by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER VI
THE BOARDING OF THE IONIAN
The Chateaugay, with her colors flying, ran abreast of the Ionian and byher; but the latter did not show her flag. A blank cartridge was thenfired, but the steamer took no notice of it. A shot was then dischargedacross her fore foot, and this brought her to her senses, so that shehoisted the British flag, and stopped her screw. All the preparationshad been made for boarding her, and two boats were in readiness todischarge this duty.
The first cutter, in charge of Mr. Birdwing, was the first to leave theship. The sea was quite smooth, so that there was no difficulty ingetting the boats off. The first lieutenant's boat went from thestarboard side, and the second cutter was lowered on the port in chargeof the third lieutenant. Christy went in the first boat, and Mr.Gilfleur in the second. The officers and crews of both boats wereespecially directed to see that nothing was thrown overboard from theIonian; for if her captain found that he was in a "tight place," hewould be likely to heave his papers into the sea.
The first cutter had not made half the distance to the Ionian before shepulled down the British flag and hoisted the American in its place. Hercommander evidently believed that he was getting into hot water, andwell he might. He must have been selected for this enterprise on accountof his fitness for it, and as the steamer had not sailed on an honestvoyage, he could not be an honest man, and the officers of the boatsdespised him. They were determined to discharge their duty faithfully,even if they were obliged to treat him with the utmost rigor.
"She has corrected her first blunder," said Mr. Birdwing, as theAmerican flag went up to her peak. "The skipper of that craft don'texactly know what he is about."
"It must be a surprise to him to be brought to by a United Statesman-of-war," added Christy.
"But why did the fool hoist the British flag when he has no papers toback it up? That would have done very well among the blockaders,"continued the officer of the boat. "I don't know very much about thisbusiness, and the captain ordered me to let you and the French gentlemanin the other boat have your own way on board of her, and to do all yourequired. Have you any directions for me?"
"We desire to have the steamer thoroughly searched, and I have littledoubt that we shall ask you to take possession of her," replied Christy.
"Then we are to make a capture of it?" asked the first lieutenant,manifesting no little surprise.
"Under certain circumstances, yes."
"Is she a Confederate vessel?"
"No; she is an American vessel."
"All right; but I shall obey my orders to the very letter," added Mr.Birdwing. "How many men shall I put on board of her?"
"Twelve, if you please," replied Christy, who had arranged the plan withthe detective.
"Six from each boat," said the executive officer; and then he hailed thesecond cutter, and directed Mr. Carlin to send this number on board ofthe Ionian.
"And, if you please, direct him to board the steamer on the starboardside, for I take it you will board on the port," added Christy. "We fearthat she will throw certain papers overboard, and we must prevent thatif possible."
The order was given to the third lieutenant, and in a few minutes morethe first cutter came alongside the steamer. Mr. Birdwing ordered thoseon board to drop the accommodation ladder over the side; and for so milda gentleman he did it in a very imperative tone. The order was obeyed,though it appeared to be done very reluctantly. The first lieutenant wasthe first to mount the ladder, and was closely followed by hispassenger.
"Where is the captain?" demanded Mr. Birdwing, as the six men detailedfor the purpose were coming over the side.
"I am the captain," replied an ill-favored looking man, stepping forwardwith very ill grace.
"What steamer is this?"
"The Ionian, of New York, bound to St. George's, Bermuda," replied thecaptain in a crusty tone.
"The captain's name?" demanded the officer, becoming more imperative asthe commander of the Ionian manifested more of his crabbed disposition.
"Captain Sawlock," growled the ill-favored master of the steamer, whowas a rather short man, thick-set, with a face badly pitted by thesmall-pox, but nearly covered with a grizzly and tangled beard.
"You will oblige me by producing your papers, Captain Sawlock,"continued Mr. Birdwing.
"For a good reason, my papers are not regular," answered the captain ofthe Ionian, with an attempt to be more affable, though it did not seemto be in his nature to be anything but a brute in his manners.
"Regular or not, you will oblige me by exhibiting them," the officerinsisted.
"It is not my fault that a change was made in my orders after I gotunder way," pleaded Captain Sawlock.
"Will you produce your clearance and other papers?" demanded thelieutenant very decidedly.
"This is an American vessel, and you have no right to overhaul me inthis manner," growled the captain of the steamer.
"You are in command of a steamer, and you cannot be so ignorant as tobelieve that an officer of a man-of-war has not the right to require youto show your papers," added Mr. Birdwing with a palpable sneer.
"This is an American vessel," repeated Captain Sawlock.
"Then why did you hoist the British flag?"
"That's my business!"
"But it is mine also. Do you decline to show your papers? You aretrifling with me," said Mr. Birdwing impatiently.
At this moment there was a scuffle in the waist of the steamer, whichattracted the attention of all on the deck. Mr. Gilfleur had suddenlythrown himself on the first officer of the Ionian; and when his secondofficer and several sailors had gone to his assistance, the thirdlieutenant of the Chateaugay had rushed in to the support of theFrenchman. The man-of-war's men were all armed with cutlasses andrevolvers; but they did not use their weapons, and it looked like arough-and-tumble fight on the deck.
Mr. Birdwing and Christy rushed over to the starboard side of thesteamer; but Mr. Carlin and his men had so effectively sustained thedetective that the affray had reached a conclusion before they couldinterfere. Mr. Gilfleur was crawling out from under two or three men whohad thrown themselves upon him when he brought the first officer to thedeck by jumping suddenly upon him. The Frenchman had in his hand a tincase about a foot in length, and three inches in diameter, such as aresometimes used to contain charters, or similar valuable papers.
The contest had plainly been for the possession of this case, which thequick eye of the detective had discovered as the mate was carrying itforward; for Mr. Carlin had sent two of his men to the stern at therequest of the Frenchman, charged to allow no one to throw anythingoverboard. The first officer of the Ionian had listened to theconversation between Captain Sawlock and the first lieutenant, and hadgone below into the cabin when it began to be a little stormy.
"What does all this mean, Mr. Carlin?" inquired Mr. Birdwing.
"I simply obeyed my orders to support Mr. Gilfleur; and he can explainhis action better than I can," replied the third lieutenant.
"I have requested the officers, through Captain Chantor, to see thatnothing was thrown overboard, either before or after we boarded thesteamer," interposed Christy.
"And the captain's order has been obeyed," added the first lieutenant."Will you explain the cause of this affray, Mr. Gilfleur?"
"With the greatest pleasure," answered the detective with one of hispolitest bows. "While you were talking with the captain of the Ionian,I saw the first officer of this steamer go into the cabin. I was told bya sailor that he was the mate. In a minute or two he came on deck again,and I saw that he had something under his coat. He moved forward, andwas going to the side when I jumped upon him. After a struggle I tookthis tin case from him."
The detective stepped forward, and handed the tin case to the executiveofficer as gracefully as though he had been figuring in a ballroom.Captain Sawlock had followed the officers over from the port side. Heappeared to be confounded, and listened in silence to the explanation ofMr. Gilfleur. But he loo
ked decidedly ugly.
"That case is my personal, private property," said he, as soon as it wasin the hands of the chief officer of the boarding-party.
"I don't dispute it, Captain Sawlock; but at the same time I intend toexamine its contents," replied Mr. Birdwing mildly, but firmly.
"This is an outrage, Mr. Officer!" exclaimed the discomfited master.
"If it is, I am responsible for it," added the executive officer, as heremoved the cover from the end of the case.
"I protest against this outrage! I will not submit to it!" howledCaptain Sawlock, carried away by his wrath.
"Perhaps you will," said Mr. Birdwing quietly.
"But I will not!"
With a sudden movement he threw himself upon the officer, and attemptedto wrest the tin case from his hands. Christy, who was standing behindhim, seized him by the collar with both hands, and hurled him to thedeck. A moment later two seamen, by order of Mr. Carlin, took him eachby his two arms, and held him like a vice.
"I think we will retire to the cabin to examine these papers, for I seethat the case is filled with documents, including some sealed letters,"continued Mr. Birdwing, as he moved towards the cabin door.
"That cabin is mine! You can't go into it!" howled Captain Sawlock,crazy with anger. "Don't let them go into the cabin, Withers!"
Withers appeared to be the mate, and he stepped forward as though heintended to do something; but a couple of seamen, by order of the firstlieutenant, arrested and held him. He had apparently had enough of it inhis encounter with the detective, for he submitted without anyresistance. If the captain of the steamer was a fool, the mate was not,for he saw the folly of resisting a United States force.
"Mr. Carlin, you will remain on deck with the men; Mr. Passford and Mr.Gilfleur, may I trouble you to come into the cabin with me?" continuedMr. Birdwing, as he led the way.
The executive officer seated himself at the table in the middle of thecabin, and his companions took places on each side of him. The firstpaper drawn from the case was the clearance of the Ionian forWilmington, with a cargo of old iron. The manifest had clearly beentrumped up for the occasion. The old iron was specified, and a list ofother articles of merchandise.
At this point the executive officer sent for Mr. Carlin, and directedhim to take off the hatches and examine the cargo, especially what wasunder the pieces of machinery. There were several letters to unknownpersons, and one in particular to the captain himself, in which he wasdirected to deliver the machinery to a gentleman with the title of"Captain," who was doubtless a Confederate agent, in St. George's,Bermuda. The papers were abundantly sufficient to convict Davis oftreason. The last one found in the case directed Captain Sawlock todeliver the cannon and ammunition in the bottom of the vessel to thesteamer Dornoch, on her arrival at St. George's, or at some convenientplace in the Bahama Islands.