by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XX
COMING TO THE POINT
Captain Folkner of the Teaser was evidently somewhat timid, and he hadheard of the arrival of the Bellevite. Just now the large ships-of-warwhich had been there were absent on their duty, though they wereexpected to return at any time. There was liable to be someunpleasantness at any time between Fort Pickens and Fort Barrancas;but everything was quiet just now.
Flint had come on board of the Teaser with Christy, but none of theboat's crew had attended them. The situation was very novel to thelieutenant, and he did not feel competent to arbitrate between thecontending parties. Besides, he was not willing to believe that he couldbe entirely impartial, for he had a personal and patriotic interest inthe issue of the quarrel.
The seamen, under the leadership of Lonley, who appeared to be anofficer, were the more powerful party, and the more to be dreaded. Hewas disposed to decide against them, if he could get them out of the wayby doing so. They were willing to leave the matter to him, and he beganat last to see his way through it.
"The captain of a ship is the authority to be respected, Lonley," saidhe, when he had made up his mind what to do.
"We might as well bury ourselves in the sands as try to go throughthere," replied the leader of the mutiny, who seemed to be a veryintelligent man, and Christy concluded from his language and mannerthat he was not a common sailor.
"That may be; but the captain is supreme on the deck of his own ship,"argued Christy.
"We are not on the high seas, and the Teaser has not yet gone intocommission. It was only this afternoon in Pensacola that Captain Folknertold his ship's company that he was going to burrow through the sand inSanta Rosa Sound. We all said we would not go with him; but a dozen ofus came down with him when he told us that he had a way to float thesteamer through, and he was sure it would work. We did not understandthat we were to become mud-diggers. When we got here, we were satisfiedthat his plan amounted to nothing, and would not work."
"I am satisfied that it will work," interposed Captain Folkner.
"The agreement in the articles was to run the blockade. If we gotthrough the sound, it would take a week of constant drudgery, whichwe did not ship to do."
"Are you ready to do duty on board of the Teaser when she is in deepwater, Lonley?" asked Christy.
"Every one of us; and every one of the party on shore!" protested theleader.
"Will that satisfy you, Captain Folkner?" continued Christy, appealingto him.
"It would if I had the steamer in deep water," replied the captain. "Buthow am I to get her into deep water if my crew will not work?"
"Run the blockade, according to the articles!" exclaimed Lonley.
"When are the rest of the ship's company to join you?" asked Christy ofthe leader of the mutineers.
"They are coming down in boats at midnight or later; and we shall jointhem then and wait till the ship is ready to take us on board. They willcome across from Pensacola to Navy Cove, and then walk till they come tothe Teaser."
"All right," said the lieutenant. "I will land you at Navy Cove, and youcan wait there till the rest of the crew come."
"I am perfectly satisfied with that arrangement," replied Lonley.
"But I am not," interposed the captain, angrily. "What can I do withoutany crew to help get the steamer through the sound?"
"I have men enough to take care of you and the Teaser, Captain Folkner;and the men in the boat will do everything that is required to be doneon board of the Teaser."
"That's another thing," replied the captain, appeased by the impliedpromise.
"I can hardly blame your men because they are not willing to go throughthe sound with a steamer drawing ten feet of water when there is notmore than six feet of water to float her," said Christy. "Besides, ifyou do not get to the other end of the sound before morning, you willbe seen by some of the blockaders, and they could blow this steamer topieces, and kill half your people in a few minutes."
"It may be dangerous, but so is running the blockade," added thecaptain.
"Going out in a dark night and spending a week in sight of theblockaders are two different things. But we need not discuss the matterany more. I will put your men on the point yonder, and then I willreturn and help you out of your present difficulty. Am I to take off themen in the engine department?" asked Christy, as he went to the sidewhere the boat was.
"No; the engineers and firemen are all right, for they were not calledupon to do any work out of the vessel."
Christy and Flint stepped into the boat, and the crew followed them.There were twelve of them, and the lieutenant thought they were all goodseamen. He did not like to have them reserved for use in the ConfederateNavy; but he could not help himself then, and he soon landed the partyon the point. The situation had been explained to the crew of the boat,and they had avoided saying anything to commit themselves.
Though it involved a risk to do it, Christy had dressed in an ordinarysuit of clothes for the occasion, and the party wore nothing by whichthey could be identified as sailors of the navy. As soon as the boat hadlanded its passengers, it returned to the Teaser at the best speed thecrew could produce.
"I had no idea that you had a plan like this in your head, Mr.Passford," said Flint, as soon as the boat was clear of Town Point.
"I did not know it myself, Flint. It has all grown out of thecircumstances as we found them," replied Christy. "But I did intend, ifI found the Teaser without a fighting crew on board of her, to captureher if the situation warranted such a step."
"But you came prepared for just this thing," suggested Flint.
"I came prepared for anything. I hoped we might be able to capture theTeaser, but I did not expect it."
"I suppose you expect to do it now."
"Yes, I do; and I ought to be broken if I don't do it. I am sorry to letall those men enter the rebel navy; and that is all that vexes me at thepresent moment."
"Perhaps they can be picked up to-morrow, or later to-night," suggestedFlint. "From what I heard, I think she was to have a fighting crew ofabout forty men. Of course they will try to join the steamer to-nightor to-morrow; and why not let them do it?" chuckled Flint.
"We will attend to this affair first, but I like the idea."
They reached the Teaser in due time, and all hands went on board of her.Captain Folkner, with a couple of men he had contrived to retain, withtwo firemen, was at work on his apparatus to float a vessel drawing tenfeet in six feet of water or less. Alongside he had a hundred or more ofempty barrels which he was sinking under the sides by hauling them downwith a line under the bottom of the vessel. He did the work partly withhis windlass worked by steam, and he had lifted the bow of the Teaser atleast three feet out of water.
Captain Folkner expatiated with enthusiasm on his plan, and explainedthe details to the lieutenant. Christy saw that he had considerablemechanical genius, but he certainly lacked a balance-wheel. The officerhad set him down as a timid man, but this conversation assured him thatthe captain was a brave man. He was carried away with his idea, thoughit was plain that he had not examined the question in all its bearings.
"When I have lifted the steamer four feet, she can go through the sound,for I have taken a boat through that drew six feet. With your men tohelp me, I shall get the casks down by midnight, and then all we haveto do is to go ahead," continued the enthusiast.
"Precisely so; and the Teaser is a screw steamer," added Christy.
"Of course she is; you have known her for two months, Gilder."
"When she has been lifted up four feet, she is to go ahead," repeatedChristy, in the tone of a musing man.
"That is what I said; she is to go ahead."
"But what is to drive her ahead? Is she expected to go of herself?"
"Go of herself? Of course not. She is to be driven ahead by her engineas she always is," replied Captain Folkner, suspending the work uponwhich he was engaged, and trying to see the face of the pilot throughthe darkness. "How do steamers gene
rally go ahead?"
"If they are screw steamers, they are propelled by the pressure of theblades of the screw," answered Christy.
"And that is just the way the Teaser will be propelled through thesound," replied Captain Folkner. "This steamer is to be a privateer, andI own her. She has cost me about all the money I have in the world, andI don't want to lose her before I get to sea. If I can get into bluewater with her, I am not at all concerned but that she will run awayfrom anything afloat."
"How many knots can she do in a smooth sea?"
"Eighteen, and perhaps more."
"Then she is not fast enough for that blockader outside. I saw herat Mobile when she was a big steam-yacht, and they said she had donetwenty-two knots more than once."
"I don't believe a word of it; and I am willing to take my chances torun away from her in the Teaser, if I can get out."
"If she is good for eighteen knots, it will not take her more than abouttwo hours to run through the sound," added Christy, very much amused atthe talk of the captain and owner.
"I don't expect her to go at full speed in that shallow water," said theenthusiast.
"Do you expect her to go at all when she is hoisted four feet out ofwater?" asked Christy, hardly able to keep from laughing.
Captain Folkner was silent for a moment, during which Christy thoughthe must have obtained a new idea, for it looked as though he had notthought of the working of the screw after all his flotation schemes hadbeen successful.
"I reckon the propeller will have hold enough on the water to make hergo right along, Gilder. I don't reckon you need make any trouble aboutthat," added the man of mechanical ability, rather sheepishly.
Christy had brought his boat's crew on deck, and directed Flint how topost them. He thought he had paid proper respect to the talent of theenthusiast in listening to his theory, and that it was about time tobring the adventure to an issue.
"I shall not make any trouble about the screw, Captain Folkner, for Idon't think we shall have any difficulty about it. But I believe we hadbetter not hoist it any higher out of water," added Christy. "I meanthat I think we had better go out of the bay by the main channel."
"He placed one of his men on each side of the Captain."--Page 233.]
"That means to run the blockade?" said the captain.
"That's the idea."
"Gilder, I want you to understand that I command this steamer,"continued Captain Folkner, angrily.
"Right, with a little correction: You did command her, and I command hernow," replied Christy, as he placed one of his men on each side of thecaptain.