by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXIII
ANOTHER NIGHT EXPEDITION
With the drum still beating on the shore, the Teaser rounded thenorthwestern point of the island, when the wheel was heaved over.Christy was entirely confident in regard to the navigation, for he hadsteered the Bellevite through the same channel when on an excursion ayear before. But he had daylight and sunshine at that time instead offog and gloom as on the present occasion.
"Buoy on the starboard, sir!" reported the leadsman on that side.
"Buoy on the port hand!" cried the man on the other side, a minutelater.
"We are all right," added the lieutenant. "We are between the middleground and the island. The buoy on the port is the southwest point ofthe island."
The Bellevite was not the only man-of-war that lay off Pensacola, forthe Brooklyn and other vessels were there to assist in the defence ofFort Pickens, which the enemy were determined to capture if possible.The government had done everything within its means to "hold the fort,"though an army of about ten thousand men had been gathered in thevicinity to reduce it. The dry-dock which had floated near Warrenton,and which the Confederates intended to sink in the channel, had beenburned, and a force of Unionists, including the Zouaves, called "The PetLambs," had been quartered on the island of Santa Rosa. It had lookedfor several days as though the enemy were preparing for a movement inretaliation for the destruction of the dry-dock, which was a badset-back for them.
The getting to sea of the Teaser had no connection with this movement,it appeared afterwards, and if Lieutenant Passford's enterprise had beencarried out only an hour or two later, he would have found the situationquite different. He had sent the most of Captain Folkner's force onboard ashore, and had it all his own way afterwards. He was sorry toleave these men, and the rest of the ship's company of the Teaser, toassist in fighting the battles of the Confederacy, and he was filledwith the hope that they might yet be captured.
As soon as the Teaser was well to the southward of the island, Christygave two short and a long blast on the steam whistle, which was thesignal he had agreed to make when he approached the Bellevite, thoughCaptain Breaker had laughed at him when he suggested that he mightreturn in the prize. The same signal was made in reply, and repeatedseveral times to aid him in finding the ship. The water wascomparatively smooth, and the prize came alongside the Bellevite,where it was made fast.
The lieutenant's first duty was to report to the captain of theBellevite, and taking Dave with him, he hastened on board. He foundCaptain Breaker on deck, for there was a feeling in the fleet and in thefort that some important event was about to transpire in the vicinity.
"I am glad to see you, Mr. Passford," said he; and possibly itoccurred to him that he had sent the young man on a difficult mission,practically within the enemy's lines. "You have brought the prize withyou, I see; and I was before informed of the fact that you had her bythe signal whistles."
"Yes, sir; the Teaser is alongside. She is not a vessel of theConfederate Navy, but was fitted out on private account. She is aprivateer," replied Christy.
"So much the better that you have captured her," added the captain."Did you have a severe fight, Mr. Passford?"
"We had no fight at all, sir. I was instructed to avoid a fight ifpossible, and I have done so. Not a blow has been struck or a shotfired, sir."
"I will hear your report in detail later, Mr. Passford, when the prizeis in a better situation than now. Have you any prisoners?" askedCaptain Breaker.
"Only the captain and the engineers, sir. This man with me is Dave,and he was a steward on board of the Teaser. He has given me valuableinformation, and I have not regarded him as a prisoner," replied thelieutenant.
"I understand," said the commander, with a smile, as he saw the yellowhue of the steward's face. "We will not regard him as a prisoner. Butyou may send the others on board."
Captain Folkner was in no better humor than before, and a berth in thesteerage was assigned to him. The other prisoners were sent on board,and Captain Breaker had ordered Christy to anchor the prize near theBellevite.
"I don't feel as though I had quite finished my work," said Christy,as he walked towards the gangway to obey the order.
"What more is there to do?" asked the commander.
"It would take me a little time to tell the story of my trip into thebay, sir, and I think you would not understand what more is to be doneuntil you have heard it," replied Christy.
"Then I will hear you before you anchor the Teaser," said the captain,leading the way to his cabin.
The lieutenant narrated the events of his trip across Santa Rosa Island.Captain Breaker was not a little amused at his scheme to get rid of theportion of the crew of the privateer before he captured her.
"I never suspected that you were the possessor of so much audacity,Christy," said he, when the lieutenant had put him in possession of allthe facts.
"I did not know that I had more than my fair share, sir, and I don'tknow what I have done that is at all audacious," replied Christy, verymeekly.
"It is a very dark and foggy night, but I don't believe that I haveanother officer who would have cheek enough to pretend to be a pilotin Pensacola Bay, and to be in possession of the guard-boat at the sametime."
"Captain Folkner put the idea into my head, and I think I should havebeen an idiot not to make use of it, considering the nature of mymission on board of the Teaser."
"It is a wonder that no one knew you were not Gilder."
"The men in the guard-boat did not expose me, and admitted by theirsilence that I was the person I claimed to be," replied Christy, witha twinkle of the eyes.
"Your scheme would have failed ninety-nine times out of a hundred."
"If it had failed, I had force enough to clean out the enemy on board,so that I ran no risk; but I was ordered to avoid a fight, and I didso," argued Christy.
"You were exceedingly fortunate; and the next time you try such a trick,it may lead you into a rebel prison."
"It was not my fault that the ship's company of the Teaser were at issueamong themselves, and I should have been an imbecile to fail to profitby it."
"I approve all you have done, Mr. Passford."
"Thank you, sir. Though I was of Captain Folkner's opinion that thesound was the best way out of the bay in the first place, I abandonedthat view before I started on the expedition. I was sorry that I couldnot indorse Captain Folkner's opinion, and that I was obliged to takesides with his men," said Christy, chuckling.
"I understand your position perfectly. Now, what do you mean byfinishing your work, Mr. Passford?" asked Captain Breaker, curiously."We have the Teaser, and we ought to be satisfied with your brilliantsuccess."
"I am not quite satisfied, sir."
"You ought to be."
"We put twelve men ashore at Town Point rather than have a fight withthem; and I have the feeling that we have a mortgage on those men,to say nothing of thirty more at Pensacola who were to join the Teaser.I told them they could get on board of their steamer from the island.I shall be sorry to disappoint them, for I suppose the whole forty ormore are counting on a handsome allowance of prize money to be made forthem by the Teaser. I should be sorry to disappoint them," continuedChristy, chuckling all the time.
"Precisely so! I suppose you would be greatly grieved to blast theirhopes, and you propose to take them on board of the steamer."
"That is the idea, sir. Taking a more patriotic view of the question,it would be a great pity to allow forty good sailors to waste theirenergies in the service of the Confederacy."
"Undoubtedly it would," said Captain Breaker, his brow knitting underhis earnest thought. "What do you propose to do? Explain your planfully, Mr. Passford."
"The principal of the malcontents on board of the Teaser was a man bythe name of Lonley," Christy explained. "We left them at the point wherethe rest of the Teaser's crew were to join them. They are all anxiousto get to sea in the Teaser, and I have no doubt they will come downto-night."
/> "I should think they would," the captain assented. "But they will expectto find the steamer in the sound, and not outside of the island. If theTeaser could get through the sound at all, she would not be where youintend to put her."
"I told Lonley to get upon the island, and be on the lookout for theTeaser; and as they have to come from Pensacola in a boat, it will be aseasy for them to go to the island as to land at the point. Very likelythey will get the Times to bring them off, or some other steamer,"Christy argued.
"It is certainly very desirable to capture these men, for it will do somuch to weaken the enemy; but I am afraid you are a little too audaciousin some of your movements, Mr. Passford," replied Captain Breaker, witha softening smile.
"I beg you will not consider that I am asking for the command of theTeaser, Captain Breaker, if she is sent upon this duty," returned thelieutenant, somewhat set back at the prudence of the commander.
"I think I had better send Mr. Blowitt in command of the Teaser, and youshall go as his first officer," added the captain.
"I have no objection, even in my heart, to this arrangement," repliedChristy.
"But I shall have to send the prize to New York, and I will appoint youprize-master," continued the captain, afraid that he was disappointingthe ambitious young officer. "You have done exceedingly well, Christy,and I shall not fail to mention you favorably in my report; and you willwrite out yours as soon as possible."
Christy would not allow himself to think that he was unappreciatedbecause an older officer was appointed to conduct the enterprise hesuggested. He was ready to do his whole duty either as principal orsubordinate. Mr. Blowitt was summoned from his stateroom, and fortymen, including all who had taken part in the capture of the prize,were detailed to man the Teaser. The second lieutenant was one of thejolliest men on board, but he weighed nearly two hundred pounds, and hewas not as active on this account in boat service as some others. He wasan excellent officer, and had been in command of a steamer, though hehad never before been in the navy.
At three o'clock in the morning the fasts of the Teaser were cast off,and she backed away from the Bellevite. She was to proceed to a pointabout six miles to the eastward, which was beyond the camp of the "PetLambs." Here she was to look out for the Teaser's crew.
She had not made half this distance when all hands heard rapid andcontinued firing on Santa Rosa Island.