by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER I
THE UNITED STATES STEAMER BRONX
"She is a fine little steamer, father, without the possibility of adoubt," said Lieutenant Passford, who was seated at the table with hisfather in the captain's cabin on board of the Bronx. "I don't feel quiteat home here, and I don't quite like the idea of being taken out of theBellevite."
"You are not going to sea for the fun of it, my son," replied CaptainPassford. "You are not setting out on a yachting excursion, but on themost serious business in the world."
"I know and feel all that, father, but I have spent so many pleasantdays, hours, weeks, and months on board of the Bellevite, that I amvery sorry to leave her," added Christy Passford, who had put on his newuniform, which was that of master in the United States Navy; and he wasas becoming to the uniform as the uniform was to him.
"You cannot well help having some regrets at leaving the Bellevite;but you must remember that your life on board of her was mostly in thecapacity of a pleasure-seeker, though you made a good use of your timeand of your opportunities for improvement; and that is the reason whyyou have made such remarkable progress in your present profession."
"I shall miss my friends on board of the Bellevite. I have sailed withall her officers, and Paul Vapoor and I have been cronies for years,"continued Christy, with a shade of gloom on his bright face.
"You will probably see them occasionally, and if your life is sparedyou may again find yourself an officer of the Bellevite. But I thinkyou have no occasion to indulge in any regrets," said Captain Passford,imparting a cheerful expression to his dignified countenance. "Allow meto call your attention to the fact that you are the commander of thisfine little steamer. Here you are in your own cabin, and you are stillnothing but a boy, hardly eighteen years old."
"If I have not earned my rank, it is not my fault that I have it,"answered Christy, hardly knowing whether to be glad or sorry for hisrapid advancement. "I have never asked for anything; I did not ask orexpect to be promoted. I was satisfied with my rank as a midshipman."
"I did not ask for your promotion, though I could probably have procuredfor you the rank of master when you entered the navy. I do not like toask favors for a member of my own family. I have wished you to feel thatyou were in the service of your country because it needs you, and notfor glory or profit."
"And I have tried to feel so, father."
"I think you have felt so, my son; and I am prouder of the fact that youare a disinterested patriot than of the rank you have nobly and bravelywon," said Captain Passford, as he took some letters from his pocket,from which he selected one bearing an English postage stamp. "I havea letter from one of my agents in England, which, I think, containsvaluable information. I have called the attention of the government tothese employes of mine, and they will soon pass from my service to thatof the naval department. The information sent me has sometimes been veryimportant."
"I know that myself, for the information that came from that sourceenabled the Bellevite to capture the Killbright," added Christy.
"The contents of the letter in my hand have been sent to the Secretaryof the Navy; but it will do no harm for you to possess the informationgiven to me," continued Captain Passford, as he opened the letter. "ButI see a man at work at the foot of the companion way, and I don't careto post the whole ship's company on this subject."
"That is Pink Mulgrum," said Christy with a smile on his face. "He isdeaf and dumb, and he cannot make any use of what you say."
"Don't be sure of anything, Christy, except your religion and yourpatriotism, in these times," added Captain Passford, as he rose andclosed the door of the cabin.
"I don't think there is much danger from a deaf mute, father," said theyoung commander of the Bronx laughing.
"Perhaps not; but when you have war intelligence to communicate, it isbest to believe that every person has ears, and that every door has akeyhole. I learn from this letter that the Scotian sailed from Glasgow,and the Arran from Leith. The agent is of the opinion that both thesesteamers are fitted out by the same owners, who have formed a company,apparently to furnish the South with gunboats for its navy, as well aswith needed supplies. In his letter my correspondent gives me the reasonfor this belief on his part."
"Does your agent give you any description of the vessels, father?" askedChristy, his eyes sparkling with the interest he felt in theinformation.
"Not a very full description, my son, for no strangers were allowed onboard of either of them, for very obvious reasons; but they are both ofless than five hundred tons burthen, are of precisely the same model andbuild, evidently constructed in the same yard. Both had been pleasureyachts, though owned by different gentlemen. Both sailed on the sameday, the Scotian from Greenock and the Arran from Leith, March 3."
Christy opened his pocket diary, and put his finger on the datementioned, counting up the days that had elapsed from that time to thepresent. Captain Passford could not help smiling at the interest his sonmanifested in the intelligence he had brought to him. The actingcommander of the Bronx went over his calculation again.
"It is fourteen days since these vessels sailed," said he, looking athis father. "I doubt if your information will be of any value to me, forI suppose the steamers were selected on account of their great speed, asis the case with all blockade runners."
"Undoubtedly they were chosen for their speed, for a slow vessel doesnot amount to much in this sort of service," replied Captain Passford."I received my letter day before yesterday, when the two vessels hadbeen out twelve days."
"If they are fast steamers, they ought to be approaching the Southerncoast by this time," suggested Christy.
"This is a windy month, and a vessel bound to the westward wouldencounter strong westerly gales, so that she could hardly make a quickpassage. Then these steamers will almost certainly put in at Nassau orthe Bermudas, if not for coal and supplies, at least to obtain thelatest intelligence from the blockaded coast, and to pick up a pilot forthe port to which they are bound. The agent thinks it is possible thatthe Scotian and Arran will meet some vessel to the southward of the Isleof Wight that will put an armament on board of them. He had written toanother of my agents at Southampton to look up this matter. It is aquick mail from the latter city to New York, and I may get anotherletter on this subject before you sail, Christy."
"My orders may come off to me to-day," added the acting commander. "I amall ready to sail, and I am only waiting for them."
"If these two steamers sail in company, as they are likely to do if theyare about equal in speed, and if they take on board an armament, it willhardly be prudent for you to meddle with them," said Captain Passfordwith a smile, though he had as much confidence in the prudence as in thebravery of his son.
"What shall I do, father, run away from them?" asked Christy, openinghis eyes very wide.
"Certainly, my son. There is as much patriotism in running away from asuperior force as there is in fighting an equal, for if the governmentshould lose your vessel and lose you and your ship's company, it wouldbe a disaster of more or less consequence to your country."
"I hardly think I shall fall in with the Scotian and the Arran, so Iwill not consider the question of running away from them," said Christylaughing.
"You have not received your orders yet, but they will probably requireyou to report at once to the flag-officer in the Gulf, and perhapsthey will not permit you to look up blockade runners on the high seas,"suggested Captain Passford. "These vessels may be fully armed andmanned, in charge of Confederate naval officers; and doubtless they willbe as glad to pick up the Bronx as you would be to pick up the Scotianor the Arran. You don't know yet whether they will come as simpleblockade runners, or as naval vessels flying the Confederate flag.Whatever your orders, Christy, don't allow yourself to be carried awayby any Quixotic enthusiasm."
"I don't think I have any more than half as much audacity as CaptainBreaker said I had. As I look upon it, my first duty is to deliver myship over to the flag-officer i
n the Gulf; and I suppose I shall beinstructed to pick up a Confederate cruiser or a blockade runner, ifone should cross my course."
"Obey your orders, Christy, whatever they may be. Now, I should liketo look over the Bronx before I go on shore," said Captain Passford."I think you said she was of about two hundred tons."
"That was what they said down south; but she is about three hundredtons," replied Christy, as he proceeded to show his father the cabinin which the conversation had taken place.
The captain's cabin was in the stern of the vessel, according to theorthodox rule in naval vessels. Of course it was small, though it seemedlarge to Christy who had spent so much of his leisure time in the cabinof the Florence, his sailboat on the Hudson. It was substantially fittedup, with little superfluous ornamentation; but it was a complete parlor,as a landsman would regard it. From it, on the port side opened thecaptain's state room, which was quite ample for a vessel no largerthan the Bronx. Between it and the pantry on the starboard side, wasa gangway leading from the foot of the companion way, by which thecaptain's cabin and the ward room were accessible from the quarter deck.
Crossing the gangway at the foot of the steps, Christy led the wayinto the ward room, where the principal officers were accommodated.It contained four berths, with portieres in front of them, which couldbe drawn out so as to inclose each one in a temporary state room.The forward berth on the starboard side was occupied by the firstlieutenant, and the after one by the second lieutenant, according to thecustom in the navy. On the port side, the forward berth belonged to thechief engineer, and the after one to the surgeon. Forward of this wasthe steerage, in which the boatswain, gunner, carpenter, the assistantengineers, and the steward were berthed. Each of these apartments wasprovided with a table upon which the meals were served to the officersoccupying it. The etiquette of a man-of-war is even more exacting thanthat of a drawing room on shore.
Captain Passford was then conducted to the deck where he found theofficers and seamen engaged in their various duties. Besides his son,the former owner of the Bellevite was acquainted with only two personson board of the Bronx, Sampson, the engineer, and Flint, the actingfirst lieutenant, both of whom had served on board of the steam yacht.Christy's father gave them a hearty greeting, and both were as glad tosee him as he was to greet them. Captain Passford then looked over therest of the ship's company with a deeper interest than he cared tomanifest, for they were to some extent bound up with the immediatefuture of his son. It was not such a ship's company as that which mannedthe Bellevite, though composed of much good material. The captain shookhands with his son, and went on board of his boat. Two hours later hecame on board again.