by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER VI
THE CONFERENCE IN THE CAPTAIN'S CABIN
Captain Horatio Passford lived at Bonnydale on the Hudson. He was richin several millions of dollars, but he was richer in the possession ofa noble character, one of the most prominent traits of which was hispatriotism. He had presented his large and fast-sailing steam yacht tothe government of the nation at the beginning of the struggle. His mottowas, "Stand by the Union," and from the first he had done everything inhis power to sustain his country against the assaults of dissolution.
The Conference in the Captain's Cabin.--Page 70.]
He had a wife, a daughter, and a son, and his family were as patrioticas he was himself. At sixteen Christy, the son, had gone into the navy.He had learned to be a sailor and an engineer in his repeated cruises inthe Bellevite, his father's large steam yacht, now a man-of-war in thenavy. In two years the young man had worked his way up to the rank oflieutenant. He was very large for his age, and his nautical andmechanical education had prepared him for service to a degree whichmade him almost a prodigy, though his courage and skill had been fullyequalled, if not surpassed, by other naval officers not older thanhimself.
Homer Passford, the only brother of his father, had early in lifesettled in Alabama, and become a planter, where he had made arespectable fortune, though he was a poor man compared with the northernbrother. He had a wife, a son, and a daughter. At the beginning of thewar of the Rebellion he had promptly espoused the cause of the South,and from his point of view, he was fully as patriotic as his brother onthe other side. He was ready to give himself, his son, and his fortuneto the independence of the South. His character was quite as noble asthat of his brother, and he had done all he could in person and with hiswealth to insure the success of the Southern cause.
His son Cornelius followed the lead of his father, and was faithfulto the teachings given him in his southern home. He had enlisted as asoldier; but when it was found that he could be more serviceable to theConfederacy in certain irregular enterprizes, he was detached for thisservice. He had been engaged in an attempt to capture the Bellevite inconnection with older and more skilful persons. The plan had failed,Corny had been severely wounded, and while on parole had lived atBonnydale. From there he had been sent to a military prison, and hadbeen exchanged. From that time, Christy knew nothing about him until hemet him on board of the Vernon.
Corny was two years older than Christy; but the latter looked even moremature than the former. The resemblance between them had hardly beennoticed by the two families, though Christy had spent several monthsat different times at the plantation of his uncle. But the resemblancewas noted and often spoken of by persons outside of the families,the members of which, being in the habit of seeing them often together,did not notice the similarity of features and expression. Both of themresembled their fathers, who were often mistaken the one for the otherin their early years.
After he found that the sick officer was his cousin Corny Passford,Christy began to apprehend the object of his southern relative inpresenting himself as the bearer of his name and rank in the navy,though he had no time to consider the subject. Corny had given him noopportunity to look the matter over, for he had talked most of the timeas opportunity was presented.
Captain Battleton seated himself in the armchair which Corny hadabandoned, and placed a quire of paper before him as though he intendedto take notes of the proceedings. Christy was not at all disturbedby the formal aspect the affair was assuming, for he felt entirelyconfident that poor Corny would be a prisoner of war at its conclusion.He had his commission and his orders in his pocket, and he was positivethat they would vindicate him.
"I reported to the department that I had only a single vacant stateroomin the ward room of the Vernon, and I was ordered to receive LieutenantChristopher Passford as a passenger, as I could not take anotherofficer," said the captain. "It is not a serious question comparedwith others at issue, but the occupation of the single room, now inpossession of the gentleman who came on board last evening, dependsupon the result of our present inquiry."
"I should say there would be no difficulty in settling this question,"said Mr. Salisbury.
"These gentlemen are cousins, and both of them bear the name ofPassford," added the captain, as he raised his finger, pointing toCorny. "Will you give us your name in full, if you please?"
"Christopher Passford," replied the invalid officer, with the mostunblushing effrontery.
"Your father's name?"
"Horatio Passford."
"Where does he live?"
"At Bonnydale, on the Hudson," replied Corny confidently.
"Excuse me, Captain Battleton; may I ask a question?" interposed thefirst lieutenant.
"Certainly, Mr. Salisbury. This is not a court-martial, but an informalinvestigation, and I shall be glad to have you and Dr. Connelly entirelyfree to ask any questions you please," replied the captain, who wasanything but a martinet.
"Where did you say your father lived, Mr. Passford?" asked the executiveofficer.
"At Bonnydale, on the Hudson," answered Corny, as we may call him nowthat the reader knows who he is.
"Is Bonnydale the name of the town or city in which your father lives?"
"It is the name of my father's place," replied Corny; and Christy, whowas observing him very closely, saw that he was a little disturbed.
"Bonnydale sounds like a fancy name, such as any gentleman might give tohis estate, as Sunnyside was the home of Washington Irving. Is this thefact?" asked Mr. Salisbury.
"I suppose it is," answered Corny, with increasing confusion.
"Don't you know?"
"We always called it Bonnydale; and I know no other name for it."
"But Bonnydale is not an incorporated town. In what city or town is yourfather's place situated?"
"I know no name but Bonnydale," replied Corny; and the flush of fever orsomething else was on his cheeks now.
"Nothing more, captain," said the first lieutenant; and the stock of theother claimant mounted a little.
"Mr. Passford," continued the captain, indicating Christy with hisfinger, "your father's name, if you please."
"Horatio Passford," replied Christy with a smile.
"Where does he live?"
"At Bonnydale, on the Hudson."
"Permit me, Captain Battleton," interposed Mr. Salisbury; and thecommander nodded his acquiescence. "Is Bonnydale the name of the townor city in which your father lives, Mr. Passford?"
"It is the name of my father's place," answered Christy, using the samewords that Corny had.
"Bonnydale sounds like a fancy name, such as any gentleman might giveto his estate," continued Mr. Salisbury, smiling, as he repeated thephrases he had used before. "Is this the fact?"
"It is; the name was given to the estate by my mother," replied Christy,unable to follow Corny any farther.
"In what town or city is your father's estate situated?"
"It is within the limits of the town of Montgomery."
"Nothing further, captain," said the executive officer; and the stock ofthis particular Lieutenant Passford mounted another trifle.
"Your cousin, who, according to your statement, was raised in the South,seems to be better informed in regard to the geography of Bonnydale thanyou do," added Captain Battleton.
"He is always inquiring into things that I don't care a straw about,"replied Corny, vexed that he had been tripped up in a matter so simple.
The commander was disposed to carry the investigation a little fartherin the same direction, and he sent Christy into the ward room, wherehe was instructed to remain until he was sent for. Captain Passford,senior, was well known to all the officers present by reputation, andhe had assisted Dr. Connelly in procuring his appointment, so that thelatter had had occasion to visit Bonnydale three times.
The captain asked Corny a hundred questions in regard to the estate,making memoranda of his answers. Once he suggested to the surgeon thathe had better examine the pulse of
his patient, for he did not wish toovertask him in the investigation. The subject of the inquiry declaredthat his headache had almost disappeared, and he needed no indulgence onaccount of his health.
After half an hour of questioning, Corny was sent to the ward room, andChristy was called to the captain's cabin. About the same questions wereput to him as to his cousin; but both of them were prompt in theiranswers. In the last two years, Corny had been more at Bonnydale thanChristy, and he was quite as much at home there, so that there was noreason why he should not be able to describe the mansion and itssurroundings as accurately as the genuine Lieutenant Passford.
So far, Corny, with the single exception of his failure to give thegeography of the estate, stood quite as well as his cousin. Then thefirst lieutenant questioned them both, as they were seated at the table,in a very general way. In their answers, Corny used the word "raised,"while Christy was "brought up." Several phrases in more common use atthe South than at the North were noted in his answers, which did notappear in the diction of Christy.
When the questioning was finished, the leaning of the trio of officerswas in favor of Christy; but not one of them said anything in thepresence of the two Passfords. The captain declared that he had alreadyused up too much time in the inquiry, and he must close the conferencevery soon. Then he asked if either of the gentlemen had any papers theywished to present in support of his identity.
"I have my commission as a lieutenant, and my orders to take passagein the Vernon, and to take command of the Bronx on my arrival at thestation of the Eastern Gulf squadron," said Corny, as he pulled a hugeenvelope from his breast pocket; and Christy could not but notice theperfect confidence with which he spoke.
"I have precisely the same papers," added Christy, with as muchassurance as his cousin.
"I had nearly forgotten the most important evidence that can bepresented in this matter," said the captain with a smile. "I dare saythat each of the gentlemen will produce his commission, his orders, andhis appointment to the command of the Bronx; and I don't know how we candecide between the papers. It looks as though the Bronx was likely tohave two commanders."
"Here are my papers, captain," added Corny, as he passed his envelopeacross the table to the commander.
"This is not an official envelope," said the captain, as he took thepackage, and then fixed his gaze on the owner of the documents.
"No, sir; it is not. I had the misfortune to leave it on the table atBonnydale, and Walsh, the man-servant, supposing it to be of no value,threw it into the fire," replied Corny promptly.
The commission and other papers were all right in every respect. Christyhanded his envelope to the commander, and he broke it open. It containednothing but a lot of blank paper.