by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XIII
AT THE END OF THE CHASE
Mr. Gilfleur estimated that the Eleuthera was at least fifteen milesfrom the light, and the whistles were not loud enough to be heard atthat distance. Neither of the voyagers had any doubt that the dark massahead was the Chateaugay, and the skipper headed the boat for her. If itwere not the ship that was expecting to pick up the visitors to theisland, she would not be whistling in mid-ocean; and any other vesselwould carry a head and side lights.
In half an hour more, for the Chateaugay appeared to have stopped herscrew, the boat was within speaking distance, and the hail of Christywas answered. When she came alongside the steamer, the accommodationladder was rigged out, several seamen came on board, and the voyagershastened to the deck of the ship. Captain Chantor grasped the hand ofthe lieutenant, and then of the detective.
"I had some doubts whether or not I should ever see you again," said thecommander. "If they had discovered that one of you was a United Statesnaval officer, they would have mobbed you."
"As they did the American consul while we were there," added Mr.Gilfleur.
"You will tell me of that later," replied the captain, as he directedthe officer of the watch to hoist in the boat and secure it as it hadbeen before. "Now, come down into my cabin, and tell me your news, ifyou have seen something, even if you have not done anything," he added.
"We were not expected to capture the islands, or make any demonstration;and we have been in only one fight," replied Christy, to whom thecommander turned as soon as they were seated at the table.
"Then you have been in a fight?" queried the captain.
"Only with the fists. We defended the United States consul when he washard pressed, and we got him safely into his office by the time thepolice came upon the scene," continued Christy. "But we have importantinformation. Mr. Gilfleur will give it to you in full."
"Pardon; but I very much prefer that Mr. Passford should be thehistorian of the expedition," interposed the detective.
"But my friend and companion has been the principal actor; and I am sureI could not have done anything to obtain the information without him,"protested the lieutenant.
"Then it is all the more proper that you should tell the story, Mr.Passford, and spare Mr. Gilfleur's modesty," said the captain.
It was agreed that Christy should be the narrator of the results of theexpedition, and he first described the trip to Hamilton in the boat.Then he told about the assault on the consul, and in what manner theyhad defended him.
"I ought to inform you at once that the Dornoch was at St. George'sharbor, and that she was to sail yesterday afternoon at five o'clock,"said Christy. "But she is bound to the southward, and her first missionis to intercept an English or French steamer, and put a Confederatecommissioner, wishing to get to England, on board of her. This agent ofthe South happens to be my uncle."
"The brother of Captain Passford?"
"Yes, Captain; and he is provided with funds to purchase twovessels--steamers, to be fitted up as men-of-war."
"Then if he is your father's brother, you think, perhaps, that we oughtnot to molest him," suggested the captain.
"Why, his graceless nephew even considered a scheme to entice him onboard of our boat, under pretence of finding a passage to England forhim," interposed Mr. Gilfleur, laughing heartily at the suggestion ofthe commander.
"I believe in treating him like a Christian and a gentleman, for he isboth of these; but I do not believe in letting him fill up theConfederate navy with foreign-built steamers, to ruin the commerce of mycountry," replied the young officer with spirit. "My father would nomore believe in it than I do. You should treat him, Captain Chantor,exactly as though he was nobody's brother or uncle."
The commander clapped his hands as though he was of the same opinion ashis passenger, and Christy proceeded with his narrative, describingtheir visit to the Dornoch and the blockade-runners at St. George's andHamilton. The captain was very much amused at his interview in Frenchwith Captain Rombold, and his conversations with officers of othervessels they had boarded. The detective took his papers from the belt,and read the names of the steamers, and the ports for which they werebound.
"They were a very obliging lot of blockade-runners," said the captain,laughing heartily at the freedom with which they had spoken.
"I don't suppose there is an American in the Bermudas at the presenttime besides Mr. Alwayn, the consul," added the detective. "Theblockade-runners have the islands all to themselves, or at least the twotowns on them. They have plenty of money, and they spend it withoutstint or measure. They make business good, and the inhabitants takeexcellent care of them. It is no place for Americans; for everybody'ssympathy is with the South. It seems to me that there is no danger oftalking about their business anywhere in the islands."
"They were speaking all the time to a Frenchman, who had considerabledifficulty in using the English language," said Christy. "All the talkwith Captain Rombold was in French."
The narrative was finished, and discussed at great length. The order hadbeen given to the officer of the deck to go ahead at full speed, makingthe course south-east, after the Eleuthera had been hoisted on board andsecured.
"It looks decidedly like a battle some time to-morrow," said thecommander thoughtfully.
"No doubt of it," added Christy.
"If the Dornoch sailed at five o'clock yesterday afternoon, according tothe arrangement, she must be over a hundred miles from the islands atthis moment," continued Captain Chantor thoughtfully, as he consultedhis watch. "We can only conjecture his course, and that is the importantthing for us to know. His first objective point is to intercept asteamer bound to England or France. If he runs directly to the southwardhe may miss the first one."
"If I were in his place I should run to the eastward, so as not to fallastern of any possible steamer bound to England," added Christy.
"That was the thought that first came to my mind," replied thecommander, as he brought out a chart and spread it on the table. "Forthat reason I gave out the course to the south-east."
A careful examination of the chart and an extended calculation followed.It was agreed between the two naval officers that the Dornoch would goto the eastward till she fell into the track of vessels bound to thenorth-east from Jamaica, Cuban ports, or Mexico, and then put her headto the south-west. It was four o'clock in the morning, the cruiser hadbeen out nine hours, and the captain dotted the chart where he believedshe was at that moment.
"She has made all the easting necessary, and by this time she has laidher course about south-west," continued the commander. "Captain Romboldwill not hurry his ship, for he has no occasion to do so, and he willnaturally save his coal. If our calculations are correct, we shall seethe Dornoch about noon to-day;" and he pointed to the conjunction of thetwo courses as he had drawn them on a diagram. "That is all; and we hadbetter turn in."
A sharp lookout was maintained during the hours of the morning watch,for the conjectures and calculations of the captain might prove to beall wrong. It was possible that the Dornoch had proceeded directly tothe southward, after making less easting than was anticipated. Nothingwas seen of any steamer. But in the middle of the forenoon watch a longand rather faint streak of black was discovered in the east. The Dornochwas not exactly a blockade-runner, and doubtless she used soft coal,though anthracite was beginning to come into use in other than Americansteamers, for its smoke was less likely to betray them.
"I think we have figured this matter out correctly, Mr. Passford," saidCaptain Chantor, as they gazed at the attenuated streak of black.
"Captain Rombold is a very competent officer, and you and he seem tohave agreed in your calculations," added Christy.
The steamer to the eastward soon came in sight; she and the Chateaugaywere headed for the same point, and by noon they were in plain sight ofeach other. In another hour they were within hailing distance.
"That is not the Dornoch," said Christy decidedly.
"N
o; she is much larger than the Dornoch," added Mr. Gilfleur.
"I am disappointed," replied the captain.
The steamer showed the British flag, and went on her way to thesouth-west. The Chateaugay continued on her course without change tilleight bells in the afternoon watch, when a heavier volume of smoke wasdescried in the north-east. No change was made in the course, and at thebeginning of the second dog watch the craft from which the smoke issuedcould be seen with the naked eye. She was headed to the south-west, andit was evident that her course would carry her to the westward of theChateaugay. The darkness soon settled down upon the ocean, and the portlight of the stranger showed itself over the starboard quarter of theship, proving that it crossed the wake of the other.
The action, if the steamer proved to be the Dornoch, must be deferredtill the next morning. It was impossible to determine what she was inthe darkness, and Captain Chantor ordered the course to be changed tocorrespond with that of the stranger, which manifested no disposition toget away from her. All night the two vessels maintained the samerelative position, and both were making about ten knots an hour.At daylight in the morning the commander and Christy were on thequarter-deck, anxiously observing the stranger. She was carefullyexamined with the glasses.
"That is the Dornoch!" exclaimed Mr. Gilfleur, after a long inspectionwith the glass.
"No doubt of it," added Christy.
"You are sure of it?" inquired the commander.
"We have both been on board of her, and I am perfectly sure of it,"replied Christy, who proceeded to explain the details by which heidentified her; and the captain was entirely satisfied.
The Dornoch was not more than two miles distant from the Chateaugay, forin the early morning hours the course had been changed a couple ofpoints, to bring her nearer for examination. It was now a chase, and thechief engineer was instructed to give the ship her best speed. It wassoon evident that the Dornoch was hurrying her pace, for hersmoke-stacks were vomiting forth immense inky clouds.
"I doubt if Captain Rombold cares to fight with my uncle on board," saidChristy. "He can see that the Chateaugay is of heavier metal than theDornoch."
"I should suppose that it would be his first care, as perhaps he regardsit as his first duty, to put his passenger on board of a steamer boundto England," added the commander. "It appears to be a question of speedjust now."
The Chateaugay was driven to her utmost, and it was soon clear that shewas too much for her antagonist. At two bells in the forenoon watch shewas about a mile abreast of the chase, which had not yet shown hercolors. The flag of the United States floated at the peak, and thecommander ordered a shot to be fired across the forefoot of the Dornoch.
This was an order for her to come to; but, instead of doing so, sheflung out the Confederate flag, and fired a shotted gun, the ball fromwhich whizzed over the heads of the Chateaugay's officers on thequarter-deck.