by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER IV
THE FIRST MISSION OF THE BELLEVITE
Captain Passford looked over his audience with no little interest, andperhaps with considerable anxiety; for he felt that the success of hisenterprise must depend, in a great measure, upon the fidelity and skillof the individual members of the ship's company.
"My remarks are addressed to every person in the ship's company, fromCaptain Breaker to the stewards and coal-passers; and any one has aperfect right to decline to go with me, without prejudice to his presentor future interests," continued the owner.
More earnestly than before the officers and men gazed at each other; andit looked as though not one of them dared to move a single inch, lest astep should be interpreted as an impeachment of his fidelity to one whohad been a Christian and a trusty friend in all his relations with him.
"I know that some of you have families, mothers, brothers, and sisterson shore; and I assure you that I shall not regard it as a disgrace ora stigma upon any man who does his duty as he understands it, withoutregard to me or mine," the owner proceeded.
Still not a man moved, and all seemed to be more averse than before tochange their positions a particle; and possibly any one who was temptedto do so expected to be hooted by his shipmates, if he took thetreacherous step.
"I sincerely hope that every man of you will be guided by his own senseof duty, without regard to what others may think of his action. I willnot allow any man to suffer from any reproach or indignity on accountof what he does in this matter, if by any means I can prevent it,"continued Captain Passford, looking over his audience again, todiscover, if he could, any evidence of faltering on the part of asingle one.
Still officers and men were as immovable as a group of statuary; and nota face betrayed an expression indicating a desire to leave the vessel,or to falter in what all regarded as the allegiance they owed to theowner and his family.
"We will all go with you to the end of the world, or the end of thewar!" shouted the old sheet-anchor man, who was the spokesman of thecrew when they had any thing to say. "If any man offers to leave"--
"He shall go with my best wishes," interposed Captain Passford. "None ofthat, Boxie; you have heard what I said, and I mean every word of it.There shall be no persuasion or intimidation."
"Beg pardon, Captain Passford; but there isn't a man here that would goto the mainmast if he knew that the forecastle would drop out from underhim, and let him down into Davy Jones's locker the next minute if hestaid here," responded Boxie, with a complaisant grin on his face, asif he was entirely conscious that he knew what he was talking about.
"Every man must act on his own free will," added the owner.
"That's just what we are all doing, your honor; and every one of uswould rather go than have his wages doubled. If any dumper here has afree will to go to the mainmast, he'd better put his head in soak,and"--
"Avast heaving, Boxie!" interposed the owner, smiling in spite ofhimself at the earnestness of the old sailor.
"I hain't got a word more to say, your honor; only"--
"Only nothing, Boxie! I see that not one of you is inclined to leave thevessel, and I appreciate in the highest degree this devotion on yourpart to me and my family. I have some writing to do now; and, while I amengaged upon it, Mr. Watts shall take the name and residence of everyman on board. I shall give this list to my wife, and charge her to seethat those dependent upon you need nothing in your absence. She willvisit the friends of every one of you, if she has to go five hundredmiles to do so. I have nothing more to say at present."
The men cheered lustily for the owner, and then separated, as thecaptain went aft to draw up his papers to send on shore by Mrs.Passford. He was followed by Captain Breaker, while little groupsformed in various parts of the deck to discuss the situation.
"I intended to have some talk with you, Breaker, before I said any thingto the ship's company; but, you know, it is very seldom that I ever sayany thing directly to them," said Captain Passford, as the commandercame up with him.
"This was an extraordinary occasion; and I am very glad that you didthe business directly, instead of committing it to me," replied CaptainBreaker; "and I have not the slightest objection to make. But I have aword to say in regard to myself personally. As you are aware, I wasformerly an officer of the navy, with the rank of lieutenant. I wish toapply to the department to be restored to my former rank, or to any rankwhich will enable me to serve my country the most acceptably. I hope mypurpose will not interfere with your enterprise."
"Not at all, I think, except in the matter of some delay. I shall tenderthe Bellevite as a free gift to the Government in a letter I shall sendon shore by my wife," replied Captain Passford. "But I shall offer todo this only on my return from a trip I feel obliged to make in her.I shall also offer my own services in any capacity in which I can beuseful; though, as I am not a naval officer like yourself, I cannotexpect a prominent position."
"Your ability fits you for almost any position; and, after a littlestudy of merely routine matters, you will be competent for almost anycommand," added Captain Breaker.
"I do not expect that, and I am willing to do my duty in a humbleposition," said the owner. "All that I am and all that I have shall befor my country's use."
"I knew very well where we should find you if the troubles ended in awar."
"My present enterprise will be rather irregular, as I have already said;but the delay it would cause alone prevents me from giving the vessel tothe Government at once."
"As a man-of-war, the Bellevite could not be used for the purpose youhave in mind. The plan you have chosen is the only practicable one."
"Very well, Breaker. You had better pass the word through the ship'scompany that the Bellevite will sail in an hour or two,--as soon as Ican finish my business; and if officer or seaman wishes to leave thevessel, let him do so," added the owner, as he moved towards thecompanionway.
"Not one of them will leave her under any circumstances," replied thecommander, as he went forward.
The word was passed, as suggested by the owner, and the result was toset the greater part of the officers and men to writing letters fortheir friends, to be sent on shore by the tug; but the captain warnedthem not to say a word in regard to the destination of the steamer.
In another hour Captain Passford had completed his letters and papers,including letters to the Secretary of the Navy, a power of attorney tohis wife which placed his entire fortune at her command, and otherdocuments which the hurried movements of the writer rendered necessary.
The owner and his son bade adieu to the wife and mother in the cabin;and it is not necessary to penetrate the sacred privacy of such anoccasion, for it was a tender, sad, and trying ordeal to all of them.
All the letters were gathered together and committed to the care of thelady as she went over the side to leave the floating home in which shehad lived for several months, for the family did not often desert theirpalatial cabin for the poorer accommodations of a hotel on shore.
The pilot departed in the tug, and he was no wiser than when he came onboard in regard to the intentions of the owner of the steam-yacht. Therewas an abundant supply of coal and provisions on board, for the vesselwas hardly three days from Bermuda when she came up with Sandy Hook; andthe commander gave the order to weigh anchor as soon as the tug cast offher fasts.
"I suppose we are bound somewhere, Captain Passford," said CaptainBreaker, as soon as the vessel was fully under way. "But you have notyet indicated to me our destination."
"Bermuda. The fact is that I have been so absorbed in the tremendousnews that came to us with the pilot, that I have not yet come to mybearings," replied the owner with a smile. "My first duty now will be todiscuss our future movements with you; and when you have given out thecourse, we will attend to that matter."
Captain Breaker called Mr. Joel Dashington, the first officer, to him,and gave him the course of the ship, as indicated by the owner. He wassix feet and one inch in height, and as
thin as a rail; but he was avery wiry man, and it was said that he could stand more hunger, thirst,exposure, and hardship than any other living man. He was a gentleman inhis manners, and had formerly been in command of a ship in the employ ofCaptain Passford. He was not quite fifty years old, and he had seenservice in all parts of the world, and in his younger days had been amaster's mate in the navy.
The second officer was superintending the crew as they put things torights for the voyage. His person was in striking contrast with hissuperior officer; for he weighed over two hundred pounds, and looked asthough he were better fitted for the occupancy of an alderman's chairthan for a position on the deck of a sea-going vessel. He was underforty years of age, but he had also been in command of a bark in theemploy of his present owner.
"Of course we cannot undertake the difficult enterprise before us,Breaker, without an armament of some sort," said Captain Passford, asthey halted at the companionway.
"I should say not, and I was wondering how you intended to manage inthis matter," replied the commander.
"I will tell you, for our first mission renders it necessary to givesome further orders before we go below," continued the owner. "We havenot a day or an hour to waste."
"The sooner we get at the main object of the expedition, the better willbe our chances of success."
"You remember that English brig which was wrecked on Mills Breaker,while we were at Hamilton?"
"Very well indeed; and she was said to be loaded with a cargo ofimproved guns, with the ammunition for them, which some enterprisingBritisher had brought over on speculation, for the use of theConfederate army and navy,--if they ever have any navy," added CaptainBreaker.
"That is precisely the cargo to which I allude. The brig had a hole inher bottom, but only a part of her was under water. The officers of thevessel were confident that the entire cargo would be saved, with notmuch of it in a damaged condition," added the owner.
"There has been no violent storm since we left St. George, hardly threedays ago," said the commander.
"I wish to obtain as much of this cargo as will be necessary to arm theBellevite properly for the expedition; and I have a double object inobtaining it, even if I have to throw half of it into the AtlanticOcean."
"The fact that we need the guns and ammunition is reason enough fortrying to obtain the cargo."
"But I have the additional inducement of keeping it out of the handsof the enemy, so that the guns shall be turned against the foes of theUnion instead of its friends. We must make a quick passage, so that,if we lose this opportunity, it will not be our fault."
"I understand. Pass the word for Mr. Vapoor," added the commander to aquartermaster who was taking in the ensign at the peak.
Mr. Vapoor was the chief engineer; though he was the youngest officer onboard, and really looked younger than Christy Passford.