by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XIX
SOME TROUBLE ON BOARD THE TEASER
It was not a difficult thing for so many men to carry the whaleboatacross the island, and they were disposed to make merry over the noveltyof the task; but they had been instructed not to speak a loud word afterthe party left the south side of the island. The noise to which Christyand Flint had listened indicated that something was going on, thoughthey could not decide what it was. In the stillness of the night, andin the absence of any roar of breakers, sounds could be heard a longdistance, though whether they came one mile or two, they could notdetermine.
"Get out those cloths, Beeks," said Christy, as soon as the boat hadbeen put into the water. "Every oar must be very carefully muffled, andyou will see that it is properly done."
"I will have it done in a few minutes, sir," replied the actingcoxswain.
"As I said before, we are in no hurry, and you may take your time to doit properly," added the lieutenant.
"Those sounds are still to be heard," said Flint, who had been a shortdistance from the boat to listen for them.
"I hear them," replied Christy, walking away from the boat to continuethe investigation while they were waiting. "Some kind of a job is inprogress at no great distance from us. From how far off do you calculatethat those sounds come?"
"I think they must come a mile; and I don't believe I can guess anynearer to it than that, though it is possible they come two miles.I know little or nothing of the region about here. Suppose we should goa mile north-northeast from this spot, what should we find there, Mr.Passford?" asked Flint, apparently greatly interested in the question.
"It would be a point on Pensacola Bay, about half-way between thisisland, where we stand, and Town Point," replied Christy. "I should sayit would be in the channel leading into Santa Rosa Sound."
"Precisely so!" exclaimed Flint, in an energetic whisper. "That's theway they are going to take the Teaser out, and they are doing somethingover there to prepare her for the trip in shallow water."
The master's mate was not aware that Christy had suggested to thecaptain this way of escape for the Teaser, and he had abandoned the ideahimself. Flint had reached his conclusion from his own premises. Theydiscussed the matter for some time, though it was impossible to arriveat any conclusion for the want of data on which to base their reasoning.
"All ready, sir," reported Beeks, coming up to them at this moment.
"How far is the entrance to the sound from Fort Pickens, Mr. Passford?"asked Flint.
"About four miles."
"Then why should they choose such a night as this for their work?"
"The Bellevite, floating in four fathoms of water on the other side ofthe island, could shell them out if they were seen, as they certainlywould be from Fort Pickens," replied Christy.
"That makes it plain enough," added Flint, as they walked towards theboat.
"But I am not quite willing to believe yet that the Teaser will go outthrough the sound. If she could get through at all, it would only beafter getting aground no end of times, and if to-morrow should be aclear day, she could be seen anywhere on her course," persisted Christy."She cannot expect to make eight or ten knots an hour in that shallowwater."
The lieutenant ordered the men into the boat, after she was shoved offthe beach. They worked with such care that not a sound came from her.The oars were shipped, and the sailors began to row. As instructed, theypulled very slowly, though such work could not be done in perfectsilence.
"Look out for that binnacle, Beeks," said Christy. "The light from itmay betray us."
"You have not given me the course, sir," replied the coxswain, as heobeyed the order.
"North-northeast," added Christy, as he settled back in the sternsheets.
No one was allowed to speak in the boat, and the lieutenant set theexample of silence. But he kept his ears wide open, though the littlenoise made by the oars and the rippling of the water prevented him fromhearing anything at first. It was so dark that one could hardly seeanother in the boat. It was in vain that Christy watched in the gloomfor the glow of a light; for all was nearly total darkness in everydirection.
In about half an hour they began to hear the sounds which had attractedtheir attention on the island, and they proceeded from directly ahead,indicating that the operations, whatever they were, came from theentrance to the sound. The workmen were not likely to hear the approachof the boat while they were making so much noise themselves. In additionto the sounds they had heard before, they recognized the noise ofescaping steam.
This last discovery made it certain that a steamer was there, though thelisteners could not know whether it was the Teaser or not. Both of theofficers of the expedition, in the uselessness of their eyes, made thebest use they could of their ears. Christy listened to ascertain ifthere was more than one steamer present. In a whisper he asked Flint toconsider this question. There was no doubling of the sounds to indicatemore than one steamer.
For ten minutes more Christy listened and was silent; but he was doingsome very heavy thinking, for by this time the boat was very near thescene of operations, if it could be a scene in that dense darkness.Every sound, even to the speech of the men, could be distinctly heard.Still nothing could be seen, and Christy knew that there was a point ofnearness where something could be discerned even in any gloom of night.He permitted the boat to continue on its course, till he could verydimly make out an object ahead.
"Way enough," he whispered to Beeks.
The coxswain raised both hands, and made a gesture with them, whichwas the signal for the men to cease rowing. The sounds were now moretangible. Occasionally there were a few raps with a hammer, but the mostof them were the orders of the person in charge.
"I don't believe there are more than a dozen men there," whisperedFlint.
"More than that, I should say; but even if there are two dozen, it isall the same. Take off the mufflers from the oars, Beeks," continuedChristy. "Then give way with a will, and run for whatever may come insight."
Beeks obeyed the order, and in a couple of minutes the boat was drivinginto the gloom at her ordinary speed. Something came into view a momentlater, and it was a small steamer.
"Boat, ahoy!" shouted some one from the steamer.
"On board of the steamer!" replied Christy.
"Are you the pilot?" demanded the speaker from the vessel.
"Ay, ay, sir," responded the lieutenant.
"I shall not want you now," continued the man on the steamer.
"How is that?" demanded Christy, as though this was an entirelyunexpected reply.
"I have concluded to make my way out through the sound, Gilder."
"Then my name is Gilder," added Christy, in a low tone.
"I have a plan of my own, and I reckon I shall make it go," proceededthe captain of the steamer. "The Teaser don't draw much water, and Iknow how to help her over the shoal places."
"When do you expect to get through the sound?" asked Christy.
"I don't know when; but I shall get through."
"But you will find a blockader at the east end of the island; and thenyou will be as badly off as you are now," argued Christy.
"I don't believe there is any blockader there. Who are all those men inthe boat with you, Gilder?"
"They belong to the water guard," replied Christy, at a venture, and hethought that would describe them as well as any terms at his command."They expected you to go out by the main channel to-night."
"No lie in that," chuckled Flint.
"I wish they would come on board of the Teaser and help me out, for mymen won't work."
"How many men have you?" asked the lieutenant.
"Just fifteen; the rest of my crew were to come on board at midnight,half an hour before high tide. But the men I have with me won't work,and I shall not be ready for them, I am afraid."
"What is the reason they won't work?"
"They say they shipped to fight the Yankees, and they are not going todo such work as ligh
ting up the steamer."
"Perhaps we can bring them to their senses," said Christy, as he orderedBeeks to give way again.
A few strokes of the oars enabled the officers in the stern sheets toobtain a full view of the Teaser, and she looked like a trim littlesteamer of about two hundred tons. She was rather long, and she had avery sharp bow. The reports gave her the reputation of being a very fastsailer.
"Let every man have his arms in order," said Christy impressively, in alow tone. "Give way with a will, and when you unship your oars have yourweapons ready, though I hardly think you will have to use them atpresent."
As the boat dashed towards the little steamer, the sounds of analtercation came over the water. The angry voice of the captain, ifthe late speaker was the captain, and several others were heard in adispute; and as the boat came alongside the report of a pistol indicatedthat the belligerents were in earnest.
Christy sprang upon the deck of the Teaser, with his revolver in hishand. Half a dozen men stood in a group by the side of the engine-room,confronting the man who had done the talking with the boat, as Christyknew by the sound of his voice.
"We are not held by any papers we signed!" protested one of the menforward. "We are willing to do our duty, Captain Folkner, but we did notship to burrow through the sand, and run the risk of being captured bythe Yankees. We shipped to run the blockade, and that risk is in thepapers."
"I shall take my vessel out as I think best, Lonley; and my men are notto dictate to me what I am to do," replied Captain Folkner angrily.
"I am willing to leave it to Captain Gilder. You know as well as I dothat the rest of the ship's company would not come on board till theTeaser was outside of Santa Rosa Island. We appeal to you, CaptainGilder," said Lonley.
"Why do you object to going out through Santa Rosa Sound?" askedChristy, willing to do the fair thing, since the mutineers had appealedto him.
"The Teaser draws ten feet of water with her coal in, and she cannot getthrough the sound in a week, if ever."
"Are you willing to go to sea by running the blockade, Lonley?"
"Perfectly willing; and so are the whole ship's company."
"But I won't take the risk of running the blockade. They put a faststeamer on there to-day, and it is useless," replied Captain Folkner.
The situation was certainly interesting to Christy and his companions.