by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXII
ON BOARD OF THE SNAPPER
Christy could not help seeing that a great change had come over themanner of Captain Flanger, especially in his repeated declarations thathe did not intend to kill his prisoner. His thirst for revenge couldhardly have abated as the effect of his cups passed off, and it wasevident to the victim of the outrage that some other influence had beenbrought to bear upon him. It did not seem possible to him that PercyPierson could have modified his vindictive nature to this degree.
The young man's father could not fail to see the peril of the step hisson was taking, though he appeared not to have been able to resist thetemptation to get rid of such an active enemy as Christy had provedhimself to be. It looked plain enough to the victim, as he consideredthe situation, that Colonel Pierson's influence had produced the changein the intentions of Captain Flanger. If the prisoner were brutallytreated, and especially if his life were taken, it would make the breachof neutrality so much the more flagrant.
"Help the young cub on board," said the captain, as he went up theaccommodation ladder, followed by Percy.
With his wrists fettered with a pair of handcuffs, Christy neededassistance to mount the vessel's side. He was handled with moreconsideration than he expected, and reached the deck without any injury.By the order of the captain he was conducted to the cabin, where heseated himself on a stool near the companion-way. A few minutes laterPercy came down the steps with a valise in his hand, which he depositedin one of the staterooms.
"I am your fellow-passenger, Christy," said he, when he came out of theroom. "I hope we shall be good friends."
"After the treachery which has been practised upon me to-day, therecannot be much love wasted between us, though I am not disposed to be abear, even under the present unfavorable circumstances," replied theprisoner. "I suppose this steamer is to run the blockade?"
"Of course she is to run the blockade; how else could she get intoMobile?" replied Percy.
"You can bet your worthless life she is going to run the blockade, andyou may be sure that she will get in too," added Captain Flanger, whocame into the cabin at the moment the question was asked.
"By the way, Christy, from what prison in the Confederacy did you makeyour escape?"
"If you will excuse me, I prefer to answer no questions."
"Just as you please, my boy. We shall know all about it when we get toMobile," said Percy lightly. "I am going home for a few days to see mymother, who is in feeble health. I don't want to quarrel with you; andif I can be of any service to you after we get into port, I shall behappy to do so. We sail at about five o'clock in the morning, on thehigh tide."
"Captain Passford," began the commander, in a more subdued tone than theprisoner had ever heard him use.
"That title does not apply to me now, Captain Flanger," Christyinterposed. "If I ever get back to my duty on shipboard, it will be assecond lieutenant of the Bellevite."
"Mr. Passford, if that suits you better, I was going to say that I meanto treat you like a gentleman, whether you are one or not, in spite ofmy shattered and battered nose," added the captain.
"I do not consider myself responsible for the condition of your nose,Captain Flanger. At the time you received that wound you were engaged ina daring adventure, with two revolvers in your hands, ready to blow mybrains out. It was war, and I did nothing but my plain duty; and even ina time of peace I had the natural right to defend myself, and save myown life, even at the sacrifice of yours, as you were the assailant,"argued Christy quite warmly. "You would have put a ball through my heador heart if I had not fired at the moment I did."
"Why didn't you shoot me like a gentleman, and not blow my nose off?"demanded the captain bitterly.
"I had to fire in a hurry; and I did not aim at your nose. I could onlydischarge my weapon on the instant, and I had no time to aim at anyparticular part of you. I intended simply to cover your head."
"But you blowed my nose off all the same."
"I had no grudge against your nose. Do you think it would be honorablefor a soldier to revenge himself on neutral ground for a wound receivedin the field?"
"But it was a sneaking Yankee trick to shoot at a man's nose, even in asquare battle by sea or by land," protested the captain with a rattlingoath.
It was useless to discuss the matter with such a man, though he hadprobably been charged by Colonel Pierson not to do his prisoner anyinjury, and Christy relapsed into silence.
"If you propose to treat me like a gentleman, whether I am one or not,may I ask where you propose to berth me, for I am very much fatiguedto-night?" asked the prisoner later in the evening.
"I mean to give you as good a stateroom as I have myself; but it willcontain two berths, and the mate will occupy the lower one, to preventyou from escaping, if you should take it into your head to do so,"replied the captain, as he opened the door of one of the rooms.
"I can hardly get into the upper berth with my wrists ironed," said theprisoner, exhibiting his fetters.
"That is so," replied the captain, taking the key of the manacles fromhis pocket and removing them. "But I warn you that any attempt to escapemay get you into a worse scrape than you are in now. When we get to seayou shall have your liberty."
"Thank you, Captain, for this indulgence. I suppose you will not make along voyage of it to Mobile. I presume you go to the northward of GreatAbaco Island?" asked Christy, though he hardly expected to receive ananswer to his question.
"Why do you presume such a stupid idea as that?" demanded the captain,who seemed to regard the inquiry as an imputation upon his seamanship;and the inquirer had put the question to provoke an answer. "I have beensailing nearly all my life in these waters, and I know where I am. Whyshould I add three hundred miles to my voyage when there is no reasonfor it?"
"I am not much acquainted down here."
"I shall go through the North-west, or Providence Channel."
Captain Flanger did not know that the steamer Chateaugay was cruisingsomewhere in the vicinity of the Bahamas; but his prisoner did know it,and the information given him was not pleasant or satisfactory. CaptainChantor had told him that he intended to stand off and to the eastwardof Great Abaco, and he had been cherishing a hope that he would fall inwith the Snapper, though he might not find evidence enough on board ofher to warrant her capture.
If he fell in with the steamer, he would be likely to examine her; andthat would lead to the release of the involuntary passenger. But if theSnapper went through the Providence Channel, the Chateaugay would not belikely to fall in with her. It looked to the unfortunate officer asthough he was booked for a rebel prison. He could see no hope of escape,though he was duly grateful for the change which had come over hisvicious persecutor. If he was allowed his liberty, he might find someavenue of escape open. It was useless to groan over his fate, and he didnot groan; but he had come to the conclusion that it would be a longtime before he took possession of his stateroom in the ward room of theBellevite.
Availing himself of the permission given to him, he went into the room,and turned in with his clothes on, so that he might be in readiness forany event. Mr. Gilfleur would miss him at the rendezvous agreed upon;but he would have no means of knowing that anything had happened to him.Tired as he was, he was not inclined to sleep. Presently he heard aconversation which was not intended for his ears, for it was carried onin very low tones.
"Do you know, Captain Flanger, that I believe we are getting into a verybad scrape?" said Percy Pierson in a subdued tone.
"What are you afraid of?" demanded the captain, in a voice hardly abovea whisper.
"My father refused at first to permit the capture of Passford," addedPercy. "He would consent to it only after you had promised to treat himwell."
"I am treating him as well as I know how, though it goes against mygrain. We will get him into the jail in Mobile, and keep him there tillthe Yankees have acknowledged the independence of the Confederacy, andpaid for all the damage they have don
e to our country. How is any one inWashington or London to know anything about this little affair ofto-night?"
"I don't know how; but if it should get out, the Yankees would make anawful row, and England would be obliged to do something about it."
"But we must make sure that it does not get out. The young cub has adeal of spirit and pluck, and he would not live long if he were shut upon such rations as our men have."
Percy seemed to be better satisfied than he had been, and theconversation turned to other subjects in which the listener had nointerest. Without much of an effort he turned over and went to sleep.When he woke in the morning he heard the tramp of footsteps on the deckover his head, and he concluded that the steamer was getting under way.If the mate had slept in the berth below him, he had not seen or heardhim. He leaped out of the bed, and descended to the floor. When he triedthe door he found that it was locked.
Presently he heard the movement of the screw, and felt the motion of thevessel. There was a port light to the room, and he placed himself wherehe could see out at it. But there was nothing to be seen which affordedhim any hope of comfort. There must be a pilot on board, and he began towonder if there could be any way to communicate with him. He took fromhis pocket a piece of paper and pencil. He wrote a brief statement ofthe outrage which had been perpetrated upon him, folded the paper, andput it in his vest pocket, where he could readily slip it into the handof the pilot, if he found the opportunity to do so. The captain hadpromised to give him his liberty when the vessel got out to sea, and hehoped to be able to go on deck before the pilot left the steamer.
The Snapper continued to go ahead, and in a short time she made a sortof a plunge, as she went over the bar. The motion of the steamer beganto be rather violent, and Christy saw through the port the white capsthat indicated a strong north-west wind. When the vessel had continuedon her course for a couple of hours, she stopped, and the prisoner sawthe pilot boat drop astern a little later. The opportunity to deliverhis statement had passed by, and he tore up the paper, keeping thefragments in his pocket, so that they should not expose his intention.
He had scarcely destroyed the paper before his door was thrown open byPercy Pierson, who informed him that he was at liberty to go on deck ifhe wished to do so. He accepted the permission. He could see the land inthe distance in several directions, but he had no interest in anything.He was called to breakfast soon after, and he took a hearty meal, forthe situation had not yet affected his appetite. In the middle of theforenoon, with the light at Hole in the Wall on the starboard, and thaton Stirrup Cay on the port, the course of the Snapper was changed to thenorth-west.
At this point Christy discovered a three-masted steamer, which had alsoexcited the attention of Captain Flanger. It looked like the Chateaugay;and the prisoner's heart bounded with emotion.
