by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER VII
A COMPLICATION AT GLENFIELD
The boat in which Christy had come on shore carried off to the steamerthe last load of supplies, and she sailed in the middle of theafternoon. Captain Passford and Christy were standing on the quarterdeck together; and, as the latter had not had time to tell his fatherhis adventure before, he was now relating it.
The captain was amused with the story, and told his son that he had beenapproached by a gentleman who said his name was Pierson, and he wasprobably the father of the enterprising young man who had been sozealous to assist in the purchase of a suitable vessel for the serviceof the Confederates.
"Let me alone! Take you hands off of me!" shouted a voice that soundedrather familiar to Christy, as he and his father were still talking onthe deck. "Let me alone! I am a Southern gentleman!"
"I know you are," replied Mr. Dashington, as he appeared on deck, comingup from the companionway that led to the cabin and ward-room, holding bythe collar a young man who was struggling to escape from his stronggrasp. "Don't make a fuss, my hearty: I want to introduce you to thecaptain."
"What have you got there, Mr. Dashington?" asked Captain Breaker, whowas standing near the owner.
"I have got a young cub who says he is a Southern gentleman; and Isuppose he is," replied the first officer. "But he is a stowaway, andwas hid away under my berth in the ward-room.--Here you are, my jollyfrisker: and that gentleman is the captain of the steamer."
As he spoke, the officer set his victim down rather heavily on the deck,and he sprawled out at full length on the planks. But he was sputteringwith rage at the treatment he had received; and he sprang to his feet,rushing towards Mr. Dashington as though he intended to annihilate him.But, before he reached his intended victim, he stopped short, and eyedthe tall and wiry first officer from head to foot.
He concluded not to execute his purpose upon him, for he could hardlyhave reached his chin if he resorted to violence. But he turned his backto the captain, so that the owner and his son did not get a look at hisface. Captain Breaker walked up to him and began to question him.
"If you are a Southern gentleman, as I heard you say you were, don'tyou think it is a little irregular to be hid in the ward-room of thisvessel?" was the first question the commander asked.
"I am what I said I was, and I am proud to say it; and I don't allow anyman to put his hands on me," blustered the prisoner.
"But I think you did allow Mr. Dashington to put his hands on you,"replied the captain.
"Of course I did not know that he was a Southern gentleman when I snakedhim out from under the berth," added the first officer.
"I accept your apology," said the prisoner, coming down from his highhorse with sudden energy; possibly because he felt that he had a missionon board of the steamer.
All present laughed heartily at the apology of the giant mate, andChristy changed his position so that he could see the front of thestowaway.
"Why, that is the gentleman I met on shore,--Mr. Percy Pierson!"exclaimed the owner's son, as soon as he saw the face of his latecompanion at the landing.
"I am glad to see you again, Mr. Percy Pierson," said the original ofthat name, as he extended his hand to Christy.
"I did not expect to meet you again so soon, and under suchcircumstances," replied he, taking the offered hand; for his fatherhad proclaimed his own principle on board, that, though the war wasnot to be conducted on peace principles, it was to be carried on in anenlightened, and even gentlemanly manner, so far as he was concerned.
"I am right glad to see you, Mr. Percy Pierson, for I think you canassist me in the object I have in view," said the first officer'svictim, looking now as though he was entirely satisfied with himself.
"What do you mean by calling each other by the same name?" inquiredCaptain Breaker, somewhat astonished at this phase of the conversation.
"That is the most astonishing thing in the world, that my friend hereshould have the same name I have; and he even thought I was playinga game upon him when I told him what my name was," replied Percy,laughing, and apparently somewhat inflated to find a friend on board.
"Precisely so," interposed Captain Passford, before the commander hadtime to say any thing more about the name. "But, as you both have thesame name, it will be necessary to distinguish you in some manner, or itmay make confusion while you remain on board."
"I see the point, sir, though I do not expect to remain on board for anygreat length of time; or possibly you may not," answered Percy.
"Then, I suggest that you be called simply Percy, for that is a noblename; and the other young man shall be addressed as Pierson. By doingthis we shall not sacrifice either of you," continued the owner, who didnot understand what his son had been doing.
"I have not the slightest objection. My friend Pierson gave me someinformation in regard to this steamer which made me very desirous toget on board of her. That must explain why I was found here undercircumstances somewhat irregular, though a true gentleman can sacrificehimself to the needs of his suffering country."
"To what country do you allude, Mr. Percy?" asked Captain Passford.
"To _our_ country," replied Percy with strong and significant emphasis,as though he were sure that this would cause him to be fully understood.
"Exactly so," added the owner.
"But I see that you are sailing away from Nassau as fast as you can, andI think I had better explain my business as soon as possible," continuedPercy, who seemed to be as confident as though he had alreadyaccomplished his purpose as hinted at in his conversation with Christy.
"I shall have to ask you to excuse me for a few minutes, for I have alittle business with the captain of the steamer and this young man,"said Captain Passford. "The tall gentleman who so gracefully apologizedfor his seeming rudeness to you will entertain you while I am absent."
The owner presented the tall first officer by name to his late victim,and at the same time gave him a look which Mr. Dashington understood tothe effect that he was to keep the young man where he was. With a signalto his son and to the captain, he went below.
"I do not understand this masquerade, Christy," said he, as he seatedhimself at the cabin table. "What have you been telling this youngfellow?"
Christy had only informed his father that he had been approached byPercy, and that he had, as well as he could, evaded his questions,and he had fooled the young man. He then gave the substance of theconversation at the landing, which amused both the owner and thecommander very much; though he could not recall the Chinese names,invented on the spot, which he had used.
"All right, Christy. This young man is evidently the son of thegentleman by the name of Pierson who approached me for the purpose ofpurchasing the Bellevite. I went so far as to tell him that the vesselwas for service in Southern waters. At any rate, he inferred that shewas intended for the navy of the Confederate States, and I did not thinkit necessary to undeceive him. With this belief, he sought no further tobuy the vessel, and I had no difficulty in shaking him off. It seemsthat the same mission absorbs the attention of the son, and that he hascome on board to purchase the steamer."
"Let Me alone, I am a Southern Gentleman" (Page 81)]
"I told him that you wanted to get rid of her, and that you would do sosoon, by which, of course, I meant that she was to go into the serviceof the Government," added Christy.
"I should not have taken this young man on board; but, as he is here, hemay be of use to us. But it is necessary to conceal from him the realcharacter of the Bellevite, and we will keep up the farce as long as weplease. So far as he is concerned, Christy, you may be my nephew insteadof my son."
Captain Passford led the way back to the deck, where they found thefirst officer evidently on the best of terms with his prisoner. But Mr.Dashington had been as discreet as a man could be, and Percy had notobtained a particle of information from him.
"Now, Mr. Percy, I am at your service," said the owner, when he reachedthe deck. "I think you sa
id you had some business with me."
"I have not the pleasure of knowing who or what you are, sir; and Mr.Dashington and my friend Mr. Pierson are all I know on board by name,"added Percy.
"Then you must be made better acquainted before any thing can be done,"replied the owner, pointing to the captain of the steamer. "Mr. Percy,this is Captain Breaker, the commander of the steamer."
"And this," added Captain Breaker, pointing at the owner, "is CaptainPassford, who is the fortunate owner of this vessel, though she is soonto pass into other hands."
"Captain Passford!" exclaimed Percy, bowing to both gentlemen as hewas presented to them. "That is a familiar name to me; and upon my word,I thought it was Colonel Passford of Glenfield when I first looked athim."
"He is my brother; but I never heard him called 'colonel' before," addedthe owner, laughing at the odd-sounding title, as it was to him.
"Colonel Homer Passford is the name by which he is often called near hisresidence," Percy explained. "He is the nearest neighbor of my father,Colonel Richard Pierson."
"Indeed! then you probably know my brother," said Captain Passford,interested in spite of himself.
"As well as I know any gentleman in the State of Alabama," repliedPercy. "By the great palmetto! you are Colonel Passford's brother; andI think you must know Miss Florence Passford, who has been staying allwinter with her uncle."
"She is my daughter," replied the owner with some emotion, which hecould not wholly conceal when he thought of his mission in the South.
"I have met her several times, though not often, for I have been awayfrom home at school. But my brother, Major Lindley Pierson, I learn frommy letters, is a frequent visitor at your brother's house: and they evensay"--
But Percy did not repeat what they said, though he had gone far enoughto give the father of Florry something like a shock.
"What were you about to say, Mr. Percy?" he asked.
"I think I had better not say it, for it may have been a mere idlerumor," answered Percy, who was now beginning to disclose some of hisbetter traits of character.
"Does it relate to my daughter, sir?" asked the captain rather sternly;for, in the present condition of the country, he was more thanordinarily anxious about his daughter.
"I ought not to have said any thing, sir; but what I was about to say,but did not say, does relate to Miss Florence," replied Percy, not alittle embarrassed by the situation. "But I assure you, sir, that it wasnothing that reflects in the slightest degree upon her. As I have saidso much, I may as well say the rest of it, or you will think more thanwas intended was meant."
"That is the proper view to take of it, Mr. Percy."
"It was simply said that my brother Lindley was strongly attracted toyour brother's house by the presence of your daughter. That is all."
But the fond father was very anxious. Of course the major was aConfederate.