English
“IalmostwishyouwerethesecondorthethirdlieutenantoftheBellevite,insteadoftheexecutiveofficer,Christy,”saidCaptainBreaker,thecommanderofthesteamer,astheywereseatedtogetheronedayonthequarter-deck.
“DoIfailinthedischargeofmydutyinmypresentposition,Captain?”askedChristy,verymuchastonished,nottosaystartled,attheremarkofthecommander.
“Notintheslightestdegree,mydearboy!”
returnedCaptainBreakerwithverydecidedemphasis.
“Youhaveservedinyourpresentcapacityforfourmonths;andifyouwerefiftyyearsold,andhadtwentyyearsofnavalexperiencebehindyou,itwouldbehardlypossibleforyoutobemorecorrectanddignifiedintheperformanceofthedetailsofyouroffice.”
“Ithankyou,Captain,forthepartialviewyoutakeofwhatIhavedone,”addedChristy,takingoffhiscapandbowingtohissuperior.
“Well,yououghttobeagoodofficerinanysituation,mydearfellow,”continuedthecommander.
“Idoubtifthereisanotherofficerinthenavywhohasenjoyedtheadvantagesyouhavehadinpreparinghimselfforthedutiesofhisprofession.
Youwerebroughtup,sotosay,onboardoftheBellevite.
Youwereagoodscholarinthefirstplace.
Withoutincludingmyself,youhavehadexcellentteachersineverydepartmentofscienceandphilosophy,amongwhomyourfatherwasoneofthewisest.
PoorDashingtonwasoneofthebestseamenthatevertrodadeck;andhetookespecialdelightinshowingyouhowtomakeeveryknotandsplice,aswellasininstructingyouinthehigherdetailsofpracticalseamanship.
Blowittandmyselfassistedhim,andoldBoxie,whogavehislifetohiscountry,wasmorethanagrandfathertoyou.”
“Ihavecertainlybeenverygratefultoyouandtothemforalltheydidforme,”repliedChristywithasadexpressiononhishandsomefaceasthecommanderrecalledthethreeshipmatesofbothofthemwhosleptinheroes’graves.
“Perhapsthebrilliantgeniusofourengine-roomdidquiteasmuchforyouasanyotherperson,thoughnotmanyyearsyoursenior.”
“PaulVapoorismyfriendandcrony;andifhehadbeenmyprofessorinacollegehecouldhavedonenomoreforme.
Iassureyou,Captain,thatIkeepalivemygratitudetoallmyinstructors,includingsomeyouhavenotmentioned.”
“Iwasonlyexplainingwhyyouarewhatyououghttobe,foryouhavehadveryexceptionalopportunities,betterbyfarthananyotherofficerintheservice.
Butitisaltogethertoyourcreditthatyouhaveusedthoseopportunitieswiselyandwell.”
“IshouldhavebeenablockheadifIhadnot.”
“Thatisverytrue;butthemournfulwrecksofwastedopportunitiesstrewthetracksofmany,manyyoungmen.
Ithinkyoucanlookbackuponasfewofthemasanyonewithinmyknowledge,”saidthecommander,bestowingalookofgenuineaffectionuponhischiefofficer.
“Morethanonce,evenbeforeweentereduponthisterriblewar,Ihavetoldyourfatherhowhappyheoughttobeinhavingsuchasonasyouare.”
“Come,come,CaptainBreaker,youarepraisingme!”exclaimedChristyimpatiently.
“Iamspeakingonlythesimpletruth,andIhaveveryrarelysaidasmuchasIsaynow.
ItwaswhenyouaskedmeifyouhadfailedinthedischargeofthedutiesofyourpresentpositionthatIwasledintothislineofremark;andIamsureyouwillnotbespoiledbyhonestandjustpraise,”repliedthecaptain.
“Then,togobacktothepointwhereyoubegan,whydoyoualmostwishthatIweresecondorthirdlieutenant,insteadofexecutiveofficer,oftheBellevite,Captain?”
continuedChristy,risingfromhisseat,andfixinganearnestgazeuponthefaceofthecommander,forhewasverysensitive,andhecouldnothelpfeelingthathehadbeenlackinginsomethingthatwouldmakehimabetterexecutiveofficerthanhewas.
“Mr.Ballard,thesecondlieutenant,andMr.Walbrook,thethird,aregentlemenofthehighestgrade,andexcellentofficers;buttheyarebothsomewhatwantingindashandcoolimpetuosity.”
“‘Coolimpetuosity’isverygood,Captain,”addedChristywithalaugh.
“ButthatispreciselywhatImean,myboy,andnotwowordscouldexpresstheideaanybetter.
Youcannotcarryanenemybyboardingwiththesameprecisionyoumantheyardsonaceremoniousoccasion,orasaregimentofsoldiersgoondressparade.Itrequiresvim,dash,spirit.
Theofficersnamedhavethisqualityinaveryconsiderabledegree,yetnotenoughofit.
Butwhattheylackmoreisingenuity,fertilityinexpedients,andtheexpansiveviewwhichenablesthemtotakeadvantagepromptlyofcircumstances.Youneverloseyourhead,Christy.”
“Ineverknewthegentlemennamedtolosetheirheads,andIhavealwaysregardedthemasmodelofficers,”repliedthefirstlieutenant.
“Andsotheyare:youarequiteright,mydearboy;butitispossibleforthemtobeallyousay,andyet,liketheyoungmanofgreatpossessionsintheScripture,tolackonething.
IshouldnotdaretoexchangemysecondandthirdlieutenantsforanyothersifIhadtheopportunity.”
“IconfessthatIdonotunderstandyouyet,Captain.”
Thecommanderrosefromhisseat,stretchedhimself,andthenlookedaboutthedeck.
Takinghiscamp-stoolinhishandhecarrieditovertotheportsideofthequarter-deck,andplanteditclosetothebulwarks.
Thesecondlieutenantwastheofficerofthedeck,andwaspacingtheplanksonthestarboardside,whilethelookoutsintheforetopandonthetop-gallantforecastlewereattendingcloselytotheirduty,doubtlesswithavisionofmoreprizemoneyfloatingthroughtheirbrains.
TheBellevite,withthefiresbankedinthefurnaces,wasatanchorofftheentrancetoMobileBay,abouttwomileseastofSandIslandLighthouse,andthesamedistancesouthofthenarrowneckoflandonthewesternextremityofwhichFortMorganislocated.
Hercommanderhadchosenthispositionforapurpose;forseveralweeksbefore,whiletheBellevitewasabsentonaspecialmission,aremarkablyfaststeamercalledtheTrafalgarhadruntheblockadeinward.
CaptainPassford,Senior,throughhisagentsinEngland,hadsomeinformationinregardtothisvessel,whichhehadsenttoCaptainBreaker.
Unlikemostoftheblockade-runnersbuiltforthisparticularservice,shehadbeenconstructedinthemostsubstantialmannerforanEnglishmillionaire,whohadinsistedthatsheshouldbebuiltasstrongasthebestofsteelcouldmakeher,forheintendedtomakeavoyagearoundtheworldinher.
UnfortunatelyfortheowneroftheTrafalgar,whowasalinealdescendantofatitledcommanderinthatgreatnavalbattle,hefellfromhishorseinafoxchase,andwaskilledbeforethesteamerwasfullycompleted.
Hisheirhadnotasteforthesea,andthesteamerwassoldatapricefarbeyondhercost;andthepurchaserhadsucceededingettingherintoMobileBaywithavaluablecargo.
Shewasofabouteighthundredtonsburden,anditwassaidthatshecouldsteamtwentyknotsanhour.
ShewasbelievedtobetheequaloftheAlabamaandtheShenandoah.
TheBellevitehadbeenespeciallynotifiednottoallowtheTrafalgartoescape.
Shehadrecentlyhadherbottomcleaned,andherengineputinperfectorderfortheserviceexpectedofher,forshewasthefastestvesselontheblockade.
WhenCaptainBreakerhadassuredhimselfthathewasoutofhearingoftheofficerofthedeck,heinvitedChristytotakeaseatathisside.
Hespokeinalowtone,andwasespeciallycarefulthatnoofficershouldhearhim.
“PerhapsImeddlewithwhatdoesnotconcernme,Christy;butIcannothelphavingideasofmyown,”saidthecommander,whenhewassatisfiedthatnoonebuttheexecutiveofficercouldhearhim.
“ThereisFortMorgan,withFortGainesthreemilesfromitontheothersideofthechannel.
MobilePoint,asitiscalledatthisendoftheneck,extendsmanymilestotheeastward.
Itislessthantwomileswidewhereitisbroadest,andnotoveraquarterofamilenearPilotTown.”
“Ihavestudiedthelayofthelandverycarefully,forIhavehadsomeideasofmyown,”addedChristy,asthecommanderpaused.
“IfFortMorganhadbeenFortSumter,withbadmemoriesclingingtoit,aneffortwouldhavebeenmadetocaptureit,eitherbybombardmentbythenavy,orbyregularapproachesonthepartofthearmy,”continuedCaptainBreaker.
“TheyarestillpoundingawayatFortSumter,becausetherewouldbeamoralinitscaptureandthereductionofCharleston,forthewarbeganthere.
SuchaneventwouldsendawaveofrejoicingthroughtheNorth,thoughitwouldbeoflessrealconsequencethantheopeningofMobileBayandthecleaningoutofthecityofMobile.
ExceptWilmington,itisthemostpestilentresortforblockade-runnersontheentirecoast.”
“ThenyouthinkFortMorgancanbereducedfromthelandside?”askedChristy,deeplyinterestedintheconversation.
“Ihavelittledoubtofit;andwhileIbelieveFarragutwillresorttohisfavoriteplanofrunningbythefortshere,ashehasdonebythoseoftheMississippi,thearmywillbeplantedintherearofboththeseforts.
Aswehavelainhereformonths,Ihavestudiedthesituation,andIwanttoknowsomethingmoreaboutthelandontheeastofMobilePoint.”
“Ishouldsaythatitwouldbeeasyenoughtoobtainalltheinformationyoudesireinregardtoit,”suggestedChristy.
“Thereisanunwrittentraditionthatthecommandermustnotleavehisshiptoengageinanydutyofanactivecharacter,andIcannotexplorethevicinityofthefortmyself.”
“Butyouhaveplentyofofficersforsuchduty.”
“Ihavenodoubttherearepickets,andperhapsacampbeyondtherisingground,andtheexplorationwouldbedifficultanddangerous.
ThetwoofficersIhavementionedbeforelackthedashandingenuitysuchanenterpriserequires;andablundermightinvolvemeindifficulty,forIhavenoorderstoobtaintheinformationIdesire.”
“Theofficersnamedareprudentmenwithinreasonablelimits.”
“Theyare;butIwouldgiveupmyidearatherthantrusteitherofthemwiththisduty,”repliedCaptainBreakerverydecidedly.
“ButIhaveafurtherandnearerobjectinthisexploration;infact,examiningthegroundwouldbeonlysecondary.”
“Whatistherealobject,Captain?”askedthefirstlieutenant,hiscuriosityfullyawakened.
“IfeelthatitwillbenecessarytouseextraordinaryeffortstocapturetheTrafalgar,fornosteamerofherallegedspeedhaseverrunintooroutofMobileBay.
AfterIinformedtheflag-officerinregardtoher,whichyourfather’sinformationenabledmetodo,theBellevitewasespeciallychargedwiththedutyofcapturingher,ifshehadtochaseherallovertheworld.”
“Ihavenotmuchdoubtthatyouwilldoit,Captain.”
“Imeantodosoifpossible.Nowtheseblockade-runnersusuallyanchornearthelowerfleet,orunderthegunsofthefortinfivefathomsofwater.
Sometimestheyremaintheretwoorthreedays,waitingforafavorableopportunitytorunout.PerhapstheTrafalgaristherenow.Iwishtoknowaboutit.”
“Iinferthatyouconsidermefittedforthisduty,CaptainBreaker,”saidChristyearnestly.
“ForthatreasononlyIalmostwishedyouweresecondorthirdlieutenant,ratherthanfirst,”repliedthecommanderwithsomeearnestnessinhismanner.
Therewasnounwrittentraditionthatthefirstlieutenantshouldnotbesentonanyduty.
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