"I did not mean to grumble; and I am willing to believe that everything has been for the best," replied Flint, apparently resolved to be satisfied, as his superior officer was, whether he felt so or not.
Folkner led the way in a northwesterly direction, and evidently knew where he was going. When they had been marching about half an hour, the party heard the report of fire-arms in the rear of them; but the discharges were at regular intervals, and did not sound as though they came from a battle. A little later, they heard loud shouts.
"That is the party who are out in search of us," said Christy.
"That is so, Mr. Pa.s.sford; the sounds are only signals, and they are intended to notify you that your friends are in search of you," added Lonley, hastening up to the advance of the party. "I should be very sorry to do such a thing, but if you shout, or do anything to inform that party where you are, it will be my duty to shoot you."
"I am not disposed to be rash, Mr. Lonley. If our friends overtake your party, it will not be my fault," replied Christy.
"You do not expect me to shoot you in that case, I hope?" added the privateersman.
"I did not know but that your revolver might go off by accident."
"You may be a.s.sured that it will not; I claim to be a gentleman and a Christian, and I intend to be fair even to my enemies."
"I beg your pardon for my thoughtless remark. I have no occasion to complain of you. I shall endeavor to be a gentleman and a Christian also, though I intend to do my best in fighting my country"s battles; and I am not disposed to talk politics with you under present circ.u.mstances."
The march was continued for some time longer, and the signals in the rear were repeated till increasing light enabled the prisoners to see that they were approaching Pensacola Bay. Not a little to their astonishment, the sh.o.r.e seemed to be alive with soldiers, and they learned that a battle, or something like one, had been fought on the island. The Confederate forces had been sent to attack Wilson"s Zouaves, in camp to the eastward of the fort. Some very severe fighting had been done in the darkness and fog, with heavy losses on both sides.
The Zouaves had been re-enforced from the fort, and with marines from the ships. Though the Confederates claimed the victory, it was clear enough to the two prisoners from the south side of the island that the Southern troops were retreating from the field. A soldier who fought with them wrote to a paper in Georgia: "I scarcely know whether we achieved a victory, or suffered a defeat." He also said that in the fog and darkness: "We shot down our friends in numbers."
A few prisoners had been captured by the enemy, including two officers.
But Folkner led the way to a point on the bay not very near the steamers which had brought over the expedition from the mainland. The Confederate troops embarked in the steamers and launches by which they had come; but the Union troops followed them to the end. Their steamers were aground, and a merciless fire was poured into them by the pursuing companies.
"They are having hot work of it over there," said Lonley, as they came to a boat on the sh.o.r.e. "But that is not our affair, and it is quite proper for us to keep out of the way of the flying bullets."
Christy and Flint were directed to take seats in the boat, and the lieutenant and boatswain manned the oars. They were not out of the reach of the bullets of the Federal troops, and the oarsmen pulled with all their might for a time. It was five miles to Pensacola, but the privateersmen landed their prisoners there. They were committed to a sort of guard-house; but in the afternoon they were sent to Mobile with about twenty others, who had been captured in the battle of the night before.
There was not a great number of prisoners in the city, and it was intended to remove them to other quarters arranged for their accommodation.
Christy and Flint were confined in an unoccupied warehouse, and were fed tolerably well, and they were supplied with some kind of dried gra.s.s for beds. It was not at all like the luxurious stateroom of the lieutenant on board of the Bellevite, or even the quarters of Flint; but they were determined to make the best of it. Flint had become reconciled to his situation, and Christy was even cheerful.
After he had been in the warehouse a few days, Christy was not a little surprised to receive a visit from his uncle, Colonel Pa.s.sford. He was not surprised at the kindness of the planter in making the visit, but that he should know so soon that he was a prisoner of war, for he had fully decided not to make any appeal to his uncle; and he could not imagine how he had discovered his situation.
"I am glad to see you, Christy," said Colonel Pa.s.sford, extending his hand, which Christy took without any hesitation.
"And I suppose you are glad to see me here," added the nephew, with a smile.
"While I am glad to see you deprived of the power to injure the cause I love, and to which I have pledged all that I have and all that I am, I am sorry that you should be in trouble, Christy. I hope I have Christian feeling enough to keep me from rejoicing at the misfortunes of any person, and especially of my brother"s son. I can say sincerely that I am sorry you are in trouble," said the colonel solemnly.
"Oh, I am not in trouble, Uncle Homer!" exclaimed Christy, laughing.
"I have done my duty to my country, my conscience is clean, and I am not to be upset by an accident like this. I am really happy in the consciousness that I have been faithful to the cause of my country."
[Ill.u.s.tration: "I am glad to see you, Christy."--Page 308.]
"I wish you had been; but we will not talk about that, for I suppose you and your father have the same views," replied the planter, looking very sad.
"I don"t believe we should agree if we talked about it for a year, and we had better give the subject the go-by. But how are Aunt Lydia and Gerty?"
"Both are very well. I hope your father is in good health, as well as your mother and sister."
"All very well."
"I have not heard a word from any of you for about five months,"
continued Colonel Pa.s.sford. "In fact, not since you were here in May."
"We got home all right, and the Bellevite is a man-of-war now. She captured one valuable prize off the coast of Carolina, and another at Pensacola," replied Christy cheerfully.
"She ought never to have been allowed to leave Mobile Bay," added the colonel.
"Your people certainly did everything they could to prevent her from leaving, and I hope you don"t blame yourselves for letting her go. What about Corny, sir?" asked Christy.
"Major Pierson was very much to blame for permitting the Bellevite to pa.s.s the forts when she came in, and he lost his command. But he has devoted all his life to redeem his fault by her recapture. He took Corny with him, and a naval officer; I only know that the attempt to recapture her failed from the fact that the Bellevite is now on the blockade."
Finding that his uncle knew nothing of the events which had transpired at Bonnydale, Christy told him all about them, informing him at the end that Corny was a prisoner of war on parole at his father"s house, recovering from his wound.
CHAPTER XXVIII
AN ENTERPRISE FOR A DARK NIGHT
"Corny wounded!" exclaimed Colonel Pa.s.sford, rising with no little emotion from the box on which he had seated himself.
"Not seriously, Uncle Homer," added Christy.
"But how was he wounded? I have heard of no battle in the vicinity of New York till now, though our papers contain some news from outside,"
continued the planter.
"It was hardly a battle," replied Christy. "Captain Carboneer had brought a crew for a steamer through Canada, I believe, for the purpose of capturing the Bellevite as she lay at Bonnydale. Major Pierson and Corny were to a.s.sist him; and the major wished Captain Carboneer to take Florry on board of her, and convey her to the South, when he had taken possession of the steamer; but the naval officer was too high-toned to do anything of the kind."
"I did not suppose Major Pierson could do such a thing," added the planter, biting his lips.
"But the major insisted that he did not mean to take her against her own will. Captain Carboneer bought an old steamer, put his men on board of her, and started up the river to make the capture. I knew they were coming, and was ready for them. We fired only one shot at the old steamer, which smashed her walking-beam, and disabled her. A piece of the machinery struck Corny, and injured him in the shoulder. The doctor says he is not permanently injured, though it will be months before he is able to use his arm. He was paroled, and mother is taking as good care of him as though I had been wounded."
"I am thankful it is not worse," added the colonel, with a sigh of relief. "What became of Major Pierson?"
"I don"t know, but I suppose he is a prisoner in Fort Lafayette. He refused to give his parole when he found he could not be a guest at Bonnydale. Captain Carboneer obtained the command of a steamer, but it was captured by the Bellevite, and probably he is with the major in the fort."
The planter asked a great many questions in regard to the affair on the Hudson, and Christy answered them. He gave some of the particulars of the capture of the Teaser, and mentioned the name of Lonley, who had told him that Colonel Pa.s.sford had offered him the command of a schooner he had loaded with cotton to run the blockade; but the planter said nothing to indicate that he had ever heard of the privateersman.
"The Bellevite has been very fortunate so far, and she seems to have a charmed existence," added the colonel.
"That is only because she is well handled," replied Christy, laughing.
"And you seem to be equally fortunate, Christy, for you have twice been the means of saving your father"s steamer. Corny has done nothing, is wounded, and practically a prisoner. But, Christy, the tide will turn, for Heaven is always on the side of a just cause," added the planter solemnly.