by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XVIII
AN AFFRAY IN NASSAU
Christy's first care was to look about among the guests of the hotelgathered on the piazza, in order to ascertain if there was any personthere whom he had ever met before. Very few of them were what could beclassed as genteel people, and some of them were such people as onewould not expect to see at a first-class hotel. They were dressed inseaman's garments for the most part, though not as common sailors; anddoubtless many of them were commanders or officers of the vessels in theharbor.
Putting on an indifferent air he walked about the veranda, observingevery person he encountered, as well as those who were seated in groups,engaged in rather noisy conversation, intermixed with a great deal ofprofanity. He breathed easier when he had made the circuit of thepiazzas on the first floor, though there were two others on the storiesabove it, for he found no one he could identify as a person he had seenbefore.
There were quite a number of steamers in the harbor, or in that part ofit which lies inside of the bar and in front of the town, with at leastthree times as many sailing craft. No doubt many of the latter, as wellas the former, had brought cargoes of cotton from Confederate ports; forthough the blockade was regarded as effective, and treated as such byforeign nations, many small vessels contrived to escape from obscureharbors on the Southern coast. Christy had been concerned in the captureof a considerable number of such. On the wharves were stacks of cottonwhich had been landed from these vessels, and several of them wereengaged in transferring it to small steamers, for large ones were unableto cross the bar. But the visitors had no business with the vessels thusengaged, for they had completed their voyages, and were exempt fromcapture.
"I have taken not a few prisoners in or off Southern ports, and it wouldnot greatly surprise me if I should meet some one I had met before,"said Christy, in French, as he resumed his seat by the side of thedetective.
"Then I fear that your coming with me was a mistake," replied M.Rubempre. "You must be extremely cautious, not only for your ownprotection, but because you may compromise me, and cause me to fail inthe accomplishment of my mission here."
"I should be sorry to interfere with your work, and I think we hadbetter separate," replied Christy, very much disturbed at the suggestionof his friend. "If I can do no good, I certainly do not wish to do anyharm."
"No, my friend; I cannot desert you, especially if you are in peril,"protested the detective. "How could I ever look your father in the faceif I permitted you to get into trouble here?"
"I don't think I shall get into trouble, even if I am recognized by someperson. This is not Confederate territory, though it looks very muchlike it; for all the people around us are talking secession, and theinhabitants sympathize with the South to the fullest extent. I could notbe captured and sent to a Confederate State, or be subjected to anyviolence, for the authorities would not permit anything of the kind,"Christy argued with energy.
"I am not so sure of that."
"I have no doubt in regard to my own safety; but if you appear to beconnected with me in any manner, and I were identified as a UnitedStates naval officer, of course it would ruin your enterprise. For thisreason I insist that we separate, and I will take a room at anotherhotel."
Christy was determined, and in the end the detective had to yield insubstance to him, though it was agreed, for reasons that seemed to begood, that M. Rubempre should change his hotel. They arranged to meetafter dark in the grounds in the rear of the Royal Victoria, to consultin regard to the future.
"In the mean time I will do what I can to obtain information in regardto steamers bound to Confederate ports. I will still claim to be aFrenchman, and talk pigeon English," continued Christy.
"If any misfortune happens to you, Christophe, I shall blame myself forit," added the Frenchman.
"You cannot fairly do that, for it will not be through any fault ofyours. If I fail to meet you as agreed, you can look for me. If youcannot find me, you must leave at the time agreed upon with CaptainChantor, whether I go with you or not. But I have no idea that anythingwill happen to prevent me from returning to the ship with you."
"I could not leave without you," said the detective moodily.
"If you do not, you will be likely to get the Chateaugay into trouble;for if we did not return to her, she would probably come into this portafter us."
"I will consider the matter before I assent to it," returned M.Rubempre, rising from his chair.
Christy was fully resolved not to endanger the mission of his companion,and he left the hotel. He walked slowly down Parliament to Bay Street,which is the principal business avenue of the town, running parallel tothe shore. It was lined with shops, saloons, and small hotels on oneside, and with the market and wharves on the other. He desired to seewhat he could of the place, and pick up all the information that wouldbe serviceable to an officer of the navy.
"His blood was boiling with indignation at the unprovoked assault." Page 207.]
As he passed a drinking-saloon a torrent of loud talk, spiced withoaths, flowed out from the place. Before he had fairly passed the door aviolent hand was laid upon him, seizing him by the collar with no gentlegrasp. The ruffian had fallen upon him from the rear, and he could notsee who it was that assaulted him. The man attempted to drag him intothe saloon; but he was evidently considerably affected by his potationsin the place, and his legs were somewhat tangled up by the condition ofhis brain.
Christy attempted, by a vigorous movement, to shake off his assailant;but the fellow held on, and he found it impossible to detach his grasp.His blood was boiling with indignation at the unprovoked assault, andhis two fists were clinched so tight that iron could hardly have beenharder and tougher. He levelled a blow at the head of the ruffian, whostill kept in his rear, and delivered it with all the power of hisstrong arm.
The assailant reeled, and released his hold, for his head must havewhirled around like a top under the crashing blow it had sustained.Christy turned so that he could see the ruffian. He was a stalwartfellow, at least fifty pounds heavier than the young lieutenant. Hisnose was terribly disfigured, not by the blow of the young officer, for,twisted as it was, there was no sign of a fresh wound upon it. Oneglance was enough to satisfy Christy as to the identity of the ruffian.
It was Captain Flanger, whose steamer Christy had captured, with a boatexpedition sent out from the Bronx, in St. Andrew's Bay. He was aprisoner, but had escaped, and invaded the cabin of the Bronx, where heattempted to make Christy sign an order which would have resulted indelivering the steamer to the enemy. The heroic young commander,preferring death to dishonor, had refused to sign the order. The affairhad culminated in a sort of duel in the cabin, in which Christy, aidedby his faithful steward, had hit Flanger in the nose with his revolver.
The ruffian had sworn to be revenged at the time, and he seemed to havechosen the present occasion to wreak his vengeance upon the destroyer ofhis nasal member. The blow his victim had struck was a set-back to him;but he presently recovered the balance of his head which the shock hadupset. It was plain enough that he had not given up the battle, for hehad drawn back with the evident intention of using his clinched fistsupon his adversary.
"Hit him again, Flanger!" shouted one of the brutal occupants of thesaloon, who now filled the doorway.
The affair was rapidly becoming serious, and Christy was debating withhimself whether or not he should draw a revolver he carried in hispocket; but he was cool enough to realize that he was on neutral ground,and that it would be very imprudent to be the first to resort to deadlyweapons. He could not run away, for his self-respect would not permithim to do so. He braced himself up to meet the onslaught of the ruffian.
Flanger charged upon him, and attempted to plant a blow with his fist inthe face of his intended victim; but the young officer parried it, andwas about to follow up the movement with a blow, when Monsieur Rubemprerushed in between them, struck the assailant such a blow that he wentover backwards. In fact, the man was too much int
oxicated to standwithout considerable difficulty.
At this moment a couple of colored policemen rushed in between thecombatants. The tipplers in the saloon picked up their comrade, andstood him on his feet. The Nassau officers doubtless had a great deal ofthis sort of quarrelling, for drinking strong liquors was the principaloccupation of the officers and crews of the blockade-runners while inport and on shore.
"What is all this about? Who began this quarrel?" demanded one of them,as he looked from one party to the other in the battle.
"I was passing the door of this saloon, and did not even look into it,when that man rushed upon me, and seized me by the collar," repliedChristy. "I tried to shake him off, but I could not, and then I struckhim in the side of the head."
"Look here, you nigger!" shouted Captain Flanger. "It's none of yourbusiness who began it."
"I shall arrest you for a breach of the peace," said the policeman.
"I don't reckon you will. Do you see my nose? Look at it! Don't you seethat it is knocked into a cocked hat?" said Flanger fiercely.
"I see it is; but what has that to do with this matter?" asked the negroofficer.
"That man shot my nose off!" roared Flanger. "I am going to kill him forit, if it costs me my head!"
"You shall not kill him here," protested the guardian of the peace. "Youhave been drinking too much, sir, and you must go with me and getsobered off."
The two policemen walked up to him with the intention of arresting him;but he showed fight. He was too tipsy to make an effectual resistance.His companions in the saloon huddled around him, and endeavored tocompel the policemen to let go their hold of him; but they held on totheir prisoner till two more officers came, and Flanger was dragged outinto the street, and then marched to the jail.
Christy was very much surprised that nothing was said to him by theofficers about the affair in which he had been one of the principalactors. He had expected to be summoned as a witness against the prisonerthey had taken, but not a word was said to him. He looked about to seeif the detective was in sight, but he had disappeared.
"That was an ugly-looking man," said a gentleman in the street, afterthe carousers had returned to the saloon. "I hope he has not injuredyou."
"Not at all, sir; he was too drunk to do all he could have done if hehad been in full possession of his faculties, for he is a much heavierperson than I am," replied Christy. "Why was I not summoned as a witnessat his examination?"
"Oh, bless you, sir! they will not examine or try him; they will soberhim off, and then discharge him. He is the captain of that littlesteamer near the public wharf. She is called the Snapper, and will sailfor the States on the high tide at five o'clock."
"Do you know to what port she is bound?" asked Christy.
"Mobile."
The young officer walked down to the public wharf to see the Snapper.