English
TheexpeditionlandedabouttwomileseastofFortMorgan.
Theseawasnotheavy,asitsometimesisonthesesandislands,andthedebarkationwaseffectedwithoutanydifficulty.
Atthisdistancefromthedefencesofthebaynotapersonwastobeseen.
Thefogbanksstillsweptoverthewatersofthegulfasduringthelatterpartoftheafternoon,andifanynumberofpersonshadbeenneartheshore,theycouldhardlyhavebeenseen.
“Weareallrightsofar,Mr.Graines,”saidChristy,asthebowmenhauleduptheboatonthebeach.
“Itisasquietasatombinthisvicinity,”repliedtheengineer,asheledthewaytotheshore.
“Now,mymen,haultheboatoutofthewater.
Ithinkweneednotuseanyofoursmallforceasboat-keepers,forwecanhardlysparethemforthispurpose,Mr.Graines,”Christyproceededverypromptly.
“Itdoesnotlookasthoughtheboat,oranythingelse,wouldeverbemolestedinthislonelylocality,”repliedGraines,asthemenlifteditfromthewater.
“Nowcarryitbackabouthalfacablefromtheshore,”continuedtheprincipaloftheparty.
“Ifoneortwostrollersshouldhappenthisway,theywouldnotbeabletoputitintothewater,thoughfourmencancarryitveryeasily.”
Thewhaleboatwasbornetoaspotindicatedbythelieutenant,andleftasithadbeentakenfromthesurf.
Everythinginitwasarrangedinorder,sothatitcouldbehastilyputintothewaterifcircumstancedemandedahurriedretreatfromthesceneofoperations.
Nearthespotwasapostsetupinthesand,whichmighthavebeenoneofthecornersofashanty,orhavebeenusedyearsbeforebyfishermendryingtheirnetsorothergear.
“Doyouseethatpost,mymen?”askedChristy,ashepointedtoit,nottwentyfeetfromthespotwheretheboathadbeendeposited.
“Ay,ay,sir!”theseamenresponded,inlowtones,fortheyhadbeenwarnednottospeakoutloud.
“Thatwillbeyourguideinfindingtheboatifweshouldgetscattered,”addedtheofficer.“Now,doyouseethetwostarsabouthalfwaybetweenthehorizonandthezenith?”
“Ay,ay,sir!”answeredWeeks,theoiler.“TheBandofOrion.”
“Quiteright,Weeks,”addedChristy.“FortMorganliesaboutwestofus;andacoursefromthereinthedirectionofthetwostarswillbringyoutothecoastandtheboat.
Everymanmustactforhimselftosomeextent,andyouareexpectedtobeprudent,anduseyourownjudgment.
Itwillnotbesafeforustokeeptogether,foradozenmenseenallatoncewouldbelikelytoawakensuspicion.”
“Ifthereisnotacrowdofmenoverbythefort,wecanhardlyexpecttoavoidcomingtogether,”suggestedWeeks,whoprovedtobeaveryintelligentman,withexcellentjudgment.
“Icannottellwhetherornotweshallfindanygatheringofmeninthevicinityofthefort,”repliedChristy.
“Weshallbeobligedtogovernourselvesaccordingtocircumstances.
Ifyoufindanynumberofpeopleoverthere,youcanminglewiththem.
Someofyouareverygoodscholars;butifanyofyouaredisposedtoindulgeinfinetalk,don’tdoit.
Makeyourspeechcorrespondwithyourdress,andletitberoughandrude,forthatisthefashionamongthelaboringclassinthisregion.”
“Isupposesea-slangwillnotbeoutoforder,”saidWeeks.
“Notatall.Simplyconsiderthatyouaresailorsandlaborers,anddonotforgetit,”answeredChristy;andhewasconfidentthathehadselectedonlythosewhowerecompetenttoconductthemselvesastheoccasionmightrequire.
“Now,Mr.Graines,tellofffivemen—anyfive.”
Theengineercalledofffiveoftheseamen,whosenameshehadlearnedfromthelistgivenhimbyhissuperiorofficer.
“Nowthesefivemenwilleachchoosehispartner,whoistobehiscompanionwhileweareonshore,andwhoistoactwithhim,”continuedChristy.
“Idonotknowyetanybetterthanyoudowhatyouaretodo;butifyouarecalledupontodoanydifficultordangerouswork,rememberthatyouareAmericanseamen,anddoyourbestforyourcountry.
Ifyouarerequiredtodoanyfighting,asIdonotexpectyouwill,oursuccessdependsuponyourstrongarmsandyourreadywills.
Youwilldoyourwholeduty,whateveritmaybe,anddoitliketrueAmericansailors.”
“Ay,ay,sir!”cameinaunanimousvoicefromtheknotofmen,thoughinsubduedtones.
“Callthefirstnameagain,Mr.Graines,”addedChristy.
“Weeks,”repliedtheengineer.
“Selectyourman,Weeks.”
“Bingham,”saidtheoiler.
Thenamesoftheotherfourmenwhohadbeenselectedwerecalledinturn,andeachofthemselectedhispartner,eachoneofcoursechoosinghisbestfriend,ifhehadnotalreadybeenappropriated.
“Now,mymen,WeeksandBingham,thefirstcouple,tobecalledsimply‘One’whenwanted,andtheywillanswertothisdesignation,willstartfirst.
Thenextcouple,tobecalled‘Two,’willfollowthem;andsoon,theotherpairscominginorder,”continuedChristy,designatingeachbynameandnumber.
“TwowillstartintenorfifteenminutesafterOne,asnearlyasyoucanguessatthetime,foritistoodarktoseewatchesifyouhavethem.”
“Arewetochooseourowncourses?”askedWeeks.
“No;Iwascomingtothatnext.Eachcouplewillstrollduenorthusnearlyashecanmakeitout,tilltheycometothewatersofMobileBay.
Ifyouseeanyhousesortents,avoidthem,andkeepclearofanycollectionofpeoplebeforeyoureachthevicinityofthefort.
Thebayisthefirstpointyouaretoreach;thenfollowtheshoretothefort.
Ifyoumeetanyperson,talktohiminafriendlyway,ifnecessary,andbeasgoodConfederatesasanyinthisregion,eveninsideofFortMorgan.”
WeeksandBinghamtookupthelineofmarchinthedirectionindicated,andsoondisappearedbeyondtherisinggroundinthemiddleoftheneckofland,whichwashereaboutthree-eighthsofamilewide.
AquarterofanhourlaterLaneandMcGradyfollowedthem.
Whiletheywerewaiting,eachofthepairsgaveaspecimenofthedialecttheyintendedtouse.
McGradywasanIrishman,educatedinthepublicschoolsoftheNorth,andhislanguagewasasgoodasthatofanyordinaryAmerican;butnowheusedaveryrichbrogue.
Everymanfollowedhisownfancy.LanehadlivedintheSouth,and“mought”and“fotch”camereadilytohisaid.
TheCrackersofFlorida,thebackwoodsmenofNorthCarolina,theswaggeringKentuckian,thewildTexan,wereallrepresented;andChristycouldeasilyhavebelievedhehadacompanyofcomediansunderhiscommand,insteadofabandofloyalNortherners.
Theexecutiveofficerandtheengineerhaddecidedbeforethistimetokeeptogether;and,assoonastheyhadseenthesecondcoupledepart,theysetoutontheirwanderingmarchtothefortinadirectiondifferentfromthatoftheothersoftheparty.
Theywalkeddirectlytowardsthefort,forChristyintendedtomakehisexaminationofthegroundtotheeastwardofthefortification,onhiswaytosomespotwherehecouldascertainwhatvesselswereatanchorbetweenthepointandtheMiddleGround.
Hedischargedthisdutyveryfaithfully;andbeforehereachedhisobjectivepointhewasconfidenthecoulddrawamapoftheregion,withwhatinformationhehadobtainedbefore,whichwouldmeettherequirementsofCaptainBreaker.
“What’sthat?”demandedGraines,suddenlyplacinghishandonthearmofhiscompanion,andstoppingshort,astheywereapproachingthecrownoftheelevation.
Afirewasburningonthegroundinadepressionofthesurface,whichdoubtlessconcealeditslightfrompersonsinthevicinityofthefort,iftherewereanythere.
Arounditcouldbeseenfourmen,asthetwoofficerslookedoverthecrestofthehill,whoappearedtobeengagedineatinganddrinking;andtheyweredoingmoreofthelatterthanoftheformer,forthebottlepassedveryfrequentlyfromonetoanother.
“Itlookslikeabivouaconthepartofthosefellows,”saidChristyinalowtone.
“Butwhoandwhatarethey?”askedGraines.
“TheymaybedesertersfromFortMorgan,thoughiftheyweretheywouldhardlybivouacsonearit,”repliedChristy,whodidnotseemtohiscompaniontobeatalldisturbedbythediscoveryofthemen.
“Theyaremorelikelytobesailorsfromsomeintendingblockade-runneratanchoroffthepoint,whohavecomeonshoretomakeanightofit;andtheyappeartohavemadeconsiderableprogressinthedebauch.”
“Theyarenotsoldiers,foryoucanseebythelightofthefirethattheyarenotdressedinuniform,”addedtheengineer.
“Thisisthethirdyearofthewar,anduniformsforthesoldiersarenotparticularlyabundantintheConfederacy.”
“Wecan’tseethewatersofthebaytillwereachthetopoftheknollyonder,andwedon’tknowwhetherthereareanyvesselsatanchorthereornot.
Butwecaneasilyavoidthesefellowsbykeepingbehindtheridgetillwegetwheretheycannotseeus.”
“Idon’tknowthatwewanttoavoidthem,forIshouldlikeverymuchtoknowwhoandwhattheyare.
Theymustbetipsytoagreaterorlessdegreebythistime,fortheydotwiceasmuchdrinkingaseating,”answeredChristy,asheadvancedalittlewayfartherupthehill.
“Theyhaveabasketoffood,andIdonotbelievetheyaremeretramps.
Theyaremorelikelytobeengagedinsomeoccupationwhichbroughtthemtothispoint,andIthinkwehadbetterfraternizewiththem.
Theymaybeabletogiveussomevaluableinformation;anditlooksasthoughtheyweredrunkenoughtotellalltheyknowwithoutmakinganydifficultyaboutit.”
“Doyouthinkitisquiteprudent,Mr.Passford,toapproachthem?”askedtheengineer.
“Whenwecomeonanexcursionofthiskindwehavetotakesomerisk.
IfIwerealoneIshouldnothesitatetojointhem,andtakemychances,fortheymustknowsomethingaboutaffairsinthisvicinity,”repliedChristyinaquiettone,sothathisanswermightnotbeinterpretedasaboastorareproachtohiscompanion.
“Iamreadytofollowyou,Mr.Passford,whereveryougo,andtodependuponyourjudgmentforguidance,”saidGrainesverypromptly.
“Ifitcomestoafightwiththosefellows,IbegyoutounderstandthatIwilldomyfullshareofit,andobeyyourorderstotheletter.”
“OfcourseIhavenodoubtwhateverinregardtoyourcourageandyourreadinesstodoyourwholeduty,Mr.Graines,”addedChristy,asheledthewaytothesummitoftheelevation.
“Nowlayasideyourgrammarandrhetoric,andwemustbeasgoodfellowsasthosebivouackersaremakingthemselves.
Wearesimplysailorswhohavejustescapedfromacapturedblockade-runner.”
“Idon’tseeanythingaroundthefirethatlookslikemuskets,”saidtheengineer,astheydescendedfromtheelevation.
“Iseenothingatallexcepttheprovision-basketandthebottles,”repliedChristy.
“Buttheymaybearmedforallthat.”
“Wemusttakeourchances.Theyaresobusyeatinganddrinkingthattheyhavenotseenusyet.
Perhapswehadbetterbealittlehilarious,”continuedthelieutenant,ashebegantosing,“Wewon’tgohometillmorning,”inwhichhewasjoinedbyhiscompanionasvigorouslyasthecircumstanceswouldpermit.
Singingastheywent,andwitharollinggait,theyapproachedtherevellers.
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