by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XVI
THE DISPOSAL OF THE PRISONERS
Before Christy could begin his report he was called to the deck by thefirst lieutenant, though everything had appeared to be quiet and orderlythere. Ralph Pennant had been at work among the crew, and was unable todiscover that any of the men were disloyal; but the commander hadbetter information obtained by his own investigations. Ralph was inconsultation with Mr. Flint when Christy went on deck.
"I think the men are all right, and, so far as I can ascertain, not aman is a rebel," said Ralph in answer to a question of the executiveofficer.
"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, butSayles and Nichols did nothing, and they seem to be as in earnest on theright 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 intimateassociates of Rockton and Warton, for they were in council together onboard of the Vernon. In carrying out our orders, we may have a fighteither with a battery or with some vessel, and we must not have anyblack sheep in the crew,--one who might speak a word or make a sign thatwould ruin all our calculations," added Christy.
"Of course I can't say that Sayles and Nichols are not rebels; but theyhave done nothing that is suspicious, and one of our men has pumped themboth," answered Ralph.
"Have them closely watched, or they may play us some trick when we leastsuspect 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 Galvinnecomplains of his treatment; he says he is cold."
"I should think he might be, for the night air is very chilly," repliedChristy. "I should have preferred to get rid of these men before we wentinto any enterprise, for they are dangerous persons to us."
"With their arms locked together behind them, they are not in conditionto do any harm," added Mr. Flint.
"I will go below and see what can be done with them. I desire to makethem as comfortable as possible, though I do not believe they will besatisfied with any location to which I may assign them."
"I think you need not be too particular about them; they have made theirown nest, and now they must live in it," said the first lieutenant.
"You may come with me, Ralph," added Christy, as he descended thecompanion-way.
The commander found Dave keeping close watch over Corny Passford, thoughhe was fast asleep in his berth. Passing through the ward room andsteerage, 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 wereplaced on the deck.
"The only objection I have to this as prison quarters is that Sayles andNichols will be too near them; but I shall keep a sentry over them allthe 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 allresponsibility in regard to him. He is dressed, is he not?" continuedthe commander when they reached the ward room.
"He is, Captain Passford, for he did not undress when he turned in lastnight," replied the steward.
"What is the matter now?" asked the prisoner in the ward room, after hehad rubbed his eyes for a time.
"Nothing is the matter now on our side of the house, but I must put youwith 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 rightto know.
"They are your confederates in the plot, Corny. Who do you suppose theyare? Jeff Davis is not one of them. The most important one, not evenexcepting yourself, cousin, is Mr. Galvinne, late first lieutenant ofthe 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 ondeck? 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 hasplayed 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 mycommission that you and he stole from my pocket at Bonnydale?"
"That is my commission," replied Corny, putting his hand involuntarilyon his left breast, where he had carried his papers on board of theVernon.
"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 adefensive attitude; but Ralph Pennant, who was rather above the averagestature, threw his arms around him, and he was pinned as tightly asthough he had been put into a strait jacket. Corny was probably stiff inhis arms from their confinement, and he was unable to make a veryspirited defence. While the seaman held him, Christy took the envelopefrom his breast pocket, and transferred it to his own. But there wasconsiderable noise made in the brief scuffle, which waked some of thesleepers. From one of the staterooms an officer rushed out, and demandedthe cause of the disturbance. The person proved to be the surgeon.
"We are putting things to rights on board," replied Christy, who had notseen the doctor before, for he had retired early to his room.
"I don't quite understand this matter," said the surgeon. "What are youdoing, Mr. Passford?"
"Captain Passford, if you please, Dr. Connelly, for I have the honor tobe 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 loyalmembers of the ship's company, I have taken possession of thevessel, and we are now on our way to carry out the orders of theflag-officer.--Conduct the prisoner to his future quarters," saidChristy, in a very business-like manner.
During this conversation, Ralph, still holding his prisoner, had sentthe steward on deck for a pair of handcuffs, which the seaman proceededto apply to the wrists of Corny.
"What are you about?" demanded the prisoner, attempting to shake off hiscaptor when he felt the cold iron.
"Just giving you a pair of bracelets," replied Ralph, as he grappledagain with his victim, and asked Christy to adjust the handcuffs. "Justfor ornament, you know."
In the grasp of such a powerful man as Ralph Pennant, Corny waspowerless, and he was compelled to submit, though his oppositionappeared to be merely a matter of form with him, for he could not helprealizing that it was utterly useless; but he had not been in the affrayon deck, and he had not learned the full lesson from experience. Theirons were locked upon his wrists, and the seaman was directed toconduct him to the place assigned to all the prisoners.
"This is mean of you, Christy, to put me in irons," said Cornyreproachfully as he turned to his cousin; "I might have asked CaptainBattleton 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 prisonerof war, and I had to take my chances. We may be in action for aught Iknow in a few hours, and I do not mean to have half a dozen rebels at myheels to trip me up if I can help it. The circumstances are entirelydifferent from those on board of the Vernon."
"I don't think so," muttered Corny. "You treat your own flesh and bloodas though blood was nothing but water with you."
"I stand by the Union, and those on the other side must keep out fromunder. 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 notturn in, but completed his toilet, and came out into the ward r
oomagain. He looked troubled, for he had heard nothing of the struggle onthe quarter-deck, and the situation was a revelation to him. He lookedand talked as though he thought that Christy and his associates who hadcaptured the vessel were simply mutineers. The captain sent the stewardfor Boxie, and, giving him a pair of pistols and a cutlass, informedhim that he was to stand guard over the five prisoners until he wasrelieved. The old man, who had been one of the seamen on board ofthe Bellevite when she was a yacht, took his place forward of theberth-sacks, and began his march athwartship.
"You know me, don't you, Boxie?" said Corny as he recognized the oldsalt, who was the sheet-anchorsman of the crew, and who was generallytheir spokesman.
"You will hold no conversation with the prisoner, Boxie; but you maylet them talk among themselves, and note what they say if it is of anyimportance. You will be relieved with the first watch."
Ralph Pennant and three seamen conducted the other prisoners to theirquarters. They were supplied with blankets, in which those from the deckwrapped 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 feetof 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 callme simply 'mister,' I shall understand from it that you do not recognizeme as the rightful commander of the Bronx," replied Christy, as heinvited the surgeon with a gesture to enter the captain's cabin.
"I beg your pardon, Captain Passford; I used the title of 'mister' fromhabit, and not as meaning anything," replied the surgeon. "I was forcedby the evidence, and quite as much by the lack of evidence, to concurwith 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 myastonishment when I learned just now that the captain and his officerswere prisoners," the surgeon explained.
"I do not propose to submit to another investigation by you, or any onebut the flag-officer; but for your information I am willing to give youthe facts," said Christy with dignity, of which he had a full supplywhenever it was needed. "As long as the officers in charge of theBronx continued to obey the orders of the commodore to proceed tothe eastward, I did nothing; but when they headed the steamer to thewestward, which they did as soon as it was dark, I understood very wellthat they were disobeying their orders, and intended to run the Bronxinto Pensacola Bay, and deliver her to the Confederate authorities. ThenI carried out my plan and captured the vessel."
The surgeon was satisfied with this evidence.
