English
CaptainBreakerwatchedtheTallahatchiewiththemostearnestattention;anditwasnotfiveminutesafterhehadgivenoutthenewcoursebeforeshechangedherdirection,thoughnottothesouth,butenoughtocarryherclearofthePassesoftheMississippi.
PaulVapoorwasstillcrowdingtheenginetotheutmostthatcouldbedonewithsafety,andhespentnolittleofhistimeinthefireroom,personallydirectingthemenintheworkoffeedingthefurnaces.
ItwasevidenttothecommanderthathisshipwasgainingontheTallahatchie,atleastaknotanhour,asheestimatedit,andthechasecouldnotnowbemorethanfourmilesdistant.
ThiswaswithintherangeofherArmstronggun,ifitwasofthecalibrereportedbyBokes,whoseinformationwasmerehearsay,andwasopentomanydoubts.
“Sheischanginghercourseagain,CaptainBreaker,”saidMr.Ballard,whohadbeenobservingthechasewiththebestglassonboard.
“Probablyshehasdiscoveredaman-of-warinthedistance,”addedthecaptain.
“Icannotmakeoutanythingtothewestwardofher,”saidMr.Ballard,whohaddirectedhisglassthatway.
“SheknowsverywellthatsheisliabletoencounteraFederalshiponthecoursesheisrunning.Howdoessheheadnow?”
“AsnearlysouthasIcanmakeitout.”
“Thenwehavemadesomethingonherbygoingtothesouthsouth-westingoodseason;andIamsorryIdidnotdoitsooner,”repliedthecommander,ashewentintoafinecalculation,estimatingsundryangles,andfiguringonthegainhewasconfidenthehadalreadymade.
“Ithinksheisheadedduesouthnow,Captain,”saidMr.Ballard.
“SoIshouldsay,andweareheadedalittletoomuchtothewestward.Makethecoursesouthbywesthalfwest,Mr.Ballard.”
Thiscoursewasgiventothequartermasterconningthewheel.
Foranotherhourthetwosteamerskeptonthecoursetaken,attheendofwhichtimethecaptainbelievedtheywerewithinthreemilesofeachother;andtheappearance,asviewedbyskilfulandexperiencedofficers,verifiedhisestimateoftherelativespeedofboth—thattheBellevitewasgainingaboutaknotanhouronthechase.
TheyhadhardlyagreeduponthesituationbeforeacloudofsmokewasseentorisefromthewaistoftheTallahatchie,followedbythereportofaheavygun.
TheprojectilestruckthewateratleastaquarterofamileaheadoftheBellevite,atwhichthewatchondeckgaveahalf-suppressedcheer.
“Theymusthavebettergunnersthanthatindicatesonboardofthatsteamer,forshehasbeenfittedoutasacruiser,”saidthecommanderwithaquietsmile.
Twentyminuteslateranotherpuffofsmoke,followedbyasecondreport,excitedtheattentionofanofficeronthedeckoftheloyalship.
Theshotstruckthewateronlyalittlelessaheadoftheshipthantheformer,andthecrewgaveamorevigorouscheer:butitwasobservedthatithittheseaalittleonthestarboardbow,sothatifithadbeenbetteraimeditwouldnothavereachedtheship.
“Sheiswastingherammunition,”saidthecaptain.“Sheseemstobejesting,orelsesheistryingtofrightenus.”
“Ithinkitissomethingworsethanthat,CaptainBreaker,”repliedMr.Ballard.
“Whatcouldbeworse?”
“Iaminclinedtotheopinionthatshecannotswingthegunaroundsoastomakeitbearonanobjectsofarasternofherasthisshipisatthepresentmoment.”saidthelieutenant.
“Hehasanallsufficientremedyforthat,”addedthecaptain.“Hecanswinghisship’sheadaroundsohisgunwillbearonus.”
“Butthatwouldcausehimtoloseaquarterofamileormoreofhisadvantage;andsheseemstobemoreinclinedtorunawayfromtheBellevitethantofighther,”suggestedthelieutenant.
“Callallhands,Mr.Ballard,”saidthecommander;andinafewminutesalltheofficersandseamenwereattheirstations.
ThecallawokeChristyfromhisslumber,whichthereportofthegunandthecheeringofthemenhadfailedtodo.
Butheunderstoodthesummons,andthoughttheactionwasabouttobegin.
Headjustedhisdressandhastenedtothequarterdeck,wherehereportedindueformtothecaptain.
Mr.Ballardwasrelievedofhisdutiesasactingexecutiveofficer,andwenttohisproperstationtotakecommandofhisdivision.
Christytookacarefulsurveyofthesituation,andsawthattheBellevitehadgainedatleasttwoknotsonthechase.
TheHolyokeandtheWestWindwerenolongerinsight,thoughthefogseemedtobestillhangingabouttheentrancetoMobileBay.
“TheTallahatchiehasfiredtwoshotsatus,Mr.Passford;butshewastedherammunition,”saidthecommander.
“IaminclinedtoagreewithMr.BallardthatshecannotswingherArmstronggunsoastocovertheBellevite.”
“Shehasstoppedherscrew,sir!”exclaimedthefirstlieutenant,whowaslookingatthechasethroughthebestglass.
“Makethecoursewest,Mr.Passford!”saidthecaptainwithenergy.
“Quartermaster,makeitwest!”shoutedChristy.
“West,sir!”repeatedthequartermaster,ashecausedthehelmsmentoheaveoverthewheel.
Directinghisglasstothechaseagain,ChristysawtheTallahatchieswingaroundsothatshewasbroadsidetotheBellevite.
Almostatthesamemomentthesmokerosefromherdeck,andthesoundofthegunreachedtheearsoftheofficersandcrew.
Theshotpassedwithamightywhizbetweentheforeandmainmastoftheship,cuttingawayoneoftheforetopsailbraces,butdoingnootherdamage.Theseamencheeredastheyhadbefore.
TheTallahatchiestartedherscrewassoonasshehaddischargedhergun,andresumedherformercourse,theBellevitedoingthesame.
Iftheloyalshiphadnotpromptlyalteredhercourse,theprojectilewouldhaverakedher,andmusthaveinflictedmuchgreaterinjuryinthesparsandrigging.
Butbothvesselspromptlyresumedtheirformerrelativepositions,thoughtheTallahatchiehadlostsomeofheradvantagebycomingto,whileherpursuerhadonlymadeasmallcircuitwithoutstoppingherengineforamoment.
“Ifshedoesthatagain,Mr.Passford,wemustbereadytoreturnherfire,”saidthecaptain.
“Havethepivotgunready,andaimforherArmstrong,whichseemstobesufficientlyprominentonherdecktomakeagoodtarget.”
Christyhastenedforward,andgavetheordertoMr.Ballard,inwhosedivisionthegreatParrotwasincluded.
Thesignalwaspromptlygivenformanningthegun,andseventeenmenimmediatelysprangtotheirstations.
Themenwerearmedwithcutlasses,muskets,battle-axes,pistols,andpikes,whichweresodisposedastobeinreadinessforboardingtheenemy,orrepellingboarders.
“Asolidshot,andaimatthepivotgunoftheenemy,”saidChristyinalowtonetothesecondlieutenant,whohadthereputationofbeinganexpertinthehandlingofgunsofthelargestcalibre.
Thereweretwocaptainstothepivotgun,oneoneachside,stationednearesttothebaseofthebreech.
Seventeenmenwererequiredtoworkthepivotgun,whosedutiesweredefinedinthenamesappliedtothem,thepowdermanbeingtheoddone.
Thefirstandsecondcaptainswerenumbersoneandtwo;theoddnumbersbeingontheright,andtheevenontheleftofthepiece:numberthreewasthefirstloader,fourthefirstsponger,fivethesecondloader,sixthesecondsponger,seventhefirstshellman,eightthesecondshellman,ninethefirsthandspikeman,tenthesecondhandspikeman,eleventhefirsttraintackleman,twelvethesecondtraintackleman(thelasttwoatthebreech,nexttothecaptains),thirteenfirstsidetackleman,fourteensecondsidetackleman,fifteenfirstporttackleman,sixteensecondporttackleman.
Theguncrewhadbeenfrequentlydrilledinthemanagementofthepiece,andthemenwereentirelyathomeintheirstations.
Otherhandshadbeentrainedinservingthegun,sothattheplacesofanydisabledinactioncouldbereplaced.
TheserviceattheParrotwasnotallthatwasrequiredofthemenformingtheguncrew,foreachwasalsoafirstorsecondboarder,apumpman,orsomethingelse,andtoeachnumberoneortwoweaponswereassigned,asmusketandpike,swordandpistol,battle-axe.
Whentheordertoboardtheenemywasgiven,everymanknewhisstationandhisproperofficer.
“Silence,men!”commandedthesecondlieutenant,“Castlooseandprovide!”
Theseorderswererepeatedbythefirstcaptainofthegun.
Itishisdutytoseethepiececlearedandcastloose,andeverythingmadereadyforaction.
Heandthesecondcaptain“provide”themselveswithwaistbeltsandprimers,andthefirstwithsomeotherimplements.
Butthehandlingofoneofthesegreatgunsisaboutastechnicalasasurgicaloperationwouldbe,anditwouldbequiteimpossiblefortheuninitiatedtounderstandit,thoughitisevery-dayworktotheordinaryman-of-war’s-man.
Promptedbytheexecutiveofficer,whohadbeenfurtherinstructedbythecaptain,alltheseriesofstepshadbeentakenwhichputthepieceinreadinesstobedischarged,andallthatremainedtobedonewastoadjusttheaim,whichisdonebythefirstcaptain.
Atthistimethedistancebetweenthetwoshipshadbeenconsiderablyreduced.
Thecaptainandthefirstlieutenantwerecloselywatchingthechasewithglasses.
ThecrewoftheTallahatchiecouldbeseenatworkatthelonggun,andanothershotfromitwasmomentarilyexpected.
Theinstantthebowoftheenemybegantoswervetoport,thecaptainoftheBellevitegavetheordertoputthehelmtostarboard.
Almostatthesameinstanttheenemystoppedherscrew,swungroundandfiredherlonggun.
Theprojectilecrashedthroughthebulwarksbetweentheforemastandtop-gallantforecastle,woundingtwomenwiththesplinterswhichflewineverydirection.
Dr.Linscottandhismateshadestablishedthemselvesinthecockpit,towhichthewoundedareconveyed,inaction,fortreatment.
Thetwomenwhohadbeeninjuredbythesplinterswerenotdisabled,andtheywereorderedtoreporttothesurgeon.
Beforetheenemycouldresumehercourse,thecaptainofthepivotgunhadcaughthisaim,anddischargedtheParrot.
Allhandswatchedfortheresultoftheshot,andtheglassesofthecaptainandthefirstlieutenantweredirectedtothechase.
Shewasnearenoughnowtobeobservedwiththenakedeyewithtolerableaccuracy,andashoutwentupfromthemenatthepivotgun,inwhichtherestofthecrewondeckjoined,astheysawthattheshothadstruckthemidshipgunoftheenemy,orverynearit;andthiswasthepointwhereoldBlumenhoff,thecaptainofthegun,hadbeendirectedtoaim.
HewasaGerman,buthehadservedfortwenty-oneyearsintheBritishnavy,andhadwonabrilliantreputationinhispresentposition.
ItcouldnotbeimmediatelydeterminedwhetherornottheArmstronghadbeendisabled.
TheTallahatchiehadswungroundagainandresumedherflight;buthercommandermusthaverealizedbythistimethathewasgettingtheworstofit.
PaulVapoorhadnotlefthispostintheengineandfireroom,toascertainhowthebattlewasgoing,butstillpliedallhisenergiesindrivingtheBellevitetotheutmostspeedshecouldpossiblyattain.
Thelogwasfrequentlyheaved,andthelastresulthadbeensentdowntohimbyMidshipmanWalters,anditwastwenty-oneknots.
Duringthenexthourthelonggunoftheenemywasnotagaindischarged,andtheofficersoftheloyalshipwereassuredthatithadbeenrendereduselessbyBlumenhoff’sonlyshot.
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