English
ChristyPassfordhadbeenthroughthischannelatleasthalfadozentimesintheBellevite,andknewallthecoursesandbearings,thoughthelatterdidnotcountinthedensefogwhichhadsettleddownonthevicinityofthefort.
ThelightsinthebinnacleoftheWestWindhadnotbeenputout,thoughtheycouldnotbenoticedoutsideoftheschooner.
Thegreatfortresscouldnotbeseen,anditwasassilentasatomb.
“Howdoesshehead,Christy?”askedGraines,astheymetatthewheel.
“Southaquarterwest,”repliedthelieutenant,“whichisthecorrectcourse.Thefogisverydensejustnow.
Ithinkwehavepassedtheobstructionsbythistime,thoughIdonotknowpreciselywheretheyareplaced.”
“Ishouldcallitmightyticklishnavigationjusthere,”addedtheengineer.
“Itisallofthat,orwillbeinfiveortenminutesmore.
SandIslandLighthouseisnotmorethanaquarterofamilefromthemiddleofthechannel,andatthatpointthecoursechanges.
Perhapsthepilotcanmakeoutthelighthouseinthefog.
Ifhedon’thewillrunintofiveorsixfeetofwaterinafewminutes,outofeightfathomsormore.”
“Isupposeyouarepreparedtoletgothetowlineifanythinggoeswrong,Mr.Passford?”addedtheengineer,perhapsasasuggestionratherthanasaquestion.
“Ihopeitwillnotcometothat,fortheschoonermightgetagroundontheKnollbeforewecouldmakesail,”repliedChristy.
“Thesteamerhasshiftedherhelm,”saidGraines,tothegreatreliefofthelieutenant.
“Thefogisliftingagain,andthepilotmusthaveseenthelighthouse.
Weareheadedmoretotheeastwardnow.”
“Thecourseissouthbywest,three-quarterswest,whenthelighthousebearswestbysouth.
Weareoutofthewoodsnow,andtherewillbenotroubleatalltillsomeblockaderstirsupthewaters,”saidChristy.
“IwonderwheretheBelleviteisjustnow,”addedGraines,ashelookedallabouthimasthefogliftedalittlemore,thoughitwasstilltoothicktomakeoutanyvessel,iftherewereanynear.
“Ifmymessengerreachedtheshipintime,shewillbefoundsomewherenearthechannel,”repliedChristy.“CallLines,ifyouplease,Mr.Graines.”
Theseamanpresentlyappeared;andthelieutenantdirectedhimtotakethewheel,Frenchinstructinghimhowtokeepthevesselinlinewiththesteamer.
“Ibelieveyouhavesailedaschooner,French,”saidChristy,whenhehadtakenthemantothequarter.
“Yes,sir;Iwasmateofacoasterforthreeyears,andIshouldhavebecomemasterofherifthewarhadnotcome,andIfeltthatIoughttogointothenavy,thoughIhaven’tgotaheadmuchyet,asIexpectedIshould;butIamsatisfiedtofightformycountrywhereIam.”
“Thatispatriotic;andIhopeahigherpositionwillbefoundforyou.
Butwehavenottimetotalkaboutthatnow,”continuedChristy.
“ItmaybenecessaryoradvisableforMr.GrainesandmyselftoleavetheWestWindatanymomentnow.
InthatcaseIshallplacethisvesselinyourcharge,andyouwilltakeheroffwheretheBellevitewasmooredlastnight,andcometoanchor.”
“Thankyou,sir;andIwillendeavortodomydutyfaithfully,”repliedFrench,touchinghiscap.
“Nowcallthemenaft,andIwillexplainthemattertothem.”
Thelieutenantexplainedthesituation,anddirectedtheotherfiveseamentorespectandobeythemanhehadselectedascaptain.
ThenhedirectedFrenchtocastoffthestopsfromtheforesailandmainsail,andhavethejibandflying-jibreadytosetatamoment’snotice.
“Idon’tthinkCaptainSullendinecangetoutofhisstateroom,wherehehasbeenconfined,orBokesoutofthedeck-house;butifeitherofthemshoulddoso,youmustsecurethemasyouthinkbest,”continuedChristy.
“Doyoufullyunderstandyourorders,French?”
“Perfectly,Mr.Passford;andIwilldomydutyaswellasIknowhow,”answeredtheableseaman,who,likemanyothersintheservice,deservedabetterposition.
Thenewofficerandcrewwenttoworkonthesails,andinafewminutestheywerereadytobeset.
Anotherbankoffogwasrollingup,inwhichthetwovesselswouldsoonbeinvolved.
ButtheTallahatchiewasinapositionwhereitwasplainsailingnow,andherfuturetroubleswouldallcomefromtheblockaders.
“Thereyouare!”exclaimedtheengineer,asthepealofagunboomedoverthewaterfromthewestward.“Thesteamerhasbeenseenbyablockader,andshewillcatchitnow.”
“Idon’tbelievethatwasoneoftheBellevite’sguns,”addedChristy.
“CaptainBreakerwouldnottakeapositionovertothewestward,forthatwouldgivehimtheoutsidetrack,andhealwaysgoesatanythingbytheshortestway.”
“Wehavethefogagainforthenexttenorfifteenminutes.
Theblockaderthatfiredthatshotmusthavegotasightatthesteamer,andsheisstillpeggingawayather.
Wemaygetknockedoverbyourownguns,”continuedGraines.
“Thereisnodangeratpresent.Shecan’thitanythinginthisfogexceptbyachanceshot.”
“Andoneofthemsometimesdoesthemostmischief.Thefogisheavierjustnowthanithasbeenatanytimeduringthenight.Ican’tseetheTallahatchiejustnow.”
“Itisblackerthanastackofblackbirds,”addedChristy.
“Iamconfidentthatweareatleastamilesouthofthelighthouse,andwewilltakeadvantageofthegloomtohoistthemainsail,andthentheforesailifitholdsasitisnow;”andhegavetheordertoFrench,whowasassistedbytheengineerinthework.
Thelieutenanttookthewheel,andsentLinestoassisttheothers.
Theblockadertothewestwardcontinuedtodischargeherguns;butherpeoplecouldseenothing,andhersolidshotbegantofallasternoftheWestWind,andtheTallahatchietooknonoticeofherorherguns.
Christysawthatthefogwasliftingagain,andthiswouldrevealtothesteameraheadwhathehadbeendoing.
Besides,hehadgoneintowaslongasheintended.Grainesreportedthetwosailsasset.
“Standbytohoistthejib!”heshouted,deemingitnolongernecessarytoconcealhismovements.
“Whatareyoudoingthere?”demandedtheofficer,whoseemedtobeinchargeoftheafterpartofthesteamer;andhistones,withthefloodofprofanityhepouredout,indicatedthathewasinaviolentfitofanger.
“Ireckonwewon’ttowanyfarther,”repliedChristy,whowasstillatthewheel,andtheofficeryelledloudenoughforhimtohearatthehelm;butFrenchrepeatedhisanswer.
“Allreadytohoistthejib,”Grainesreported.
“Castoffthetowline!”shoutedChristyatthetopofhislungs.“Hoistthejib!”
“Towlineallclear!”calledtheengineeramomentlater,andthejibwentupinahurry.
Thejibfilledonthestarboardtack,andtheWestWindwentofftothesouth-eastasChristyputupthehelm.
ThefogliftedjustenoughtoenabletheofficeratthesternofthesteamertoseetheWestWindasshewentoffonhernewcourse.
Nooneontheformercouldhavesuspectedthatthelatterhadchangedhands;forFrenchhadansweredforCaptainSullendineeverytimeacallwasmade,andhisvoicewasnotunlikethatofthemasteroftheschooner.
Christycouldnotunderstandwhytheofficerwhousedsomanyexpletivesshouldbedissatisfied,fortheTallahatchiecouldcertainlymakebettertimewhennolongerencumberedbythetowingoftheWestWind.
Butitmustlooktohimjustasthoughtheschoonerwouldbecapturedbythesteamertothewestward,whichhadbeenuselesslyfiringattheblockade-runnersinthedensestofthefog.
Hecouldnothelpseeingthatthevesselintowhadsethersails,andthereforethecastingoffofthewireropecouldnothavebeencausedbyanaccident.
Theactionofthecaptainoftheschooner,fortheyhadnoreasontosupposethechangeonboardoftheschoonerwasnotmadebyhim,musthavebewilderedtheofficersoftheTallahatchie.
Butthefogwaslifting,thesteamertowindwardwasnowunderway,thoughmovingveryslowly,andhersolidshotfellveryneartotheConfederatevessel.
BythistimethesailsoftheWestWindwerealldrawingfull,andthecraftwasmakingverygoodheadwaythroughthewater.
Thefogbankhadscattered,andappearednowtobeinadozensmallermasses,floatingoffinthedirectionofMobilePoint.
Christystillretainedthewheel,whileGraineswasputtingeverythinginorderforwardandinthewaist,aftersettingthesails.
“SendFrenchafttotakethewheel,Mr.Graines,”calledChristy,astheengineercameafttoseethemainsheet.
Thisman,whowasthecaptainoftheforecastle,oneofthemostimportantandbest-paidofthepettyofficers,hastenedafttorelievethechiefoftheexpedition,whowenttoworkwithhisownhandswhentheexigencyoftheservicerequired.
“Makethecoursesouth-west,French,”saidChristy,asheabandonedthewheeltothepettyofficer.
“South-west,sir,”repeatedtheseaman.
“CanyoumakeouttheBellevite,Mr.Graines?”askedhe,ashemettheengineeronthequarterdeck.
“Ihavekeptasharplookoutforher,Mr.Passford,butIhavenotseenheryet,”repliedGraines,ashelookedearnestlyinthedirectioninwhichtheschoonerwasheaded.
“IfCaptainBreakerreceivedmymessagesentbyWeeks,theshipmusthavetakenapositionsomewherebelowtheentrancetothechannel,andthatisaboutfourmilessouthofthefort,andoutofthereachofanyofitsguns,”addedthelieutenant.
“Therearehalfadozenofthosefogbanksfloatingaboutnearthewaterinthatdirection,andshemaybethere,’repliedGraines,ashetookaspy-glassfromthebracketsinthecompanion.
“Verylikelysheisdownthatwaysomewhere,andtheTallahatchiemayrunrightintoher.”
“Idon’tthinkCaptainBreakerwouldplacehisshipwhereanythingofthiskindwouldbelikelytohappen,”repliedChristy.
“ItisstillasdarkasEgyptahead,andIthinkweshallseetheBelleviteverysoon.”
TheConfederatesteamerhadsensiblyincreasedherspeed,andgavenoattentionwhatevertotheschoonerortheblockadertothewestwardofher.
CaptainRomboldseemedtobepossessedofasupremeconfidenceinthespeedofhissteamer,andacompleteassurancethatheshouldescapeunscathedfromallpursuers,ifanyattemptedtofollowhim.
HewasnotawarethattheBellevitehadrecentlyhadherbottomcleaned,andherengineputinthoroughlygoodcondition,sothatshecouldmakeasmanyknotsinanhouraseverbefore;andthatwassayingmorethancouldbesaidofanyothercraftinthenavy.
“Iwouldgivemymonth’spaytoknowwhattheTallahatchiehasforamidshipgun,”saidChristy,stillgazingattheConfederatevesselasshecontinuedtoincreaseherspeed.
Suddenly,withoutsayinganything,Graines,whohadbeenathisside,lefthim,andhastenedtothecompanion,wherehestoopeddownandgazedintothecabin.
Christyhadheardnothingtoattracthisattention,butheconcludedthatCaptainSullendinehadescapedfromhisprison,andhecalledthetwomenwhohadbeenstationedinthewaisttothequarter-decktorendersuchassistanceastheengineermightneed;butthisofficerremainedattheentrancetothecabin,andmadenofurthermovement.
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