by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XII
AN IMPRACTICABLE SCHEME
Before the War of the Rebellion the commerce of the United Statesexceeded that of any other nation on the globe. The Confederatesteamers, the Sumter, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and other cruisers,swept our ships from the ocean, and the country has never regained itscommercial prestige. Christy Passford listened with intense interest tothe conversation between his uncle and the commander of the Dornoch, andhe came to the conclusion that the latter was a naval officer of noordinary ability. He evidently believed that the six-gun steamer in hischarge was a command not worthy of his talent.
The Sumter, and some other vessels fitted out as privateers or warvessels, had already done a great deal of mischief to the shipping ofthe Northern States, and the young man fully realized the meaning of hisuncle's intentions. Colonel Passford had been supplied with money by hisgovernment, with what he had raised himself, to purchase larger and morepowerful steamers than had yet been obtained, and Captain Romboldappeared to be his confidant, with whom he must have been incommunication for a considerable length of time.
Colonel Passford was going to England and Scotland to purchase thesteamers mentioned and recommended as the kind required by his presentcompanion. Christy could think of no manner in which he could serve hiscountry so effectually as by preventing, or even delaying, the adding ofthese vessels to the navy of the South. But it was a tremendousundertaking for a young man. His uncle had certainly been veryindiscreet in talking out loud about his plans; but it could hardly havebeen supposed that any loyal ears were near enough to hear them, foreven the American consul was not safe in the islands.
Christy had doubled himself up in his chair, and pretended to be asleep,so that no notice was taken of him by the two gentlemen in conversation.He continued to listen till he heard a clock strike nine; but heobtained no further information, except in relation to the details ofthe colonel's plans. He was in great haste to get to England to purchasethe vessels, and he had the drafts about him for the purpose. It was avast sum, for the prices of desirable steamers had largely advancedunder the demand for them for running the blockade.
"The easiest and quickest way for you to get to Liverpool or Glasgow isto go to New York, and there take a steamer to either of these ports,"suggested Captain Rombold.
"I dare not go to New York, for I should certainly be recognized there.My only brother is one of the most prominent agents of the Yankeegovernment, and every passenger from Bermuda and Nassau is watched anddogged by detectives. It would not be prudent for me to go New York, forsome pretext to rob me of the drafts I carry would be found," repliedHomer Passford.
"There may be a steamer from Bermuda in a week or a month, for there isno regular line," added the naval officer.
"But there are regular lines from Havana, Mexico, Jamaica, and theWindward Islands," suggested the agent of the Confederate government.
"Very true, and it is not necessary that I should make a port in theConfederate States before I begin my work on the ocean," said CaptainRombold. "I have my commission from your government, with full powers toact, though I desired to make a port in the South, for, as you areaware, my wife is a native of Georgia, and is at her father's plantationat the present time. I captured two Yankee vessels off the Azores, andburned them."
"I have no doubt about your powers; but can you not aid me in getting toEngland?" persisted the colonel.
"If you will take the chances, I can, Colonel Passford. If you will goon board of my ship to-morrow afternoon, and sail with me, I have nodoubt we shall overhaul a steamer bound to England in the course of aweek, for I will get into the track of these vessels."
The agent promptly accepted this proposition, and soon after theconference ended, though not till the listener had taken himself out ofthe way, Christy had turned over in his mind a plan to terminate verysuddenly his uncle's mission to purchase steamers, and to obtainpossession of his drafts. M. Rubempre was adroit enough to accomplishalmost anything, and he intended to have the detective make thecolonel's acquaintance, and induce him to embark with them in theEleuthera, pretending that he was going to France himself, and intendedto intercept a French steamer from Progreso, whose course lay but ashort distance south of the Bermudas.
But the plan suggested by Captain Rombold, and adopted by ColonelPassford, saved him from what the young officer regarded as his duty inthe deception and capture of his uncle. When the Bellevite, while shewas still the yacht of Captain Horatio Passford, had gone to thevicinity of Mobile, to the home of his father's brother, Homer had doneall in his power to capture the steamer for the use of his government,and had made war upon her with armed vessels. He had done soconscientiously, believing it to be his duty to his country. This factfrom the past made it easier for Christy to think of such a thing as thecapture of his uncle, even in a neutral country.
The young man returned to the Atlantic Hotel. He found M. Rubempre stillfast asleep, for his slumbers the night before had been very brief.He waked him, and told him all that had transpired during the evening,though not till the detective had ordered supper, which they had notpartaken of so far. He stated the plan by which he had proposed tohimself to prevent the purchase, for the present at least, of theGateshead and Kilmarnock.
"Not a practicable plan, Christophe," said the detective, shaking hishead vigorously.
"Why not?" demanded Christy; and he explained the conduct of his unclein regard to the Bellevite, when she was on a peaceful errand to conveyher owner's daughter back to her home.
Then he related the attempt of the colonel's son, his cousin Corny,to capture the Bronx by a piece of wild strategy.
"But I do not object to your scheme on moral grounds," interposed M.Rubempre. "Have you forgotten the affair of the Trent, when Messrs.Mason and Slidell were taken out of an English steamer? The Britishgovernment made a tremendous tempest, and would certainly have declaredwar if the two envoys had not been returned to a British ship-of-war.The English flag waves over these islands, and they are supposed to beneutral ground."
"Neutral with a vengeance!" exclaimed Christy.
"If Colonel Passford had been carried off in the manner you thought of,the United States government would have been compelled to return him tothese islands, with all his drafts and other property. I am very gladyou found it unnecessary to carry out such a plot," said the detective,as a knock at the door announced that their supper was ready.
As Christy's plan was not in order, would be inutile, the business ofthe visitors at the islands was finished. Both of them slept till verylate in the morning, and after breakfast lay down again and slept allthe forenoon. The young man was afraid to go out of the hotel in theafternoon, fearful that he might meet his uncle. But his companionwalked about the place, and visited the Hamilton, where he againencountered Captain Rombold, who introduced him to Colonel Passford;informing him that he was to be his fellow passenger. When the commanderof the Dornoch told him that he might not make a Confederate port forsome weeks, if at all, M. Rubempre decided not to take passage with him.Of course nothing was said that could be of any service to thedetective, for he had already obtained the information he needed; but heassured himself that the steamer would sail at the time stated the daybefore.
Towards night the detective informed the landlord that he was to go toSt. George's in the evening, paid his bill, and liberally rewarded thewaiters. He had been over to the pier to look after the Eleuthera, andhad found Joseph at his house. The boat was all right; her keeper hadwashed her out, and put everything in order on board of her. M. Rubemprereturned to the hotel, and after supper Joseph came for the valises. Itwas quite dark when they left the place, and made their way to the pier.No one asked any questions, and the detective had caused it to beunderstood that he had engaged a boatman to take him to St. George's bywater.
They went on board of the boat, and the fisherman assisted them ingetting under way. The liberal skipper gave him another sovereign,adding that he need not say anything to any per
son about him and hisservant. Joseph was profuse in his expressions of gratitude, for with somuch money in his pocket he need not go a-fishing again for a month ormore, and protested with all his might that he would not mention them toanybody.
The night was dark enough to conceal the Eleuthera after she got awayfrom the shore, but not so dark that the skipper could not find his wayaround the reefs to Hogfish Cut. It was high tide, as it had been whenthey came inside of the rocks, and the boat went along quite briskly inthe fresh west wind that was still blowing. Without accident or incidentof importance, though the wind was ahead a portion of the way, the boatreached the Cut at about midnight. She stuck on a reef at this point,but very lightly, though it required half an hour or more to get heroff. She made no water, and did not appear to be injured.
Without further mishap the Eleuthera passed through the opening in thereefs, and, taking the bearing of the light on Gibbs Hill, Mr. Gilfleur,as Christy began to call him from this time, laid his course to thesouth-west. The Chateaugay was not to show any lights, and there wasnothing but the compass to depend upon; but a light was necessary toenable the skipper to see it. The lantern was used for this purpose, butit was carefully concealed in the stern.
"We are all right now, Mr. Passford; and you may turn in for about threehours, for I don't think we shall sight the ship in less than thattime," said the detective, as he put on his overcoat, for the night airwas rather chilly, and his companion had already done so.
"I have no occasion to turn in, for I have slept enough at that hotel tolast me for a week," replied Christy. "It looks now as though we hadmade a good job of this visit to the Bermudas."
"I think there can be no doubt of that, Mr. Passford; and there is anunpleasant surprise in store for your worthy uncle," said Mr. Gilfleur,chuckling as he spoke.
"And perhaps for your accomplished friend Captain Rombold. We have bothheard him say that he was regularly commissioned as a commander in theConfederate navy, and that his ship is armed with all proper authorityto capture, burn, and destroy the mercantile marine of the UnitedStates."
"But Captain Rombold is an ex-officer of the Royal navy, and you maydepend upon it he will fight. There will be a naval battle somewhere inthe vicinity of these islands to-morrow, and Captain Chantor will findthat it will be no boy's play," added Mr. Gilfleur.
"My father told me that he was a very able officer, and had alreadyrendered good service, good enough to procure his rapid promotion.I liked the looks of his officers and crew, and I have no doubt theywill give a good account of themselves."
"I hope so, for I am to be an American citizen: I have filed my firstpapers."
"I doubt not you will make a good and useful citizen; and your wonderfulskill as a detective will make you very serviceable to your newcountry."
The conversation was continued for full three hours longer; at the endof which time they saw a dark body ahead on the port bow, and heard somerather gentle screams from a steam whistle.