by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXVI
THE MEETING WITH THE BELLEVITE AT NIGHT
Christy looked at his watch when the sail was reported to him, and foundthat it wanted ten minutes of eleven. The Bronx had been steaming forjust about three hours, and must have made about forty miles, as hehastily figured up the run in his mind.
"How was the weather when you left the deck, Mr. Flint?" asked thecommander.
"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 mightbe coming in from sea," continued Christy, as he went into his stateroomwith his navy revolver in his hand.
He put the formidable weapon back into the drawer from which he hadtaken it; but the lesson of the evening had made a strong impression onhis mind. Though he had permitted Captain Flanger to believe that he wasnot at all disturbed by his presence in his cabin, and had kept up thehumor with which the intruder had introduced himself, yet he had felt asense of humiliation through the whole of the scene. It was a new thingto be confronted by an enemy in his own cabin; and the privateersman,armed with two heavy revolvers, had all the advantage, while neither henor the steward had a weapon of any kind.
With even an ordinary revolver in his hip pocket, he would not have beenhelpless, and he might have saved himself without requiring this serviceof 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 otherpurpose; and he resolved not to be caught again in an unarmed condition,even when no danger was apparent. In action he carried a navy revolverin each of his hip pockets.
Thus prepared for any emergency, though none might come for years, hewent on deck, and made his way to the bridge, where he could get thebest view of the approaching sail. He obtained his first sight of thevessel as soon as he reached the bridge, and saw that the sail was asteamer, much larger than the Bronx. She carried no sail, for the windwas from the west; but the commander soon realized that she was movingat great speed.
"We must be about forty miles off the station of the blockaders beforethe entrance to Mobile Bay," said Christy, after he had thought thematter 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," saidMr. 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 usto run away from her; and Captain Flanger may be a free man in a fewhours."
"It does not follow that we shall have to fight her or run away fromher," added the first lieutenant, still gazing at the approachingsteamer 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 theBellevite," added Mr. Flint.
"I hope so," replied Christy, who did not like the idea of fightingor 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 wassent aft to attend to this duty.
The strange sail continued to approach; and, little by little, the firstlieutenant, who had sailed in the Bellevite several years, identifiedher 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 agun for the Bronx to come to; and when within hail of her, stopped herscrew.
"Steamer, ahoy!" came from her in the well-known voice of Mr. Blowitt,formerly the commander of the Bronx, and now executive officer of theBellevite.
"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 isthat?"
"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, startedher screw again, and came within less than half a cable's length of thelittle gunboat, for the water was very still, with a gentle breeze fromthe westward. The boat was dropped into the water; and in a minute ortwo it was at the accommodation ladder of the Bronx, when a couple ofofficers mounted the side.
"I am glad to see you, Captain Passford," said Mr. Blowitt, who wasproperly received when he stepped down upon the deck.
"I am just as glad to see you, Mr. Blowitt," replied Christy, taking theoffered hand of his old friend.
"Mr. Vapoor, chief engineer of the Bellevite," said the executiveofficer, presenting Christy's greatest crony on earth, for he had heldback in deference to his superior officer.
"The happiest moment I have had since I saw you last!" exclaimed theengineer, 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 havehugged him if Christy had not gently avoided such a "gush" in presenceof 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 thatnone but the visitors could hear him.
"No, you don't," interposed Mr. Blowitt. "You are commanding a littlegunboat, 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 myduty 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 abacking as you have. You have only to speak, and anything reasonable isyours. But how are all at home, Christy?"
"Florry was very well the last time I saw her, not more than two weeksago, 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 aboutme. I almost wish I were not an engineer, for then I might be sent homeonce in a while in charge of a prize."
Christy had only time to tell very briefly the story of the adventurewith Corny, and the capture of the Floridian, which he did for thepurpose of introducing a matter of business in the line of hisprofession. The officers from the Bellevite asked him a great manyquestions, though he felt obliged to cut them short before they werehalf 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 Bronxfrom St. Andrew's Bay; and I do not know that my mission admits of anydelay," said Christy. "I have a prisoner on board, and I want to get ridof him, for he is a dangerous character;" and he briefly related theincident 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; butI 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 makingmischief 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 candispose of him better than I can."
"If Captain Breaker decides to take your prisoner, I will send a boatfor him so as to make no unnecessary delay for you. Mr. Vapoor mayremain, and return in the boat I send, for I am confident the commanderwill 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-si
zed steamer out last night, and she gave us a longrun; but we picked her up, and she is now on her way to New York. She isgood for eighteen knots an hour, and the Government is sure to buy herwhen she is condemned. Mr. Ballard, the second lieutenant, has gone inher as prize-master. He is in poor health, and will get leave of absencetill he is better; but I do not believe he will ever come down hereagain. Were you in earnest in what you said about not liking yourpresent position, Christy?"
"I don't say that I absolutely dislike it, for I mean to be happy inwhatever place my duty may call me. The responsibility weighs heavy onme, and I should prefer to be in a subordinate position," repliedChristy 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," suggestedChristy.
"Captain Breaker is dissatisfied with him, and he will get him out ofthe ship, at any rate, as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Iadvise you to write to your father, and tell him plainly just how youfeel," said Paul.
"I am not sure that Captain Breaker would be willing to receive me ashis 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 doso," answered the young commander, shaking his head.
"Then let your father give him the choice of two or three officers. Thatwill settle the matter."
"I don't know, Paul; I will think of the matter, and write to you assoon as I have time. There comes the boat. Mr. Flint, have the prisonerbrought on deck to be transferred to the Bellevite."
In a few minutes the two stout sailors who had removed him from thecaptain's cabin appeared on deck, dragging Captain Flanger after them,for he would not walk, and did all he could with his hands made fastbehind him to embarrass his conductors.
"Captain Passford, I protest agailst this treatment of a prisoler ofwar," 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 daubedwith blood, and his nose a mass of tangled flesh; but he was put intothe boat in spite of his struggles. Paul Vapoor bade his friend anaffectionate adieu, and went over the side. The Bronx started her screwat once.
