English
CaptainBreakerhadbeeninthemainriggingwithhisnight-glass,watchingthemovementsofthechase;butherecognizedthevoiceofChristywhenheshoutedtoFrenchtopickupthequarter-boatoftheschooner,ashecouldnolongermakeouttheTallahatchieinthefog.
“Good-morning,Mr.Passford,”saidhe,ashemetChristywhenhedescendedfromtherail.“Iamgladtoseeyouagain.”
“Good-morning,CaptainBreaker,”repliedthelieutenant,ashetooktheofferedhandofthecommander.“Ihopealliswellonboard,sir.”
“Entirelywell,andyourmessengercameonboardingoodtime,sothatwewereinpositiontogetthefirstsightoftheTrafalgarwhensheshowedherselfoffSandIslandLighthouse,”repliedthecaptain,asheledthewaytohiscabin.
“Mr.Ballard,keepasharplookoutforthechase,”headdedtotheactingexecutiveofficer.
“Willyouallowmetoputonmyuniform,Captain?”askedChristy.“Idon’tfeelquiteathomeonboardtheshipintherigoutIhavewornallnight.”
“Certainly;forIdonotwishyoutoshowyourselftotheship’scompanywhileyoulooksolittlelikeanavalofficer,”repliedthecaptain,ashewenttotakeanotherlookatthedarknessahead.
Thelieutenanthastenedtohisstateroom,andinaveryshorttimehehadwashedoffthesmutfromhisfaceandhands,anddressedhimselfinhisuniform,sothathelookedlikequiteanotherperson,Graineshadgonetohisroominthesteerageforthesamepurpose,forneitherofthemdesiredtoshowhimselfashehadappearedbeforeCaptainSullendine.
Christyhurriedtothedeckassoonashehadmadethechange,andmetthecommanderonthequarter-deck.
Lookoutswerestationedaloftandonthetop-gallantforecastle,andallhandswereinastateofhealthyexcitementinviewofthestirringeventwhichwaslikelytotranspirebeforethelapseofmanyhours;anddoubtlesssomeofthemenweremovedbytheprospectofprize-money,notonlyfromtheproceedsofthesaleofthesteamertheywerechasing,butfromthefullfreightofcottononboardoftheschooner,thedeckloadofwhichhadbeennotedbysomeofthecrew.
TheschoonerwhichhadcomesocloseaboardoftheBellevitewasamysterytoall,fromthecaptaindowntothehumblestseaman;buttheAmericanensignovertheConfederateflaghadbeenobservedbyafew,andthissettledherstatus.
Notmorethanhalfoftheseamenwereawarethatanexpeditionhadlefttheshipatteno’clocktheeveningbefore,andtheyhadhadnoopportunitytonoticetheabsenceoftheexecutiveofficerduringthenight;andevenyetallhandshadnotbeencalled,fortheregularwatchwasenoughtogettheshipunderway.
Thecommanderconductedtheexecutiveofficertohisowncabin,againremindingMr.Ballardtokeepasharplookoutforthechase.
Christyfeltlikehimselfagaininhisneatuniform,andhisvigorousandwellknit,aswellasgracefulform,didmoretoshowoffthedressthanthedressdidtoadornhisperson.
“Iamverygladtoseeyouagain,Christy,”saidCaptainBreaker,seatinghimselfandpointingtoanarm-chairforthelieutenant,whilehecamedownfromthestatelydignityofthecommanderofaman-of-wartothefamiliaritywithwhichhetreatedhischiefofficerwhentheywerealone.
“Ihadnodoubtthatyouwouldgiveagoodaccountofyourself,asyoualwaysdo.
Youweregoingontheenemy’sterritory,andyouwereinperilallthetime.
Nowyoucomeoffinaschooner,whichappearstobeloadedwithcotton,andhoworwhereyoupickedherupisamysterytome;”andthecommanderindulgedinalaughattheoddityoftheyoungofficer’sreappearance.
“YourmessengerreportedthattheTrafalgarwouldsailatthreeo’clockinthemorning,andIjudgethatsheleftataboutthathour.”
“Withintenminutesofit,andprobablymadeanarrangementwiththecommandantoftheforttothateffect,”addedChristy.
“ButtheydonotcallhertheTrafalgarnow;thoughWeekswasnotawareofthefactwhenIsenthimonboard.
SheisnowtheTallahatchie,thoughInoticedthatsomeinthevicinityofthefortstillcalledherbyheroldname.”
“Nevermindthename;shewillanswerourpurposeaswellunderoneappellationasanother.
WhenIaskedyourmessengeraboutyouandtheothersixmenofyourparty,hewasunabletogivemeanyinformationinregardtoyourmovements;andhecouldnottellmehowyouhadascertainedthehouratwhichthesteamerwastosail,”continuedthecaptain.
“Grainesandmyselfseparatedfromthepartyassoonaswelandedonthepoint;andwehadobtainedourinformationbeforewejoinedthemagainontheshoreofMobileBay,sir.
AtthesametimewehadlearnedallabouttheWestWind”—
“Thewhat?”interposedthecommander.
“ImeantheschoonerWestWind,theonefromwhichwecameonboardoftheBellevite,whichwastobetowedoutbytheTallahatchie,andwhichwastowedoutbyhertillweonboardofhercastoffthetowline.”
“Perhapsyouhadbetternarratetheeventsofyourexpeditionseriatim,forallyousayinthisdisconnectedmanneronlythickensthemystery,”saidthecommander:andheknewthathisofficerhadanexcellentcommandoftheEnglishlanguage,andcouldmakeaverbalreportinaveryattractiveandtellingstyle,thoughperhapshisfatherlyinterestintheyoungmanhadsomethingtodowiththematter.
Christybeganhisnarrativewiththedeparturefromtheship,passinglightlyovertheminordetailstillhecametothemeetingwiththedesertersfromtheWestWind,bivouackinginthehollow.
Hedescribedthedrinkingboutwhichfollowed,inwhichheandGraineshadpretendedtojoin,statingtheinformationhehadobtainedfromthem.
HerehearsedaportionofCaptainSullendine’sspeech,addingthatmostofhisauditorsweretheseamenfromtheBellevite,thoughhehadsentfourofthembacktotheshipbeforehereachedtheshore.
HedetailedhisinterviewwiththemasteroftheWestWind,explaininghowhehadshippedthenewcrewwithhim.
Thescenesinthecabinweredescribedinfull;infact,everyincidentofanyimportancewhichhadtranspiredduringthenightwasrelated.
Thecommanderwasdeeplyinterested,andlistenedwithoutcommenttothenarrativeuptothemomentwhenthenarratorhadcomeonboardoftheBellevite.
Hewasnotsparinginhispraiseoftheengineer,andseparatedwhathehadsaidanddoneasfarashecouldfromhisownwordsandactions.
ThecommanderthenquestionedhiminregardtothearmamentoftheTallahatchie,andherepeatedthemeagreinformationhehadobtainedfromBokes.
SomeconversationconcerningArmstronggunsfollowed;butbothofthemwerewellpostedinregardtothislong-rangepiece.
Christyreadthesatisfactionwithwhichthecaptainheardhisstatementsonhisface.
Aknockatthedoorofthecabindisturbedtheconference,andthelieutenantwasdirectedtoopenthedoor.
TheshakingandstrainingoftheshiphadforsometimeindicatedthatPaulVapoorwasfullyalivetotheimportanceofgettingtheBellevite’sbestspeedoutofheronthepresentoccasion;andhedidnotintrustthedutytohissubordinates.
Christyopenedthecabindoor,andMidshipmanWaltersaskedforthecommander,andwasadmitted.
“Mr.Ballarddirectsmetoinformyou,sir,thatwearegainingonthechase,”saidtheyoungofficer.
“Thefoghasliftedagain,andwecanmakeheroutveryclearly.
TheHolyokehasabandonedthechase,andappearstobeheadedfortheschoonerthatcametoonthestarboardoftheship.”
“TellMr.Ballardtokeeptheshipassheis,headedfortheTallahatchie,”repliedCaptainBreaker.
“TheTallahatchie,sir?”queriedthemidshipman.
“FormerlytheTrafalgar,”addedthecommander.
Theyoungofficertouchedhiscapandretired.
“ThisCaptainSullendineisstillsecuredinhisstateroomonboardoftheWestWind,ishe?”askedthecaptain,risingfromhisarm-chair.
“HewaswhenIlefttheschooner,sir,”repliedChristy.
“French,thecaptainoftheforecastle,isinchargeofthevessel,withorderstoanchorheracoupleofmilestotheeastwardofthelighthouse.
IhavealreadycommendedFrenchtoyourattention,Captain,asafaithfulandreliableman,andIthinkhedeservespromotion.”
“Yourrecommendationwillgoagreatwaytoprocureitforhim,"addedthecommanderwithasignificantsmile.
“Heisathoroughseaman,hasbeenthemateofalargecoaster,andwouldhavebecomemasterofherifhispatrioticdutyhadnotledhimtoshipinthenavy.”
“Heisaresoluteandbravefellowinaction,asIhavehadoccasiontoobserve,andIshallrememberhim.
Whenyouarewritingtoyourfatheritwouldbewellforyoutomentionhim;andthethingwillbedoneatyourrequestifnotatmine.”
“Itcertainlywouldnotbedonewithoutyourindorsement,formyfatherwillnotindulgeinanyfavoritismasidefromrealmerit,"protestedthelieutenant,withsomewarmth.
“Youarequiteright,Christy.Wemustgoondecknow,”addedCaptainBreaker,ashemovedtowardsthedoor.
“Youhavebeenupallnight,myboy;itwillbesomehoursbeforewecomewithinreachofthechase,andyoucanturninandgetalittlesleepbeforeanythingstirringtakesplaceonboard.”
Theexcitementwhichhadanimatedtheyoungofficerduringthenighthadsubsidedwiththerenderingofhisreport,andtheresponsibilityofacommandnolongerresteduponhim,andforthefirsttimesinceheembarkedinthewhaleboat,hebegantofeeltiredandsleepy.
Hewentondeckwiththecommander,andtookasurvey,firstofthechase,thenoftheHolyoke,andfinallyoftheWestWind.
CaptainBreakerthoughttheTallahatchiewasaboutfivemilesdistant.
Seenthroughtheglass,forthefoghadallblownaway,andthedaylighthadbeguntoobscurethestars,thesteamerseemedtobedoingherbest.
TheHolyokewasheadedtotheeastward,evidentlyintendingtochasetheWestWind,forshecouldnotyetmakeoutherflags,indicatingthatshewasalreadyaprize.
Sheneednothavetroubledherselftopursuetheschoonerifshehadknownthefactsinregardtoher,forshewasentitledtoashareoftheprizeasamemberoftheblockadingfleetatthetimeofhercapture.
Butshecouldpreventherfrombeingretakenbyanyboatexpeditionsentfromtheshore,asherlonelypositionwheretheBellevitehadbeenforseveraldaysmighttemptsomeenterprisingConfederateofficertodo.
Althoughthelastheavingofthelogshowedtwentyknots,itwasaquiettimeofthedeckoftheBellevite,andalltheexcitementonboardwasconfinedtotheengineandfirerooms.
WithsundrygapesChristyhadtakeninthesituation,andthenheconcludedtoavailhimselfofthecommander’spermissiontoretiretohisstateroom,wherehewassooninasoundslumber.
Justbefore,CaptainBreakerhadretiredtohiscabin,wherehehadachartoftheGulfofMexicospreadoutonhistable.
AssumingthepointwheretheTallahatchiehadchangedhercoursetothesouth-west,hedrewalineinthatdirection,andrealizedthatthechasecouldnotgoclearofthePassesoftheMississippiRiver;andshewaslikelytosightsomeFederalsteamerinthatlocality.
Asthedaylightincreasedtheweatherimprovedsofarasthefogwasconcernedanditpromisedtobeaclearday,forthestarshadnotbeenobscuredatanytimeduringthenight.
Theonlyalternativethecommandercouldseeforthechase,ashestudiedthechart,wastogotothesouthwardbeforehecouldsightthePassàl’Outre.
Hewassoconfidentthatthismustbehiscourse,thathedecidedtotakeadvantageofthesituation,andhewentondeckatonce,whereheorderedtheofficerofthedecktomakethecoursesouthsouth-west.
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