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ThetremendousspeedoftheBellevitehadbeentellingwithprodigiouseffectuponthedistancebetweenthetwosteamers,whichwasnowreducedtonotmorethanamileandahalf.
CaptainRomboldcouldnothelprealizingbythistimethattheAmerican-builtvesseloutsailedtheEnglish-built.
IftheTrafalgarwasgoodfortwentyknotsanhour,asrepresented,shehadhardlyattainedthatspeed,asCaptainBreakerjudgedbycomparisonwiththatofhisownship.
TheArmstronggunwasstillsilentanditwasprettywellsettledthatithadbeendisabled.
InthisconnectionChristyrecalledsomethinghehadreadinSimpsonaboutthe“inabilityoftheArmstrongguntoresistimpact,”andhesentMidshipmanWalterstobringthevolumefromhisstate-room.
Whenitcamehefoundtheplace,andreadthatthreeshotshadbeenfiredintooneofthemfromanine-pounder,eitherofwhichwouldhavebeenfataltothepiece;andthesectiondescribedtheeffectofeachuponit.
HeshowedthebookopenattheplacetoCaptainBreaker;buthehadreadit,andcarriedthewholematterinhismind.
Thegunquotedwasweak,thoughtheoneonthedeckoftheTallahatchiewasvastlylarger;butacorrespondinglyheavyforcehadbeenbroughttobearuponit.
“Iamsatisfiedthattheenemy’slonggunhasbeendisabled;andwhileshecontinuestheattempttorunawayfromus,sheisunabletouseherbroadsidegunstoadvantage,forshecannotbringthemtobearuponuswithoutcomingto,”saidthecommander.
“Butwearegainingatleastaknotandahalfanhouronher,andshemustsoonchangehertactics.”
“Thatisevidentenough,sir,”addedChristy.
“Thecaptainofthatshipisabravefellow,andIamconfidenthewillfightaslongasthereisanythingleftofhim,”continuedthecaptainasheoccasionallydirectedhisglassatthechase.
“Hecertainlywill,sir,forIhaveseenhisshipknockedoutfromunderhim,whenhehadabundantexcuseforhaulingdownhisflagbeforehedidso;andwehadhardlytimeonboardoftheChateaugaytosavehispeoplebeforehisvesselwenttothebottom,”continuedChristy.
“Morethanthat,heisagentlemanandascholar.”
“Youhavetoldmeabouthim,Christy;andIbelieveyousuggestedtoCaptainChantorhisbestplanofaction.”
“IsimplyindicatedwhatIshoulddoinhisplace,andheadoptedthemethodImentioned,”addedChristymodestly.
“Wemayfinditadvisabletoresorttothesameplan,thoughImustaddthatitisbynomeansoriginalwithyou.Itwasadoptedinthewarof1812withEngland.”
“Ididnotclaimthemethodasoriginal,andknewverywellthatitwasnotso,”repliedthelieutenant.
“Theconditionsonbothsidesmustbefavorabletothemethodoritcannotbeadopted.
Oneoftheshipsmusthaveheaviermetalthantheother,sothatshecanknockherenemytopiecesatherleisure,andatthesametimegreaterspeed,sothatshecankeepoutofthereachofgunsofshorterrange.”
“IamsorryIcouldnotobtainmoredefiniteinformationinregardtothebroadsidegunsoftheTallahatchie,”addedChristy.
“Bokeswasastupidfellow,drunkwheneverhecouldobtainliquor,andcouldrememberverylittleofwhatheheardonboardofthesteamer.
ButyouhavethelongrangeParrot,andIhavenodoubtyoucanknockhertopiecesinyourowntime,sinceithasbeendemonstratedthatwecanoutsailher.”
Butatthismomenttheconversationwasdisturbedbythemovementofthechase,whichappearedtobeagainpreparingtocomeabout.
Thecommanderorderedthehelmtobeputtostarboardtoavoidbeingraked,anddirectedthatthepivotgunshouldbedischargedattheenemy.
Theenemyfiredabroadsideofthreegunsinquicksuccession,thesolidshotsfromallthemstrikingtheBellevitebetweenwindandwater.
Thecarpenter’sgangwashurriedbelowtoplugtheshotholes.
Blumenhoffsecuredhisaimandfired;butthistimehewaslesshappythanontheformeroccasion,andthoughtheshotwentbetweenthemasts,nogreatdamageappearedtobedone.
Theenemystartedherscrewimmediately,andswungaroundsoastopresentherstarboardbroadsidebeforetheParrotcouldbemadereadyforanothershot.
TheTallahatchiedeliveredanotherthreeshots,twoofwhichwentwideofthemark.
Thethirdstruckthecarriageofthepivotgun,butfortunatelyitwasnotdisabled,forithadbeenbuilttoresistaheavierballthantheonewhichhadstruckit.
ThecaptainoftheBellevitegavetheordertoChristytoswingtotheship,andgivetheenemyabroadside.
Theorderwaspromptlyexecutedastheenemycameaboutandresumedhercoursetothesouthward,whichwascertainlyaverybadmovementonherpart.
Thefourgunsontheportside,twosixtiesandtwothirties,senttheirsolidshotsoverthesternoftheTallahatchie.
Amomentlater,asthefreshbreezecarriedawaythesmoketothenorth-east,thecrewsetupalivelycheer,forthemizzenmastofthechasetoppledoverintothewater,andthepilothouseseemedtohavebeenknockedintosplinters.
“Welldone!”exclaimedCaptainBreaker,clappinghishandsashefacedtheguns’crewsontheportside,andChristyjoinedhiminthedemonstration.
Themenofthedivisiongaveanotherlustycheerinresponsetotheapprovalofthetwochiefofficers.
Thecaptainhadalreadyorderedtheshiptobeputaboutsoastodeliverthestarboardbroadside,andtheotherdivisionofgunswereimpatienttohavetheirchanceattheenemy.
Christyhadclappedhishandswithhisspy-glassunderhisarm;andwhenhehadrenderedhistributeofapplause,hedirectedtheinstrumenttotheenemy.
Asquadofmenwereatworkovertheruinsofthepilothouse,whichwasstillforward,asthevesselhadbeenbuiltforapleasureyacht,andanothergangweregettingtheextrawheelatthesternreadyforuse.
TheBellevitecameaboutinobediencetotheorderChristyhadgiventothequartermasterconningthewheel,andthegunsonthestarboardsidewereallreadytodelivertheirmessengersofdeathanddestruction.
“Aimatthatextrawheel,”saidthecaptain;andChristydeliveredtheordertotheofficersofthedivision.
Thebroadsidewasofthesamemetalasontheportside,andtheresultwaslookedforwithevenmoreinterestthanbefore.
Theappearancewasthatallthreeshotshadstruckatornearthewheelatthestern,andChristypromptlydirectedhisglasstothatpartofthesteamer,thecaptaindoingthesamething.
“Thereisnothingofthewheelleftinsight,”saidthelieutenant.“Thetaffrailisknockedaway,andatleastoneofthoseshotsmusthaveknockedthecaptain’scabinintoutterconfusion.”
“Goaheadatfullspeed,Mr.Passford,”saidCaptainBreaker,afterhehadfullymeasuredwithhiseyethedamagedonetotheenemy.
“Hersteeringgearseemstobeentirelydisabled,sir,”continuedChristy,afterhehadgiventheordertothechiefengineer.
“Shedoesnotappeartobeabletocomeabout,asnodoubtshewouldifshecould,soastobringherbroadsidegunstobearuponus.”
Theorderhadbeengivenbeforetoloadthebroadsideandpivotgunswithshells.
Theenemyhadnotstartedherscrewforthereasonthattheshipwasunmanageablewithhersteeringgeardisabled.
Theactionhadcertainlygoneagainsther;butshegavenoindicationthatshewasreadytosurrenderfortheConfederateflag,whichhadbeenhoistedatthemainmastheadwhenthemizzenwasshotaway,stillfloatedinthebreeze.
Agangofmenwerestillatworkwheretheextrawheelhadbeen,andthecommanderevidentlyexpectedheshouldbeabletorepairthedamageinsomemannersothathecouldsteerhisship.
CaptainBreakergavethecommandtostopthescrew,andamightyhissingandroaringofsteamfollowedwhenChristytransmittedittotheengineroom.
Theordertocomeaboutontheheadwaythatremainedsucceeded,andthethreeshellsimmediatelyexplodedonthedeckorinthehulloftheenemy;buttheextentofthedamagecouldnotbeestimated.
Thethreefromthestarboardgunswerenextsentontheirmission;butsofarascouldbeseennodamagewasdone.
ThebigParrotwasnextdischarged;buttheexpertcaptainofthegunwasunfortunatethistime,fortheprojectiledroppedintothewaterbeyondthesteamer,thoughitseemedtopassverynearthestern.
Forthenexthalfhourthemidshippiecewaskeptbusy,anditsshotsmadedestructiveworkaboutthedeckoftheTallahatchie.
“Ithinkwehadbetterfinishthisbusinessatonce,andbeforetheenemyhastimetoriganewsteeringapparatus,Mr.Passford,”saidCaptainBreaker,astheycametogetheronthequarter-deck.
“IthinkwecanknockheralltopieceswiththeParrotgun,sir,”repliedChristy.
“Butitmighttakealldaytodothat;andtheTallahatchieexhibitsanastonishingpowerofresistance.
Besides,shewillsoonrepairherextrawheel,andhaveitreadyforuse.
Iaminclinedtobelievethatwearewastingtime,whichwillmakeitalltheworseforusintheend,”reasonedthecommander.
“Iampreparedtoboardher,forIthinkshemusthavelostagreatmanymen.”
“Nodoubtofit,sir,”addedthelieutenant.
“Layheraboardontheportside,andhaveeverythingready,”continuedCaptainBreaker.
Christygavethenecessaryordersforthisdecidedaction,andtheofficersandthecrewseemedtobedelightedwiththeprospectofahand-to-handfightwiththeenemy.
Thelieutenantwasnotwhollyconfidentthatthecommanderwasrightinhisreasoning,butlikealoyalofficerandatruesailorwhoknowsnodutybutobedience,heheartilysupportedhissuperior.
Hewalkedthedeckinthedischargeofhisduty;buthewasthinkingofsomethingsincetheordertoboardhadbeengiven.
“Isthereanythinglikeaflankmovementinboarding,CaptainBreaker?”heasked,ashehaltedatthesideofthecommander.
“Ofcoursetheofficersdotheirbesttoflanktheenemyaftertheyreachthedeck,”repliedthecaptain,lookingwithsomeastonishmentatthelieutenant.
“Ihavereferencetoanothersortofflanking,”addedtheinquirer.
“Ofcourseinasquadronsomeoftheshipsmaybeorderedtooperateinthatmanner;butasingleshipactingagainstanothercanhardlydoanyflanking.”
“ButImeaninboarding.”
“Youhadbetterexplainyourselfalittlemoredefinitely,forIdonotunderstandyou,”repliedthecommanderwithapuzzledexpressiononhisface.
“Wehaveonehundredandtwentymen,withsixabsentonotherduty,”continuedthelieutenant.
“JudgingbywhatIlearnedfromBokes,IbelievetheTallahatchiehaslessthanahundred,forhesaidsheexpectedtorecruittwentyorthirtymenatNassau.
Shehaslostmoremensofarthanwehave,sir.”
“Grantallthatyousay,andwheredoestheflankingcomein?”
“Yourorderistoboardontheportsideoftheenemy,whichwillbringthestarboardsideoftheBellevitealongsideofher.
Supposeyouputtwentymenormoreintothelaunch,ontheportsideoftheship,whereitcannotbeseenbytheenemy,justbeforetheordertoboardisgiven.
AttherighttimeletthisboathurrytothestarboardsideoftheTallahatchie,wherethetwentymenormorewillboard,andtaketheenemyintherear.”
Thecommandertookoffhiscapandrubbedhisbaldheadasiftostimulatehisideas;buthemadenoanswerthentothesuggestion.
PaulVapoorwasdrivingtheenginetoitsutmost,andtheshipwasrapidlyapproachingtheenemy.
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