by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER V
IN THE VICINITY OF THE CONFEDERATE FORT
It was a favorable night for running the blockade, for the fog hadsettled down more densely upon the region in the vicinity of the shipchannel, though it occasionally lifted, and permitted those on board ofthe Bellevite to see the tall tower of the Sand Island Lighthouse, whichhad not been illuminated for three years. The mists were generallythicker and remained longer towards daylight than at any other time, andthis was the evident reason why three o'clock in the morning had beenfixed upon for the departure of the Trafalgar and the West Wind in tow.
The engineer's head was as clear as it had ever been, notwithstandingthe tipsy swaying and doubling-up of his body which he simulated, and herealized that his companion and himself had obtained very importantrevelations from the revellers. The hour at which the steamer was toleave, evidently by arrangement with the officers of the fort, wasvaluable knowledge, and he hoped they would be able to carry or sendseasonable warning of the time to the Bellevite, for she was the onlyship on the blockade that could be counted upon to overhaul theTrafalgar, if the reports of her great speed had been correctly given.
Both Christy and Graines had listened attentively to the revelationsof Bird Riley; but neither of them could understand why the four men,including the mate, had deserted the West Wind only a few hours beforeshe was to depart on her voyage to Nassau, where she was believed to bebound. The reason assigned by the tipsy mate was that she was going outin tow of the steamer, and was sure to be taken by the blockaders. Bothof the listeners thought this fact improved her chances of getting clearof any possible pursuers.
Bird Riley had fallen back on the ground; but he still continued totalk, though his speech was very nearly incoherent. Graines was veryanxious to know what time it was, for the most important part of theenterprise was to give the Bellevite timely notice of the coming of theTrafalgar. He struck a match and lighted a cigar, offering one to themate, which he took and lighted. It was half-past twelve by his watch,as he informed Bird, though he did so more for the information of thelieutenant than of the mate.
"I reckon we are all about full enough to go to sleep, and we might aswell turn in," said Graines. "But I suppose you uns mean to sleep onboard of the West Wind."
"I don't reckon we'll do nothin' o' that sort," hiccoughed the mate. "Wedone got a p'int to kerry, and I reckon we're gwine to kerry it."
"All right," gobbled the engineer, who overdid his part, if anything."What's the p'int, shipmate?"
"Cap'n Sull'dine's sho't handed," replied the mate, his speech turningsomersets as he labored to utter the words, for he still had a portionof his senses left.
"I see," added Graines, tumbling over, but regaining hisperpendicularity with a trying effort. "Only six men left after you fourdone runned away."
"Six!" exclaimed Bird, raising himself up with a desperate struggle,like a wounded hawk. "No six in it; only two left. He don't, can't nohow, go to sea with only two men. I'll pilot the schooner out by theBelican Channel an' Mis'sip' Sound. Cap'n Sull'dine 'n' I fit over it,an' I left, with most of the crew. Hah, ha, ha! He done got 'nuff on't!Let's take a swigger, and then we gwine to go to sleep, like the rest on'em."
With no little difficulty Bird Riley got the bottle to his lips, wastingno little of the liquor in the operation. He was entirely "full" then.He handed the bottle to the engineer, and dropped over on his back,overcome by his frequent potions. Graines did not find it necessary togo through the form of putting the bottle to his lips again, and afterwaiting a few minutes he was satisfied that the mate was in a deepslumber, from which he was not likely to wake for several hours.
But all the information he appeared to be capable of giving had beenimparted, and Graines rose to his feet as steady as he ever was in hislife, having taken hardly a swallow of the repulsive poison. He walkedaway from the sleeping group on the ground, halting about twenty feetfrom them. Christy saw him, for his eyes were open all the time, and hehad listened with intense interest to the conversation between theengineer and the mate of the West Wind.
The lieutenant straightened himself up and looked about him. The firewas entirely extinguished; the four men lay with their feet to theembers, and not one of them showed any signs of life. Carefully raisinghimself to his feet, so as not to disturb the sleeper nearest to him, hecrept away to the spot where his associate awaited him. Christy led theway in the direction of the fort, but both of them were silent till theyreached the summit of the knoll which concealed the inner bay from theirvision, or would have done so if the fog had not effectually veiled itfrom their sight.
"I suppose you heard all that was said, Mr. Passford, after you ceasedto lead the conversation," said Graines, as he glanced back at the footof the hollow where the revel had taken place.
"Every word of it; and I could insert a good deal of what might havebeen read between the lines if the talk had been written out," repliedthe lieutenant. "As you were the cousin of the mate, he seemed to bemore communicative to you than to me, and I thought it best to leave youto conduct the conversation. You did it extremely well, Charley, andthere was no occasion for me to interfere. I find that you have nolittle skill as a detective, as well as a sailor and an engineer, andI shall make a good report of you to Captain Breaker. I could almostbelieve that we were boys together again as we were carrying on thefarce this evening."
"Thank you, Christy--Mr. Passford," added Graines.
"You need not stand on ship formalities while we are alone, Charley.But we must put together the threads we have gathered this evening, and,if I mistake not, we shall make a net of them, into which the Trafalgar,or whatever her new name may be, will tumble at no very distant time. Itappears that she is not to tow out the West Wind, for Captain Sullendinecannot go to sea with only two men before the mast, and no mate."
"Bird Riley played his cards very well to accomplish the purpose he hadin view, which was to keep the West Wind from going to sea in tow of thesteamer," replied Graines, keeping up with the lieutenant, who had takena very rapid pace.
"I should say that the schooner would have a much better chance to getthrough the blockaders in tow of the Trafalgar than in going on her ownhook. Bird is a big fellow in his own estimation; but it struck me thatCaptain Sullendine had an ignorant and self-willed fellow for a mate,and probably he took the best one he could find; for I think goodseamen, outside of the Confederate navy, must be very scarce in theSouth."
"The fellow had a notion in his head that he could take the schooner outby Pelican Channel, and he quarrelled with the captain on this point.It occurred to me that he deserted his vessel on account of the quarrelrather than for any other reason."
"We need not bother our heads with that question, for it does notconcern us; and we will leave the captain and his mate to fight it outwhen they meet to-morrow, for it is plain enough that the West Windcannot go to sea with no mate and only two hands before the mast,"returned Christy, who was hastening forward to discharge what heconsidered his first duty thus far developed by the events of the night."What time is it now, Charley? I have a watch, but no matches."
The engineer's cigar had gone out when he lighted it before, and he hadput it in a pocket of his sack coat. Putting it in his mouth, he strucka match, and consulted his watch.
"Quarter of one, Christy; and we have plenty of time," he replied ashe lighted his cigar; for he thought it would help him to maintain hisindifference in whatever event might be next in order.
"But we have no time to spare," added the lieutenant, as he increasedthe rapidity of his pace. "Our five pairs of men must have readied thevicinity of the fort before this time, for we have had a long conferencewith those spreeists."
"About an hour and a half; and the information we have obtained willfully pay for the time used."
"No doubt of it; and we must hurry up in order to make a good use ofit," said Christy. "The fog is lifting just now, as it has been doingall the evening, and we can see the fort. There are very few peopl
eabout; for it cannot be an uncommon event to see a blockade-runner getunder way."
It was not probable that any of the persons in sight were soldiers, forthey had abundant opportunity to see all there was to be seen within thesolid walls that sheltered them. The rapid pace at which the lieutenantled his companion soon brought them to the group of people near theshore of the channel leading to Pilot Town. The five pairs of seamenwere well scattered about, as they had been instructed to be, and theydid not appear to have attracted the attention of the others in thevicinity.
Pair No. Three were the first of the party the officers encountered, andno others appeared to be near them. One of them was smoking his pipe,and both of them were taking it very easily. Not far from them was aknot of men who seemed to be disturbed by some kind of an excitement.As the couple encountered manifested no interest in the affair, Christyconcluded that they must know something about it, unless they wereextremely scrupulous in adhering to the orders given them.
"What is the row there, French?" asked Christy in a low and guardedtone, though there was no stranger very near him.
"The man in the middle is the captain of that schooner you see off theshore, sir. His mate and three of his crew have deserted the vessel, andhe can't go to sea without them," replied French.
"They say the steamer ahead is to tow the schooner out; but the captaincannot go because he has only two men left," added Lines, the other manof the pair.
"Do you know where to find Nos. One and Two?" continued the leader ofthe expedition.
"I do not, sir; for we keep clear of each other, as we were ordered,"answered French, as he looked about him for the men designated.
"You two will separate, and find One and Two. Send them to me, and Iwill wait here for them," added Christy; and the men departed on theerrand. "While I am waiting for them, Mr. Graines, you may go down tothat group, and pick up what information you can."
The engineer sauntered down the declivity, smoking his cigar, and makinghimself as much at home on the enemy's territory as though he had beenthe commander of the Confederate fort. Christy was not kept long inwaiting, and the first pair that reported to him were Weeks and Bingham.No. One. The former was the oiler who had been selected on account ofhis ingenuity and good judgment by Graines.
"Are you a sailor as well as a machinist, Weeks?" asked Christy.
"I am not much of a sailor, sir, though I have handled a schooner.I have been a boatman more or less of the time all my life," repliedthe oiler modestly.
By this time No. Two, Lane and McGrady, reported, but French and Lineskept their distance, in conformity with the spirit of their orders.
"Nos. One and Two will return to the whaleboat, and Weeks will be incommand of the party," continued Christy. "The rest of you will obey himas your officer. Is this understood?"
"Ay, ay, sir," responded the three men.
"Weeks, you will carry the boat to the water, and return to the shipwith all possible haste. Inform Captain Breaker that the Trafalgar willsail at three o'clock in the morning. I will report to him later."
The four men started off as though they meant to obey this order to theletter.