by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XV
THE SCOTIAN BECOMES THE OCKLOCKONEE
As he went to the deck of the Bronx, the young commander sent the firstlieutenant on board of the prize to superintend the arrangements fordisposing of the ship's company. Captain Dinsmore was requested toproduce his papers, and Christy conducted him to his cabin. As hisfather had advised him always to be on such occasions, he was studiouslypolite, as in fact he was at all times. Whether the other captain wasusually so or not, he was certainly courteous in every respect, though,with the heavy misfortune which had befallen him, it was vastly moredifficult for him to control his feelings, and conduct himself in agentlemanly manner. Captain Passford desired to understand in whatcapacity the Scotian was approaching the American coast before he madehis final arrangements. After giving his guest, as he regarded him, orrather treated him, a chair in his cabin, Christy called Dave, who hadfollowed him below.
"Will you excuse me a moment or two while I attend to a necessary duty?"said he, turning to Captain Dinsmore, as he seated himself at the table.
"Certainly, captain; I am not so much in a hurry as I have been at othertimes," replied the other with a rather sickly smile.
"Keep a sharp lookout for the Arran," Christy wrote on a piece of paper,and handed it to the steward. "Give that to Mr. Flint."
Captain Passford had observed when he visited the deck of the Scotianthat she was well armed, and he had no doubt that her consort wassimilarly provided for the business of war. It was therefore of thehighest importance that the Arran should not come unexpectedly upon theBronx at a time when she was hardly in condition to meet an enemy.
"Now, Captain Dinsmore, may I trouble you for your papers?" hecontinued, turning to his guest, as he preferred to regard him.
"I admit your right to examine them under present circumstances,"replied Captain Dinsmore, as he delivered the package to him.
"Perhaps we may simplify and abbreviate this examination to some extent,sir, if you are so disposed," added Christy, as he looked the other fullin the face.
"I shall be happy to have you do so, Captain Passford," replied thevisitor in the cabin, with something like eagerness in his manner. "Youconduct yourself like a gentleman, sir, and I am not at all disposed toembarrass you unnecessarily."
"Thank you, sir; I appreciate your courtesy."
"I am afraid it is not so much courtesy as it is desperation, for if Ishould act in accordance with my feelings, I should blow my brains outwithout any delay," said Captain Dinsmore. "I should not say as much asthis to any but a generous enemy; but I feel that I am ruined, and thatthere is nothing more in the future for me."
Christy really sympathized with him, and could not help thinking howhe should feel if the situations were reversed. He realized that thecommander of the Scotian had been very careless in the discharge ofhis duty in permitting any vessel to come alongside of her withoutconsidering that she might be an enemy. This inefficiency was doubtlessthe cause of his distress. Christy had kept uppermost in his mind theadvice of his father at the last moment before he sailed, and he askedhimself if, while the prisoner was thus exciting his sympathy andcompassion, the latter was not expecting the Arran would appear andreverse the fortunes of war.
"I am sorry you take such a severe view of your situation," added thecaptain of the Bronx. "But my first duty is to ascertain the characterof the vessel which you surrender."
"You shall have no doubt in regard to that, Captain Passford," answeredthe commander of the Scotian, proudly. "I am not a dickering merchant,trying to make money out of the situation of my country. The Scotian,as you call her, is the Confederate steamer Ocklockonee, and here is mycommission as a lieutenant in the Confederate Navy," he added as he tookthe document from his pocket and tendered it to his captor.
Christy looked at the paper, and then examined the other papers inthe packet. They left no doubt in his mind as to the character of theOcklockonee, if he had had any before. He folded up the commission andpolitely returned it to the owner. The examination was completed so faras he was concerned; but Captain Dinsmore did not seem to be satisfied,though he made no complaint that anything was wrong in the proceedings.He was evidently a very proud and high-strung man, and appeared to beunable to reconcile himself to the situation.
"I am a ruined man!" he exclaimed several times; and when he looked atthe commander of the Bronx, measuring him from head to foot, as he hadalready done several times, it seemed to increase his distress of mind,and make him more nervous than before.
"While I regret that a brave man like yourself, captain, should be atwar with the government which I honor and love, I hope that personallyyour future will be as bright as I am sure your merit deserves," saidChristy.
"If it had been a square and well-fought action, I should not feelas I do about it. You will pardon me, and understand that I mean nodisrespect to you, captain, but I look upon myself as the victim of aYankee trick," said Captain Dinsmore, bitterly. "But please to considerthat I do not charge any blame or treachery upon you, sir."
"I think I can understand your feelings, sir; but I cannot see that inresorting to strategy to save my men, my conduct has been in any mannerdishonorable," replied Christy, holding his head a little higher thanusual. "I should hold that I had been guilty of misconduct if I hadfailed to take advantage of the circumstances under which I havecaptured the Ocklockonee."
"I quite agree with you, Captain Passford. I should have done the samething myself if the opportunity had been presented to me," the guesthastened to say. "But that does not in the least degree relieve me fromthe consequences of my own negligence. When you are more at leisure,I hope you will permit me to make an explanation of the situation inwhich I was placed."
"I shall be happy to listen to anything you may desire to say to me whenI have the leisure to hear you."
"Thank you, sir."
Christy hastened on deck to attend to the many duties required of him.The first sight that presented itself when he reached the head of thecompanion way was the form of the second lieutenant, which remained asit had fallen from the rail. He sent for Dr. Spokely, and directed himto ascertain whether or not Pawcett was dead. While the surgeon wasexamining him, Mr. Sampson came up from below with a bolt in his hand,and touched his cap to the commander.
"You are at work on the engine of the Ocklockonee, are you?" askedChristy, and this inquiry was one of the duties which had been on hismind before he left the cabin.
"Yes, sir; and I have already examined her engine; I suppose you meanthe Scotian, for that is the name on her stern, they tell me," repliedthe chief engineer.
"Her new name is the Ocklockonee."
"I have examined the engine," replied Sampson.
"Is the damage very serious?" asked the captain anxiously.
"Far from it; she has broken a bolt which disables her, and she ought tohave had one to replace it without more than five minutes' delay, but itappears that they have not one on board; at least none could be foundwhen it was wanted, and they were at work forging one when the Bronxcame alongside."
"All right; repair the damage as soon as possible. I heard a scuffle inthe engine room just as we were running alongside the Ocklockonee," saidthe captain, looking inquiringly at the engineer.
"Yes, sir; there was a scuffle there. Pink Mulgrum was rushing down theladder when I stopped him. He tried to push by me when I made signs tohim to return to the deck. Then he gave a spring at my throat, and as Isaw that he had a revolver in his hand, I did not hesitate to hit him onthe head with a bar of iron I had in my hand. He dropped on the deck.I put his revolver in my pocket, and stretched him out on the sofa.He did not move, and I left him there."
"I will send the surgeon to him," added the captain, as he went on boardof the prize, followed by Sampson.
The first lieutenant had been busy on the deck of the vessel, buthe had been able to accomplish but little in the absence of definiteinstructions from the captain. All the seamen were held in the forwardpart of the de
ck, and there were twenty-four of them, including thepetty officers, but not the stokers, as the firemen were called. Theengineers and all connected with their department remained below so faras could be learned. Two officers remained seated on the quarter deck;but they did not appear to be so thoroughly cast down as the captain,doubtless because they were not called upon to bear the responsibilityof the capture.
"Have you set a sharp lookout, Mr. Flint?" asked the captain.
"The lookout remains the same on board of the Bronx, though I havecautioned the quartermaster on the fore yard to keep his eyes wide open;and I have stationed four men on board of the Scotian."
"Very well; we are all right so far; but if the other vessel is as wellarmed as this one she is capable of giving us a great deal of trouble,"replied the captain.
"I only hope we may find her," added Flint heartily.
"We shall look for her at any rate. But we must get things regulated onboard of both vessels at once, for I judge that the Arran cannot be faroff, for the officers hailed us as the Arran when we were approaching,which shows that they were confident in regard to her identity, or theywould not have given themselves away so readily."
"We have made a lucky hit, and I hope we shall be able to reap the fullbenefit of it," added Flint.
"We must provide for the immediate future without any delay," continuedChristy. "Our first duty will be to search for the Arran, and we can usethe Ocklockonee, which the captain says is her present name, to assistin the chase, for we have force enough to man both vessels, though weare not oversupplied with officers."
"There are two more quartermasters who are nearly as good men asBaskirk," replied the first lieutenant.
"I ask no better officer than Baskirk has proved himself to be. I shallretain him on board of the Bronx, and for the present I shall ask you totake command of the Ocklockonee; and you may select your own officers.The probability is that, if we find the Arran, we shall have a fightwith her."
"Then I shall make McSpindle my first lieutenant, and Luffard mysecond," added Flint, evidently pleased with the idea of having evena temporary command.
"I shall appoint Baskirk in your place on board of the Bronx; but I needone more."
"I recommend Amblen, though he is not as well qualified as the others Ihave named."
"Send for these men at once," added the captain.
One of them was on the topsail yard of the Bronx, but all of them soonappeared in the waist of the prize. They were informed of the honorwhich had been conferred upon them, and were immediately assigned toduty. The crew of the Ocklockonee were divided between the two steamers,and were put under guard below.