On The Blockade

by Oliver Optic

  CHAPTER XVI

  CAPTAIN PASSFORD'S FINAL ORDERS

  A tolerable state of order and regularity had been brought out of theconfusion that prevailed on board of the Ocklockonee, and the newlyappointed officers went to the stations where they belonged. Sampsonreported the engine of the steamer as in good order, and ready forservice.

  "Who is the chief engineer of the Ocklockonee, Mr. Sampson?" askedCaptain Passford, after he had listened to the report.

  "His name is Bockburn; he is a Scotchman, and appears to be a very goodfellow," replied the engineer of the Bronx.

  "Does he talk at all about what has just happened on board of hissteamer?" asked the captain, deeply interested, for he had somedifficulty in arranging the engineer's department on board of theprize, as he considered the new order of things.

  "Yes, sir; he talks at the rate of twenty knots an hour, and if hissteamer can get ahead as well as his tongue, she is a fast one," repliedSampson, laughing.

  "Well, what does he say? I want to know how he stands affected by thepresent condition of affairs," continued the captain rather impatiently,for he was too busy to enjoy the humor of the engineer.

  "He is a thrifty Scotchman; and I don't believe he has any interest inanything under the sun except his wages; and he is a little sour on thataccount to find that his cruise is finished, as he puts it."

  "Send for him and his assistants, Mr. Sampson."

  The engineer went to the engine hatch, and called the men below.

  "Now send for Mr. Gawl," added the captain. "He is your first assistant;is he a competent man to run an engine?"

  "As competent as I am myself; and the engine of this steamer is exactlylike that of the Bronx, so that he can have no trouble with it, if youthink of retaining him on board of the Ocklockonee," replied Sampson.

  "I propose to make him chief engineer of her."

  "You could not find a better man," said Sampson, as he went to summonGawl.

  The three engineers of the prize came on deck, and the captain took thechief aside.

  "Mr. Bockburn, I believe, the chief engineer of the Ocklockonee?" saidChristy.

  "Of the Scotian, sir; for I know nothing of the jaw-cracking namesthat the officers in the cabin have given her," replied the engineer,shrugging his shoulders, and presenting a dissatisfied air.

  "Are you an engineer in the Confederate Navy, sir?" asked Christy,bringing the business to a head at once.

  "No, sir, I am not," answered the engineer very decidedly. "You see,captain, that the Scotian was sold to come across the water, and I wasout of a job, with a family to support. They did not say anything aboutthe service in which the Scotian was to be engaged, but I understood it.When they spoke to me about it, I was glad to keep my place as long asshe did not make war on the United Kingdom. In truth, I may say that Idid not care a fig about the quarrel in the States, and was as ready torun an engine on one side as the other as long as I got my wages, andwas able to support my family handsomely, as, thank God, I have alwaysdone. I am not a student of politics, and I only read enough in thenewspapers to know what is going on in the world. I always find that Iget ahead better when I mind my own business, and it can't be said thatAndy Bockburn ever--"

  "Precisely so, Mr. Bockburn; but I will hear the rest of your story atanother time," interposed the captain when he found that the man wasfaithful to the description Sampson had given of his talking powers.

  "You understand perfectly what has transpired on board of the Scotianas you choose still to call her; in a word, that she is a prize to theUnited States steamer Bronx?"

  "I understand it all as clearly as though I read it in a book; and itwas all on account of the want of a bolt that I was sure I put on boardof the vessel before she sailed; and I am just as sure of it now as Iever was. But then, you see, captain, a man can't always be sure of themen under him, though he may be sure of himself. I have no doubt--"

  "Short yarns, if you please, Mr. Bockburn. You understand the situation,and I will add that I intend to use this vessel as well as the Bronx inthe service of my government. Are you willing to do duty on board of herin any capacity in which I may place you in the engineer department,provided you receive the same wages as before?"

  "I am, sir; and I was paid a month in advance, so that I shall not loseanything," chuckled the careful Scotchman.

  "If you are regularly appointed, though I can only give you a temporaryposition, in addition to your wages, you will be entitled to your sharein any prize we may hereafter capture."

  "Then I will take any position you will please to give me," answered theengineer, apparently delighted with the prospect thus held out to him.

  "I shall appoint you first assistant engineer of the Bronx," continuedthe captain, not a little to the astonishment of Flint, who wonderedthat he was not assigned to the Ocklockonee.

  "I am quite satisfied, captain," replied Bockburn, bowing and smiling,for wages were more than rank to him. "I will bring up my kit at once,sir. You see, captain, when a man has a family he--"

  "Precisely as you say, Mr. Bockburn," interrupted the captain. "Youwill report to Mr. Sampson in the engine room of the Bronx for furtherorders."

  "Thank you, sir; I supposed I was out of a job from this out, and I wasfeeling--"

  "Feel your way to the engine room of the Bronx. Mr. Gawl," the captainproceeded.

  "On duty, sir," replied the first assistant engineer of the Bronx,touching his cap as respectfully as though the commander had been fortyyears old.

  "You are appointed temporarily as chief engineer of the Ocklockonee, andyou will take your place in the engine room as soon as possible," saidthe captain, as brusquely as though favors cost nothing.

  Mr. Gawl was taken to the engine room and introduced to the first andsecond assistants, Rowe and Leeds, and was kindly received by them,for, like their late chief, the question of wages was the only one thataffected them. They promised to be faithful to the government they wereto serve, and to discharge their duties faithfully under the directionof the new chief. The two officers on the quarter deck had watched allthese proceedings with interest. They were the only persons remaining onboard who had not been disposed of in some manner.

  Christy approached them while Captain Flint, as he was now to be calledby courtesy, was making his final arrangements with the crew that hadbeen assigned to the prize. Both of the officers bowed civilly to thecommander as he presented himself on the quarter deck. They were oldermen than Captain Dinsmore, though neither was over forty-five. Christysuspected that they were not Confederate officers as soon as he had achance to look them over.

  "May I ask, gentlemen, if you are officers of the Confederate Navy?"asked Christy, as he looked from one to the other of the men.

  "We are not, sir," replied the senior of them.

  "Of course you are aware that you are serving in a Confederateman-of-war?" added Christy.

  "I should say that was hardly true up to date. The captain holds acommission in the Confederate Navy, but the ship has never been into aConfederate port, Captain Passford," replied the senior, who had learnedthe commander's name.

  "As you call me by name, perhaps you will enable me to do as much withyou," added Christy.

  "My name is Farley Lippard; I shipped as first officer of the Scotian,"replied the senior.

  "And mine is Edward Sangston; and I shipped as second officer of thesteamer."

  "We shipped only for the voyage, and were told that we could not retainour situations after the ship's company was fully organized," added Mr.Lippard.

  "Then I hope you were paid in advance, as the engineers were," saidChristy with a smile.

  "We were, sir, thank you," added the first officer. "Though we were toldthat we could not obtain any rank in the navy because there were moreofficers than ships, the agent said we should find plenty of employmenton board of blockade runners coming out with cotton."

  "I suppose you are Englishmen?" said the captain.

  "Scotchmen, sir, bu
t British subjects."

  "I cannot put you on shore and I may not have an opportunity to shipyou to your homes by another vessel. I shall leave you on board of theOcklockonee, and the acting commander will assign to you such quartersin the cabin as may be at his command," continued Christy. "It is onlynecessary that I should say I expect you to remain neutral, whateveroccurs on board of the steamer."

  "That is understood," replied Mr. Lippard.

  "You will be regarded as passengers; but of course if you commit any acthostile to the government of the United States, you will be consideredas enemies, and treated as prisoners of war," Christy proceeded. "I hopethe situation is clearly understood."

  "Certainly, sir; we have no interest in the quarrel in the States, andwe are not in the pay of the Confederacy, as they call it," replied Mr.Lippard.

  "Then there will be no trouble. Captain Flint," called the commander.

  Flint, who had been very busy appointing petty officers and organizingthe new crew, came at the call and was introduced to the late officersof the prize. The understanding which had just been reached in regard tothem was repeated for the benefit of the new captain. He was quite aspliable as his superior had always been, and there was no indicationthat any friction would result from their presence on board of theprize, now temporarily put into the service of the navy.

  "Have you made all your arrangements, Captain Flint?" asked Christy whenhe was all ready to return to the Bronx.

  "I have very nearly completed them, Captain Passford; and I can easilyfinish them after we get under way," replied Flint. "All I need beforewe part is my orders."

  "From all that I can learn, the Arran must be to the eastward of theOcklockonee," said Christy, who had given this subject all the thoughthis time would permit. "The officers of the prize hailed the Bronxcoming from that direction, and that indicates that she was expectedfrom that quarter. Our coming from that way seems to have made CaptainDinsmore confident that the Bronx was the Arran. I shall lay the courseof my ship to the northeast, while you will proceed to the southwest.After you have gone fifty miles in that direction, you will make acourse due east, as I shall also after I have made the same distance.Having run due east twenty miles, you will run to the northeast, as Ishall to the southwest. If you discover the Arran fire your midship gun,and I will do the same."

  Christy shook hands with Flint, and went on board of the Bronx. Theorder was given on board of both vessels to cast off the grapnels; thegong bell sounded in each engine room, and both vessels went ahead, theBronx coming about to her new course.