"How many guns does the steamer carry?"
"Only two hundred; of course I mean heavy guns,--sixty and eighty-four pounders. I think there must be small arms enough to supply all your men in the fort."
"I was on board of the Bellevite for half an hour or more, and I really did not see a single heavy gun," added the major, biting his lip.
"Didn"t you notice the one hundred and twenty pounder in the waist? It is big enough for you to have seen it."
It was plain enough to the young Unionist that the major really desired to know something about the force and metal of the Bellevite, and that he was disappointed when he found that the son of the owner was on his guard. No information was to be obtained from him.
"I think you said there was a doctor on board of the steamer," continued Major Pierson, changing the subject of the conversation.
"Yes, sir; and a very skilful surgeon he is,--Dr. Linscott," replied Christy.
"I went in to see Captain Pecklar when I was below, and I found him in a very bad condition. I am afraid he will die before we can get him to the sh.o.r.e; and he is suffering terribly," added the major, looking earnestly into the face of the young man.
"I am sorry for him," replied Christy; and his pity and sympathy were apparent in his face.
He had noticed the captain of the tug in the morning, and one of the soldiers had told him he was a Northern man who had come to this region for his health. He appeared to have no scruples at doing the duty a.s.signed to him, though he had been only two years at the South. But he seemed to be of no use to either side in the contest, for he was too sick to work any longer.
Christy was filled with pity for the sufferings of the captain of the tug, and he thought the major"s questions suggested that something was to be required of him in connection with the sick man. He was willing to do any thing he could for the aid of the captain, if he could do it without sacrificing his principles.
"It was a part of my purpose to obtain a.s.sistance from the surgeon of the steamer for poor Pecklar," continued the major. "But you have moored us all here by refusing to steer the boat, and the captain will die without our being able to do a single thing for him. There is not even a drop of brandy on board of this boat to restore him."
"What do you propose to do, Major Pierson?" asked Christy.
"Just now, all I desire is to procure a.s.sistance for poor Pecklar,"
replied the major. "But we are as helpless as though we were all babies, for we can"t handle the steamer, and cannot run down to the Bellevite.
I hope you will not have the death of this poor fellow on your conscience."
"I will not. I will take the Leopard alongside of the Bellevite, if you like," replied Christy; and he regarded this as a mission of humanity which he had no right to decline.
"The steamer has turned about!" shouted one of the soldiers on the forecastle.
Christy had noticed that the Bellevite was coming about before the announcement came from below, for his nautical eye enabled him to see her first movement. He did not feel that the service he was about to render would benefit the enemy, on the one hand; and he hoped that his father or some other person on board of the Bellevite would see him in the pilot-house, on the other hand. If he could only let his father know where he was, he felt that he should remove a heavy burden from his mind and that of his sister.
What else might come from getting near to the steamer, he did not venture to consider. But he could not help figuring up the number of soldiers on board of the tug; the force which had captured him and Percy consisted of four men, and two men were with the lieutenant. Two officers and six men was the available force of the enemy on board of the little steamer, for neither the captain nor the engineer was fit for duty.
"I accept your offer, Captain Pa.s.sford; and we have no time to spare, or the sick man may die," said the major.
Christy made no reply, but went to the wheel, and rang the bell to go ahead. Heading the Leopard for the Bellevite, he gave himself up to a consideration of the situation. Major Pierson immediately left the pilot-house, and did not return. No stipulations of any kind had been made, and no terms had been imposed upon Christy. All that he desired was that his father should see him, and know where he was.
No one but himself on board could handle the steamer; and he could not be sent out of the pilot-house, or concealed so that he should not be seen. On the other hand, it did not seem to him that the officer could do any thing towards capturing the Bellevite. The major desired to ascertain what force she had, and had asked some questions calculated to throw light on the subject.
If the steamer had come into the bay on a peaceful errand, as Christy insisted that she had, the major might easily believe that she was not armed, and that she had only men enough to man her. But Christy could not tell what his captor was thinking about, and he could not yet enlarge his plans for the future; but he was very certain in his own mind, that he should not let pa.s.s any opportunity to escape, even at great risk, from his present situation.
As the Leopard went off on her course, considerably shaken by the fresh breeze which had stirred up a smart sea, the acting captain of the tug saw that all the men who had been on the forecastle had disappeared, with a single exception. The major was not to be seen, and doubtless he was taking care of the sick captain, or arranging his plan for the interview with the people of the Bellevite. In a few minutes more, this last man disappeared, and Percy Pierson took his place on the forecastle.
"So you are a Yank, are you, Mr. Pierson?" said he of that name, looking up to the window at which Christy stood.
"Whatever I am, I am in command of a Confederate steamer," replied Christy, laughing. "What is your brother doing, Mr. Percy?"
"I am sure I don"t know: he is only talking to the men," answered the young man, who had evidently been put there to act as a lookout.
At that moment a voice was heard from farther aft, and Percy went towards the stern of the boat. A few minutes later he ascended to the pilot-house. On the sofa abaft the wheel was Lieutenant Dallberg, where he had dropped asleep as he finished his report of what he had learned on sh.o.r.e.
"Mr. Dallberg!" shouted Percy; but the lieutenant did not show any signs of life till the messenger had shaken him smartly. "Major Pierson wants you down below."
The officer rubbed his eyes for a moment, and then rose from the sofa, and left the apartment. The summons for the lieutenant made it look to Christy as though something was in progress below. There was only one thing which the major could think of doing; and that was to capture the Bellevite, either by force or by strategy. He would have given a good deal to know what the plan was, but it seemed to him to be quite impossible to leave the wheel.
"How is the sick man, Percy?" asked Christy, when he found that the messenger was not disposed to leave the pilot-house.
"He is a good deal better: they have just given him another gla.s.s of brandy," replied Percy.
This statement did not agree with that of the major, who had told him the captain was likely to die, and that there was not a drop of brandy on board of the boat. The commandant of the fort had evidently been acting in the pilot-house with a purpose.
"Didn"t your brother order you to stay on the forecastle, Mr. Percy?"
asked Christy, when his companion came to the wheel on the opposite side from the helmsman.
"No: he said if I would help him, he would do what he could for me; and he told me to keep a lookout at this end of the tug. I can see ahead better here than I can down below," replied Percy, as he tried to turn the wheel. "I believe I could steer this thing."
"I know you could, Percy. Do you see the Bellevite?"
"Of course I do: I"m not blind."
"She has stopped her screw, and is not going ahead now," added Christy, as he let go the spokes of the wheel, and proceeded to instruct his pupil.
A few minutes later, Christy left the pilot-house to take a look below.
CHAPTER XXII
THE PROCEEDINGS ON THE LOWER DECK
Christy Pa.s.sford did not consider Percy Pierson a competent helmsman, for he had spent but a few minutes in instructing him in handling the wheel; in fact, only long enough to induce him to "steer small." For the moment, Percy was interested in the occupation, and gave his whole mind to it; and Christy intended to remain where he could reach the wheel in a moment if occasion should require. His companion in the pilot-house did not seem to care what he did.
The Bellevite, as the new captain had observed before, had stopped her screw: and she appeared to be waiting for the tug to come up, as it was headed towards her. Christy had examined her with the gla.s.s, but he could see nothing which gave him any idea of what was going on upon her decks. As Florry was now on board of her, he was satisfied that his father could only be waiting for him; and he intended to do his best to report on board some time during the day.
Major Pierson and his little force were gathered under the hurricane-deck, in the s.p.a.ce from which opened the door of the captain"s little cabin. Christy could not see a single one of them from the upper deck; but he had gone but a few steps aft before he heard the voice of the major who seemed to be "laying down the law" in a forcible manner to his men.
"Do you understand me, Spikeley?" demanded the major slowly and loudly, as though he were talking to a deaf man.
Christy had not heard the name of Spikeley before; but he concluded that he must be one of the soldiers, probably one of the two who had come on board with Lieutenant Dallberg.
"I don"t think I do," replied the man addressed, in a tone quite as loud as that of the military officer.