A Victorious Union

by Oliver Optic

  CHAPTER XVIII

  THE REIGN OF CHRISTIANITY

  Captain Breaker took Christy by his right arm to support him as theyreturned to the deck of the Bellevite, and to assist him over thebulwarks. The wounded had all been cared for, and the crew were swabbingup the deck; but the moment they discovered the captain and theexecutive officer on the rail, they suspended their labor and all eyeswere fixed upon the latter.

  "Three cheers for Mr. Passford!" shouted the quartermaster who had beenat the wheel when Christy sprang into the mizzen rigging.

  Three heartier cheers were never given on the deck of any ship thanthose which greeted the hero of the action as he appeared on the rail.Not satisfied with this demonstration, they all swung their caps, andthen gave two volleys more. There was not a man that did not take partin this triple salute, and even the officers joined with the seamen inthis tribute.

  "I hope Mr. Passford is not badly wounded, sir," said QuartermasterThompson, touching his cap most respectfully. "And I speak for the wholeship's company, sir."

  "Mr. Passford is not very severely wounded, Thompson," replied thecommander, while Christy was acknowledging the salute. "He did notmention the fact that he was hurt, and lost more blood than wasnecessary, so that he is very weak."

  The quartermaster reported the answer of the captain to the ship'scompany, whereupon they gave three more cheers, as Christy and hissupporter descended to the deck; and the hero acknowledged the salute.At the companion they encountered Dr. Linscott, who had just come ondeck from the cockpit. Graines was standing near, waiting for anopportunity to speak to his late associate in the expedition.

  "You gave us a bad fright, Mr. Passford," said the surgeon, as he tookthe right hand of the wounded officer. "But you will do very well now.I have something here which will keep you comfortable;" and he proceededto place the left arm in a sling, which he adjusted with great care,passing a band from it around his body so as to prevent the member fromswinging, or otherwise getting out of position.

  "Is it necessary that I should take to my berth, Dr. Linscott?" askedthe patient. "I am feeling very nicely now; and since my arm was dressedit gives me very little pain."

  "Dr. Davidson ordered you to your berth because you were so weak youcould not stand," replied the surgeon.

  "But I have got over that, and I feel stronger now."

  "We will see about that later, Mr. Passford. Captain Breaker, all ourwounded except a few light cases, which my mates can treat as well as Ican, are disposed of," added the doctor.

  "I am very glad to hear it," replied the captain.

  "May I stay on deck, doctor?" asked Christy, who did not like the ideaof being shut up in his stateroom while the arrangements for thedisposal of the prize were in progress.

  "You may for the present if you feel able to do so," answered thesurgeon. "But you must have a berth-sack or an easy chair on deck, andkeep very quiet."

  "Punch!" called the commander; and this was the name of the cabinsteward, who was not, however, as bibulous as his surname indicated."Pass the word for Punch."

  The steward, like everybody else on board able to be there, was on deck,and immediately presented himself.

  "Bring up the large easy-chair at my desk, and place it abreast of themizzen mast," added the commander.

  Something else called off the attention of Captain Breaker at thismoment, and the surgeon remained in conversation till Punch reported thechair in position. Dr. Linscott conducted Christy to it, and adjustedhim comfortably, sending for a blanket to cover his lower limbs. Thecaptain soon returned, and saw that the patient was easy in a positionwhere he could see all that transpired on the deck.

  "As you have finished your duties on board of the Bellevite, I desire toreciprocate the kindness of Captain Rombold in attending to Mr. Passfordwhen perhaps he needed the attention of his own surgeon more than ourpatient, and I desire to have you dress the Confederate commander'swound," said Captain Breaker.

  "With all my heart!" exclaimed the surgeon earnestly. "I will be withyou in a moment, as soon as I procure my material;" and he hurriedbelow.

  "You will find me with Captain Rombold," added the commander, as hehastened to the deck of the prize.

  "I am glad to see you again, Captain Breaker," said the Confederatechief very politely.

  "I have come to tender the services of our surgeon, who has disposedof all our seriously injured men, to dress your wound, in the firstinstance, for I fear you were more in need of such assistance than myofficer when you so magnanimously called Dr. Davidson to dress Mr.Passford's wound. He will be here in a few minutes," returned CaptainBreaker, proceeding to business at once.

  "I am exceedingly obliged to you, Captain, for I am beginning to feelthe necessity of attending to my wound. The thirty-pounder, which wasto have reduced the ranks of your crew by one-half, as I am assured itwould have done, made terrible havoc among my own men. In addition tothe dead who have already been committed to the deep, we have a greatnumber wounded," replied Captain Rombold. "The cockpit is full, and Ihave given up my cabin to the surgeon, who is extremely busy. I acceptthe services of Dr. Linscott very gratefully."

  "He is extremely happy to serve you."

  By this time the surgeon of the Bellevite appeared with one of hismates, and some pleasant words passed between him and his new patient.

  "Now, where is your wound, Captain Rombold?" asked Dr. Linscott.

  "In the right thigh," replied the patient; and the bullet hole in histrousers indicated the precise spot.

  "It will be necessary to remove your clothing, Captain," continued thesurgeon.

  "My cabin is already turned into a hospital, and Dr. Davidson is hardat work there," replied the patient. "I shall have to send for aberth-sack, and let you operate on deck, for"--

  "My cabin is entirely at your service, Captain Rombold," interposedthe commander of the Bellevite. "It will afford me the very greatestpleasure in the world to give it up to you."

  "Oh, no, Captain!" exclaimed the sufferer, as he really was by thistime. "That is too great a sacrifice."

  "Not at all; do me the very great favor to accept the use of my cabin,"persisted Captain Breaker. "How shall we move him, doctor?"

  "Call four of your men; we will carry him to your cabin in his chair,just as he sits; and we can do it without incommoding him at all,"answered Dr. Linscott, as he sent his mate to call the men required.

  "Really, Captain,"--the sufferer began, but rather faintly.

  "The surgeon thinks you had better not talk any more, Captain Rombold,"interposed the commander. "Here are the men, and we will handle you astenderly as an infant."

  "You are as kind as the mother of the infant," added the sufferer with aslight smile; but he made no further opposition.

  The four men lifted the chair, and the doctor instructed them how tocarry it. The Bellevite had been moved aft a little so as to bring thegangways of the two ships abreast of each other. The commander was sointerested and so full of sympathy for his injured enemy, now a friend,that he could not refrain from assisting with his own hands, and hedirected the operations of the seamen when they came to the steps. Theylifted the chair down to the deck of the ship, and then it was borne tothe captain's cabin.

  The wounded commander was placed in the broad berth of the cabin, andthe seamen sent on deck. Dr. Linscott, with the assistance of his mate,proceeded to remove the clothing of the patient, Captain Breaker aidingas he would hardly have thought of doing if the sufferer had been one ofhis own officers. The injury proved to be of about the same character asthat of Christy; it was a flesh wound, but the ball had ploughed deeperthan in his case, and was therefore severe. A stimulating remedy wasgiven to the patient, and the doctor dressed the wound with the utmostcare, as he always did, whether the patient was a commander or acoal-heaver from the bunkers.

  The sufferer had revived somewhat under the influence of the medicineadministered; and after taking the hand of Captain Rombold, with ahearty wish for his early recov
ery, the captain of the Bellevite tookhis leave, and went on deck.

  He proceeded first to the chair of the wounded lieutenant, reporting tohim the condition of the Confederate commander. Christy was extremelyglad to hear so favorable a report of the condition of the patient, andso expressed himself in the heartiest terms. "Federal" and "Confederate"seemed to be words without any meaning at the present time, for all hadbecome friends. The officers were vying with each other in renderingkindly offices to the vanquished, and even the seamen were doing whatthey could to fraternize with the crew of the Tallahatchie, while bothwere engaged in removing the evidences of the hard-fought action.

  It was now only nine o'clock in the morning, and six hours had elapsedsince the prize, with the West Wind in tow, had sailed from MobilePoint on what had proved to be her last voyage in the service of theConfederacy. Events had succeeded each other with great rapidity, as itmay require a whole volume to report in detail a naval battle begun andended in the short space of an hour.

  The men were piped to breakfast; and during the meal there was aninterchange of good feeling when it was found that the crew of theTallahatchie had only a short supply of coffee and bread, intending tosupply these articles at Nassau. The loyal tars were as magnanimous asthe officers of both ships had proved themselves to be; and they passedthe needed articles over the rails, till they exhausted their ownsupply, hungry as they were after six hours of active duty. Thecommander discovered what his men were doing; and he ordered the rationsto be doubled, besides sending a quantity of ship bread and coffee onboard of the prize. War had mantled his savage front, and Christianitywas presiding over the conduct of those who had so recently been themost determined enemies.

  There was something forward of the foremast to remind all who approachedof the battle which had been fought. It was a spare sail which coveredthe silent and motionless forms of those whose loyalty to their countryhad led them through the gates of death to "the undiscovered country,from whose bourn no traveller returns," but whose fadeless record isinscribed in the hearts of a grateful nation.

  During or after a severe action on board a ship of war, the dead areusually disposed of with but little or no ceremony, as the exigency ofthe hour may require, as had been done on board of the prize. ButCaptain Breaker was more considerate, as the conditions permitted him tobe; and the killed had been sewed up in hammocks, properly weighted.

  "All hands to bury the dead;" piped the boatswain of the Bellevite, whenbreakfast was finished.

  By this time the deck had been cleaned up, and dried off under the warmsun which had dissipated the fog and the morning mists. The bodies ofthe slain had been previously placed at the port gangway, covered withthe American flag. The seamen removed their caps, the commander read theservice, and the bodies were committed to the deep. The officers andseamen witnessed the ceremony with uncovered heads, and in reverentsilence.