by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER III
THE INTRUDER AT THE CABIN DOOR
Before he said anything about the Scotian and the Arran, Christy,mindful of the injunction of his father, had closed the cabin door,the portiere remaining drawn as it was before. When he had taken thisprecaution, he related some of the particulars which had been given tohim earlier in the day.
"It is hardly worth while to talk about the matter yet awhile," addedChristy. "I have my sealed orders, and I can not open the envelope untilwe are in latitude 38, and that will be sometime to-morrow forenoon."
"I don't think that Captain Folkner, who expected to be in commandof the Teaser, as she was called before we put our hands upon her,overestimated her speed," replied Lieutenant Flint, consulting hiswatch. "We are making fifteen knots an hour just now, and Mr. Sampsonis not hurrying her. I have been watching her very closely since we leftSandy Hook, and I really believe she will make eighteen knots with alittle crowding."
"What makes you think so, Flint?" asked Christy, much interested in thestatement of the first lieutenant.
"I suppose it is natural for a sailor to fall in love with his ship,and that is my condition in regard to the Bronx," replied Flint, witha smile which was intended as a mild apology for his weakness. "I usedto be in love with the coasting schooner I owned and commanded, and Ialmost cried when I had to sell her."
"I don't think you need to be ashamed of this sentiment, or thatan inanimate structure should call it into being," said the youngcommander. "I am sure I have not ceased to love the Bellevite; and inmy eyes she is handsomer than any young lady I ever saw. I have not beenable to transfer my affections to the Bronx as yet, and she will have todo something very remarkable before I do so. But about the speed of ourship?"
"I have noticed particularly how easily and gracefully she makes her waythrough the water when she is going fifteen knots. Why that is fasterthan most of the ocean passenger steamers travel."
"Very true; but like many of these blockade runners and other vesselswhich the Confederate government and rich men at the South havepurchased in the United Kingdom, she was doubtless built on the Clyde.Not a few of them have been constructed for private yachts, and I haveno doubt, from what I have seen, that the Bronx is one of the number.The Scotian and the Arran belonged to wealthy Britishers; and of coursethey were built in the very best manner, and were intended to attain thevery highest rate of speed."
"I shall count on eighteen knots at least on the part of the Bronx whenthe situation shall require her to do her best. By the way, CaptainPassford, don't you think that a rather queer name has been given to oursteamer? Bronx! I am willing to confess that I don't know what the wordmeans, or whether it is fish, flesh or fowl," continued Flint.
"It is not fish, flesh or fowl," replied Christy, laughing. "My fathersuggested the name to the Department, and it was adopted. He talked withme about a name, as he thought I had some interest in her, for thereason that I had done something in picking her up."
"Done something? I should say that you had done it all," added Flint.
"I did my share. The vessels of the navy have generally been named aftera system, though it has often been varied. Besides the names of statesand cities, the names of rivers have been given to vessels. The Bronx isthe name of a small stream, hardly more than a brook, in West ChesterCounty, New York. When I was a small boy, my father had a country placeon its banks, and I did my first paddling in the water in the Bronx.I liked the name, and my father recommended it."
"I don't object to the name, though somehow it makes me think of awalnut cracked in your teeth when I hear it pronounced," added Flint."Now that I know what it is and what it means, I shall take more kindlyto it, though I am afraid we shall get to calling her the Bronxy beforewe have done with her, especially if she gets to be a pet, for the nameseems to need another syllable."
"Young men fall in love with girls without regard to their names."
"That's so. A friend of mine in our town in Maine fell in love with ayoung lady by the name of Leatherbee; but she was a very pretty girl andher name was all the objection I had to her," said Flint, chuckling.
"But that was an objection which your friend evidently intended toremove at no very distant day," suggested Christy.
"Very true; and he did remove it some years ago. What was that noise?"asked the first lieutenant, suddenly rising from his seat.
Christy heard the sounds at the same moment. He and his companion in thecabin had been talking about the Scotian and the Arran, and what hisfather had said to him about prudence in speaking of his movements cameto his mind. The noise was continued, and he hastened to the door of hisstate room, and threw it open. In the room he found Dave hard at work onthe furniture; he had taken out the berth sack, and was brushing out theinside of the berth. The noise had been made by the shaking of the slatson which the mattress rested. Davis Talbot, the cabin steward of theBronx, had been captured in the vessel when she was run out of PensacolaBay some months before. As he was a very intelligent colored man, orrather mulatto, though they were all the same at the South, the youngcommander had selected him for his present service; and he never hadoccasion to regret the choice. Dave had passed his time since the Teaserarrived at New York at Bonnydale, and he had become a great favorite,not only with Christy, but with all the members of the family.
"What are you about, Dave?" demanded Christy, not a little astonished tofind the steward in his room.
"I am putting the room in order for the captain, sir," replied Davewith a cheerful smile, such as he always wore in the presence of hissuperiors. "I found something in this berth I did not like to see abouta bed in which a gentleman is to sleep, and I have been through it withpoison and a feather; and I will give you the whole southern Confederacyif you find a single redback in the berth after this."
"I am very glad you have attended to this matter at once, Dave."
"Yes, sir; Captain Folkner never let me attend to it properly, for hewas afraid I would read some of his papers on the desk. He was willingto sleep six in a bed with redbacks," chuckled Dave.
"Well, I am not, or even two in a bed with such companions. How longhave you been in my room, Dave?" added Christy.
"More than two hours, I think; and I have been mighty busy too."
"Did you hear me when I came into the cabin?"
"No, sir, I did not; but I heard you talking with somebody a while ago."
"What did I say to the other person?"
"I don't know, sir; I could not make out a word, and I didn't stop in mywork to listen. I have been very busy, Captain Passford," answered Dave,beginning to think he had been doing something that was not altogetherregular.
"Don't you know what we were talking about, Dave?"
"No, sir; I did not make out a single word you said," protested thesteward, really troubled to find that he had done something wrong,though he had not the least idea what it was. "I did not mean to doanything out of the way, Captain Passford."
"I have no fault to find this time, Dave."
"I should hope not, sir," added Dave, looking as solemn as a sleepy owl."I would jump overboard before I would offend you, Massa Christy."
"You need not jump overboard just yet," replied the captain, with apleasant smile, intended to remove the fears of the steward. "But I wantto make a new rule for you, Dave."
"Thank you, sir; if you sit up nights to make rules for me, I will obeyall of them; and I would give you the whole State of Florida before Iwould break one of them on purpose, Massa Christy."
"Massa Christy!" exclaimed the captain, laughing.
"Massa Captain Passford!" shouted Dave, hastening to correct hisover-familiarity.
"I don't object to your calling me Christy when we are alone, for I lookupon you as my friend, and I have tried to treat you as a gentleman,though you are a subordinate. But are you going to be a nigger again,and call white men 'Massa?' I told you not to use that word."
"I done forget it when I got excited because I was a
fraid I had offendedyou," pleaded the steward.
"Your education is vastly superior to most people of your class, and youshould not belittle yourself. This is my cabin; and I shall sometimeshave occasion to talk confidentially with my officers. Do you understandwhat I mean, Dave?"
"Perfectly, Captain Passford: I know what it is to talk confidently andwhat it is to talk confidentially, and you do both, sir," replied thesteward.
"But I am sometimes more confidential than confident. Now you must doall your work in my state room when I am not in the cabin, and this isthe new rule," said Christy, as he went out of the room. "I know that Ican trust you, Dave; but when I tell a secret I want to know to how manypersons I am telling it. You may finish your work now;" and he closedthe door.
Christy could not have explained why he did so if it had been requiredof him, but he went directly to the door leading out into the companionway, and suddenly threw it wide open, drawing the portiere aside at thesame time. Not a little to his surprise, for he had not expected it,he found a man there; and the intruder was down on his knees, as if inposition to place his ear at the keyhole. This time the young commanderwas indignant, and without stopping to consider as long as the preceptsof his father required, he seized the man by the collar, and dragged himinto the cabin.
"What are you doing there?" demanded Christy in the heat of hisindignation.
The intruder, who was a rather stout man, began to shake his head withall his might, and to put the fore finger of his right hand on his mouthand one of his ears. He was big enough to have given the young commandera deal of trouble if he had chosen to resist the force used upon him;but he appeared to be tame and submissive. He did not speak, but heseemed to be exerting himself to the utmost to make himself understood.Flint had resumed his seat at the table, facing the door, and in spiteof himself, apparently, he began to laugh.
"That is Pink Mulgrum, Captain Passford," said he, evidently to preventhis superior from misinterpreting the lightness of his conduct. "As youare aware, he is deaf and dumb."
Mulgrum at the captain's door.]
"I see who he is now," replied Christy, who had just identified the man."He may be deaf and dumb, but he seems to have a great deal of businessat the door of my cabin."
"I have no doubt he is as deaf as the keel of the ship, and I have notyet heard him speak a word," added the first lieutenant. "But he is astout fellow, very patriotic, and willing to work."
"All that may be, but I have found him once before hanging around thatdoor to-day."
At this moment Mulgrum took from his pocket a tablet of paper and apencil, and wrote upon it, "I am a deaf mute, and I don't know what youare talking about." Christy read it, and then wrote, "What were youdoing at the door?" He replied that he had been sent by Mr. Lillyworthto clean the brasses on the door. He was then dismissed.