Stand By The Union

by Oliver Optic

  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 industriouslythat very little was left of the feathers except the bare quills thatwere inserted in a cylinder of hard wood, too heavy for the use of adelicate female, though Dave had wielded it till it was in bettercondition to be thrown overboard than to be used on the panels andfurniture of the cabin.

  Captain Flanger was at the critical point in his operations, and hewas too busy with the commander to give any attention to the negro, whomhe regarded with the contempt begotten of his Southern education. Davewas intelligent enough to understand the situation accurately, and herealized that it was rapidly becoming critical. He knew that Christy wasunarmed, and that the whole attention of the pirate was concentratedupon him, so that he could do nothing to help himself.

  He knew also that if he attempted to leave the cabin to procureassistance, Flanger would shoot him with as little remorse as he wouldkill a coon in the woods. Watching his opportunity without trying to getbehind the intruder till the decisive moment came, he sprang into theposition he had selected in advance, and brought down the heavy head ofthe feather duster upon the temple of the privateersman.

  Probably it was the shock quite as much as the force of the blow thatbrought down the steward's victim. But it was a heavy stroke, for thewood of the feather duster was split into many pieces, and the stumps ofthe feathers were scattered all over the table. The onslaught could notfail to be very confusing to the ideas of the intruder, and he seemed tobe tangled up in the arm-chair in which he had been seated.

  Captain Flanger was a man of stalwart proportions, and Christy realizedthat he was no match for him in a hand to hand encounter, even with theaid 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 overin the chair, he sprang upon him, and tried to wrest the pistol from hishand, and a struggle on the floor was begun, the result of which couldnot be foreseen. Christy took in the situation at a glance, and whilethe steward and his victim were rolling and writhing on the floor, hedarted 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, chargedfor immediate use.

  When he rushed back to the cabin, Flanger had got the better of hisfoe, and had risen to his feet, with his grasp upon the throat of thesteward. Then he hurled him from him with a vigorous movement with hisleft hand, while he raised the right with the evident intention ofshooting him. The commander saw the imminent peril of Dave; he took ahasty aim and fired before the intruder had time to do so. He was a goodshot with the navy revolver, for he had taken lessons and practised agood deal with the weapon.

  He had aimed at the head of Flanger, and he saw that he had hit him, forhis face was instantly covered with blood. He did not think it necessaryto fire a second shot, but he was careful not to let the opportunitypass by if it was needed to reduce the privateersman to subjection.Flanger dropped his weapon instantly, and Dave as instantly picked itup. It was clear to Christy then that the battle had been fought andwon, though the defeated party had another revolver in his pocket.

  In spite of his claim that he was a religious man, he indulged in avolley of profane language which made the commander's blood run coldin his veins. His right hand, from which he had dropped one of hisrevolvers, was pressed upon his nose, as though this organ was the seatof his injury. He stood behind the table, and continued to swear like apirate in a passion. His face and his hand were absolutely covered withblood.

  Both Christy and Dave kept their positions, each with a revolver in hishand, ready to finish the victim if he exhibited any symptoms of furtherviolence. This was the tableau presented in the captain's cabin whenthe door was suddenly opened by the first lieutenant, who rushed in,followed by the second lieutenant and Quartermaster Vincent. Mr. Flinthad been on the quarter-deck, and had heard the report of Christy'srevolver when he fired. Calling Mr. Camden and the quartermaster, he hascome to ascertain the cause of the fracas; and the sight was certainlyimpressive when he entered.

  "Any orders, Captain Passford?" asked the first lieutenant, as he sawthat Christy appeared to be master of the situation.

  "Stand by to secure that man," replied the commander, pointing at thewounded man behind the table. "He has a revolver in his left coatpocket."

  The three officers promptly obeyed the order, and laid violent handson Captain Flanger, Mr. Flint taking the weapon from his pocket. Theyseized him by the collar of his coat, and the executive officer heldhis left arm, with the handcuffs on the wrist. The victim of the affraystill held on to his nose, though Mr. Camden took possession of the arm.

  "You appear to be wounded, Captain Flanger?" said Christy, approachingthe table.

  "Wounded, you"--

  The oaths and epithets he used need not soil our page; but the prisonerseemed to be suffering more from his wrath than from his wound.

  "You have shot off by dose, you!"--groaned Flanger. "The ball weltstraight through it."

  "Then you are not dangerously wounded," added Christy. "I was afraid ithad 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 reportof a firearm in this direction just now?"

  "Very likely you did, if your hearing is good," replied Christy with asmile, for the large revolver, discharged in the small cabin, made atremendous noise. "The gentleman behind the table, who is holding on tohis nose, requires some of your professional skill. He was proceeding tocapture the Bronx, and had gone to the point where you find him."

  "I dol't walt any Yalkee surgeod at work od be," protested CaptainFlanger, whose speech was badly affected by the injury to his nasalorgan, 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 mustsuggest 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 tohis proboscis, than by the failure of his quixotic scheme to capture theBronx. He was certainly a very good-looking man, and took good care ofhis 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 declinedto sign the order you dictated, and the steward played the first scenein the tragedy. I am sure it was a farce up to that time," repliedChristy. "Mr. Flint, have the prisoner put in irons, and remove him tothe quarters of the men forward. Give him a berthsack and a blanket, andplace a hand to stand guard over him."

  The executive officer sent Mr. Camden on deck for a pair of handcuffsand a couple of men to execute the order. Flanger still retained hisstanding position behind the table, holding on to his nose, whichcontinued to bleed very freely. The surgeon went over to him, andendeavored 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 bydose."

  "As you please," replied the surgeon, as the second lieutenant returnedattended by two stout seamen.

  "Remove the handcuff from his left wrist, and fit him out with a newpair," 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 enclosedthe wrist in the new pair. Then the two men were directed to take hisright arm, which they did, and drew his hand from his nose. This actroused the ire of Flanger, and he began to struggle; but powerful as hewas, the two seamen were too much for him, and he was fairly handcuffe
d.The second lieutenant was the officer of the deck, and he was sent backto his post of duty. Flanger's face was so covered and daubed with thegore from his wound that the condition of his prominent facial membercould not be determined.

  "I protest agailst this brutal treatmelt!" stormed the prisoner, as hecontinued to writhe in his irons. "I am a woulded plisoler!"

  "I see you are; but you decline to permit the surgeon to dress yourwound. I have no more time to fool with you, and the men will put youon 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, whohad approached the victim of his own conspiracy near enough to obtain aview of the injured nose. "The ball has torn away the middle of themember, 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," repliedthe commander. "I fired in a hurry, and I meant to reach his brains, ifhe had any. Take him away; I am disgusted."

  "The fortules of war are agailst me, Captail Passford; but if you everfall ilto my halds, I will cut your dose off cleal to your face," howledthe prisoner, boiling over with wrath.

  "Take him away!" added Christy with energy; and the two seamen draggedhim out of the cabin, leaving only Mr. Flint, the surgeon, and thesteward in the cabin. "Dave," he continued, stepping up to the last, andtaking him by the hand, "you have behaved remarkably well, and I thankyou for the good service you have rendered to me and the cause of yourcountry."

  "I done do what I thought was right, Captain Passford, though folks likethat 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 mylife, 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 anyfurther submission, and I expected to throw away my life rather thansign that order. I think he would not have killed me, for that wouldhave 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 youhave 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. Youmay 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 thestory of the intruder's visit to his cabin.

  He finished the narrative, and the officers were discussing it whenthere was a knock at the door.

  "Sail on the port bow, sir," reported a quartermaster.