by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXIX.
A LONG CHASE.
Somers was somewhat bewildered by the events which had transpired duringhis brief stay at Halifax. It was almost incredible that Pillgrim hadagain escaped; but the traitor had powerful friends--men who appeared tobe loyal while they were in full sympathy with the leaders of therebellion. The three "Bens," the last of which was now fleeing beforehim, were certainly an interesting family. Pillgrim, while abroad, andoperating for the Southern Confederacy, had apparently purchased a wholeline of Clyde-built steamers. Two of them were now in good hands, anddoing good service to the loyal cause; but Somers feared that the thirdwould escape him.
Pillgrim had learned prudence from the experience of the past. Somershoped he would indulge in his customary reckless boasting; that histhirst for revenge would again lead him to betray himself; but he hadnot dropped even a hint that could be of any service. The decoy seamanhad only learned that he was to sail in the "Sunny South." The suddendeparture of the Ben Ledi was the only important fact in possession ofthe commander of the Firefly.
When the ship was well out of the bay, and her course laid down, Somerswent into his cabin to consult his charts, and consider a plan forfuture operations. Unfortunately there was no information on which tobase a theory in regard to the pirate's course. He could only guess ather destination. The Firefly was run at her best speed during the restof the day, but her course for a large portion of the time was through adense Nova Scotia fog, and nothing was seen or heard.
On the following day, the sun shone through a clear air, and at noonthere was seen, dead ahead, some evidences of black smoke in thehorizon. This was a hopeful sign, for there was a steamer burningEnglish coal in the direction indicated. It might be the Ben Ledi, andit might not; but the appearance created a tremendous excitement onboard the Firefly.
"Captain Somers, you will have her," said Tom Longstone, placing himselfby the side of the young commander. "It is your luck."
"That may not be the steamer we are after. We haven't seen her yet."
"That's the Ben Ledi; you may depend upon it. I wouldn't give five centsto any man to guarantee my share of prize money in her."
"Don't be too confident, Mr. Longstone."
"She is ours, Captain Somers."
"I wish I could believe it."
"You must believe it, and work for it."
"I shall certainly work for it."
And he did work for it. Everything that would add a fraction of a knotto the speed of the Firefly was done. The black smoke was visible allthe rest of the day, but not a sight of the steamer from which itproceeded could be obtained. Darkness settled down upon the ocean, andnothing could be seen during the night. The next day was cloudy, andthere was not a sign of encouragement to those on board of the pursuingvessel. Then came a gale of twenty hours' duration; but the Firefly heldher course, and proved herself to be a perfect sea boat.
The fourth day out from Halifax was fine, and shortly after sunrise thecloud of black smoke was again discovered, and a thrill of delightcoursed through the veins of Somers as he discovered it. The steamer wason the port bow now, but it was evident that both steamers were bound tothe same point, though their courses had slightly varied during thegale.
"I told you so, Captain Somers!" exclaimed Lieutenant Longstone, as herubbed his hands briskly in view of the bright prospect.
"We haven't caught her yet, Mr. Longstone."
"But you will catch her, just as sure as the sun shines."
"Mr. Pillgrim will not allow himself to be taken."
"He cannot help himself."
"Perhaps he can. That steamer sails as well as the Firefly, and we arenot a hundred and fifty miles from Cape Fear."
"No matter; we have got ten hours' working time, and we shall use herup. Shall we put the helm to starboard, Captain Somers?"
"No; keep her as she is," replied the commander. "If she is going intoWilmington we shall be making something on this tack. We have theweather-gage of her."
It was soon clearly demonstrated that the chase had "slowed down," so asnot to approach the coast before night should favor her operations,though her great speed gave her every advantage over an ordinarypursuer. The Firefly had run down so that the Ben Ledi was on her portbeam, about eight miles distant. Both steamers had hoisted Englishcolors, for Somers had no idea of being cheated out of the game by"showing his hand."
The most intense excitement prevailed on board of the Firefly, for itwas evident that a few hours more would settle the question one way orthe other. Somers was not disposed to wait until night, which wouldfavor the chase more than himself; and he was afraid, if he headedtowards her, that she would take the alarm and beat him on time. He keptquiet for a couple of hours, just as though he were waiting for thedarkness to cover him in running the blockade.
His plan seemed to be a success, for after a while the Ben Ledi began tobear down upon him. It was an anxious hour for Somers. He ordered thefirst lieutenant to beat to quarters, and the chief engineer to have ona full head of steam. The guns were loaded with solid shot, and everypreparation made for an exciting time. Pillgrim did not seem to suspectthus far that the steamer under English colors was the one he had leftin Halifax harbor. It was certain that he did not yet recognize her.
The Firefly reciprocated the attention of the Ben Ledi, and moved slowlytowards her, for Somers was careful not to excite suspicion by beingprecipitate. The two steamers approached within three miles, and therespective captains were busy in examining each other's ship throughtheir glasses. The chase now hoisted her number. As Somers had theLloyd's signal book, he read it without difficulty. It was the Ben Ledi.To the question, "What ship is that?" he had no answer to give, for itwas not prudent to hoist the old number of the Ben Lomond.
Our younger readers may not understand how a conversation is carried onbetween ships at sea, several miles distant from each other. There areten small signal flags representing the nine digits and the zero. Anynumber can of course be formed of these figures. Every ship is providedwith a number, which if it consists of two figures is represented by twoflags, hoisted together; three figures, three flags; and so on.
The signal book also contains a great number of questions and answers,such as, "What ship is that?" "Where bound?" "All well." "Short ofwater," &c. Each sentence has its invariable number, which may beindicated by the signal flags. If one vessel shows the number 124, thecaptain of the ship signalized would find this number in his signalbook; and against it would be printed the question or answer.
Somers was not disposed to reply to the question of Pillgrim; and as hedid not do so, the traitor immediately took the alarm. The Ben Ledi wentabout, and made off to the eastward under full steam. The Firefly wasall ready to follow, and then commenced a most exciting chase. It wasuseless to waste shot at that distance, and Somers confined hisattention to the speed of his vessel. For three hours the pursuit wascontinued, without any perceptible decrease of the distance between thetwo steamers.
But it was soon discovered that Pillgrim was gradually wearing round.Somers perceived his intention, but it was not prudent to attempt tocut him off all at once, by taking the arc of a smaller circle; but heworked his ship slowly round; and when both vessels were headed to thewest, he had gained a mile. Pillgrim had evidently made up his mind togo into Wilmington at any risk, though under ordinary circumstances themore prudent course would have been for him to continue at sea, where adark night or a fog might have enabled him to elude his pursuer. Somersconcluded, therefore, that the Ben Ledi was short of coal, for his ownsupply was nearly exhausted.
The furnaces of the Firefly were now worked to their utmost capacity,and every expedient to make steam was resorted to by the excitedengineers and firemen. There was a stiff breeze from the south-west, andboth vessels had crowded on every stitch of canvas that could be spread.It had already been demonstrated that there was no appreciabledifference in the speed of the two steamers, and the result of the chasewas to depend entirely up
on the management of each.
When the two vessels had come about so as to make a fair wind, theFirefly had been the first to spread her canvas, and the superiordiscipline of her crew was thus made apparent. A slight advantage hadthus been gained, and it was certain that "the balance of power" lay inthe sails. At meridian an observation was obtained, and the position ofthe ship was accurately laid down on the chart. The latitude was 33 deg.59' 7"; the longitude 76 deg. 29' 23". To make the Swash Channel, which wascovered by the guns of Fort Fisher, the Ben Ledi would have laid acourse about half a point south of west; but her present course waswest-south-west. Somers, after examining his chart, had some doubtswhether she was going into Wilmington.
Tom Longstone had the deck during the afternoon watch. He was a veteranseaman, and his experience had made him more familiar with canvas thanwith steam. With the most anxious solicitude he watched the sails duringthe afternoon, and under his skilful directions they were kept perfectlytrimmed. On that momentous occasion everything was reduced down to thefinest point, as well in the handling of the engine as the tacks,sheets, and halliards.
The case was hopeful, though the gain could not be perceived in one, ortwo, hours; but at eight bells hardly a mile lay between the contendingsteamers. The first lieutenant wanted to open on the chase with therifled gun on the top-gallant forecastle; but Somers refused permission,for while he was gaining on the Ben Ledi only in inches, he could notafford to lose feet by the recoil of the gun, until there was a betterchance of hitting the mark. At two bells in the first dog watch, just asthe sun was setting, the Ben Ledi doubled Frying Pan Shoals, passingclose to the breakers. Then, as her people discovered a couple ofvessels belonging to the blockading squadron, she sheered off, and wentto the westward.
These changes, with the doubt and uncertainty which prevailed on boardof the Ben Ledi, had been very favorable to the Firefly, now within halfa mile of her. Two vessels from the blockading fleet had started toengage in the exciting work, but they were too late to help or hinderthe pursuit. Somers gave the order to fire upon the Ben Ledi, which wasnow endeavoring to work round to the Beach Channel.
Though the darkness had settled down upon the chase, the Fireflycontinued the pursuit with unabated vigor. Her pilot was familiar withthe channels, bars, and shoals. Shot after shot was fired at the BenLedi, and it was soon evident that one of them had in some way damagedher wheels, for she was rapidly losing ground. But now a battery on OakIsland suddenly opened on the Firefly.
"We must end this thing," said Somers, as a shot from the fort whizzedover his head.
"Yes, sir," replied the first lieutenant. "We can hardly pass thatbattery."
"Try the hundred pounder."
When the pivot gun was ready, the Firefly swung round, and the heavypiece roared out its salutation to the blockade runner. It was aimed byTom Longstone, and the bolt struck the Ben Ledi square in the stern,breaking in her counter, and leaving her helpless on the water. TheFirefly stopped her wheels. A shot from the fort crushed through hersmoke-stack.
The chase, completely disabled, drifted on the beach and grounded, underthe guns of the battery. The Firefly now poured shell into her fromevery gun that could be brought to bear. In a few moments a sheet offlame rose from her, and lighted up the channel for miles around,clearly revealing to the gunners in the fort the exact position ofSomers's vessel.
The work had been accomplished, the Ben Ledi had been destroyed, and theFirefly hastened to escape from her dangerous locality. In coming aboutshe poured a parting broadside into the burning steamer. As she swunground, a hail from the water was heard, and a boat containing severalmen was discovered. It had been carried by the tide away from the beach.The occupants were taken on board, though one of them was wounded andutterly helpless. They had no oars, and were in danger of being carriedout to sea.
"Here's the cap'n; he was hit by a piece of a shell," said one of themen.
"Who is he?" asked Somers.
"Cap'n Pillgrim."
The sufferer was taken down into the ward-room, and the surgeon began toexamine him as the Firefly steamed down the channel under a shower ofshot and shell from the battery.
"How is he?" asked the young commander, when the ship had passed out ofthe reach of the guns of the fort.
"He is dead!" replied the surgeon.
"Dead! Good Heaven!" exclaimed Somers, impressed by the terribleretribution which had at last overtaken the traitor.
"Yes, sir; he died a few moments since. A fragment of a shell tore openhis breast and penetrated his lungs," added the surgeon.
"That's the last of him," said Lieutenant Longstone. "He will lay nomore plots."
"He has been a dangerous enemy to his country," continued Somers. "If hehad succeeded in running in with that vessel, he would have obtained herarmament, and made terrible havoc among the merchant ships on the coast.He was a daring fellow; he was reckless at times. He told me on board ofthe Chatauqua that he had purchased three steamers in Scotland; this isthe last one."
"Three Bens," added Tom. "Captain Somers, you have had a hand incapturing and destroying them all."
"I have; and it is really marvellous, when I think of it."
"I knew you would capture the Ben Ledi," continued the secondlieutenant, exultingly.
"I did not capture her."
"It is the same thing."
"You will not find it so when your prize money is distributed."
"A fig for the prize money," replied Tom, contemptuously. "We destroyedher; and it's all the same thing. I would rather have had that villainhanged than killed by an honest shell; but there is no help for it now."
"Peace, Mr. Longstone; he is dead now. We have nothing more to do withhim."
The body of Mr. Pillgrim was laid out in a proper place, and as the coalbunkers of the Firefly were nearly empty, she was headed for Port Royal,where she arrived on the afternoon of the following day. On the passage,the men from the Ben Ledi, who had been picked up in the boat, wereexamined in regard to their knowledge of her ultimate use. One of theparty was an intelligent English seaman, who acknowledged that he hadshipped, for the Confederate navy, in the Sunny South, which was to bethe new name of the Ben Ledi. She had waited a month at Halifax fororders. Langdon was not on board of her, and the seaman had no knowledgeof any such person.
The Firefly had not been seen on board the Sunny South until bothsteamers were off Wilmington. After passing Frying Pan Shoals, a shotfrom the Firefly had partially crippled her port wheel, which accidenthad caused her to lose ground rapidly. The projectile from the hundredpounder had completely shattered her stern, and disabled her rudder, andknocked the engine "all in a heap." The port quarter boat was torn topieces by a shell, the same which had given Pillgrim his mortal wound.The after tackle of the other quarter boat had been shot away, and whenit was dropped into the water the oars were gone. Most of the crew hadsaved themselves by swimming ashore. The Ben Ledi had a valuable cargo,which the informer declared was totally destroyed by fire or water.
On her arrival at Port Royal, the Firefly coaled without delay; the bodyof Pillgrim was buried, and after forwarding his despatches to the navydepartment by a supply steamer, Somers sailed again on another cruiseafter privateers, Confederate cruisers, and blockade runners. TheTallahassee and the Chickamauga were supposed to be at Wilmington, butthe Olustee was believed to be still afloat. Of this cruise our limitsdo not permit us to record details; but the Firefly captured a valuablesteamer in December, and sent her into port. This was the only prize sheobtained; and being short of coal, she ran into Boston, on New Year'sday, where her prize had arrived before her.
Somers immediately forwarded his despatches, and awaited the orders ofthe department. Of course he hastened down to Pinchbrook as soon as hecould leave the ship, where he was heartily welcomed and warmlycongratulated upon his successful cruise.
"Here's something for you, John," said Mrs. Somers, taking a daintilymade up letter from the mantel-piece, when the welcome had been given,kis
ses bestowed, and hands shaken. "It has been here a fortnight."
Somers knew the handwriting, for it had often gladdened his heartbefore, and a flush came to his cheeks as he tore open the envelope. Itwas from Kate Portington, whom the young commander had not failed tothink of every day during his absence, though it was with pain andsorrow at the rupture which had separated them. The letter healed hisonly wound.
"I shall never forgive myself," she wrote, "for my harsh treatment ofyou; and I am afraid you can never forgive me. I have seen Mr.Hackleford, who says that he _ordered_ you to sign that horrible paper.Why didn't you tell me so, John?" He would have told her so, if she hadgiven him an opportunity. But she was repentant, and Somers wasrejoiced.
The letter was four pages in length, and among all the pleasant thingsit contained, the pleasantest was that she was spending a month inBoston, at the residence of a friend, where she hoped to see him.
She did see him there, on the very day he received the letter. Whatpassed between them we are not at liberty to say in a book of this kind,except to inform the reader that Kate was herself again; that in thejoy of meeting him after this painful rupture, she actually forgot to beproper, and in spite of her promise, and her mother's lecture, shecalled him "prodigy." The past, the present, and the future, werediscussed, and Somers went on board the Firefly the happiest ofmortals.