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diff --git a/18816.txt b/18816.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..05e4b2f --- /dev/null +++ b/18816.txt @@ -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. 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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 + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STAND BY THE UNION *** + +***** This file should be named 18816.txt or 18816.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/8/8/1/18816/ + +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) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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