by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXX
THE ACTION WITH A PRIVATEER STEAMER
Christy had made up his lost sleep. On the first day out he had takenCaptain Lonley's word that he would not interfere with anything onboard, and had then given him a berth in the ward room, where he messedwith the officers. Captain Rowly had also been taken on board, and as hewas a captain in the Confederate army, innocent as he was, he demandedsimilar accommodations. His request was granted, but Christy decided toleave him at Key West, for the ward room was full.
The fleet continued on its voyage after the call at the Florida port,and was soon in the Gulf Stream. It was an exceedingly quiet time in thelittle fleet of vessels, though the drill on board of the Vixen wasclosely followed up. On the second day they had a mild gale, and theschooners were cast off, and towed astern, one behind the other.
Then the weather was fine again, though the sea was still too rough forthe Havana and the Aleppo to tow the prizes alongside. Christy observedthe drill a great deal of the time, and Bertha Pembroke was often hiscompanion. He told her all about vessels in the navy, explained actionsat sea, but hoped she would not be permitted to see one.
Then he related to her the experience of the Bellevite as a yacht and_as_ a naval vessel, and no one ever had a more attentive listener.He could not conceal it from himself that he was deeply interested inthe young lady, and observers would have said that she was not lessinterested in him. On the fifth day out from Key West, while they werethus agreeably occupied, there was a hail from the fore rigging.
"Sail, ho!" shouted the lookout on the fore crosstrees, where theprudence of the commander required a hand to be stationed at all times,day and night.
"Where away?" called Scopfield, the third lieutenant, who was theofficer of the deck.
"Broad on the starboard bow," replied the lookout.
"Can you make it out?"
"A steamer, sir; black smoke behind her," responded the lookout.
Mr. Fillbrook had joined the third lieutenant by this time, and theformer reported to the captain. Christy had heard all that had passed,and he immediately began to feel a heavy anxiety in regard to the sail.
"What do you think of her, Mr. Fillbrook?" he asked, after the executiveofficer had reported to him.
"There are so many steamers coming over from British ports about thistime, bound to Confederate ports, that it is not very difficult to guesswhat she is," replied the first lieutenant. "She is either a blockaderunner, or a steamer fitted out to prey upon the commerce of the UnitedStates."
"That seems to be plain enough; and from the position in which we findher, she has come out of the Bermudas, or is bound there," added thecommander. "Bring my glass from my state room," he continued to hiscabin steward, who was sunning himself on the deck.
When it was brought, the captain and the executive officer went forwardand mounted the top-gallant forecastle. Mr. Fillbrook procured a glassfrom the pilot house, and both of them looked long and earnestly at thespeck in the distance. The steamer was hull down, and they soon agreedthat she was bound to the eastward.
"We have no business with her at present," said Christy, as he shut uphis glass.
"But I have no doubt she has already run the blockade, and came out ofWilmington or Savannah. If that is the case, she must be loaded withcotton, which contains a fortune at the present time within a smallcompass," replied Mr. Fillbrook, who had not been as fortunate as someothers in the matter of prizes.
"Very likely," replied Christy, rather coldly, his companion thought."I do not think I should be justified in giving chase to her, whichcould only be done by abandoning the convoy."
"Could we not pick up the convoy after we had captured the steamer?"asked the first lieutenant.
"Yes, if some Confederate cruiser does not pick it up in our absence,"replied Christy, with a significant smile.
Mr. Fillbrook was evidently very much disappointed, not to saydisgusted, with the decision of Captain Passford; but he was too good anofficer to make a complaint, or utter a comment. The ship's company hadbecome somewhat excited when it was announced that a sail, with blacksmoke painting a long streak on the blue sky, was made out. If it was ablockade runner, with a cargo of cotton, it meant a small fortune toeach officer, seaman, and others on board.
The new commander had a reputation as a daring leader, and the hopes ofthe officers and men ran high. They waited eagerly to have the steamerheaded to the eastward; but no such order was given, and the chins ofall hands began to drop down.
Christy had no interest in the money value of a prize, and yet he couldunderstand the feeling of his ship's company. He was an heir of amillionaire, and he had no occasion to trouble his head about theprofits of a capture. He looked at the question from a purely patrioticpoint of view, and every prize secured was so much taken from theresources of the enemy.
He saw the disappointment painted on the face of the first lieutenant,and he went to his cabin to consider his duty again, and review thereasoning that had influenced him; but he came to the conclusion he hadreached in the beginning. He was in charge of six vessels loaded withcotton, and the ship's company of the Bronx and other vessels had aninterest in their cargoes. The Vixen was less than a hundred and fiftymiles from the coast, and a tug boat, with a bow gun and a crew oftwenty-five, could come out and capture the whole fleet without theleast difficulty. The risk was too great, and the commander was as firmas a rock.
The next morning, before it was daylight, Mr. Bangs the secondlieutenant, who had the mid watch, sent a messenger to the commanderto inform him that a sail was made out, which appeared to be a steamer,on the starboard bow, very broad, nearly on the beam. Christy dressedhimself in a great hurry, and hastened on deck. It was beginning to be alittle light, and the steamer appeared to be about five miles to theeastward of the Vixen, and was headed towards her.
Christy at once concluded that the vessel meant mischief, and hepromptly gave the order to beat to quarters. He thought it must be thesteamer seen the day before, as she could hardly be a blockade runnerfor the reason that she was headed towards the fleet. If she desired tobreak through the blockading squadron, she would be likely to keep asfar as possible from anything that might be an armed vessel.
Christy went to his state room to write an order for Mr. Amblen in theHavana, which was hardly a cable's length from the Vixen on the portside, the Aleppo being ahead of her. He had already given his generalorders to the prize masters, but this was a special one. In the cabin hefound Bertha, who had been awakened by the tramping of the men on deck.
"Pray what is the matter, Captain Passford?" she asked, evidentlysomewhat alarmed.
"Nothing is the matter yet, Miss Pembroke, but something may be thematter within an hour or two, for there is a sail making for us,"replied Christy with the smile he always wore when she spoke to him, orhe to her. "In other words there may be an action, for I must defend myconvoy."
"Is there any danger?" she inquired.
"Of course there is, for a shot may come through the side of the shipanywhere and at any time. But I have thought of this matter, and Ipropose to put you and your father on board of the Havana until afterthe danger is passed. Be kind enough to get ready as soon as possible."
Christy wrote his order, and hastened on deck with it. Hailing theHavana, he ordered the prize-master to send a boat on board. When itcame the two passengers were embarked in it and the order sent. Thecommander did not wait a moment to watch the receding form of themaiden, but immediately directed his attention to the steamerapproaching the Vixen.
"Run for that steamer, Mr. Fillbrook," said he, after his first glance.
"Make the course east by north, Mr. Bangs," added the first lieutenant.
"East by north," repeated the quartermaster at the wheel when the orderreached him.
"I have just been aloft, and she flies the Confederate flag, CaptainPassford," said Mr. Fillbrook. "She is a large steamer, and she is by nomeans as jaunty as the Vixen."
Both steame
rs were going at full speed, and it required but a short timeto bring them near enough together for something to happen. She was welldown in the water, and appeared as though she might be loaded withsomething besides the appliances of a man-of-war. She looked as thoughshe might be twice as large as the Vixen, and it was soon evident thather speed was nothing to boast of. She certainly was not one of thehigh-flyer yachts which had been bought up for service in theConfederate navy.
When the two vessels were not more than a mile apart, a column of smokerose from her waist, as she swung around so that her great gun could bebrought to bear, and a shot dropped into the water at least an eighth ofa mile short of the Vixen.
"Thank you, sir!" exclaimed Christy. "Half speed, if you please, Mr.Fillbrook."
The commander went to the long English gun in the waist, to which he hadalready given a great deal of study, and sighted along the heavy piece.He had not forgotten when he pointed the gun on board of the Bellevite,the shot from which had disabled the Vampire, and he had some confidencein his ability to put a shot where he wished it to go, for he hadbrought all his mathematics and all his physics to bear on the matter,though the best gunners must sometimes fail. When he was ready he gavethe word to fire. The ship was shaken by the heavy report, and every onewaited with peculiar interest for the smoke to clear away, because thecaptain had pointed the gun.
Christy had ordered the screw to be stopped, and had waited till thesteamer lost her headway. She rolled but slightly, and he had allowedfor everything. Glasses were in demand, and a moment later there was ashout went up from the men at the gun, followed by another from the restof the crew. The shot had upset the great gun on the deck of the enemy.She was swinging round, and beginning to fire her broadside guns, butthe shots came nowhere near the Vixen. Christy did not believe there wasany naval officer on board of that steamer.
"Keep up the fire with the long gun, Mr. Fillbrook," said the commander,in a low tone, and with no excitement apparent in his manner, for healways studied and labored to appear cool and self-possessed, whether hewas so or not, and there was nothing in the present situation to try himin the least.
For a full hour the long gun of the Vixen continued to pelt the enemywith solid shot, about every one of them hulling her or carrying awaysome of her spars. Her mainmast had gone by the board, and theresistance she was making was becoming very feeble.
"She is full of men, Captain Passford," said Mr. Fillbrook, when thesteamer seemed to be almost a wreck.
"I observed that she had a large crew some time ago, and it is better toknock her to pieces than to board her," replied Christy. "Keep her asfar off as she is now."
The enemy tried to get nearer to the Vixen, but failed to do so.
