by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXV
THE PRINCIPAL OFFICERS OF THE ST. REGIS
Christy Passford was astounded and confounded when he read thecommission. He modestly believed that he had already been promotedbeyond his deserving, though no one else, not even his father, thoughtso. He had not sought promotion at any time, and he had been hurriedthrough four grades in something over three years. He was the heir ofmillions, and he had given all his pay to wounded sailors and thefamilies of those who had fallen in naval actions.
His share of the prize money resulting from the captures in which he hadtaken part as commander or in some subordinate position had made him arich man; and with his mother's assistance, he was disbursing no smallportion of his wealth among those who had been deprived of their supportby the casualties of the war. He had not expected or even hoped for anyfurther promotion, though the newspaper had extolled to the skies hisbrilliant exploit in the Gulf.
"What does this mean, father?" asked Christy, dropping into a chair asif overwhelmed by the contents of the envelope.
"It means just what it says, my son," replied Captain Passford. "ButI know that it is necessary now for me to explain that this promotionis none of my doing; for I have not asked it, I have not urged it,I have not made the remotest suggestion that you should be made alieutenant-commander, as I have not done on any former occasion."
"That is enough, father; your plea of not guilty would have been enoughto satisfy me," added Christy.
"I prevented your appointment to the command of the Chateaugay, andprocured your position as second lieutenant of the Bellevite; and thesetwo instances are absolutely all the requests I have ever made to thedepartment in relation to you," protested the captain.
"That helps the matter very much," answered Christy. "I have been thevictim of supposed partiality, 'a friend at court' and all that sort ofthing, till I am disgusted with it."
"And all that has been in consequence of your over-sensitiveness ratherthan anything that ever was said about you."
"Perhaps it was. But as a lieutenant-commander I might still remain asexecutive officer of the Bellevite, for Captain Breaker has been acommander for over two years," suggested Christy.
"The department has made another disposition of you, and without anyhint or suggestion from me, my son," said Captain Passford, as he tookanother envelope from his pocket, and presented it to his son. "Thiscame to me by this morning's mail; and I have withheld the commissiontill I received it."
"And what may this be, father?" asked Christy, looking from the missiveto the captain's face, which was glowing with smiles, for he was asproud of his only son as he ought to have been.
"Christy, you remind me of some old ladies I have met, who, when theyreceive a letter, wonder for five or ten minutes whom it is from beforethey break the envelope, when a sight of the contents would inform theminstantly," added the captain, laughing.
"But I am afraid the contents of this envelope will be like theexplosion of a mine to me, and therefore I am not just like the oldladies you have met," returned the lieutenant-commander. "One mine a daylet off in my face is about all I can stand."
"Open the envelope!" urged his father rather impatiently.
"It never rains but it pours!" exclaimed Christy, when he had lookedover the paper it enclosed. "I am appointed to the command of the St.Regis! I think some one who gives names to our new vessels must havespent a summer with Paul Smith at his hotel by the river and lake ofthat name; and the same man probably selected the name of Chateaugay.I suppose it is some little snapping gunboat like the Bronx; but I don'tobject to her on that account."
"She is nothing like the Bronx, for she is more than twice as large; andyou have already seen some service on her deck."
"Some steamer that has had her name changed. But I have served regularlyonly on board of the Bellevite and the Bronx, and it cannot be either ofthem," said Christy, with a puzzled expression.
"She is neither the one nor the other. She has had three names: thefirst was the Trafalgar, the second the Tallahatchie, and the third theSt. Regis," continued the captain.
"Is it possible!" exclaimed Christy, relapsing into silentthoughtfulness, for he could hardly believe the paper from which he hadread his appointment; and officers far his senior in years would haverejoiced to receive the command of such a ship.
"Not only possible, but an accomplished fact; and the only sad thingabout it is that you must sail in the St. Regis day after to-morrow."
"I am informed that my orders will come by to-morrow," added thelieutenant-commander.
"The ship is all ready for sea. An eight-inch Parrot has beensubstituted for the Armstrong gun, the same as the midship gun of theBellevite," the captain explained. "Perhaps you would like to knowsomething about your fellow-officers, Christy."
"I certainly should, father, for whatever success I may have will dependlargely upon them," replied the embryo commander of the St. Regis.
"Your executive officer will be Lieutenant George Baskirk," continuedCaptain Passford, reading from a paper he took from his pocket.
"Good! He was the second lieutenant of the Bronx when I was in commandof her; and a better or braver officer never planked a deck."
"He was available, and I suggested him. Your second lieutenant is JoelMakepeace, just promoted from the rank of master. He is fifty-two yearsold, but as active as ever he was. He is a regular old sea dog, andcommanded an Indiaman for me fifteen years ago; but you never met him.He has made a good record in the war, and I feel sure that you will likehim."
"I have no doubt I shall, father; and I like the idea of having anofficer who is old enough to be my father, and who has had a great dealof experience at sea," replied Christy.
"He was an able seaman and petty officer in the navy for three yearswhen he was a young man, and has served as a master from the beginningof the war," continued Captain Passford.
"Probably he does not like the idea of being under the command of onewho has not yet reached his majority in years," suggested the commanderof the St. Regis.
"On the contrary, he seemed to be delighted with his appointment. Yourthird lieutenant is Ensign Palmer Drake who brought home your prize."
"He is a good man and a good officer, and I am entirely satisfied withhim."
"Ensign Barton French is to serve as master on board of your ship. Somedoubts were expressed in regard to his knowledge of navigation, and hepassed a very creditable examination."
"I am very glad indeed that he has obtained his promotion, and that heis to sail with me," added Christy, who had taken quite an interest inhim as an able seaman, and had procured his appointment as prize-masterof the West Wind.
"Dr. Connolly, who was with you in the Bronx, is your surgeon. Thechief engineer of the St. Regis is one Paul Vapoor," continued CaptainPassford, with a very obvious twinkle of the eyes.
"Paul Vapoor!" exclaimed Christy, leaping out of the chair in which hehad just settled himself after the excitement of his father's firstannouncement had partly subsided.
"Paul Vapoor," repeated the captain.
"It can hardly be possible," persisted Christy.
"What is the matter? Has Captain Breaker fallen out with him?"
"Not at all; the commander of the Bellevite thinks as much of him asever he did, and even a great deal more."
"Then how under the canopy does Paul happen to be appointed to the St.Regis?" demanded Christy.
Captain Passford took from his pocket a letter he had received fromCaptain Breaker, and proceeded to read portions of it, as follows:"If Christy is not promoted and given an adequate independent command,I shall be disappointed; and given such whether he consents or not. Hehas never been wanting in anything; and though I say it to his father,there is not a more deserving officer in the service, not even onewho is ten years older. I have expressed myself fully in my report.I believe his gallant exploit in the late action with the Tallahatchiesaved the lives of at least one-fourth of my ship's company; and itthinned out the ran
ks of the enemy in about the same proportion. CaptainRombold insists that he should have captured the Bellevite if the tidehad not been thus turned against him; but I do not admit this,of course.
"I still set the highest value upon the services of Chief Engineer PaulVapoor, and I should regret exceedingly to lose him. But Christy andPaul have been the most intimate friends from their school days; and ifyour son is appointed to an independent command, as I believe he oughtto be, it would do something towards reconciling him to his appointmentif his crony were in the same ship with him. For this reason, and thisalone, I am willing to sacrifice my own wishes to the good of theservice. I have talked with Paul about the matter, and he would bedelighted to be the companion of Christy, even in a small steamer."
"Captain Breaker is very kind and very considerate, as he always was;and I shall certainly feel more at home on board of the St. Regis withPaul Vapoor as her chief engineer," replied Christy; and the effectseemed to be what the commander of the Bellevite anticipated. "Go onwith the list, father."
"Paul's first assistant engineer will be Charles Graines," continuedCaptain Passford.
"That is very good; but Charley is a sailor as well as a machinist,and I may borrow him of Paul on some special occasions, for he has whatCaptain Breaker calls ingenuity, as well as bravery and skill."
"The second assistant is Amos Bolter, a brother of Leon, who has beenfirst assistant of the Bellevite from the beginning of the war, and whohas been promoted to chief at the suggestion of the commander in theletter from which I have just read. The third assistant is JohnMcLaughlin, whom Paul knows if you do not. These are your principalofficers; and we had better go and see your mother and Florry now."
"I have good news for you and your family, Captain Passford, for I aminformed that I have been exchanged, and need trespass no longer uponyour generous and kindly hospitality," said the commander.
"That is no news to me, Captain Rombold, for I had the pleasure ofsuggesting the officers for whom you and the doctor might be exchanged,"replied the host with a pleasant laugh. "But I assure you in allsincerity that you have both of you been the farthest possible fromtrespassers."
"I do not feel that I have yet half reciprocated the kindness youextended to my son," added Mrs. Passford.
"I wish I could do ten times as much for you as I have been able to do,"said Florry.
"Though wounded I have passed four of the pleasantest weeks of my lifehere; and I shall never forget your kindness to me," said the commander,grasping the hand of his host; and his example was followed by thesurgeon.
"We have been made happier by your presence with us than we could havemade you, gentlemen," added Mrs. Passford.
Not a word about politics or the cause of the war had been spoken.