reducing to writing, and then by signing your name to it as
+commander," continued Flanger, still toying with the heavy revolver.
+
+Christy's curiosity was excited: he thought the order would throw some
+further light on the plan of the pirate; and he seated himself. Captain
+Flanger proceeded to dictate to him an order to the officer of the deck,
+to the effect that his sealed orders directed him to cut out a rebel
+privateer under the guns of Fort McRae; ordering him to head the Bronx
+to the north-west for this purpose, and instructing him to call him as
+soon as he made out the shore, Christy wrote it, and the pirate told him
+to sign it.
+
+"You must excuse me, Captain Flanger, but I object to signing such an
+order," replied Christy, as he rose from his chair.
+
+"Sign it, or you are a dead man!" exclaimed Flanger fiercely.
+
+"Be it so; death before dishonor," replied the commander firmly.
+
+At this moment Dave had worked himself in behind the pirate; and, with a
+well-directed blow with the feather duster on the head of Flanger, he
+brought him to the floor.
+
+  [Illustration: Flanger in the Captain's Cabin.--Page 281.]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXV
+
+THE DESTRUCTION OF A PROMINENT FACIAL MEMBER
+
+
+The cabin steward had two feather dusters, one of which was very large,
+and the other of medium size. He had used the big one so industriously
+that very little was left of the feathers except the bare quills that
+were inserted in a cylinder of hard wood, too heavy for the use of a
+delicate female, though Dave had wielded it till it was in better
+condition to be thrown overboard than to be used on the panels and
+furniture of the cabin.
+
+Captain Flanger was at the critical point in his operations, and he
+was too busy with the commander to give any attention to the negro, whom
+he regarded with the contempt begotten of his Southern education. Dave
+was intelligent enough to understand the situation accurately, and he
+realized that it was rapidly becoming critical. He knew that Christy was
+unarmed, and that the whole attention of the pirate was concentrated
+upon him, so that he could do nothing to help himself.
+
+He knew also that if he attempted to leave the cabin to procure
+assistance, Flanger would shoot him with as little remorse as he would
+kill a coon in the woods. Watching his opportunity without trying to get
+behind the intruder till the decisive moment came, he sprang into the
+position he had selected in advance, and brought down the heavy head of
+the feather duster upon the temple of the privateersman.
+
+Probably it was the shock quite as much as the force of the blow that
+brought down the steward's victim. But it was a heavy stroke, for the
+wood of the feather duster was split into many pieces, and the stumps of
+the feathers were scattered all over the table. The onslaught could not
+fail to be very confusing to the ideas of the intruder, and he seemed to
+be tangled up in the arm-chair in which he had been seated.
+
+Captain Flanger was a man of stalwart proportions, and Christy realized
+that he was no match for him in a hand to hand encounter, even with the
+aid of the steward, for the ruffian would not fail to use his revolvers.
+
+Dave was not satisfied with what he had done, and as his foe went over
+in the chair, he sprang upon him, and tried to wrest the pistol from his
+hand, and a struggle on the floor was begun, the result of which could
+not be foreseen. Christy took in the situation at a glance, and while
+the steward and his victim were rolling and writhing on the floor, he
+darted into his stateroom, the door of which had been open all the time,
+and took his heavy revolvers from the drawer where he kept them, charged
+for immediate use.
+
+When he rushed back to the cabin, Flanger had got the better of his
+foe, and had risen to his feet, with his grasp upon the throat of the
+steward. Then he hurled him from him with a vigorous movement with his
+left hand, while he raised the right with the evident intention of
+shooting him. The commander saw the imminent peril of Dave; he took a
+hasty aim and fired before the intruder had time to do so. He was a good
+shot with the navy revolver, for he had taken lessons and practised a
+good deal with the weapon.
+
+He had aimed at the head of Flanger, and he saw that he had hit him, for
+his face was instantly covered with blood. He did not think it necessary
+to fire a second shot, but he was careful not to let the opportunity
+pass by if it was needed to reduce the privateersman to subjection.
+Flanger dropped his weapon instantly, and Dave as instantly picked it
+up. It was clear to Christy then that the battle had been fought and
+won, though the defeated party had another revolver in his pocket.
+
+In spite of his claim that he was a religious man, he indulged in a
+volley of profane language which made the commander's blood run cold
+in his veins. His right hand, from which he had dropped one of his
+revolvers, was pressed upon his nose, as though this organ was the seat
+of his injury. He stood behind the table, and continued to swear like a
+pirate in a passion. His face and his hand were absolutely covered with
+blood.
+
+Both Christy and Dave kept their positions, each with a revolver in his
+hand, ready to finish the victim if he exhibited any symptoms of further
+violence. This was the tableau presented in the captain's cabin when
+the door was suddenly opened by the first lieutenant, who rushed in,
+followed by the second lieutenant and Quartermaster Vincent. Mr. Flint
+had been on the quarter-deck, and had heard the report of Christy's
+revolver when he fired. Calling Mr. Camden and the quartermaster, he has
+come to ascertain the cause of the fracas; and the sight was certainly
+impressive when he entered.
+
+"Any orders, Captain Passford?" asked the first lieutenant, as he saw
+that Christy appeared to be master of the situation.
+
+"Stand by to secure that man," replied the commander, pointing at the
+wounded man behind the table. "He has a revolver in his left coat
+pocket."
+
+The three officers promptly obeyed the order, and laid violent hands
+on Captain Flanger, Mr. Flint taking the weapon from his pocket. They
+seized him by the collar of his coat, and the executive officer held
+his left arm, with the handcuffs on the wrist. The victim of the affray
+still held on to his nose, though Mr. Camden took possession of the arm.
+
+"You appear to be wounded, Captain Flanger?" said Christy, approaching
+the table.
+
+"Wounded, you"--
+
+The oaths and epithets he used need not soil our page; but the prisoner
+seemed to be suffering more from his wrath than from his wound.
+
+"You have shot off by dose, you!"--groaned Flanger. "The ball welt
+straight through it."
+
+"Then you are not dangerously wounded," added Christy. "I was afraid it
+had gone through your head."
+
+"I wish it had! You have bade a scarecrow of be for life!" he gasped.
+
+"What's the trouble here, Captain Passford?" asked Dr. Connelly,
+presenting himself at the door of the cabin. "Didn't I hear the report
+of a firearm in this direction just now?"
+
+"Very likely you did, if your hearing is good," replied Christy with a
+smile, for the large revolver, discharged in the small cabin, made a
+tremendous noise. "The gentleman behind the table, who is holding on to
+his nose, requires some of your professional skill. He was proceeding to
+capture the Bronx, and had gone to the point where you find him."
+
+"I dol't walt any Yalkee surgeod at work od be," protested Captain
+Flanger, whose speech was badly affected by the injury to his nasal
+organ, or by the pressure he applied to it with his hand.
+
+"You can consult your own inclination as to that, my excellent friend.
+I shall not force you to be treated by him," added Christy, "But I must
+suggest that this farce has been carried far enough in my cabin."
+
+"Farce! Do you cod this a farce?" demanded the wounded man indignantly.
+"You have shot off by dose!"
+
+In fact, Captain Flanger seemed to be more disturbed at the accident to
+his proboscis, than by the failure of his quixotic scheme to capture the
+Bronx. He was certainly a very good-looking man, and took good care of
+his person, as indicated by the care bestowed upon his hair and beard.
+
+"The farce came to an end when you menaced me with death if I declined
+to sign the order you dictated, and the steward played the first scene
+in the tragedy. I am sure it was a farce up to that time," replied
+Christy. "Mr. Flint, have the prisoner put in irons, and remove him to
+the quarters of the men forward. Give him a berthsack and a blanket, and
+place a hand to stand guard over him."
+
+The executive officer sent Mr. Camden on deck for a pair of handcuffs
+and a couple of men to execute the order. Flanger still retained his
+standing position behind the table, holding on to his nose, which
+continued to bleed very freely. The surgeon went over to him, and
+endeavored to obtain a sight of the mutilated member.
+
+"I think you had better let me stanch the blood," suggested Dr.
+Connelly.
+
+"Do!" exclaimed the patient. "You will take off what is left of by
+dose."
+
+"As you please," replied the surgeon, as the second lieutenant returned
+attended by two stout seamen.
+
+"Remove the handcuff from his left wrist, and fit him out with a new
+pair," said Mr. Flint, who still held the left arm of the prisoner.
+
+Mr. Camden took off the irons, for he had a key to them, and enclosed
+the wrist in the new pair. Then the two men were directed to take his
+right arm, which they did, and drew his hand from his nose. This act
+roused the ire of Flanger, and he began to struggle; but powerful as he
+was, the two seamen were too much for him, and he was fairly handcuffed.
+The second lieutenant was the officer of the deck, and he was sent back
+to his post of duty. Flanger's face was so covered and daubed with the
+gore from his wound that the condition of his prominent facial member
+could not be determined.
+
+"I protest agailst this brutal treatmelt!" stormed the prisoner, as he
+continued to writhe in his irons. "I am a woulded plisoler!"
+
+"I see you are; but you decline to permit the surgeon to dress your
+wound. I have no more time to fool with you, and the men will put you
+on a berthsack forward. If you want the surgeon to attend to your wound,
+you have only to say so."
+
+"It is a bad wound though not a dangerous one," said Dr. Connelly, who
+had approached the victim of his own conspiracy near enough to obtain a
+view of the injured nose. "The ball has torn away the middle of the
+member, and it hangs in pieces from the wound."
+
+"I have had enough of him; remove him to the quarters," added Christy.
+
+"You took splendid aim, Captain Passford," said the surgeon, smiling.
+
+"I did not aim at his nose, but at his head in a general way," replied
+the commander. "I fired in a hurry, and I meant to reach his brains, if
+he had any. Take him away; I am disgusted."
+
+"The fortules of war are agailst me, Captail Passford; but if you ever
+fall ilto my halds, I will cut your dose off cleal to your face," howled
+the prisoner, boiling over with wrath.
+
+"Take him away!" added Christy with energy; and the two seamen dragged
+him out of the cabin, leaving only Mr. Flint, the surgeon, and the
+steward in the cabin. "Dave," he continued, stepping up to the last, and
+taking him by the hand, "you have behaved remarkably well, and I thank
+you for the good service you have rendered to me and the cause of your
+country."
+
+"I done do what I thought was right, Captain Passford, though folks like
+that fellow think a poor nigger is no account," replied the steward,
+putting every tooth in his head on exhibition.
+
+"Perhaps he will change his mind after this. If you have not saved my
+life, Dave, you have saved my self-respect, for your prompt action,
+quite as soon as it was prudent for you to act, redeemed me from any
+further submission, and I expected to throw away my life rather than
+sign that order. I think he would not have killed me, for that would
+have blocked his game; but he would have wounded me in two minutes more.
+I thank you with all my heart, Dave, and I shall not forget what you
+have done."
+
+"Thank you, Captain Passford," replied the steward.
+
+"I do not fully understand this affair, captain," said Mr. Flint.
+
+"Sit down, take a seat, doctor, and I will tell you all about it. You
+may go forward, Dave, and report to me the condition of the prisoner,"
+added Christy, as he seated himself at the table, and began to tell the
+story of the intruder's visit to his cabin.
+
+He finished the narrative, and the officers were discussing it when
+there was a knock at the door.
+
+"Sail on the port bow, sir," reported a quartermaster.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVI
+
+THE MEETING WITH THE BELLEVITE AT NIGHT
+
+
+Christy looked at his watch when the sail was reported to him, and found
+that it wanted ten minutes of eleven. The Bronx had been steaming for
+just about three hours, and must have made about forty miles, as he
+hastily figured up the run in his mind.
+
+"How was the weather when you left the deck, Mr. Flint?" asked the
+commander.
+
+"Clear as a bell, and bright starlight," replied the executive officer.
+
+"Not a night for blockade runners," added the captain.
+
+"No, sir."
+
+"The sail is reported on the port bow, which looks as though she might
+be coming in from sea," continued Christy, as he went into his stateroom
+with his navy revolver in his hand.
+
+He put the formidable weapon back into the drawer from which he had
+taken it; but the lesson of the evening had made a strong impression on
+his mind. Though he had permitted Captain Flanger to believe that he was
+not at all disturbed by his presence in his cabin, and had kept up the
+humor with which the intruder had introduced himself, yet he had felt a
+sense of humiliation through the whole of the scene. It was a new thing
+to be confronted by an enemy in his own cabin; and the privateersman,
+armed with two heavy revolvers, had all the advantage, while neither he
+nor the steward had a weapon of any kind.
+
+With even an ordinary revolver in his hip pocket, he would not have been
+helpless, and he might have saved himself without requiring this service
+of the steward. Opening his valise, he took from it a smaller revolver,
+and put it in his hip pocket, which he had never used for any other
+purpose; and he resolved not to be caught again in an unarmed condition,
+even when no danger was apparent. In action he carried a navy revolver
+in each of his hip pockets.
+
+Thus prepared for any emergency, though none might come for years, he
+went on deck, and made his way to the bridge, where he could get the
+best view of the approaching sail. He obtained his first sight of the
+vessel as soon as he reached the bridge, and saw that the sail was a
+steamer, much larger than the Bronx. She carried no sail, for the wind
+was from the west; but the commander soon realized that she was moving
+at great speed.
+
+"We must be about forty miles off the station of the blockaders before
+the entrance to Mobile Bay," said Christy, after he had thought the
+matter over for a moment.
+
+"I should think so," replied the first lieutenant.
+
+"That sail appears to be headed for the station. She is a large steamer,
+and I judge by the way she is coming up with us that she is very fast,"
+added Christy with some anxiety in his tones.
+
+"She must be a steamer of fifteen hundred tons, and perhaps more," said
+Mr. Flint, after he had looked at her through his night glass.
+
+"In that case she is too big for us to fight her, and too fast for us
+to run away from her; and Captain Flanger may be a free man in a few
+hours."
+
+"It does not follow that we shall have to fight her or run away from
+her," added the first lieutenant, still gazing at the approaching
+steamer through his glass. "I don't believe she is a Confederate vessel.
+The rebels do not buy steamers as big as that one in England."
+
+"But they may have captured her," suggested Christy.
+
+"I may be mistaken, Captain Passford, but I think that steamer is the
+Bellevite," added Mr. Flint.
+
+"I hope so," replied Christy, who did not like the idea of fighting
+or trying to run away from a craft three times as strong as the Bronx.
+"Have the ensign set at the peak, Mr. Flint." And a quartermaster was
+sent aft to attend to this duty.
+
+The strange sail continued to approach; and, little by little, the first
+lieutenant, who had sailed in the Bellevite several years, identified
+her as that steamer. It was probable that she had chased some vessel,
+and was now returning to her station. As she came nearer, she fired a
+gun for the Bronx to come to; and when within hail of her, stopped her
+screw.
+
+"Steamer, ahoy!" came from her in the well-known voice of Mr. Blowitt,
+formerly the commander of the Bronx, and now executive officer of the
+Bellevite.
+
+"On board the steamer!" replied Mr. Flint from the bridge.
+
+"What steamer is that?" called Mr. Blowitt.
+
+"The United States steamer Bronx, under sealed orders. What steamer is
+that?"
+
+"The United States steamer Bellevite. We will send a boat to you,"
+returned Mr. Blowitt.
+
+The big steamer, as she certainly was compared with the Bronx, started
+her screw again, and came within less than half a cable's length of the
+little gunboat, for the water was very still, with a gentle breeze from
+the westward. The boat was dropped into the water; and in a minute or
+two it was at the accommodation ladder of the Bronx, when a couple of
+officers mounted the side.
+
+"I am glad to see you, Captain Passford," said Mr. Blowitt, who was
+properly received when he stepped down upon the deck.
+
+"I am just as glad to see you, Mr. Blowitt," replied Christy, taking the
+offered hand of his old friend.
+
+"Mr. Vapoor, chief engineer of the Bellevite," said the executive
+officer, presenting Christy's greatest crony on earth, for he had held
+back in deference to his superior officer.
+
+"The happiest moment I have had since I saw you last!" exclaimed the
+engineer, as he grasped the commander of the Bronx with his right hand,
+while he threw his left around the neck of his friend, and would have
+hugged him if Christy had not gently avoided such a "gush" in presence
+of the watch on deck. "I wish you were back in the Bellevite, Christy."
+
+"I wish I were myself," replied the commander, in a tone so low that
+none but the visitors could hear him.
+
+"No, you don't," interposed Mr. Blowitt. "You are commanding a little
+gunboat, though you are only eighteen."
+
+"I thought I should like it, but I find I do not as well as I expected,"
+answered Christy.
+
+"You don't like it!" exclaimed the engineer of the Bellevite.
+
+"I do not, Paul; I think it wears upon me, though I am willing to do my
+duty wherever I am ordered."
+
+"If you wish to get back into the Bellevite, of course you can do so,
+for it is not every fellow that wears shoulder-straps who has such a
+backing as you have. You have only to speak, and anything reasonable is
+yours. But how are all at home, Christy?"
+
+"Florry was very well the last time I saw her, not more than two weeks
+ago, and she talked a great deal about you, Paul," answered her brother,
+partly in a whisper.
+
+"Did she?" added Paul with a gush. "Then she has not forgotten all about
+me. I almost wish I were not an engineer, for then I might be sent home
+once in a while in charge of a prize."
+
+Christy had only time to tell very briefly the story of the adventure
+with Corny, and the capture of the Floridian, which he did for the
+purpose of introducing a matter of business in the line of his
+profession. The officers from the Bellevite asked him a great many
+questions, though he felt obliged to cut them short before they were
+half done with them.
+
+"You must excuse me, Mr. Blowitt, for I am sailing under sealed orders,
+and the commodore hurried me off as soon as I returned with the Bronx
+from St. Andrew's Bay; and I do not know that my mission admits of any
+delay," said Christy. "I have a prisoner on board, and I want to get rid
+of him, for he is a dangerous character;" and he briefly related the
+incident of the evening with Captain Flanger.
+
+"He is a tough sinner," added the first lieutenant of the Bellevite.
+"Of course I cannot take him without an order from Captain Breaker; but
+I will return to the ship, and put the matter before him."
+
+"I don't know where I am ordered, and this Flanger is capable of making
+mischief if I should happen to get into a tight place," added Christy.
+"I suppose you are returning to the station off Mobile Bay, and you can
+dispose of him better than I can."
+
+"If Captain Breaker decides to take your prisoner, I will send a boat
+for him so as to make no unnecessary delay for you. Mr. Vapoor may
+remain, and return in the boat I send, for I am confident the commander
+will accede to your request. Good-by, Captain Passford," said Mr.
+Blowitt, offering his hand to Christy, who pressed it most earnestly.
+
+"What is the Bellevite doing off here, so far from her station, Paul?"
+asked Christy.
+
+"We chased a good-sized steamer out last night, and she gave us a long
+run; but we picked her up, and she is now on her way to New York. She is
+good for eighteen knots an hour, and the Government is sure to buy her
+when she is condemned. Mr. Ballard, the second lieutenant, has gone in
+her as prize-master. He is in poor health, and will get leave of absence
+till he is better; but I do not believe he will ever come down here
+again. Were you in earnest in what you said about not liking your
+present position, Christy?"
+
+"I don't say that I absolutely dislike it, for I mean to be happy in
+whatever place my duty may call me. The responsibility weighs heavy on
+me, and I should prefer to be in a subordinate position," replied
+Christy very seriously. "I can't sleep as I used to."
+
+"I am confident there will be a vacancy in the Bellevite, for Mr.
+Ballard will not come back: Dr. Linscott said as much as that to me,"
+added the engineer. "You can have his place if you want it."
+
+"But there is a third lieutenant who may deserve promotion," suggested
+Christy.
+
+"Captain Breaker is dissatisfied with him, and he will get him out of
+the ship, at any rate, as soon as the opportunity presents itself. I
+advise you to write to your father, and tell him plainly just how you
+feel," said Paul.
+
+"I am not sure that Captain Breaker would be willing to receive me as
+his second lieutenant," Christy objected.
+
+"I am sure he would," protested Paul.
+
+"I don't want him to take me simply because my father desires him to do
+so," answered the young commander, shaking his head.
+
+"Then let your father give him the choice of two or three officers. That
+will settle the matter."
+
+"I don't know, Paul; I will think of the matter, and write to you as
+soon as I have time. There comes the boat. Mr. Flint, have the prisoner
+brought on deck to be transferred to the Bellevite."
+
+In a few minutes the two stout sailors who had removed him from the
+captain's cabin appeared on deck, dragging Captain Flanger after them,
+for he would not walk, and did all he could with his hands made fast
+behind him to embarrass his conductors.
+
+"Captain Passford, I protest agailst this treatment of a prisoler of
+war," howled the privateersman.
+
+"All right, Captain Flanger."
+
+"I say I am abused, and dragged from below like a dog."
+
+"If you stand up and walk like a man, the dog will not be dragged."
+
+"Boat alongside, sir," reported a quartermaster.
+
+"Put him into the boat," added Christy.
+
+The prisoner was certainly a hideous-looking object, his face daubed
+with blood, and his nose a mass of tangled flesh; but he was put into
+the boat in spite of his struggles. Paul Vapoor bade his friend an
+affectionate adieu, and went over the side. The Bronx started her screw
+at once.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVII
+
+THE PLANNING OF AN EXPEDITION
+
+
+The Bronx continued on her course indicated in the verbal order of the
+flag-officer. Christy felt that he had had a narrow escape from death,
+or at least a severe wound, at the hands of the desperado who had
+invaded his cabin. Flanger had escaped, after he had been put on board
+of the flag-ship, with the assistance of Galvinne; and he appeared not
+to have taken the trouble to render the same service to his confederate.
+The ships' companies of the two steamers were inclined to converse,
+giving and receiving the news; and doubtless the prisoner had taken
+advantage of the confusion to slip on board of the Bronx and secrete
+himself.
+
+His scheme, which must have been devised after he obtained admission to
+the cabin, was born of nothing less than madness, and could hardly have
+succeeded under any circumstances, though it might have ended in killing
+or disabling the commander. Christy felt that a kind Providence had
+saved him, and he rendered devout thanks for the merciful interposition,
+as it seemed to him.
+
+While he was still considering the subject, he heard the call for "All
+the port watch!" on deck, and Mr. Camden came below to wake the third
+lieutenant, for the routine was hardly in working order on board of the
+steamer. The commander went into his stateroom, and soon returned with
+the sealed envelope in his hand. He was deeply interested in its
+contents, for he hoped his vessel was ordered to take part in the
+Mississippi expedition, which was to attack Forts Jackson and St.
+Philip, and capture the city of New Orleans. Eight bells had been
+struck, indicating midnight, which was the hour at which he was directed
+to break the seal. The first lieutenant was quite as much interested in
+ascertaining the destination of the Bronx as the commander. Christy had
+invited him to his cabin.
+
+"Midnight is rather an odd time for the opening of the envelope
+containing the orders," said Mr. Flint, as he seated himself at the
+table. "But I suppose it was chosen for a purpose."
+
+"Undoubtedly; headed to the south-west the ship would be off the passes
+of the Mississippi at eight bells in the forenoon. If we are sent to
+Lake Pontchartrain or Ship Island, we should be a long way off our
+course at that time," added Christy, as he broke the seal of the
+envelope. "Neither Lake Pontchartrain nor the Mississippi. We are
+ordered to Barataria Bay, where a steamer is loading with cotton."
+
+"I did not believe a little vessel like the Bronx would be sent up
+the river," said Mr. Flint, when the commander had read the paper.
+"Barataria Bay--that locality is noted for something in history, isn't
+it, captain?"
+
+"Perhaps you have never read 'Lafitte, the Pirate of the Gulf;' but this
+bay was his famous resort," said Christy, smiling. "It was formerly
+quite as noted as a resort for smugglers, and Lafitte was more a
+smuggler than a pirate in this region. He was six feet two inches in
+height, a well educated and handsome man, so that he was a first-class
+hero for a novel of the dime class," added Christy.
+
+"I believe your late passenger in the cabin knows something about
+Barataria Bay and its surroundings, for I think I heard the Russian say
+that he had done some smuggling in this quarter," said Mr. Flint. "As
+you are doubtless aware, by a series of lakes, bayous, and a canal which
+comes out near Carrollton, just above New Orleans, water communication
+is open to the Mississippi River for small vessels."
+
+"Do you say that Captain Flanger has been a smuggler in these waters?"
+
+"I think the Russian said so."
+
+"In that case, probably Mike was with him, and he may be a useful man to
+us as a pilot," replied Christy. "The commodore says the Western Gulf
+squadron had no steamer that was suitable for this service, for there is
+only nine feet of water on the bar of Barataria at low water. For this
+reason he had been requested to send the Bronx, not only on account of
+her light draft, but of her speed."
+
+The commander read his orders through. It was believed that vessels were
+loading with cotton there, towed down in flatboats by small steamers,
+and that a steamer of four hundred tons was fitting out in the bay as a
+privateer. It might not be practicable for the Bronx to go into the bay;
+but she was to do what she could to capture the cotton vessels and the
+steamer when they came out.
+
+Mr. Flint went to his stateroom, and turned in; but Christy spread his
+chart of the Gulf of Mexico, and using his parallel ruler, he found that
+the present course of the Bronx would take her to the Pass a Loutre, the
+most northerly entrance of the Mississippi River. He went to the bridge
+at once, and directed the officer of the deck to make the course
+south-west by south. Everything was going well on deck, and Mr. Pennant
+had proved that he was a competent officer.
+
+By this time the commander began to feel that sleep was a necessity for
+him, for he had hardly rested at all the night before, and he turned in
+at two bells. He dropped asleep almost instantly, and did not wake
+till he heard eight bells in the morning. It was quite light in his
+stateroom, and he realized that it was eight o'clock, instead of four,
+as he at first supposed.
+
+Dressing himself hastily, Christy hastened on deck, and to the bridge,
+where he found Mr. Flint, who informed him that the Bronx was off the
+South Pass of the Mississippi. The fleet of the flag-officer of the
+Western Gulf squadron had gone up the river, with the exception of a
+single vessel, which had not been able to get over the bar. There were a
+few sail in sight.
+
+"We are all right on the course, Mr. Flint; now make it west," said
+Christy to the executive officer; and then went to his cabin for his
+breakfast, directing the officer of the deck to report to him when the
+steamer was off the South West Pass.
+
+When he had finished his morning meal, he proceeded to study his
+chart again. He had never been to the westward of the mouths of the
+Mississippi; but he had a chart of the entrance to Barataria Bay. He
+examined it with the greatest care, and made himself familiar with the
+bearings and distances. In about an hour after he left the deck, a
+messenger came to the door of the cabin to inform him that the South
+West Pass was in sight, bearing due north.
+
+"Make the course west north-west," said he to the first lieutenant,
+as he joined him on the bridge.
+
+"West north-west, sir," repeated the executive officer, as he gave it to
+the quartermaster at the wheel.
+
+"We shall soon be where our operations begin; but I am afraid we are to
+have a lazy time of it," added Christy, as soon as the vessel's head had
+been pointed in the direction indicated.
+
+"Why so, Captain Passford?" asked Mr. Flint.
+
+"Barataria Bay makes a big hole in the State of Louisiana, and most of
+it is shoal water. At the south of it is the Isle Grande Terre, on the
+western end of which is a fort, which commands the entire channel,"
+replied the captain.
+
+"That's bad," added Mr. Flint, shaking his head.
+
+"I have no idea of its strength; but I do not care to have the Bronx
+knocked to pieces by the big guns of a fort. The bar of Barataria and
+the shoal water of the entrance to the bay extend out about two miles
+into the Gulf. At low water, two miles from the fort, we should bury our
+keel in the mud. It looks just now as though we should have to put the
+Bronx under the guns of the fort, or simply blockade the entrance to the
+bay. That makes it look like a quiet time in these waters."
+
+"Of course the Confederates on the lower Mississippi are using all their
+resources to strengthen Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip; and they can
+make a better use of big guns and artillerymen than in defending an
+opening like this one," replied Mr. Flint.
+
+"This is not a cotton-growing region, but is given up to sugar raising,"
+added Christy. "They have to bring the cotton a long distance in order
+to ship it here."
+
+"For these reasons, I do not believe this fort is of much account."
+
+"Perhaps not; but I should not care to have the Bronx sunk by a
+columbiad in the attempt to find out the strength of the fort."
+
+"It is possible that the Russian knows something about this region,"
+suggested Mr. Flint.
+
+"I will have a talk with him," replied the commander, as he left the
+bridge.
+
+Seating himself on the quarter-deck, he sent for Michael Bornhoff, who
+presently reported to him. This man had proved himself to be entirely
+faithful and reliable; and Christy had no doubts in regard to his
+loyalty, for his race guaranteed that.
+
+"Do you know where we are bound, Mike?" asked Christy.
+
+"I know what all the crew know, for word has been passed around that we
+are bound to Barataria Bay," replied the Russian with a cheerful smile.
+
+"Were you ever there, Mike?"
+
+"Was I ever there, captain? I lived there a year!" exclaimed the
+contraband. "I was in the fishing business at that time," he added with
+a significant smile on his face.
+
+"What do you mean by that?"
+
+"We had the Magnolia over here then, and I used to go out fishing in her
+about every night," chuckled Mike. "Sometimes I did not catch any fish,
+and sometimes I caught five hundred boxes of Havana cigars. I often
+caught other kinds of fish."
+
+"You did not always eat the fish you caught," suggested Christy.
+
+"No, sir; but I used to drink some of them."
+
+"Precisely so; West India rum and wines."
+
+"Cigars mostly, sir, was the kind of fish we caught. Captain Flanger
+brought them outside the Grand Pass: I took them up to Fort Lafitte,
+and the captain's brother worked them into New Orleans and other places.
+They did a big business before the custom-house folks broke it up."
+
+"Very likely; and I dare say you know all about this region."
+
+"No doubt of that, sir."
+
+"What do you know about the fort?"
+
+"Not much, captain, for in our business we did not have anything to do
+with forts and such things," chuckled Mike. "The old quarters of the
+mechanics and laborers used to be on the Gulf shore, but they moved them
+up north of the fort, on the Grand Pass. About a mile east of the fort
+there is a big plantation."
+
+"That is all for the present, Mike," added Christy.
+
+The contraband touched his cap, for he had been rigged out in a new
+suit of seaman's clothes. The commander retired to his cabin, and again
+devoted himself to the study of the chart of the locality. His first
+purpose must be to obtain accurate information in regard to the strength
+of the fort, and the position of the steamer, if there were such a craft
+in the bay. He decided to approach the entrance by the East Channel,
+though it would not be possible for the Bronx to reach the Grand Pass
+from that direction, for there were hardly more than six feet of water
+at low tide; and the rise and fall was less than a foot and a half.
+
+He had decided upon his method of operations, and then wished again that
+he was not in command of the steamer; for the expedition he intended to
+send out was one he would have been glad to command in person, instead
+of remaining inactive on board of the Bronx. As soon as he had arranged
+his plan, he went on deck. To the astonishment of the first lieutenant,
+he changed the course of the steamer to the north, and at noon let go
+the anchor in four fathoms of water. The vessel remained there till it
+was dark, and then proceeded to the westward, sounding all the time.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVIII
+
+THE NEGRO VILLAGE ON THE ISLE GRANDE TERRE
+
+
+The commander of the Bronx had explained his plan to the first
+lieutenant. There was nothing especially perilous in the expedition to
+be sent out; and it was the policy of Christy to keep the steamer out of
+sight of the fort, and of those in the immediate vicinity of it. After
+the Bronx had been on her course about two hours, and four bells had
+just struck, the leadsman reported two fathoms. A little later eleven
+feet was the depth.
+
+"Quartermaster, strike one bell," said Christy.
+
+"One bell, sir," repeated the petty officer at the wheel.
+
+"Ten feet!" shouted the man at the lead.
+
+"Strike three bells," added the commander; and the steamer began to back
+her screw.
+
+As soon as the Bronx had lost her headway, the screw was stopped, and
+a drift lead was dropped into the water. A sharp lookout had been kept,
+and some flickering lights had been reported. The weather had become
+cloudy since noon, but there was no fog and no wind.
+
+"You will let Mr. Pennant command this expedition, Mr. Flint," said
+Christy. "He will take the first cutter, with ten men, including
+Quartermaster Vincent and Bornhoff."
+
+The third lieutenant was sent for, and his instructions were given to
+him. Mike would be his pilot, and could give him such information as he
+required in regard to the locality. He was to land in some convenient
+locality, cross the island on foot at the plantation, to Fort Lafitte,
+distant less than a mile, and ascertain if there were a steamer or other
+vessels in the bay. He was also instructed to use all means in his power
+to ascertain the strength of the fort. He was to make a landing about
+half a mile west of the plantation buildings.
+
+Within the limits of these instructions, he was to act on his own
+judgment. Mike was sent for, and further information in regard to the
+course was obtained from him. The officer was cautioned to be prudent,
+and not fall into any traps. If he discovered that there was a steamer
+in the bay, and that the fort was not heavily armed, he was to burn a
+red roman candle as a signal to the Bronx, which would proceed to the
+southward, and then enter the Grand Pass by the deepest water.
+
+"Where are the negro quarters of this plantation, Mike?" asked Mr.
+Pennant.
+
+"Just west of the big house, sir," replied the Russian.
+
+"I don't know exactly where we are now, Captain Passford," said the
+officer of the expedition.
+
+"We lie about south of what Mike calls the big house, a mile and a half
+distant from it. Make the boat's course north north-west, and you will
+strike the shore about half way between the planter's house and the
+fort. But when you get near enough to see both of them, you can land
+where you think best," Christy explained.
+
+The boat's crew had already lowered the first cutter into the water. The
+oars were muffled, for the chances were that no one in the vicinity of
+the plantation had discovered the presence of the Bronx, and it was not
+advisable to alarm the people. Vincent acted as cockswain of the boat,
+while the Russian, as most of the officers and men insisted upon calling
+him, was seated in the stern sheets with the third lieutenant. The eight
+men at the oars formed the rest of the crew.
+
+"I don't believe you will find many hands down here, Mr. Pennant," said
+Mike in a whisper.
+
+"What do you mean by hands?" asked the officer.
+
+"Laborers, niggers," replied the Russian.
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"I expect they have sent all the strong ones up to work on the
+fortifications."
+
+"Shall we find no one at the negro quarters?" asked the lieutenant with
+interest.
+
+"Only the women and the old hands, too old to do much work."
+
+"Can you make out where you are, Mike?" inquired Mr. Pennant, after
+about half a mile had been made.
+
+"I can just see the fort and the big house. It is not so very dark
+to-night," answered the Russian.
+
+The course was believed to be correct for the point indicated by the
+captain, and in less than half an hour the boat grounded; but the shore
+was bold enough to enable the men to land. Mr. Pennant went to the
+forward part of the boat and took a careful look all around him. All was
+as silent as a tomb. Stepping into the fore-sheets, he leaped on shore,
+directing the Russian to follow him.
+
+"Vincent, you will remain in charge of the boat and the men," said the
+third lieutenant, addressing the quartermaster. "I will explore the
+island with Mike. I have the fireworks with me, and you will keep a
+sharp lookout in the direction of the fort. If you see a light close to
+the water, make for it as fast as you can. Do you understand me?"
+
+"Perfectly, Mr. Pennant."
+
+"But you need not expect any signal for a couple of hours, or even
+three. If we get into trouble, we shall retreat upon the boat direct;
+so keep your eyes wide open."
+
+The officer led the way up the shore, and the rows of sugar-cane
+extended almost to the water. They could make out the little village of
+negro cabins which lay between them and the planter's house, and they
+directed their steps towards it. It was but a short walk, and they soon
+reached the lane that extended between the rows of huts.
+
+The lieutenant took his two revolvers from his hip pockets, and examined
+them as well as he could in the dark, and Mike did the same, for it was
+necessary to be prepared for whatever might happen. The village was as
+silent as though it were entirely deserted; but it was nearly midnight,
+and doubtless they were asleep in the cabins. They entered one. It was
+still and dark within the house. Mr. Pennant had brought with him a
+small lantern, which he lighted where the glare of the match could not
+be seen; but it revealed nothing to the inquirers.
+
+Covering the lantern so that its light could not be seen, they followed
+the lane between the two rows of cabins for some distance farther, and
+then entered another. Like the first, it was deserted. They crossed to
+the other side of the avenue, where they saw some signs that the cabin
+was inhabited. Uncovering his lantern, Mr. Pennant threw the light upon
+the interior. It contained two beds, and each of them was occupied by
+two persons. In one were two silvered heads to be seen, while the other
+displayed two heads that appeared to belong to women.
+
+"Shut the door, Mike," said the officer, in order to prevent the light
+from being seen.
+
+"I think I know one of the old men," added the Russian as he returned
+from the door, "Shall I wake him up?"
+
+"Yes; but don't frighten him," replied Mr. Pennant.
+
+"Uncle Job," said Mike, placing his hand on the shoulder of the sleeper
+on the side of the bed nearest to him.
+
+The head and hair of the old colored man were peculiar enough to enable
+the Russian to identify him if he had ever seen him even once before.
+His mouth was twisted to one side either naturally or by some injury,
+and his kinky hair made him look as though he carried a great bale of
+cotton on the top of his head. He opened his eyes when Mike shook him
+gently, and looked at the two men at the side of his bed with a
+wondering rather than an alarmed expression.
+
+"Who dar?" inquired the negro.
+
+"Good-morning, Uncle Job," replied Mike, taking the hand of the aged
+colored person. "How is your health?"
+
+"Don't hab no healf, massa," replied Job, gazing earnestly at the
+intruder upon his slumbers.
+
+"Don't you know me, Uncle Job?"
+
+"'Pears like I do; I reckon you's Massa Cap'n Flanger."
+
+"Not exactly; but I'm his man, Mike Bornhoff."
+
+"Jes' so; you was born ob de debbil," replied the old negro, rising in
+his bed, and showing all his remaining teeth in an expansive smile.
+
+"He remembers me," said Mike turning to the lieutenant. "We have struck
+the right man. But he don't mean that I am any wickeder than the rest of
+the world. I used to be called here by my last name, and Job invented
+the pun he has just used."
+
+"Why do you say that we have struck the right man, Mike?" asked Mr.
+Pennant, caring little for the former relations of the two men.
+
+"Because, though he don't look it, he is the best posted nigger in these
+parts. He is the wise man among his people, and a sort of leader among
+them, and fetich man besides."
+
+"All right; get him up if you can. Is he able to walk?"
+
+"He is as tough as a he-bear, and can walk a hundred miles on a
+stretch," replied Mike. "He knows everything that is going on in these
+times."
+
+The lieutenant had covered his lantern, for he did not wish to wake the
+other sleepers in the cabin, after the description the Russian had given
+of his man. Mike spoke in a low tone to him, and it did not take him
+long to make his toilet, for he slept just as he was clothed during
+the day. No one knew how old he was, but he was still brisk in his
+movements. The officer led the way to one of the deserted cabins at a
+considerable distance from the one occupied by Uncle Job.
+
+No one was stirring in the vicinity, and the silence was as profound
+as death itself. Not a word was said till they reached the cabin the
+officer had selected, and when they had entered, he closed the door
+behind them. The lantern was unveiled, and the lieutenant seated himself
+upon a block of timber, of which there were several in the room.
+
+"Now, Uncle Job, I want you to answer some questions," Mr. Pennant
+began.
+
+"'Pose I don't answer 'em?" suggested the negro.
+
+"Then I shall put you in irons, and take you on board of the steamer,"
+added the officer sternly.
+
+"De steamer! wot's de steamer? Is't a Yankee gumboat?" demanded Uncle
+Job, opening his eyes with wonder and astonishment.
+
+"That's just what it is."
+
+"Den I gib you all de answers you want," replied the negro with a
+cheerful smile. "Whar de gumboat?"
+
+"She is off the shore not far from here. Now you will answer my
+questions. There is a fort here?"
+
+"Yes, sar; ober dar," he replied, pointing to the west.
+
+"How many men are there at the fort?"
+
+"Only twenty, sar; all gone ober to New Orleans, sar."
+
+"How many guns has it? I mean big guns, Uncle Job?"
+
+"I done count only four ob dem w'en I was dar last time."
+
+"Only four!" exclaimed Mr. Pennant. "Are you telling me the truth, Uncle
+Job?"
+
+"I neber spoke noffin but the truf, Massa Ossifer."
+
+"Are those four very large,--long as this cabin is wide?" asked the
+lieutenant with interest.
+
+"No, sar!" exclaimed Job with energy.
+
+"But they must have had very big guns."
+
+"Yes, sar; but dey done tote 'em all ober to de Mis'sip Riber."
+
+This seemed to be reasonable to the lieutenant, and in accordance
+with the belief of his superiors on board of the Bronx, for no Union
+man-of-war of any size could pass through the water courses to the great
+river. It looked as though the big guns had been replaced with those of
+smaller calibre.
+
+Mr. Pennant put out the light in his lantern, and the party started to
+cross the island.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIX
+
+A PROFESSIONAL VISIT TO THE FORT
+
+
+Mr. Pennant had some doubts about the correctness of the important
+information he had obtained, but he was at a loss to know how to verify
+it. It was a matter of course that sentinels patrolled the vicinity of
+the fort, or at least the principal approach to it. He decided to
+postpone his inquiry into this matter till a later hour of the night or
+morning.
+
+"Whar you gwine, Massa Ossifer?" asked Uncle Job, after they had walked
+a short distance from the negro village.
+
+"Over to the other side of the island," replied the lieutenant.
+
+"Wot you gwine to do ober dar, massa?"
+
+"I want to see what there is over there."
+
+"Dis nigger kin told you wot dar is over dar."
+
+"Well, what is there over there?"
+
+"Dar's a steamer ober dar, an' I speck de Yankee gumboat's gwine in
+dar to look arter dat steamer," said Uncle Job, chuckling as though he
+enjoyed the prospect of such an event. "Say, Massa Ossifer, is Massa
+Linkum in yore gumboat?"
+
+"Not exactly; but she is well filled with his people," replied Mr.
+Pennant, laughing.
+
+"I done wish dat Massa Linkum come down here hisself," added the
+venerable colored person.
+
+"He can hardly spare the time to do that; his business is such that he
+cannot leave," replied the lieutenant, much amused at the simplicity of
+the negro. "Now tell me something more about this steamer in the bay.
+How big is she?"
+
+"I can't told you 'zackly, massa; she as big as de fort."
+
+"Where did she come from?" asked the lieutenant, who had more confidence
+in the honesty than in the intelligence of Job.
+
+"I dunno, massa; but she done come in from de sea. When she git off dar
+two mile she done stick in de mud," answered the negro, pointing in the
+direction of the bar. "Den de little steamers from up the bay take off
+de loadin', and she done come in."
+
+"With what was she loaded?"
+
+"All sorts o' tings, massa; guns, and pistols, and close. Dis nigger
+help take de tings out ob her."
+
+"What is she doing now in the bay?"
+
+"Loadin' wid cotton de steamers fotch down."
+
+"Where does she lie now?"
+
+"Jes' off de ole Fort Lafitte, whar de water's deep."
+
+In less than half an hour the party reached the locality indicated by
+Job. The officer could see the steamer which looked, in the gloom of the
+night, as though she was a craft of about five hundred tons. She was
+moored in the deep water so far in that she could not be seen by vessels
+in the offing. On each side of her was a small river steamer, and she
+seemed not to have completed her cargo.
+
+"Do you know the name of that steamer, Uncle Job," inquired Mr. Pennant.
+
+"Yes, sar; I knows it like my own name, but I can't spoke it if I die
+for't," answered Job, laughing.
+
+"Try to do so."
+
+"No use, Massa Ossifer; dis nigger don't hab teef enough to do dat."
+
+"Can't you spell it?"
+
+"No, sar; can't spell noffin."
+
+But Job was very obliging, and he made a hissing sound, followed by an
+effort to sneeze which was a failure. Then he hissed some more, though
+the loss of his front teeth interfered with the effort. Then he said
+"fing."
+
+"I know what he means," interposed the Russian. "I know that steamer,
+for she came in at Cedar Keys when I was there. He means the Sphinx."
+
+"Dat's it, Massa Ossifer!" exclaimed Job, apparently delighted to find
+that he had made himself understood.
+
+"Has she any big guns?"
+
+"Yes, sar; she done h'ist two out ob her innards, and done took two more
+from de fort."
+
+"All right; I think we understand the situation up here," said Mr.
+Pennant, as he led the way in the direction from which they had come.
+
+They returned to the negro village, for the commander of the expedition
+did not feel as though he had yet finished his mission on shore.
+
+"Mind yore eye, Massa Gumboat!" exclaimed Job, in a low tone, but with
+great earnestness.
+
+"Dar's somebody comin' from de fort! He's comin' mighty quick shore."
+
+The negro hurried the officer and Mike into one of the cabins, and
+shoved them into a sort of closet, while he went to the door himself. He
+passed out into the lane, as the man came into it from the middle of the
+field, for he had not been near enough to the shore to discover the
+boat.
+
+"Who dar?" called Job.
+
+"Soldier from the fort," replied the man. "What are you doing out here
+at this time of night?"
+
+"I done get sick, massa, and I's gwine up to de big house to see de
+doctor," replied the negro, who probably used the first excuse that came
+into his head.
+
+"The doctor!" exclaimed the soldier. "Is there a doctor there?"
+
+"I reckon dar's one dar if he done habn't leabe yisterday."
+
+"Then you can do my errand for me," added the soldier.
+
+"Yes, sar; what's dat, massa?"
+
+"One of our men is very sick, and we have no doctor. We are afraid he
+will die before morning, and we want a doctor. Ours was ordered off a
+week ago."
+
+"I go for de doctor if he's dar," said Job.
+
+"Very well; I will go back and tell the sick man the doctor's coming,"
+added the soldier. "That will give him a hope, if nothing more."
+
+"Dis nigger's 'feered de doctor done gone away."
+
+"If he isn't there, we can't have him; but hurry up, Uncle Job, and come
+over and tell us if he isn't there," said the soldier, as he hurried
+away as rapidly as he came, evidently believing that hope was a panacea
+to a sick man.
+
+As the soldier did not offer to come into the cabin, Mr. Pennant had
+come out of his hiding-place, and had heard all that was said by the
+soldier, even while he was in concealment.
+
+"Is there any doctor at the big house?" asked the lieutenant as soon as
+Job entered the house.
+
+"No, sar; all de family done leave, an' was gwine to New Orleans. Arter
+a while I go to de fort and tell de sodgers the doctor done gone,"
+replied Job.
+
+"I will go with you, Uncle Job," added Mr. Pennant quietly.
+
+"You, Massa Gumboat!" cried the negro. "De sodgers put de bagonet frou
+your crop like a knife frou a pullet's froat!"
+
+"Not if you tell them I am the doctor," added the lieutenant.
+
+"De doctor! Be you a doctor, sar?"
+
+"I have done something in the business, and perhaps I can cure the man
+who is sick, if they have the proper medicine," added the officer.
+
+"Dey hab de medicine at de big house."
+
+"Can you get into it?"
+
+"Yes, sar; de oberseer's sick abed, and dis nigger go right in like
+massa hisself," replied Job, as he led the way in the direction of the
+planter's house.
+
+The Russian was sent to the boat to await the return of the lieutenant;
+but he was instructed not to open his mouth to his shipmates in regard
+to what had been done on the island. Job found a way to get into the big
+house, and conducted the officer to the dispensary, where he had so
+often gone for remedies for his ailments. He found what he wanted, and
+then he felt reasonably certain that he should make a success of his
+professional visit to the soldier. He took several small bottles of
+medicines in addition to the particular one upon which he depended.
+
+Job conducted him to the fort, which was over a mile distant. The
+lieutenant was not dressed in his uniform with the shoulder straps,
+though he had procured one from the store ship at the station; but he
+had adjusted his garments to the needs of the occasion, so that, if
+captured he could hardly be recognized as a Union officer. But he had
+his navy revolvers in his hip pockets, though they were covered by the
+skirts of the frock coat he wore, for he had borrowed this garment of
+the surgeon.
+
+At the principal entrance of the fort they were challenged by the
+sentinel. Mr. Pennant was somewhat afraid his northern dialect would
+betray him, for he was not a highly educated man, though he was
+exceedingly well informed in all matters pertaining to the duties of
+a shipmaster.
+
+"Stand! Who comes there?" said the sentinel.
+
+"Friends," replied the lieutenant.
+
+"Advance, friends, and give the countersign!"
+
+"We have no countersign to give."
+
+"Who are you?" demanded the soldier.
+
+"Dr. Waterton," answered Mr. Pennant, giving the first name that came
+into his head, for the medical title was the essential thing.
+
+"All right, doctor; I have been directed to admit you. Pass in, sir."
+
+Job was familiar with the interior of the fort, and he led the way; but
+before they had crossed the parade, the soldier who had gone for the
+doctor came to them, and conducted them to a casemate, where the sick
+soldier was still suffering terrible pains.
+
+"Lieutenant Fourchon, this is the doctor; but I do not know his name,"
+said the soldier.
+
+"Dr. Waterton," added Mr. Pennant.
+
+"I am glad to see you, Dr. Waterton, for I have exhausted all my
+remedies," said Lieutenant Fourchon. "I was not born to be a doctor.
+The patient seems to be no better."
+
+"It does not look like a very bad case," added the doctor, finding it
+necessary to say something, as he felt the pulse of the sufferer.
+
+Though the lieutenant of the Bronx was not a physician, he was not
+altogether a pretender, for in the capacity of mate and temporary
+commander, he had done duty in the healing art in the absence of a more
+skilful person.
+
+"A glass of water and a teaspoon," said he to the soldier-nurse; and
+they were promptly brought to him.
+
+The doctor took from his pocket a small bottle of chloroform he had
+obtained from the big house, and dropped a quantity of it into the
+teaspoon. Mixing it with a little water in a glass, he gave it to the
+patient, who swallowed it quickly in spite of its burning taste.
+
+"Now a piece of flannel," added the doctor.
+
+Upon this when it was brought he dropped a quantity of the chloroform,
+and applied it to the seat of the pain. In a moment the soldier cried
+out against the burning heat of the remedy; but the practitioner
+insisted that it should remain a while longer. But he relieved him of
+it in a short time.
+
+"How do you feel?" asked the doctor.
+
+"Better; a great deal better," replied the patient.
+
+In fact, in less than an hour he said he was entirely relieved from the
+severe pain. He was very grateful to the doctor, whom no one suspected
+of being a Yankee gunboat officer.
+
+"I had the same thing once before, and I was sure I should die with it
+this time," said the sick soldier, "It lasted me all night and part of
+the next day the other time."
+
+"I am afraid you did not have a very skilful doctor at that time,"
+replied the practitioner with a smile.
+
+Lieutenant Fourchon pressed the hand of the doctor, and left the
+casemate with him.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXX
+
+THE ATTACK UPON THE FORT
+
+
+The Confederate officer was evidently of French descent; at any rate, he
+was very polite. He expressed his obligations to the supposed physician
+for the service he had rendered in very earnest terms. Mr. Pennant had
+been able to see that there were no guns in the casemates of the fort,
+and this was really all he wanted to know.
+
+"All your guns seem to be mounted outside," said the naval officer as he
+halted on the parade.
+
+"Yes, sir; most of the guns have been removed to points where they can
+be used to greater advantage than here. The few we have are twenty-four
+pounders, mounted _en barbette_," replied Lieutenant Fourchon. "The fort
+is practically abandoned; and in a short time will be entirely so, for
+the enemy's ships of war can do no harm here, and there is not water
+enough above to permit their passage into the Mississippi."
+
+"But the fort can protect your vessels in the bay," suggested the
+lieutenant of the Bronx.
+
+"The shoal water is the best protection for the small steamers that ply
+on these inside waters; and the Yankee gunboats can take all others as
+they come out. The entrance to the bay has not been regularly blockaded,
+for there has been little occasion to do so thus far."
+
+Mr. Pennant had learned all he wanted to know, and from the parade he
+could see even in the darkness that only four guns were mounted on the
+works. He began to feel in a hurry to carry out the remainder of the
+programme assigned to him. He took the hand of the Confederate officer
+when he reached the point where Uncle Job was waiting for him, bade him
+good-morning, and left the fort.
+
+"How's de sick man, Massa Gumboat?" asked the old negro, chuckling as
+though he appreciated the stroke of strategy made by his companion.
+
+"He is better; in fact, he was about well when I left him," replied
+the practitioner. "But I have no more time to waste," added he, as he
+quickened his pace, moving in the direction of the shore.
+
+The day was beginning to break in the east, and he was afraid the
+commander of the Bronx would become uneasy in regard to him. The
+quarters of the soldiers were passed, though they were not in use, and
+the shore reached. The lieutenant thanked the guide for the service he
+had rendered, and told him he could go back to his cabin, and finish his
+night's sleep.
+
+"No, sar; see you frou, Massa Gumboat," replied Job.
+
+"Do you wish to leave this place, Uncle Job?" asked the officer.
+
+"No, sar; I want to be free, but I'm not gwine away, I want to see de
+gumboat."
+
+"You shall see it, and go on board of it if you wish; but we may have a
+battle with the fort."
+
+"Don't care for de fight, sar; Job isn't 'feered o' noffin'."
+
+It was less than halt a mile to the cutter, and they soon reached it.
+The Russian was standing on the shore, and most of the men were asleep
+on the thwarts, though Vincent was wide awake. Mike recognized the form
+of the old negro, and reported that the lieutenant was coming.
+
+"Now burn your roman candle, and let us get off as soon as possible,"
+said Mr. Pennant. "Bowman, help this man to a seat in the stern sheets;"
+and he assisted Uncle Job to get in himself.
+
+The men passed him along over the thwarts, and seated him in the stern.
+Vincent burned the red candle himself, and it cast a fiery glare over
+the scene, which must have astonished the occupants of the fort if they
+saw it. As soon as it had burned out, the quartermaster leaped over the
+stem of the cutter, and made his way to the stern, where he jumped over
+the backboard, and took his place at the tiller ropes. The cutter was
+backed off the ground, and out into the deeper water.
+
+"Up oars! Let fall!" said Mr. Pennant. "Stern, all! Give way!"
+
+The cutter backed rapidly from the shore, and was then brought about.
+The lieutenant stood up in his place, and could just distinguish the
+Bronx, a mile and a half distant, in the gloom of the early morning. He
+watched her a few minutes and soon saw her swing around, and head to the
+south-east.
+
+"Make the course about south, Vincent," said the officer, as soon as he
+discovered that the steamer was in motion.
+
+"South, sir," replied the quartermaster.
+
+"Now, give way with a will, my men!" called Mr. Pennant in brisk tones,
+"for we shall soon have a twenty-four pound shot chasing us out."
+
+When the cutter was about half a mile from the shore, making it about
+three-quarters of a mile from the fort, the peal of a cannon was heard,
+and a puff of smoke could be seen as it rose on the clear, starred sky,
+for the clouds had rolled away during the night. The shot dropped into
+the water a short distance abreast of the cutter.
+
+"Good!" exclaimed Mr. Pennant; and this was the first time he had ever
+been under fire, though he had imagined it enough to feel entirely at
+home.
+
+Another shot followed the first, and dropped into the water; and if it
+had gone fifty feet farther, it would have struck the boat.
+
+"Good again!" exclaimed the lieutenant. "I think that is about the range
+of those guns."
+
+A third shot fell a little nearer the cutter; but it was evident enough
+that it was out of the reach of the feeble guns of the fort. The firing
+continued but a few minutes longer, for it was as plain to Lieutenant
+Fourchon as to Lieutenant Pennant that the shots were harmless to the
+boat. The commander on shore could see by this time, if he had not
+before, that a gunboat was in the offing, and that he might soon have
+a better use for his powder than wasting it upon the boat.
+
+The lieutenant had closely watched the movements of the Bronx. He had
+made the signal that the fort was not very dangerous to the well-being
+of the gunboat, and he understood her present movement. The light was
+increasing, and the Bronx could be distinctly seen, headed to the
+south-east, or in other words, making for the deep water outside the
+bar. Mr. Pennant still kept the cutter headed to the south.
+
+The steamer went off till she looked very much smaller, and then changed
+her course to the south-west. The lieutenant in the cutter ordered the
+bowman to sound with the small hand lead, after he had brought the boat
+to a full stop. The man reported eight feet. The head of the boat was
+then turned to the west, and the crew ordered to give way. In a quarter
+of an hour more the course was checked, and the bowman directed to sound
+again. Sixteen feet was reported.
+
+Mr. Pennant stood up in the stern sheets, and gazed in the direction of
+the fort. On the shore of the Grand Pass, above the fort, were three
+buildings, formerly occupied by mechanics and laborers. The sailing
+directions for entering the bay were to bring the fronts of these
+structures in range, and proceed for a time on the course indicated.
+Mr. Pennant had obtained this bearing after he had backed the boat a few
+feet. The depth of water then informed him that he was in the channel.
+
+But he had no intention of again approaching the fort, and he headed the
+boat to the south-east, or nearly so, and then ordered the men to give
+way. He called the attention of the coxswain to the range, and directed
+him to keep it. The bowman was required to keep the lead going all the
+time.
+
+"Ten and a half feet!" reported the bowman.
+
+"That is the shoalest we shall get," added the officer.
+
+The crew had been ordered to ease off, and the cutter moved very slowly.
+A quarter of an hour later the sounding was ten and three-quarters feet.
+The next report was fourteen feet, and then no bottom at twenty feet.
+The Bronx was approaching the boat with full steam, and stopped her
+screw a short distance from the cutter. In a few moments more the boat
+was at the davits, and the commander of the expedition reported to
+Captain Passford.
+
+"What have you here, Mr. Pennant?" asked the commander with a smile,
+as he pointed to Uncle Job, who seemed to be as bashful as a young girl,
+and utterly confounded by what he saw on the deck of the Bronx.
+
+"That is Uncle Job, Captain Passford," replied the lieutenant. "He has
+been of very great service to me, and he enables me to make a very full
+report to you, sir. This is the captain of the gunboat, Uncle Job," he
+added to the negro.
+
+The old man had no hat to touch or take off, for the mass of hair was a
+sufficient protection to his head; but he bowed almost to the deck, and
+was too timid to say a single word.
+
+"I am very glad to see you, Uncle Job," said Christy, taking the hand of
+the venerable colored person. "I thank you for the service rendered to
+my officer. Now, Mr. Pennant, you will come to my cabin and make your
+report. Bring Uncle Job with you."
+
+As soon as he reached the cabin, Christy brought from his stateroom
+twenty dollars in gold, which he presented to the old negro, who
+accepted the gift with many thanks.
+
+"Dave," called the captain.
+
+"Here, sir," replied the steward, coming into the cabin and gazing with
+astonishment at the negro. "This man has done a good work; take care of
+him, give him a good breakfast, and see that no one insults him."
+
+As soon as the steward had taken him to the steerage, Mr. Pennant
+made his report in full, even to the number and calibre of the guns at
+the fort, and including the cure he had wrought upon the Confederate
+soldier. Christy was amused at this last part of the narrative; but he
+had no time to waste in conversation.
+
+The screw of the Bronx was started again. Though the Russian was a pilot
+over the bar, his services were not needed as such. The first cutter had
+kept the range of the buildings on the island, and Mr. Flint had already
+picked it up. The steamer proceeded at less than half speed, but the
+tide was at its highest. By this time it was seven o'clock in the
+morning, for a great deal of the time had been used up in moving the
+cutter and the steamer. Breakfast had been served to all hands, and
+Christy had fortified his stomach for a busy forenoon. As the Bronx
+proceeded on her course, the lead going all the time, making not more
+than two knots an hour, the report of a gun was heard from the fort.
+
+"They are awake there," said Christy with a smile to the first
+lieutenant, and both of them watched for the fall of the shot, which
+struck the water at least a quarter of a mile ahead of the vessel. "Beat
+to quarters, Mr. Flint."
+
+The strength of the Bronx was mainly in her heavy midship gun. The
+commander had ascertained the range of the twenty-four pounder barbette
+guns of the fort, and made his calculations accordingly. He could batter
+down the masonry of the works at his leisure, if he chose to waste his
+time and ammunition in that way; but the Confederates proposed to
+abandon the fort, and it would not pay to destroy it.
+
+"Fourteen and a half feet!" shouted the leadsman.
+
+"That will do, Mr. Flint; stop her, and let go the anchor. Get out a
+spring astern and make it fast to that buoy," said the commander.
+
+In ten minutes more the Bronx quivered under the discharge of the great
+midship gun, and a cloud of smoke rose above her deck.
+
+"Good for you, Mr. Ambleton!" exclaimed Christy, a few seconds later,
+when he saw the wreck of one of the twenty-four pounders on the fort.
+
+This result was followed by emphatic cheers from the forty-five men on
+deck.
+
+"I can do that again, Captain Passford," replied the gunner, who was in
+charge of the piece.
+
+"Do it, then," added Christy.
+
+He did not do quite as well every time, but in two hours there was not a
+gun in place on the barbette of the fort.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXI
+
+A WOUNDED COMMANDER
+
+
+The fort had become harmless so far as the use of its guns was
+concerned; but the channel of the Grand Pass was hardly a quarter of a
+mile in width, and even twenty soldiers with muskets could pick off the
+men on the deck of the Bronx. Christy's orders required him to capture
+the steamer that was fitting out in the bay, and he intended to do it.
+The order to weigh the anchor and cast off the spring was given, and the
+commander sent for the chief engineer.
+
+"We are within a mile of the fort, Mr. Sampson, and I mean to run by it.
+We shall be exposed to the fire of musketry for about half a mile, and
+the quicker we make this distance, the less the danger to the men," said
+the commander, when the engineer presented himself. "We will not get
+under way till you have all the steam you need to give the steamer her
+best speed."
+
+"I understand the situation perfectly, Captain Passford, and I will
+report when we are ready to go ahead in the manner you desire," replied
+Mr. Sampson, as he saluted the captain and hastened below.
+
+"The officer in command of that fort is not idle," said Mr. Flint, who
+had been using his glass very industriously since the firing ceased.
+"The soldiers are busy setting up the guns again, or some of them."
+
+"We will soon stop that," added Christy. "Give them another shot from
+the midship gun, Mr. Flint."
+
+The gunner was again fortunate in his aim, and it was seen that the
+solid shot cleaned off the carriage upon which the soldiers were at
+work. With the aid of the glass it was found that two of the men had
+been killed or wounded. The work on that gun was suspended, but the
+officer could be seen in the act of directing his force to another of
+the barbette pieces.
+
+"That lieutenant is a brave man," said Mr. Pennant, "and I know he is a
+gentleman."
+
+"I am only sorry that he is fighting on the wrong side," added Christy,
+as he observed the earnestness of the officer in the discharge of his
+duty. "Is he an old man?"
+
+"No, sir; I don't believe he is over twenty, if he is that," replied the
+third lieutenant.
+
+Another solid shot sped on its way, and Mr. Ambleton, the gunner, fully
+justified the reputation he had earned, though the missile only ploughed
+up the earth in front of the party on the fort. But then Lieutenant
+Fourchon proved that he was a wise and a prudent man, as well as a brave
+one, for he retreated from the exposed position with his men. It was
+almost sure death for them to remain there, for they could not help
+seeing the cloud of smoke that rose from the funnel of the Bronx,
+indicating her intention to go up the Pass.
+
+"Mr. Sampson directs me to report that he is ready to proceed," said a
+messenger from the chief engineer.
+
+Quartermaster Vincent was placed in charge of the wheel, with Boxie as
+helmsman. All that could be done to protect the pilot-house had been
+done, though it was not yet supposed to be proof against the musket ball
+that would be fired in that direction. All the men not absolutely needed
+for duty were sent below, but they were armed with revolvers and
+cutlasses, ready for service at any instant. The officers retired from
+the bridge, for it was folly for any one to be unnecessarily exposed to
+the musketry fire from the loopholes of the fort.
+
+"Strike one bell, Vincent!" said Mr. Flint, when the captain had given
+him the order to go ahead.
+
+The steamer went ahead slowly; but the steam was hissing, and she seemed
+to be as impatient as a fiery horse at the slow starting.
+
+"Four bells, Mr. Flint!" added the commander when the Bronx was fairly
+under way.
+
+The order went to the quartermaster, and the vessel began to dart ahead
+as though she fully realized what was expected of her. There was nothing
+to impede her progress, for the fort was as silent as though it had
+ceased to exist. A trusty hand was heaving the lead in the fore-chains,
+for the Bronx was not yet within musket-shot range of the island.
+
+"Mark under water three!" shouted the leadsman, with an earnestness
+inspired by the occasion.
+
+Christy planked the deck with Mr. Flint just abaft the foremast. Both of
+them were as cool and self-possessed as though they had been sitting at
+the cabin-table; but neither of them felt that the battle had been won,
+for the officer in command of the fort was evidently a man of ability,
+who had not yet exhausted his resources. The first lieutenant had
+watched the works very closely with his glass, and he had informed the
+captain that something was in progress there, though he could not tell
+what it was.
+
+Christy certainly felt very anxious, and he could not help asking
+himself whether or not he was engaged in a foolhardy enterprise in
+attacking the fort. His orders related only to the steamer that was
+loading in the bay, and he had been warned in his instructions to take
+the fort into consideration in his operations. He felt that he had given
+proper attention to the fort, inasmuch as he had disabled all its guns.
+He might have simply blockaded the entrance to the Pass; but he might
+have stayed in the offing a month before she ventured to come out. He
+was still willing to believe that he had not overstepped his orders.
+
+"And a quarter three!" cried the leadsman.
+
+"Make the course north-west, Mr. Flint," said Christy, following the
+sailing directions with a proper allowance for the tide. "No more
+sounding; send the man below. We shall have from three to seven fathoms
+of water till we have passed the fort."
+
+The Bronx continued to dart ahead at her best speed, and no sound came
+from the fort. It was only a question of minutes now before the steamer
+reached a point inside of the island where she could accomplish her
+mission by the capture of the Sphinx. The officers remained on deck, but
+they were protected by the bulwarks, the masts, and especially under the
+shelter of the top-gallant forecastle. Christy had earnestly warned the
+second and third lieutenants not to expose themselves needlessly to the
+musketry of the fort, and Mr. Flint was discreet enough to need no such
+warning.
+
+"Soldiers on the fort, sir!" shouted Vincent, when the Bronx was within
+less than a quarter of a mile of the works.
+
+Christy and the first lieutenant sprang from the shelter where they had
+been waiting the passage of the fort, and rushed up the steps to the
+bridge. The commander of the force on shore, with half a dozen men, was
+at work on one of the guns on the barbette; but it was impossible to
+make out what they were doing. Then there was a flash, a cloud of
+smoke went up, and a shot crashed into the deck directly under the
+pilot-house, tearing up the planks, and disappearing in the space below.
+
+"Wheel disabled, sir!" shouted the quartermaster.
+
+"Beat to quarters, Mr. Flint!" said Christy, trying to make out what
+mischief had been done by the shot; but he could only see that it had
+cut the wheel ropes.
+
+"Strike two bells, Vincent!" he called to the quartermaster.
+
+By this time the executive officer had beat the crew to quarters, and
+every man was at his station.
+
+"Strike three bells, Vincent," continued the commander. "Mr. Flint, open
+fire upon the fort with the midship gun. Have the carpenter report at
+once on the damage done by that shot. Strike two bells, Vincent."
+
+It was plain enough to all the officers and men that the commander
+knew what to do in the emergency, and every one was energetic in the
+discharge of his duty. Mr. Ambleton was fully alive to the peril of the
+moment, and he was careful to make his aim sure with the great gun. It
+had been loaded before with a solid shot, and presently the steamer was
+shaken to her keel by the concussion of its discharge.
+
+Christy was still on the bridge, and he watched with intense interest
+the effect of the shot. In a moment he saw the carriage of the only gun
+that seemed to be mounted on the barbette flying in pieces in every
+direction. He directed the gunner to use a shell next time; but the
+soldiers had hastened away from the place, bearing with them two of
+their companions, doubtless wounded by the splinters.
+
+"Let go the anchor, Mr. Flint!" shouted Christy.
+
+This was done under the direction of Mr. Camden. A fresh breeze had
+sprung up from the north-west, and the Bronx came up to the cable still
+headed in the direction of her former course. The carpenter reported
+that the shot had passed out at the side between decks, and that he had
+plugged the hole. The third lieutenant was busy rigging new wheel ropes,
+which he said would be ready in half an hour. Mr. Flint, at the order
+of the captain, had manned the broadside guns, and loaded them with
+shrapnel, for the most perilous part of the enterprise was yet to come.
+
+The fort was silent. It was evident now that the commander of the little
+garrison had not left the barbette before till he had prepared at least
+one of his guns for further service; but it had again been disabled, and
+it was not known on board of the steamer whether or not he had any other
+gun fit for use. It was presumed that he had not, for the Bronx was
+within easy cannon shot of his works. Christy used the glass, but could
+not discover any gun that appeared to be mounted.
+
+"All ready, Mr. Flint," reported the third lieutenant, when he had
+completed the repairs on the steering gear.
+
+The first lieutenant inspected the work, and reported to the captain,
+who immediately ordered him to weigh the anchor. The chief engineer had
+been directed to be ready to proceed, and the steam was hissing with a
+merry music. The midship gun was of no service now, and Mr. Flint had
+been directed to keep up a steady fire with the broadside guns at the
+embrasures of the fort as soon as the Bronx was in range.
+
+Again the steamer darted ahead at a speed which would soon carry her
+beyond the reach of the musket ball of the soldiers. Christy still
+remained upon the bridge, observing the fort and all that was done on
+the deck of the Bronx. He directed his glass frequently at the barbette
+of the fort; but the prudent commander of the garrison had evidently
+concluded to confine his efforts to the casemates. At least one-fourth
+of his men had been disabled.
+
+"Open with the broadside guns, Mr. Flint!" called Christy, as the Bronx
+came abreast of the works.
+
+As he spoke, Boxie dropped in his place at the wheel, and Vincent
+grasped the spokes. The blood was streaming down the face of the old
+man, and he did not move after he fell. Two sailors bore him below; but
+the surgeon promptly declared that he was dead.
+
+The rattle of musketry became quite sharp, and the bullets were
+penetrating the bulwarks. Two had been wounded at one of the guns, and
+carried below. Christy stepped over to the end of the bridge to call a
+hand to take the place of Boxie, and at that moment he felt a sharp
+sting, as it were, in his right arm, above the elbow. Involuntarily he
+raised his hand to the place, and felt the warm blood oozing from the
+wound. It produced a momentary faintness; but he braced himself up, and
+wound his handkerchief around his arm, calling upon the wheelman to tie
+it, as he hastened to the aid of Vincent. He said not a word about the
+accident.
+
+The Bronx dashed upon her course, and in a moment more she was out of
+the reach of the balls from the muskets. Half a mile farther up the
+Pass, the captain ordered Vincent to strike two bells. The Sphinx was
+in sight, not half a mile distant, with a small steamer on each side of
+her. Doubtless her captain had full confidence in the ability of the
+fort to protect his vessel, and he continued his operations as though he
+was in no possible danger.
+
+"Mr. Flint, send Mr. Camden in the first cutter and Mr. Pennant in the
+second to take possession of that steamer," said Christy, holding on at
+the rail in front of him. "Put fifteen men well armed into each boat,
+and send the second engineer with them. Hurry them off, or they may burn
+the vessel."
+
+The two boats were soon in the water, though the first lieutenant
+wondered that he had not been sent on this important service. The two
+officers hurried their crews, and the boats flew on their mission. The
+commander felt that it was necessary to keep an eye on the fort, for its
+energetic officer was not at all inclined to be idle at the present
+exciting time. The Bronx had hardly stopped her screw before the
+soldiers were to be seen on the barbette; but the shell with which
+the midship gun had been charged sent them all to the casemates in an
+instant.
+
+"What is the matter, Captain Passford?" asked the first lieutenant,
+as he halted on the deck. "You are as pale as a ghost."
+
+"A ball went through my arm; but it is all right," replied Christy with
+a ghastly smile.
+
+He refused to go below, or to permit Dr. Connelly to come to him until
+he had attended to the poor fellows who had been wounded on deck.
+
+At the end of a couple of hours, the flames arose from the two bay
+steamers which had been alongside the Sphinx, for the second lieutenant
+had been ordered to burn them. The smoke was pouring out of the two
+smoke-stacks of the steamer. Several boats filled with men pulled to the
+shore, landing the crews of the three vessels. In less than another hour
+the Sphinx was under way, and soon came alongside the Bronx.
+
+As only one of the broadsides of the gunboat was available in the action
+with the fort, the starboard battery was transferred to the captured
+vessel. Men enough to handle them were put on board, and Mr. Camden was
+put in command of her. It was late in the afternoon when all this work
+had been done, and then the Bronx led the way through the Pass, her
+mission fully accomplished.
+
+As soon as the steamer was abreast of the fort, the broadside guns
+poured the shrapnel into the embrasures and loopholes, though nothing
+could be known of the effect of the firing. The muskets were as active
+as before. Christy was on the bridge still, for the doctor had dressed
+his wound, and he had taken some refreshment.
+
+This time it was discovered that the vigorous commander of the garrison
+had dug out some rifle-pits on the top of his works, and his men were
+doing effective work with their muskets. Three men had been wounded on
+the deck of the Bronx, the third lieutenant being one of them. Christy
+shouted to Mr. Flint, ordering him to send the men below, and cease
+the use of the broadside guns, for the garrison were on the barbette,
+sheltered by their earth-works, where the guns could not reach them,
+so high was their position.
+
+With the aid of his speaking trumpet he gave the same order to Mr.
+Camden on board of the Sphinx; but he had hardly uttered the command
+before his left leg gave way under him, and he sunk to the floor of the
+bridge. A ball had struck him in the thigh, and he could feel the blood
+flowing down his limb. He grasped the rail of the bridge, and drew
+himself up. There he stood like a statue, supporting himself with his
+well arm, till the Bronx had passed out of musket-shot range.
+
+"Good heavens!" exclaimed the first lieutenant, as he came out from his
+shelter. "You are wounded again!"
+
+"I must give up now, I fear," replied Christy feebly; and then he
+fainted.
+
+  [Illustration: Christy Receives a Second Wound.--Page 358.]
+
+He was carried to his stateroom by his officers, and the doctor examined
+his last wound. He was restored to consciousness, but he looked like
+death itself beneath the ruddy brown of his weather-beaten face.
+
+"You will take the command now, Mr. Flint," said he when he saw the
+executive officer watching him with the most intense interest. "What do
+you think of it, Dr. Connelly?" he asked, turning to the surgeon.
+
+"Severe, but not dangerous," answered the doctor. "The ball did not
+touch the bone, but it ploughed deep through the flesh. You were
+fortunate in having plenty of meat on your bones."
+
+Dave was the most assiduous of nurses, and had no little skill in
+attending to the wants of the sick. The young commander was made
+comfortable in a few hours, and Mr. Flint came below to see him at
+the end of an hour when he had performed his most pressing duties. He
+reported that Mr. Pennant's wound was slight, and did not disable him.
+Eight seamen in all had been wounded, and one of them was likely to die
+of his injury.
+
+"But we have done our work well, Captain Passford, and I don't believe
+that one-half the garrison of that fort are fit for duty at this
+moment," added the first lieutenant.
+
+"But that was a splendid fellow who commanded there," continued Christy
+with admiration. "If his guns had not been taken away from him, and his
+force reduced to a handful of men, we should have had to wait for the
+Sphinx to come out of the bay; and it might have been three weeks or a
+month before she concluded to do so."
+
+"We have damaged the enemy enough to make it pay, and the steamer and
+her cargo will put at least seventy-five thousand dollars into the
+pockets of our side in the conflict."
+
+"And by taking the bull by the horns, instead of waiting till the
+captain of the Sphinx concluded to take his chances of being captured
+in getting to sea, we have made the Bronx available for duty at once in
+another quarter, where she can do better work than in chewing her cable
+off the bar of Barataria," said the wounded commander, thus satisfying
+his conscience that he had done his duty.
+
+The venerable colored man, who had given so much assistance and
+information to the third lieutenant on shore, had no desire to leave his
+home, and he was landed in the darkness of the evening at a considerable
+distance from the fort. Christy had rewarded him handsomely for the
+service he had rendered. The men in the first and second cutters had
+taken all the cotton in the small steamers, and put it on board of the
+Sphinx before they set them on fire. The four guns in the hold had been
+hoisted out to make room for the bales, and the vessel had been put in
+condition for her voyage.
+
+Early in the evening, the two steamers were standing out into the Gulf
+headed to the south-east. In the middle of the afternoon of the next
+day, Mr. Flint reported to the flag-officer off Pensacola Bay. The
+wounded captain was as comfortable as a young man could be with two
+bullet-holes in his limbs. It was the first time he had been wounded so
+as to disable him; but he felt that he had faithfully done his duty to
+his country, and he was as cheerful as a man in his condition could be.
+Dr. Connelly reported that he would not be fit for service again for six
+or eight weeks.
+
+Mr. Pennant, the third lieutenant, on account of his wound, which was
+not severe enough to render him unfit for ordinary duty, was appointed
+prize-master of the Sphinx, with orders to report at New York for
+condemnation. A furlough was given to Christy, with a stateroom on board
+of the captured steamer. She was fitted out so that she could defend
+herself, or even capture any vessel of the enemy within her reach, and
+not too strong for her. She was not as fast as the Bronx, but she had
+logged over twelve knots on the passage from Barataria Bay, and was
+therefore likely to be added to the force of the navy.
+
+Ensign Flint was appointed to the command of the Bronx by the
+flag-officer, who had called upon Captain Passford in his stateroom.
+Christy had not failed to commend his executive officer in the highest
+terms. The commodore suggested that Christy could not be very kindly
+disposed towards Captain Battleton of the Vernon, on account of his
+decision against him in the matter of his identity.
+
+"On the contrary, I do not see how he could have done otherwise,
+commodore, and I have expressed to him my friendly feeling," replied
+Christy. "I think he is a devoted and faithful officer, sir."
+
+  [Illustration: Dave Receives his Appointment as Steward.--Page 364.]
+
+"He desires employment on more active duty than the command of a
+store-ship, and I am instructed to give him such a position if I have
+one at my disposal," added the flag-officer.
+
+"I certainly hope you will do so, sir, if possible."
+
+"I propose to appoint him executive officer of the Bronx."
+
+"I am sure Mr. Flint could not have a better man."
+
+In due time this appointment was made, and Captain Flint, on the
+recommendation of Christy, was entirely satisfied to receive him as
+his first lieutenant.
+
+"One thing more, Captain Passford," continued the flag-officer; "the
+ship's steward of the Mercidita has been very sick for three weeks, and
+has applied for a sick-leave. I shall be obliged to transfer Mr. Nawood
+of the Bronx to his place."
+
+"I can mention just the right person to take Mr. Nawood's place," said
+Christy eagerly.
+
+"You seem to have a man ready for every vacant position. Who is he?"
+asked the commodore with a pleasant smile.
+
+"His name is David Davis; but he is not a relative of the president of
+the Southern Confederacy, for he is a mulatto. He has rendered very
+important service on several occasions, and there is not a truer or
+braver man on board of the Bronx, or any other ship of the squadron,"
+replied Christy with enthusiasm.
+
+The commodore shook his head, but he looked very good-natured. Christy
+narrated the part Dave had taken in the capture of Captain Flanger in
+the cabin, and in recovering possession of the Bronx when it was shown
+that the officers were rebels. Mr. Flint was sent for. He was quite as
+earnest in his plea for the steward as the commander had been, and the
+written appointment of Mr. David Davis was in Christy's hands when the
+flag-officer took his leave of the wounded commander.
+
+"Dave," said the wounded lieutenant, the next time the steward came into
+the room, "no more 'massa,' no more 'moggywompus,' no more 'done do it.'
+You know better than to use such expressions, and you are no longer a
+'nigger;' you are the ship's steward of the Bronx."
+
+"What's that, Captain Passford?" demanded Dave, opening his eyes like a
+pair of saucers.
+
+Christy handed him the appointment just made, and the steward danced
+about like a madman. He had expected nothing for his meritorious
+service, and he found himself in a position of trust and responsibility.
+He expressed his gratitude in the most earnest language, and without
+using a single objectionable phrase, for his education was better than
+his habit in the use of speech.
+
+Ensign McLinn, who had served on board of the little steamer, but had
+recently been on sick leave, was appointed second lieutenant of the
+Bronx, while Mr. Camden, outranked by the other officers, remained as
+third lieutenant. Christy and Mr. Pennant were transferred to the
+Sphinx, with a prize crew; and that same evening the Bronx sailed under
+her new commander, with sealed orders, to the eastward.
+
+The Sphinx sailed the next day for New York, and made a tolerably quick
+passage. Of course Christy was received with open arms by the family at
+Bonnydale, and with a profusion of blushes by Bertha Pembroke, who
+happened to be there on a visit. His father and mother looked with
+no little anxiety at the pale face of their son, though he was still
+cheerful and happy. He had lost a portion of his flesh, and his uniform
+hung rather loosely upon him.
+
+He was too feeble from the effects of his wounds, for that in the thigh
+had proved to be more severe than the surgeons had indicated, to tell
+the exciting story of the escapade of Corny Passford; but when he did
+relate it, three weeks later, it thrilled the listeners for three whole
+evenings.
+
+"You took the bull by the horns at an opportune moment, my son," said
+Captain Passford, Senior. "If you had not done so you would have been in
+a rebel prison at this moment. As it is, poor Corny has got back to Fort
+Lafayette, with Galvinne and our man-servant, whom I never should have
+suspected of being a Confederate officer."
+
+"I don't think I care to go to the Gulf again as the commander of a
+vessel," added Christy, who had not changed his mind on this subject.
+
+"Why not, my son?"
+
+"I don't like the responsibility, in the first place, and the
+inactivity, in the second. When I am forty or fifty years old, I shall
+like a command better. Others seem to look upon me now as a boy, capable
+of any sort of quixotism, however prudent I may be, and point at me as
+one who has been made a commander of a steamer by influence at court.
+There is a vacancy at the present time on board of the Bellevite, for
+the second lieutenant will be compelled to resign on account of his
+health."
+
+This matter was fully discussed during the next two months; and at the
+end of that time the young lieutenant was again in condition for duty.
+Both Mr. Camden and Mr. Pennant obtained the appointment of ensign on
+the strength of his reports. Christy was as earnest as ever in his
+desire to Stand by the Union; he was ordered to the Bellevite as second
+lieutenant, and, after three months' absence, went to the Gulf again,
+where we shall find him once more, both on sea and shore, Fighting for
+the Right.
+
+
+
+
+Lee and Shepard's
+
+  STAR JUVENILES
+
+    With New and Attractive Dies.
+
+MESSRS. LEE AND SHEPARD announce a new edition of this fine line of
+  12mo Juveniles, consisting of books by KELLOGG, KINGSTON, BALLANTYNE,
+  HEADLEY, and others. Printed on a fine quality of paper, fully
+  illustrated, and bound in polished buckram cloth, at $1.00 per volume.
+  Liberal discount for quantities.
+
+
+By ELIJAH KELLOGG.
+
+  Lion Ben of Elm Island.
+  Charlie Bell; The Waif of Elm Island.
+  The Ark of Elm Island.
+  The Boy Farmers of Elm Island.
+  The Young Shipbuilders of Elm Island.
+  The Hardscrabble of Elm Island.
+  Sowed by the Wind; or, The Poor Boy's Fortune.
+  Wolf Run; or, The Boys of the Wilderness.
+  Brought to the Front; or, The Young Defenders.
+  The Mission of Black Rifle; or, On the Trail.
+  Forest Glen; or, The Mohawk's Friendship.
+  Burning the Hatchet; or, The Young Brave of the Delawares.
+  A Strong Arm and a Mother's Blessing.
+  The Unseen Hand; or, James Renfew and his Boy Helpers.
+  The Live Oak Boys; or, The Adventures of Richard Constable
+      Afloat and Ashore.
+  Arthur Brown, the Young Captain.
+  The Young Deliverers of Pleasant Cove.
+  The Cruise of the Casco.
+  The Child of the Island Glen.
+  John Godsoe's Legacy.
+  The Fisher Boys of Pleasant Cove.
+  A Stout Heart; or, The Student from Over the Sea.
+  A Spark of Genius; or, The College Life of James Trafton.
+  The Sophomores of Radcliffe; or, James Trafton and his
+      Boston Friends.
+  The Whispering Pine; or, The Graduates of Radcliffe.
+  The Turning of the Tide; or, Radcliffe Rich and his Patients.
+  Winning his Spurs; or, Henry Morton's First Trial.
+
+
+By P. C. HEADLEY.
+
+  Fight it out on this Line; The Life and Deeds of Gen. U. S.
+      Grant.
+  Facing the Enemy; The Life of Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman.
+  Fighting Phil; The Life of Lieut.-Gen. Philip Henry Sheridan.
+  Old Salamander; The Life of Admiral David Glascoe Farragut.
+  The Miner Boy and his Monitor; The Career of John Ericsson,
+      Engineer.
+  Old Stars; The Life of Major-Gen. Ormsby McKnight Mitchel.
+
+
+By GEORGE MAKEPEACE TOWLE.
+
+  Heroes and Martyrs of Invention.
+  Vasco da Gama; His Voyages and Adventures.
+  Pizarro; His Adventures and Conquests.
+  Magellan; or, The First Voyage Round the World.
+  Marco Polo; His Travels and Adventures.
+  Raleigh; His Voyages and Adventures.
+  Drake; The Sea King of Devon.
+
+
+By CAPT. CHARLES W. HALL.
+
+  Adrift in the Ice Fields.
+
+
+By DR. ISAAC I. HAYES.
+
+  Cast Away in the Cold; An Old Man's Story of a Young Man's
+      Adventures.
+
+
+By W. H. G. KINGSTON.
+
+  The Adventures of Dick Onslow among the Redskins.
+  Ernest Bracebridge; or, School Boy Days.
+
+
+By JAMES D. McCABE JR.
+
+  Planting the Wilderness; or, The Pioneer Boys.
+
+
+By DR. C. H. PEARSON.
+
+  The Cabin on the Prairie.
+  The Young Pioneers of the Northwest.
+
+
+By JAMES DE MILLE.
+
+  The Lily and the Cross; A Tale of Acadia.
+
+
+By F. G. ARMSTRONG.
+
+  The Young Middy; or, The Perilous Adventures of a Boy Officer.
+
+
+By R. M. BALLANTYNE.
+
+  The Life Boat; A Tale of Our Coast Heroes.
+
+
+  _Sent by mail, postpaid, on receipt of price._
+
+    LEE AND SHEPARD, PUBLISHERS, BOSTON
+
+
+_J. T. Trowbridge's Books._
+
+
+THE TIDE-MILL STORIES
+
+Six Volumes. Handsomely Illustrated. Per Vol., $1.25.
+
+  THE TINKHAM BROTHERS' TIDE-MILL
+  PHIL AND HIS FRIENDS
+  THE SATIN-WOOD BOX
+  THE LITTLE MASTER
+  HIS ONE FAULT
+  PETER BUDSTONE
+
+  "The more stories Mr. Trowbridge can write, the better for the boys
+  of this generation. Flooded as our country is with literature of a
+  dime-novel order, we have need of just such safe and interesting
+  books as 'The Little Master,' 'Phil and His Friends,' 'Bound in
+  Honor,' etc., to put into the hands of our growing boys."--_Living
+    Church_.
+
+  "Mr. Trowbridge's humor, his fidelity to nature and story-telling
+  power, lose nothing with years, and he stands at the head of those
+  who are furnishing a literature for the young, clean and sweet in
+  tone, and always of interest and value."--_The Continent_.
+
+
+SILVER MEDAL STORIES
+
+Six Volumes. Handsomely Illustrated. Per Vol., $1.25.
+
+  THE SILVER MEDAL
+  HIS OWN MASTER
+  BOUND IN HONOR
+  THE POCKET-RIFLE
+  THE JOLLY ROVER
+  YOUNG JOE AND OTHER BOYS
+
+  "If every boy could read these stories, or have them read to him,
+  there would be fewer rogues in the world. Straightforward, honest
+  stories, without cant, without moralizing, full of genuine fun and
+  hard common sense, they are just the tales that are needed to make
+  a young fellow fall in love with simple integrity and fair dealing.
+  They are noble contributions to juvenile literature."--_Woman's
+  Journal_.
+
+  "Mr. Trowbridge has a good perception of character, which he draws
+  with skill; he has abundance of invention, which he never abuses;
+  and he has, what so many American writers have not, an easy, graceful
+  style, which can be humorous, or pathetic, or poetic."--_R. H.
+  Stoddard in N.Y. Mail_.
+
+
+START IN LIFE STORIES
+
+Four Volumes. Handsomely Illustrated. Per Vol., $1.00.
+
+  A START IN LIFE
+  BIDING HIS TIME
+  THE KELP-GATHERERS
+  THE SCARLET TANAGER
+
+  "No better or more pleasing writer for young folks than Mr.
+  Trowbridge can be found. He draws his characters true to life,
+  concealing no faults, and exaggerating no virtues, but paints each
+  in their own lights and shadows so vividly that to avoid the one and
+  imitate the other must be the natural impulse of all boys and girls
+  who read his most excellent and fascinating stories."--_San Jose
+  Mercury_.
+
+  Every boy of our acquaintance likes the books by Trowbridge. Every
+  young girl ought to enjoy them, also, for they are wholesome, true
+  to nature and human nature, and full of good sentiment. His stories
+  are always interesting, sometimes thrilling, and often they contain
+  much information, either of history or natural history.
+
+
+The TOBY TRAFFORD SERIES
+
+Handsomely Illustrated
+
+Per volume  $1.25
+
+  The Fortunes of Toby Trafford
+  Father Brighthopes
+  Woodie Thorpe's Pilgrimage And other Stories
+
+  To see life as it is, and depict it by easy and truthful touches,
+  is a high attainment. Mr. Trowbridge has abundantly vindicated his
+  claim to a place among the writers to whom readers attribute the
+  grace and power of naturalness. "Woodie Thorpe's Pilgrimage,"
+  "Uncle Caleb's Roan Colt," "Lost on the Tide," etc., are all stories
+  of deep interest, which one will follow with attention. The book
+  does not preach, but conveys some salutary lessons.
+
+  There is many and many a volume written for boys, but they are not
+  all alike beneficial; therefore the standard writers, to which class
+  belongs Mr. Trowbridge, may undisputably claim a kingdom whose
+  reigning motto is manliness.
+
+
+    LEE AND SHEPARD Publishers BOSTON
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+           *       *       *       *
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Errata Noted by Transcriber:
+
+Invisible punctuation-- chiefly quotation marks-- has been silently
+supplied. The spelling "cockswain" is standard for this text. The
+variation between "knots" and "knots an hour" is as in the original.
+
+[Table of Contents]
+CHAPTER XXIII.
+  _text reads "XIII."_
+
+certain irregular enterprizes
+  _spelling as in original_
+
+"I think I shall go on deck and see the fun, if there is any, and turn
+in if there is none," added Christy.
+  _so in original: should read "Corny"_
+
+The lamp on gimbols was lighted
+  _spelling as in original_
+
+One who can believe that would swallow Baron Munchausen
+  _spelling as in original_
+
+and our mission may be up Lake Pontchartrain
+  _text reads "Ponchartrain"_
+
+[Advertising]
+The Young Middy; or, The Perilous Adventures of a Boy Officer.
+  _text reads "Avdentures"_
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Stand By The Union, by Oliver Optic
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