A Victorious Union Page 13

  CHAPTER XI

  A HAPPY RETURN TO THE BELLEVITE

  Although he anticipated a disagreeable scene with the captain of theWest Wind, who, he supposed, had slept off the fumes of the inordinatequantity of liquor he had drunk, he did not consider that there was anyperil in the situation, for he had plenty of force to handle him easily.His curiosity was excited, and he walked over to the companion, whereGraines appeared to be gazing into the darkness of the cabin; but he didnot interfere with the proceedings of his fellow-officer.

  "We don't need the men you have called from the waist," said theengineer in a low tone.

  Christy sent the two men back to their former station. As he wasreturning to his chosen position abaft the companion, he saw a glimmerof light in the gloom of the cabin. Graines invited him to take aplace at his side, chuckling perceptibly as he made room for him.The lieutenant stooped down so that he could see into the cabin, anddiscovered a man with a lighted match in his hand, fumbling at the doorof the closet where Captain Sullendine kept his whiskey.

  "Is that the captain?" whispered Christy, who could not make out theman, though he was not as tall as the master of the West Wind.

  "No; it is Bokes," replied Graines. "He must have got out of thedeck-house through one of the windows. He found the bottle French gavehim was empty, and I have no doubt his nerves are in a very shakycondition."

  Both of the officers had leaned back, so that their whispers did notdisturb the operator in the cabin. His first match had gone out, andhe lighted another. Captain Sullendine had been too much overcome byhis potations to take his usual precautions for the safety of hisspirit-room, and the observers saw that the key was in the door. Bokestook one of the bottles, and carried it to the table. His match wentout, and he poked about for some time in the cabin.

  Presently he was seen again, coming out of the pantry with a lightedlantern in his hand, which he placed on the table. He had a corkscrew inthe other hand, with which he proceeded, as hurriedly as his tremblinghands would permit, to open the bottle, for the master had drained thelast one. Then he poured out a tumblerful of whiskey, as the observersjudged it was from its color, and drank it off. At this point Grainesdescended to the cabin and confronted the fellow.

  Christy, after taking a long look to the south-east, followed theengineer into the cabin, for it was possible that his companion intendedto look into the condition of Captain Sullendine, and he desired to bepresent at the interview.

  "Good-morning, Bokes," said Graines, as he placed himself in front ofthe seaman.

  "Mornin', Mr. Balker," replied Bokes; and the heavy drink he had justtaken appeared to have done nothing more than steady his nerves, for heseemed to have the full use of his faculties.

  "How do you feel this morning, my friend?" continued the engineer; andChristy thought he was making himself very familiar with the boozingseaman, who was at least fifty years old.

  "Fine's a fiddle-string," replied Bokes. "We done got out all right,I reckon;" and it was plain that he had not taken notice that theschooner was no longer in tow of the steamer.

  "All right," replied Graines, as he placed himself on a stool, andpushed another towards the sailor, who seated himself. "By the way,friend Bokes, I suppose you have been on board of the Tallahatchie?"

  "More'n a dozen times, here 'n' up in Mobile. My fust cousin's an 'ileraboard on her," replied Bokes.

  "How many guns does she carry?" asked the engineer in a very quiet tone,though the man did not seem to be at all suspicious that he was in theact of being used for a purpose.

  "I don't jest know how many guns she kerries; but she's got a bigA'mstrong barker 'midships that'll knock any Yankee ship inter themiddle o' next year 'n less time 'n it'll take you to swaller a toto' Kaintuck whiskey. It's good for five-mile shots."

  "This is her midship gun, you say?"

  "Midship gun, sir; 'n I heard 'em say it flung a shot nigh on to ahundred pounds," added Bokes.

  Both Christy and Graines asked the man other questions; but he had notmade good use of his opportunities, and knew very little about thearmament of the Tallahatchie; yet he remembered what he had heard otherssay about her principal gun. The lieutenant knew all about the Armstrongpiece, for he had in his stateroom the volume on "Ordinance andGunnery," by Simpson, and he had diligently studied it.

  "Mr. Passford," said one of the hands at the head of the companionladder.

  "On deck," replied Christy.

  "Steamer on the port bow," added the seaman.

  "That must be the Bellevite," said the lieutenant.

  "Now you may go on deck, Bokes," added Graines, as he drove the boozerahead of him, and followed his superior.

  He instructed the men in the waist to keep an eye on Bokes, and senthim forward. Then he took the precaution to lock the doors at thecompanion-way, and joined Christy on the quarterdeck.

  "That's the Bellevite without a doubt," said Christy, as he directed thespy-glass he had taken from the brackets, and was still looking throughit. "But she is farther to the eastward than I expected to find her."

  "I suppose her commander knows what he is about," replied Graines.

  "Certainly he does; and I do not criticise his action."

  All the steamers on the blockade except the Bellevite and the one inthe west had been sent away on other duty, for it was believed that theformer would be enough to overhaul anything that was likely to come outof Mobile Bay at this stage of the war. Sure of the steamer of which hewas the executive officer, Christy directed his glass towards the oneon the other side of the channel. She had received no notice of theapproach of a powerful blockade-runner, and she had not a full head ofsteam when she discovered the Tallahatchie. Besides, she was one of theslowest vessels in the service.

  The black smoke was pouring out of her smokestack as though she wasusing something besides anthracite coal in her furnaces, and she wasdoing her best to intercept the Confederate. She was still firing herheaviest gun, though it could be seen that her shots fell far short ofthe swift steamer.

  "They have seen the Bellevite on board of the Tallahatchie, and she haschanged her course," said Graines, while Christy was still watching themovements of the blockader in the west. "Probably Captain Rombold knowsall about the Bellevite, and he is not anxious to get too near her."

  "She has pointed her head to the south-west, and the Bellevite ischanging her course. I hope we shall not miss her," added Christy.

  When the fog bank blew over and revealed her presence on board of theWest Wind, the Bellevite was not more than half a mile to the southward,but she was at least two miles to the eastward of her.

  "Can we get any more sail on this craft, Mr. Graines?" asked thelieutenant.

  "We can set her two gaff-topsails."

  "Do so as speedily as possible."

  Christy went to the wheel, and Graines, with three men at each sail,assisting himself, soon had shaken out and set the gaff-topsails. Theeffect was immediately apparent in the improved sailing of the schooner.A Confederate flag was found in the signal chest, and it was set at themain topmast head, with the American ensign over it, so that it couldbe easily seen on board of the Bellevite. The lieutenant was now veryconfident that he should intercept his ship.

  "Now clear away that quarter-boat, so that we can drop it into the waterwithout any delay," continued Christy, as he gave up the wheel to Linesagain.

  Graines hastened to obey the order, for the Bellevite was rushingthrough the water at her best speed, and it was evident enough by thistime that Weeks had faithfully performed the duty assigned to him.

  "A small pull on the fore-sheet, Londall," called Christy to one of themen on the forecastle. "Another on the main sheet," he added to Fallonin the waist.

  The bow of the West Wind was thus pointed closer into the wind; and thegaff-topsails enabled her to hold her speed after this change. PaulVapoor, the chief engineer of the Bellevite, was plainly doing his bestin the engine-room, and if the lieutenant had been a sporting man,he wou
ld have been willing to wager that his ship would overhaul theTallahatchie; for on an emergency she had actually steamed twenty-twoknots an hour, and Christy believed she could do it now, being infirst-rate condition, if the occasion required.

  "What time is it now, Mr. Graines?" asked Christy.

  "Quarter-past four," replied the engineer, when he had lighted a matchand looked at his watch.

  "I thought it was later than that, and I have been looking for somesigns of daylight," replied the lieutenant.

  "It is just breaking a little in the east."

  "I suppose Captain Sullendine is still asleep."

  "No doubt of it; he has not had two hours yet in his berth, and he isgood for two hours more at least."

  "I think we shall be on board of the Bellevite in ten minutes more,"continued Christy, as he noted the position of the ship. "Have youinstructed French what to do with Captain Sullendine if he shouldattempt to make trouble?"

  "I told him to keep him in his stateroom, and I feel pretty sure hecan't get out. If Bokes, who must have an idea of what is going on bythis time, is troublesome, I told French to tie his hands behind him,and make him fast to the fore-rigging."

  "The fog is settling down again on the Tallahatchie; but Captain Breakerknows where she is, and he will not let up till he has got his paw onher," said Graines. "The blockader in the west isn't anywhere now. Shecould not do a thing with such a steamer as that Confederate."

  The West Wind was now directly in the path of the Bellevite, and infive minutes more she stopped her screw. Possibly her commander wasbewildered at the sight of the schooner, whose flag indicated that shewas already a prize, though he could hardly understand to what vessel;for nothing was known on board of her in regard to the cotton vessel theTallahatchie was to tow to sea.

  "Stand by to lower the boat on the quarter!" shouted Christy, perhapsa little excited at the prospect of soon being on the deck of his ownship, as he and Graines took their places in the craft.

  The four men at the falls lowered the boat into the water in thetwinkling of an eye, and the two officers dropped the oars into thewater as soon as it was afloat. They pulled like men before the mast,and went astern of the schooner, whose head had been thrown up intothe wind to enable the officers to embark in safety. French was now incommand of the schooner, and he filled away as soon as the boat pulledoff from her side.

  The Bellevite had stopped her screw a little distance from the WestWind, and, as the boat approached her, she backed her propeller. Hergangway had been lowered, and the two officers leaped upon the landing.They had hardly done so before the great gong in the engine-room washeard, and the steamer went ahead again. The boat was allowed to goadrift; but Christy shouted to French to pick it up. The lieutenant'sheart beat a lively tattoo as he mounted the steps, and ascended to thedeck.