A Victorious Union Page 25

  CHAPTER XXIII

  THE WELCOME HOME AT BONNYDALE

  Even with the West Wind in tow, the Tallahatchie could make fifteenknots an hour; for the sea was smooth, with every prospect of continuedfine weather. Dr. Davidson was a prisoner of war, but he remained onboard in charge of the wounded of both sides. He was very devoted toChristy, and dressed his wound every morning as tenderly as his mothercould have done it. He was a gentleman in the highest sense of the word,and belonged to one of the best families in the South.

  Captain Rombold was a very agreeable person; and most of theconversation in the cabin was carried on in French, for the commanderwas delighted when he could obtain an opportunity to practise thelanguage, and Dr. Davidson spoke it as fluently as a Frenchman, thoughCaptain Drake was unable to understand a word of it. If one had lookedin upon them he would have supposed they were enjoying a yachtingexcursion, and could not have told who were prisoners and who were not.

  The two wounded officers passed a portion of every day on deck, and thetime slipped away very pleasantly. Mr. Graines spent much of his daysand some of his nights in the engine-room, and was on the best of termswith the English engineers; but he could discover no signs of treacheryon their part. The prisoners forward were well treated and well caredfor, and they made no trouble.

  The ship made a quick passage to New York, and went into the harborwith the American flag flying over the Confederate; but this was not anuncommon sight, and it did not attract much attention. The pilot broughta file of newspapers, and the lieutenant learned that Grant was still"hammering away" at the Confederate forces in Virginia, though withoutany decided success. The ship came to anchor at the navy yard, andCaptain Drake reported to the commandant.

  Lieutenant Passford was well known there, though the intelligence of hislatest achievement had not yet reached there. Christy had written outhis report of the expedition to Mobile Point, and Captain Drake broughtthat of Captain Breaker of the action with the Tallahatchie. Thelieutenant had no official duty to perform, and he was at liberty to gowhere he pleased. He procured leave of absence for Mr. Graines; for hewas himself still on fever diet, and was rather weak so that he neededhis assistance.

  "Home again, Charley!" exclaimed Christy, when they had landed at thenavy yard.

  "That's so, and my folks at home will not expect to see me," replied theengineer.

  "Neither will any one at Bonnydale anticipate a visit from me," addedChristy. "We know all about the sharp action of the Bellevite with theTallahatchie; but no one in these parts can have heard a word about it.Now, Charley, see if you can find a carriage for me;" and the woundedofficer went into an office to wait for it.

  The uniform of the messenger carried him past all sentinels; and in halfan hour he returned in a carriage, which was permitted to enter the yardon Mr. Graines's statement of its intended use. Christy was assistedinto it. "Wall Street Ferry," said the lieutenant to the driver.

  "Why do you go there?" asked the engineer. "You wish to go to therailroad station, do you not?"

  "I want to find my father if I can, and I think he must be in the city,"replied Christy, as he gave his companion the location of the officewhere he did his business with the government, though he made frequentvisits to Washington for consultation with the officials of the NavyDepartment.

  The carriage was retained, and in another hour they reached the office.Captain Passford was not there; he had gone to Washington three daysbefore, and no one knew when he would return. Christy was prepared forthis disappointment, and he had arranged in his mind the wording ofa telegraphic message to his father. While he was writing it out agentleman came out of the office whom the lieutenant had met before.

  "I am delighted to see you, Mr. Passford!" exclaimed the gentleman, whowas in the uniform of a naval officer, as he extended his hand to thevisitor. "One of our people informed me that the son of Captain Passfordwas at the door, and I hastened out to see you. Won't you come into theoffice?"

  "No, I thank you; I am not very well, for I was wounded in the left armin our last action, and I am sent home by the surgeon on a furlough,"replied Christy. "Permit me, Captain Bentwick, to introduce my friend,Mr. Graines, third assistant engineer of the Bellevite."

  "I am very happy to know you, Mr. Graines," added Captain Bentwick,taking his hand. "I am very sorry you are wounded, Mr. Passford. Whatcan I do for you?"

  "Nothing, I thank you, at present. I am writing a message to send to myfather. I was just finishing it when you came," replied Christy, as headded the finishing words, and passed it to the official.

  "'Sent home on furlough, slightly wounded. Wish paroles for CaptainGeorge Rombold and Dr. Pierre Davidson,'" Captain Bentwick read from thepaper. "I will have it sent at once from this office. But, Mr. Passford,I can parole these officers, and it is not necessary for you to troubleyour father with such a matter. Who and what are the officers?"

  "Captain Rombold was the commander of the Tallahatchie, prize to theBellevite," answered Christy. "When I was in danger of fainting afterthe action on the deck of his ship, he sent for his surgeon, Dr.Davidson, though his own wound had not been dressed. Both he and thesurgeon were extremely kind to me, and I desire to reciprocate theirgood offices by inviting them to my father's house."

  "Where are these gentlemen now, Mr. Passford?"

  "I left them on board of the prize at the navy yard, sir. I am not surethat they will accept parole, for I have not spoken to them about it;but I am very anxious to serve them."

  "I know what your father would say if he were here, and I will send anofficer authorized to take their parole to the navy yard at once. I willinstruct him to represent your desire to them in the strongest terms,and if they accept, to conduct them to Bonnydale, for I know you must bein a hurry to get there," continued Captain Bentwick, as he shook thehands of both officers, and returned to the office.

  "That shows what it is to have powerful friends," said Mr. Graines, whenhis companion had directed the driver to the railroad station.

  "Mrs. Passford rushed down the steps." Page 264.]

  "I have not asked anything unreasonable, Charley," replied Christy,sensitive as usual in regard to influential assistance.

  "Certainly not; but if I had asked to have your Confederate friendsparoled, a thousand yards of red tape would have to be expended beforeit could be done," added the engineer with a laugh.

  They reached the station, and discharged the carriage; but they foundthey had to wait two hours for a train to Bonnydale. As it was afternoon, they went to a hotel for dinner, and passed the time veryimpatiently in waiting for the train. Both of them were burning with thedesire to see their friends at home; but the train started in due time,and they left it at the nearest station to Bonnydale, proceeding therein a carriage.

  Christy gave the bell a very vigorous pull, and the servant that came tothe door was a stranger to him. He wished to see Mrs. Passford; and theman was about to conduct him to the reception room, when he bolted fromhim.

  "Mrs. Passford is engaged just now, sir; but she will be down in a fewminutes," said the servant, laying his hand on his arm for the purposeof detaining him.

  "But I cannot wait," returned the lieutenant very decidedly, and heshook off the man, and began to ascend the stairs.

  An instant later there was a double scream on the floor above, and Mrs.Passford rushed down the steps, followed by Florry. Christy retreated tothe hall, and a moment later he was folded in the arms of his mother andsister, both of whom were kissing him at the same time.

  "But, my son, your arm is in a sling!" exclaimed Mrs. Passford, fallingback with an expression of consternation on her face.

  "You are wounded, Christy!" cried Florry, as a flood of tears came intoher eyes.

  "Only a scratch, mother; don't be alarmed," protested the lieutenant."It was all nonsense to send me home on a furlough; but it was thecommander's order, at the recommendation of Dr. Linscott."

  "But you are wounded, my son," persisted his mother.
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  "You have been shot in the arm, Christy," added Florry.

  "But I was not shot through the head or the heart; it is not a bit ofuse to make a fuss about it; and Paul Vapoor was not wounded, for he hadto stay in the engine room during the action, and he is as hearty as abuck," rattled the lieutenant, and making his pretty sister blush like afresh rose.

  "I am really worried about it, my son. Where is the wound?" asked hismother.

  "Here, Charley, tell them all about it," called Christy to hiscompanion, who had been forgotten in the excitement of the moment.

  "Why, Charley Graines!" exclaimed Florry, rushing to him with anextended hand. "I did not know you were here."

  "I am glad to see you, Charley, especially as you have been a friend andassociate of my son, as you were before the war," added Mrs. Passford.

  "I am very glad to see you, Mrs. Passford and Miss Passford," said he,bowing to both of them. "I have been on duty recently with Christy, andI have been looking out for him on the voyage home."

  "Charley has been a brother to me, and done everything under the canopyfor me. I am somewhat fatigued just now," added the lieutenant, as heseated himself on a sofa in the hall. "He will answer your questionsnow, and tell you that I am not killed."

  "But come into the sitting-room, my son, for we can make you morecomfortable there," said his mother, taking him by the right arm, andassisting him to rise.

  "I don't need any help, mamma," added Christy playfully, as he rose fromthe sofa. "I have not been butchered, and I haven't anything but alittle bullet-hole through the fleshy part of my left arm. Don't make ababy of me; for a commander in the Confederate navy told me that Godmade some fully-developed men before they were twenty-one, and that Iwas one of them. Don't make me fall from my high estate to that of anovergrown infant, mother."

  "I will not do anything of the kind, my son," replied Mrs. Passford, asshe arranged the cushions on the sofa for him. "Now, Florry, get a wrapfor him."

  Christy stretched himself out on the sofa, for he was really fatigued bythe movements of the forenoon and the excitement of his return to thescenes of his childhood.

  "Tell them what the doctors said about my wound, Charley," he continued,as he arranged himself for the enjoyment of a period of silence.

  "Mr. Passford has had two surgeons," Mr. Graines began.

  "Then he must have been very badly wounded!" ejaculated Florry, leapingto a very hasty conclusion.

  "Not at all," protested the engineer. "Both of them said he was notseverely wounded."

  "Why was he sent home on a furlough?" asked Mrs. Passford.

  "Because the weather was getting very hot in the Gulf of Mexico, andit was believed that he would do better at home. He has been somewhatfeverish; but he is improving every day, and in a couple of weeks hewill be as well as ever."

  "Thank God, it is no worse!" exclaimed Mrs. Passford.

  Then she insisted that he should be quiet, and they all retired to thelibrary.