by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XX.
THE PICKET BOAT.
Through the deep darkness and the dense fog the boat made its way. Therewas not an object to be seen, on ship or shore, to guide its course; andin front of Somers there was a patent binnacle, whose lights werereflected on the compass, but did not even soften the gloom without,into which he continued to gaze with the most anxious solicitude. He hadcarefully estimated the currents the whale-boat would encounter, andcalculated the force of the wind, so as to determine her lee-way withthe nicest practicable accuracy.
The young commander of the expedition hoped to strike a certain point ofthe land to the eastward of the fort on Mobile Point, distant five and ahalf miles from the ship. Half a mile east or west of the desired pointmight involve him in serious if not fatal difficulties, and everythingdepended upon the accuracy of his calculations. His early experience asa boatman at Pinchbrook Harbor was of incalculable service to him, sincenothing can supply the place of actual observation in the making ofsuch nice estimates as were required for success in the presentinstance.
The rain poured down in torrents, and the sea was rough and uneasy; butSomers, never for an instant turned aside from the grand object beforehim by the discomforts of his situation, watched his compass and closelyobserved every motion of the whale-boat. He was fired with zeal, but hewas not excited, for he knew how much depended upon cool judgment andcareful execution of the details of his work.
"Breakers ahead!" said the bowman, in a low tone; and the words werepassed aft to the officer.
Breakers were to be expected; and of course Somers was not appalled bythe announcement. The boat dashed on till she reached the broken water;but the surf on the shore, thrown up by the storm, was absolutelyfearful. A stunning roar broke upon the ears of the young officer as thefrail craft approached the foaming billows that shattered themselves onthe beach.
"That's a heavy surf, Mr. Somers," said Tom Longstone.
"So much the better," replied the officer, cheerfully.
"This whale-boat will not be much better than a cockle-shell in thatsurf."
"She will go through it, if she is well handled."
"Ay, ay, sir; of course she will."
"The rebels will not expect a boat to land in such a surf and on such anight. We shall not be expected," replied Somers, in a loud tone, forwhispers and soft speech could not be heard above the roar of thebillows.
The commander of the expedition stood up in the stern-sheets, andattempted to penetrate the gloom and fog in the direction of the beach;but neither sight nor sound of the shore could be obtained. To plungethrough that boiling surf upon a rebel battery or an artillery company,would be a sad conclusion of the night's work; but even this must berisked, for it was not possible to obtain a single item of informationin regard to the surroundings on shore.
"Oars!" shouted Somers, when he had completed his unsatisfactory surveyshoreward, and there was not the slightest danger of his order beingheard by an enemy beyond the thundering roll of the sea. "Hold water!"
The onward progress of the boat was stopped.
"Back the starboard, pull the port oars!" added the officer, who had nowtaken the management of the boat out of the hands of the coxswain."Oars!" he continued, when the boat was turned so as to head directlyfrom the shore.
"Now, my lads, pull steady, and mind the orders promptly," said theconfident young officer. "There's a heavy surf; but if you pull strong,and mind quick, we shall be through it in a moment."
"Ay, ay, sir!" responded the blue-jackets.
"Stern, all!" continued Somers, when he had carefully observed the sweepof the last wave.
The oarsmen backed water, and the boat moved towards the shore, sternforemost. In a moment she was lifted up by a great billow and sweptfuriously towards the beach.
"Steady!" said Somers, gazing forward over the heads of the men,watching the approach of the next foam-crested wave.
The men were entirely cool, and their iron muscles held the boat underperfect control. A huge roller was coming in, fiercely, rapidly, atdouble or triple the speed of the whale-boat, and the first great perilof the surf was at hand.
The danger was, as our inexperienced readers may not understand, thatthe stern of the boat, suddenly struck by the swift-flying wave, wouldbe lifted high in air, and the bow forced under; or that the boat wouldbroach to, and be rolled over in the sea. In either case the boat wouldbe swamped, and eventually be stove on the beach. Somers saw one ofthese rushing billows coming down with frightful velocity upon thewhale-boat.
"Oars!" cried he; and the men ceased backing her.
"Give way!" he added, with an energy which was at once communicated tothe muscles of the men; and they pulled steadily, as a well-disciplinedcrew always does, but with a firmness and strength which caused the boatto dart forward towards the savage roller.
She met the billow; her bow rose upon it; she passed over without beingingulfed by it.
"Oars! Hold water! Stern, all!" continued the young officer; and againthe whale-boat moved towards the shore.
The manoeuvre described was repeated several times, until the boat hadpassed through the surf, and struck heavily on the sandy beach. The menin the bow were then ordered to jump into the water; and as the forwardpart was thus lightened, the successive rollers bore the boat fartherand farther upon the beach, until the whole crew were landed. The firststep of the expedition had been safely accomplished.
Somers ordered the men to haul up the boat high and dry upon the beach.There was not a person to be seen, or a sound to be heard, whichindicated the presence of an enemy. The young officer had now to provethe correctness of his calculations, for as yet he knew not upon whatportion of the point he had landed. A careful survey of the ground wastherefore immediately to be made. It was necessary to have assistance inthis; and Somers selected two first-class firemen, very intelligent men,machinists and engineers, who were in training for situations ingovernment ships. They had been brought to work the engine of the BenLomond, if, fortunately, she were captured.
Tom Longstone was left in charge of the boat and crew, and the twofiremen followed the commander of the expedition, who moved towards thenorth. When he had proceeded a short distance, he explained to hiscompanions his object.
"About an eighth of a mile from the beach," said he, "there is a creek,which widens into a little bay. I wish to find this creek; it will leadus into Mobile Bay. Conant, you will go east, and, Wade, you will gowest. You must be very careful, or you will lose your way. You will notgo more than half a mile, as nearly as you can judge, in eitherdirection. If you find it, return to the beach, and take notice of thebest way to reach it."
The firemen parted, and Somers moved forward himself. He did not findthe creek in the direction he had chosen, and returned to the beach,after a search of about an hour. Wade was there before him; but Conanthad not yet made his appearance, though he did not long delay theexpedition.
"I have found it, sir," said Conant, when he returned. "It lies in thisdirection:" he pointed to the north-east. "It isn't a quarter of a miledistant; but I had some difficulty in finding a good path."
"Did you see anybody, or anything?"
"Nothing, sir."
The whale-boat was then turned over; each man took off his pea-jacket,rolled it up, and put it on his shoulder. The boat was then lifted up,and placed on the shoulders of the sailors, the garment acting as acushion to support the weight, without injury to the bearers. After agreat many trials and difficulties incident to the darkness of the nightand the character of the ground, the creek was reached, and thewhale-boat launched. Unfortunately, the water was very shallow, and eventhe light draught of the boat was too great for rapid progress, thoughby various expedients this obstacle was overcome, and the expeditionreached the mouth of the creek at about half past twelve o'clock in themorning.
Somers was entirely dependent upon his memory and the compass forsailing directions; and the careful study he had made of the navigationof the bay enab
led him to move with considerable confidence. The creekdisembogued in a nearly landlocked bay, whose comparatively still waterswere passed, and the boat began to be tossed by the waves of the broadbay.
Heading his craft to the westward, he bade the men give way with a will.Encouraged by the manner in which all obstacles had thus far beenovercome, they were ready and willing subjects. After pulling aboutthree miles, the rougher sea and the depth of water which the bowman hadcontinually reported, assured Somers that he must have reached theMiddle Ground, where vessels bound out usually came to anchor whensubjected to any delay. The Ben Lomond, if she was in the bay, could notbe far distant; but the fog and darkness prevented him from seeing aship's length ahead.
"Can you see anything, Mr. Longstone?" asked the young commander, whofelt that he was now in the midst of the greatest obstacles to thesuccess of his mission.
"I can't see anything," replied the boatswain; "but I think I hearsomething. There, sir! Two bells just struck in a vessel dead ahead."
"I see her," said the bowman. "It's a rebel iron-clad!"
"She's an ugly customer. I don't want anything of her," said Somers, ashe ordered the boat to go about, and headed her to the north-east.
"Boat ahead, sir!" reported the bowman.
"Speak out, man!" said the commander. "I am not afraid of being seennow. Where away is she?"
"On the port quarter, sir."
"Starboard, coxswain," continued Somers.
In a few moments the dark outline of the boat was seen in the water, andthe coxswain was directed to steer towards her. Somers was fullycommitted now, and intended to carry himself through by impudence andaudacity. He was in the midst of the rebel fleet to be used for thedefence of the bay. He knew that the waters around him were patrolledby picket boats, and he doubted not the craft before him was one ofthem. He could not find the Ben Lomond readily, and probably the officerof this boat would know her position.
"Boat ahoy!" he shouted.
"In the boat!" was the reply.
"Oars! Hold water!"
"What boat is that?" demanded the officer of the rebel party.
"My boat," replied Somers, rather irregularly.
"Who are you?"
"John Pillgrim, commander in the Confederate navy, appointed to thesteamer Tallapoosa."
"Ah," responded the officer. "You were expected before."
"Couldn't come before," replied Somers, with perfect assurance. "Whereis the Tallapoosa? I have been beating about here in the fog these twohours, trying to find her."
"She lies about half a mile to the northward and eastward."
"Thank you; I shall find her. Please report me to Admiral Buchanan, andsay I shall run out immediately."
"It's a good night for it. I beg your pardon, Captain Pillgrim; have youa pass?"
"A what?" demanded Somers, as if astonished at the request.
"A pass."
"No; where should I get a pass, or what should I want one for?"
"Excuse me, but my orders are very strict. I cannot let a boat or vesselpass me without the proper papers."
"What papers do you want?"
"Simply a pass."
"I have no pass."
"I shall be obliged to detain you, then."
"No, you won't!" answered Somers, indignantly. "Here it is one o'clockin the morning. I ought to have been over the bar by this time."
"I can't help it, Captain Pillgrim; my orders are imperative," pleadedthe picket officer.
"Well, if you can't help it, I can. I may not have such another night asthis for a month."
"I shall not detain you half an hour. The Tallapoosa has steam up, andis only waiting for her commander and the balance of her crew."
"How many men has she on board?" asked Somers, somewhat startled.
"About forty, besides the firemen."
"I have the balance. It is all right."
"Pardon me, if I persist. I must see your papers."
"I have no pass; but I will show you my commission and my orders fromthe secretary of the navy."
"Those will answer."
The boat was laid alongside, and by the light of a lantern the officerglanced at Somers's commission and orders. He pronounced them all right,and the expedition was permitted to proceed.