Stand By The Union

by Oliver Optic

  CHAPTER XIII

  THE OPENING OF THE SECRET ORDERS

  Christy listened with interest to the conversation in the captain'scabin, though so far it had afforded him no information in regard to thepresent situation, and it was hardly likely to do so, for he had alreadybeen 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 sealedinstructions would reveal the enterprise in which she was to engage.

  The steamer had been so successful while in command of Captain Blowittin breaking up the shipping of cotton in a port where a larger vesselcould not operate, that Christy promptly concluded that she was tobe used in a similar enterprise. The listener was amused rather thanimpressed by the conversation which was in progress so near him, andespecially at the display of dignity and authority on the part of hiscousin.

  Mr. Galvinne had proved himself to be a very gentlemanly officer in whatlittle Christy had seen of him on the voyage from New York; but thesituation was entirely changed so far as he was concerned. It appearedfrom the conversation, as the listener had for some time supposed,that the second lieutenant of the Vernon was the real leader of theenterprise of which Corny was the nominal head. Probably the restraintof over a week imposed upon him had fretted his spirit, and when hefound himself alone with his incompetent superior, he became consciousof the superiority his knowledge and training gave him.

  Christy rather sympathized with him in his contempt for the one who wasonly nominally his superior, though that could not excuse the breach ofgood manners of which he had been guilty, whether in the old or the newnavy. He felt that Mr. Galvinne was a man of ability, and that he wasthe only person whom he had to fear in carrying out his plan for therecovery of the vessel.

  "I am not a naval officer, though I have given a good deal of attentionto the study of nautical subjects in connection with this enterprise,and I am not a cipher," continued Corny, after he had handed the sealedenvelope to his companion. "I expect to be treated with reasonableconsideration, even while I defer to you in all nautical matters. Letus 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," addedCorny, who doubtless felt that he had fully vindicated himself.

  "I have been living on a hot gridiron for the last ten days, and inthe first moments of freedom I overstepped the limits of propriety.I hope we understand each other now, for we are engaged in an importantenterprise, and we cannot afford to be at variance," replied the navalofficer. "Our work is yet unfinished, though it has progressed admirablyso far. Have I your permission to open this sealed envelope?"

  "Certainly, Mr. Galvinne; I had heard so much about sealed orders in theinstructions given me for this undertaking, that I was under theimpression that they were not to be seen till the time marked on theenvelope."

  "It is not necessary to obey the orders of the Yankee flag-officer underpresent circumstances," answered Mr. Galvinne in a chuckling tone, as itsounded to the listener.

  The naval officer read the orders aloud for the benefit of hisassociate. The flag-officer had obtained information that a steamerwas loading with cotton at St. Andrew's Bay, and Captain Passford wasinstructed to visit that locality and capture the vessel, and any othersthat might be found there.

  "Why was it necessary to give secret orders for such an expedition asthis?" asked Corny.

  "It was wise on the part of the Yankee commodore to make his orderssecret; for information might have been sent by telegraph or otherwiseto St. Andrew's, which would have enabled our people to get the steamermentioned out of the way, or to prepare a successful resistance to thegunboat sent to capture it," Mr. Galvinne explained in the tone of onewho 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 entranceto Pensacola Bay. But you do not run away with the idea that it isnecessary for you, as the present commander of the Bronx, to visit thisplace?" asked the naval officer.

  "Of course we are not bound to obey the orders of the Unionflag-officer," added Corny. "But now you know the situation thoroughly,Mr. Galvinne, and I suppose you are ready to arrange your plans for thefuture."

  "There is not much planning to be done; all we have to do is to run intoPensacola when we are ready to do so," replied the naval officer.

  "Do you think it advisable to do so at once?" asked Corny; and hismotive seemed to be simple curiosity, for he was not competent to giveadvice on a naval question, though he was in nominal command of thesteamer.

  "Certainly not; for as soon as it was seen on board of the flag-shipthat the commander of the Bronx was disobeying his orders, we should bechased 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, andthen 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 wehave 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 notless 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 theimpostor.

  "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, whosuggested this plan of putting you in the place of your cousin. He hadseen you and your relative together, I believe?"

  "He had, for we were both prisoners of war after our unsuccessfulattempt to capture the Bellevite, on the Hudson."

  "I have heard about that; and I know that your cousin Christopher is nochicken."

  "He is what the Yankees call smart, and I know he is all that," addedCorny. "What do you suppose has become of him? When Captain Battletonsent for him in order to let the commodore see us both together, hecould not be found. As you know, all three vessels were very thoroughlysearched without any success."

  "There are a great many hiding-places on board of any vessel, and I amvery clear in my own mind as to what became of him. Of course, theflag-officer, seeing both of you together, would have been as muchperplexed as the captain was, and he would have been compelled to acceptthe evidence of the commission and the orders in your possession."

  "But Christy would have found plenty of witnesses here: the secondlieutenant and the seamen on board of the Bronx, for example."

  "The evidence might have perplexed him; if he had done anything, hewould have been more likely to retain both of you on board of theflag-ship, and appointed a new officer in command of the Bronx, ratherthan go back of the evidence of the commission," argued Mr. Galvinne.

  "But Christy has disappeared all the same; and where do you supposehe is?"

  "I have no doubt he is concealed on board of the Vernon, with theintention of returning to New York, where he has plenty of influentialfriends to fight his battle for him. But I must go on deck, or somethingmay go wrong in my absence."

  Christy heard the footsteps of the late second lieutenant of the Vernonas he left the cabin. He had listened to the details of the plan formedby 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 ofCorny--for it could not be that of any other person so soon--coming intothe stateroom; then he saw his feet from behind his barricade of bagsand baggage.

  He had not expected his cousin to make any full examination of the roomto be occupied by the commander of the gunboat, for his stay on boardwould be short, and he cou
ld not feel any great interest in the room.His curiosity might lead him to make a closer examination of theinterior of the apartment than would be agreeable to his cousin. He feltthat he was in danger of being discovered in his hiding-place; but heinstantly made up his mind as to what he would do in the event of suchan accident. He had hoped to be spared from any personal conflict withhis cousin, and he had made his plan so as to avoid any suchdisagreeable necessity.

  But if Corny carried his investigations too far for his safety, andespecially for the success of his enterprise, he decided that theties of blood should not prevent him from doing his whole duty as heunderstood it. He was therefore prepared to muzzle the intruder, andconfine his hands behind him with a strap he had taken from his valise.Happily Corny did nothing more than look under the berth while stillstanding in the space in front of it, and in this position he could notsee the fugitive. The impostor wandered about the cabin for a time, andthen Christy heard his footsteps on the stairs as he ascended to thedeck.

  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 himall he knew about the loyalty and the disloyalty of the new hands in thecrew. Ralph reported that he had "spotted" the four seamen whose nameshad 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 heis ready to obey your orders. Mr. Flint had a talk with him while thefirst lieutenant was below; he talked to Boxie, and three more of themen, and he did it mighty sly, too, for the third lieutenant was on thedeck all the time. There's eight bells, Massa Christy, and the secondlieutenant will have the deck."

  "I did not think it was so late; but that reminds me that I have eatennothing since my breakfast was brought to me early this morning," saidChristy.

  "I hope to drink up every drop of water in the Alabama River if Idid not forget all about that! Gollywomps! Dave is getting stupid,"exclaimed the steward, springing to his feet. "I can't bring you aregular dinner, Massa Christy, but I will do the best I can."

  "Never mind the regular dinner; but bring me something to eat, if it isonly some crackers and cheese," added Christy; and the steward hastenedto his pantry.

  He soon returned with a huge slice of ham and some cold biscuits. Thehungry fugitive, who had not left his appetite at home, immediatelyattacked the provision as though it had been an enemy of the Union, andstood by it till he had devoured the whole of it; and it proved to bejust a pattern for his empty stomach, and he declined Dave's offer tobring him another.

  He had hardly finished it before Mr. Flint paid him another visit, andreported everything ready for the recapture of the steamer.