"But the colonel does not like to do any thing to injure his brother and his two children who are with him; and he wished to find Colonel Dalheath, who could manage the business without loss to the Confederacy, while he could favor the captain"s escape. But he was satisfied that you would feel an interest to prevent the departure of the steamer; while you would not be willing to do her owner or his family any injury in their persons, however it might be in their property."
"I think I understand the situation perfectly now," said the major, as he went to the front windows of the pilot-house. "Spottswood!" he called to the sergeant.
"Here, sir."
"How is Captain Pecklar?"
"He has come to himself, but he is no better. I am afraid he is going to die." replied Spottswood, coming near the bulkhead, and speaking in a low tone.
"That"s bad," added the major, shaking his head.
"There"s the steamer, sir!" called one of the soldiers.
The Leopard had just pa.s.sed a point of land beyond which the Bellevite was discovered, apparently going at full speed, and headed to the south-west. Christy brought his gla.s.s to bear upon her, but he could see nothing which afforded him any information in regard to her movements or intentions.
"I suppose it is not difficult to determine what your father"s steamer is waiting in the bay for, Mr. Pa.s.sford," said Major Pierson, as he looked into the face of his pilot.
"I am sure I don"t know what he is waiting for," replied Christy.
"Don"t you, indeed?" added the major, laughing.
"I am sure I do not."
"Then, it has not occurred to you that he misses you, and don"t like to leave without you?" chuckled the major. "I did not intend to have you captured by my men, and I gave them no definite orders to that effect; but, as things look just now, it is rather fortunate that I have you on board of the Leopard, not only for the sake of your father"s waiting for you, but you are a good pilot, and are of great service to me."
Christy rang the bell with a sudden impulse, which made it look as though he had not fully taken in the situation before. The engineer, though he was one of the army of the disabled in whole or in part, obeyed the summons of the bell, and the propeller ceased to revolve.
"What"s that for, Captain Pa.s.sford?" asked the major good-naturedly.
"With your permission, Major Pierson, I will resign my office as captain of the Leopard," replied Christy, as he stepped back from the wheel.
"But I cannot give you my permission," laughed the major.
"I am sorry to disoblige you, Major Pierson; but then I am compelled to resign the position without your permission," replied Christy without an instant"s hesitation; for he clearly understood what he was doing now, and neither really nor constructively was he willing to do any thing in the service of the enemies of the Union.
"But you can"t resign in the face of the enemy, Captain Pa.s.sford; and you accepted the position which I a.s.signed to you," said the major, beginning to look a little more serious.
"In the face of the enemy!" exclaimed Christy, glancing at the Bellevite, as she dashed furiously over the waves at a distance of not more than a mile from the tug. "May I ask what you mean by the enemy, Major Pierson?"
"Yon must have heard all the information which was brought to me by Lieutenant Dallberg; and by this time you are aware that the steamer yonder is an enemy of the Confederate States," continued the major.
"She did not come into these waters as an enemy, or with any warlike intentions, sir. She came on a peaceful mission; and now it appears that my uncle is guilty of treachery towards my father," replied Christy with deep emotion.
"Do you think it would be right or proper for your uncle to allow that fine steamer, which I am told is one of the strongest and fastest ever built, to be handed over to the Yankee navy?" demanded the major, with energy enough to a.s.sure his auditor that he meant all he said.
"I happen to know that my father had several hundred dollars about him in gold; and my uncle would have done no worse to rob him of that, than to have his steamer taken from him when it was not engaged in acts of war. In either case, Homer Pa.s.sford is a thief and a robber!"
"That"s plain speech, young man," said the major, biting his lips.
"I meant it should be plain, sir," said Christy, gasping for breath in his deep emotion. "I am ashamed of my uncle, and I know that my father would not be guilty of such treachery."
"I see that it is useless to reason with you, Pa.s.sford."
"You have come to a correct conclusion. When you call my father"s steamer an enemy, you define my duty for me; and I have nothing further to do on board of this tug," replied Christy. "I am in your power, and of course you can do with me as you please."
Major Pierson was certainly very much embarra.s.sed. The events of the night, and the information obtained on sh.o.r.e, to say nothing of the specific request from Colonel Pa.s.sford to "manage the business," imposed upon him the duty of capturing the Bellevite; and he was all ready to do it. But the Leopard might as well have been without an engine as without a pilot; for all the men on board were from the interior of the country, and not one of them, not even the officers, knew how to steer the boat.
The marks and figures on the chart of the bay, which Christy had put on the shelf in front of the wheel, were all Greek to them. Possibly they might get the tug to the sh.o.r.e, or aground on the way to it; but the steamer was practically disabled.
CHAPTER XXI
THE SICK CAPTAIN OF THE LEOPARD
Christy Pa.s.sford now realized, for the first time, that he had been taken by the enemy. War had actually been declared against the Bellevite, and Major Pierson would undertake to perform the duty a.s.signed to him by Colonel Pa.s.sford. The young man was determined to be true to his colors under all possible circ.u.mstances; and therefore he could do nothing, directly or indirectly, to a.s.sist in the capture of the steamer.
Captain Pa.s.sford, while he recognized the irregularity of his mission, had come into the waters of Mobile Bay with no intention of committing any depredations on the persons, property, or vessels of the Confederacy. The Bellevite had not fired a shot, or landed a force, in the enemy"s country.
Indeed, the owner of the steamer had taken especial pains to conceal any appearance of using force on coming into the bay; and all the guns on the deck of the vessel, that could not be easily lowered into the hold, had been covered up and concealed. Though Major Pierson had spent some time on board of the Bellevite, he did not know whether or not she was armed. He was no wiser than the owner"s brother.
The major went to the lower deck of the Leopard, where Christy saw him questioning the soldiers there, though he could not hear any thing that was said. Of course he was inquiring for some hand who had steered a steamer; but he soon returned alone, and it looked as though he had not found the person he sought.
"It looks like bad weather, Mr. Pa.s.sford, since you decline to be called captain any longer," said the major, as he came into the pilot-house, and looked at the sky in all directions.
Christy had noticed the weather signs before; and the wind was beginning to pipe up a rather fresh blast, though the sun had been out for an hour or more earlier in the morning. It came from the southward, and it was already knocking up a considerable sea, as it had the range of the whole length of the bay.
"I was thinking that we should have a storm before long when I looked at the signs this morning," replied Christy rather indifferently.
"How many men does your father have on board of his steamer, Mr.
Pa.s.sford?" asked the major, in a careless sort of way.
"Not as many, I should say, as you have in Fort Gaines. By the way, how many have you under your command there?" returned Christy with a twinkle of the eye.
"We have two thousand four hundred and twenty-six, including myself,"
replied the major.
"That is quite a force; my father has only seven hundred and forty-two, without counting me."
"Where do you put them all?"
"We stow them away in the hold, after the manner of packing sardines in a box. We only let them out one at a time, when we feed them with salt fish and baked beans."
"That makes a good many men to a gun," suggested the major.
"Lots of them," answered Christy.