by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER X
THE ATTEMPT TO PASS INTO MOBILE BAY
The tug appeared to be one of the craft which had been hastily preparedfor service, and she did not look like a formidable vessel. CaptainBreaker was sure he could blow her out of the water with his heavy guns,on an emergency; but this would be bad policy, and he did not propose todo any thing of this kind.
He was not as confident as Captain Passford and his son were that theplan adopted would be an entire success, with the assistance of Percy;but there could be no harm in trying it. He intended to pass as nearFort Gaines as possible, for it was not probable that the works wereyet in the best condition; and two miles from Fort Morgan, which wasdoubtless much stronger, would afford a better chance of escaping anyshots fired from it.
As the Bellevite approached the channel, where there could not be morethan a foot of water under her keel, Christie came on deck, followed byPercy. The latter wore a sort of naval uniform, which his instructor hadborrowed for him from his own stock. It fitted him well; for he was nolarger than the owner's son, though he was two years older.
Percy was to be on duty, on board of the steamer, as a Confederate agenttaking the vessel into the bay for service. He was not a little inflatedby the position which had been assigned to him, though he had no powerswhatever, except in appearance. He had been instructed to conducthimself boldly, and to insist that the vessel was in his charge, whenshe was boarded by officers from the tug or from the fort. His verynature inclined him to play this part to the best advantage.
The blockade had been established at some of the northern ports of theseceded States, but not yet at the cities on the Gulf of Mexico; andthe only real obstacle to the passage of the Bellevite into the bayconsisted of the two forts, for the tug-boats were not regarded as ofany consequence to an armed steamer of great speed like the Bellevite,
"We are approaching the shoal water now," said Captain Breaker to Mr.Vapoor, as the steamer came near the south-eastern end of PelicanIsland. "We may take the ground, for the shoals have an ugly trick ofchanging their position. Let her go at about half speed."
"Half speed, sir," replied the chief engineer, as he descended to theengine-room.
"Is it fully high tide now, Breaker?" asked Captain Passford, who waswatching the movements of the vessel with the most intense interest, forit seemed to him that the critical moment in his enterprise had come.
"Not quite; it will not be full sea for about half an hour," replied thecommander. "If we take the ground, we shall have some small chance ofgetting off.--Mr. Dashington."
"On duty, sir," responded the first officer.
"Beeks has the wheel, I believe?"
"Yes; and Thayer is with him."
"They are both reliable men; but I wish you would stand by the helm,and see that the steamer is headed directly towards the eastern end ofDauphine Island. That will give us the deepest water till we get to thespit. Have a man in the port and starboard chains with directions tosound as fast as possible."
"Mr. Blowitt," called the first officer, "let a hand sound in the portand starboard chains, and look out for it yourself, if you please."
The second officer went forward and the first officer aft, each toperform the duties assigned to him by the captain. The speed of theBellevite had been reduced, and she was going along at a very easy rate.The tug was some distance beyond Fort Gaines when she was first seen,and she seemed to be incapable of making more than six knots an hour.
The steamer had taken on board all the coal it was possible for her tostow away in her bunkers, and a large supply had been put into the hold;but she had used a considerable portion of it in her rapid passage,though she had still an abundant supply for her return voyage. Thereduction in the quantity had made her draught somewhat less, and theowner and captain hoped she would get through the channel.
But the thought had hardly passed through their minds before theBellevite came to a sudden stop, and her keel was heard grinding onthe bottom. Mr. Vapoor heard the sound in the engine-room, and felt thejar; and before any bell came to him, he had stopped the machine, andreversed it so as to check the steamer's headway.
"Run her back with all the steam you can crowd on, Mr. Vapoor," saidCaptain Breaker, as he hastened to the door of the engine-room.
"I don't think she hit the ground very hard, captain," added the chiefengineer.
"No; she will come off. The ground has shifted since I was here last,"said the captain of the vessel.
But it was half an hour before she yielded to the pressure brought tobear upon her, and then only because a few inches had been added by thetide to the depth of water. She went back, and came into depth enough togive her a foot under her keel.
"It don't look very hopeful," said Captain Passford, as he joined thecommander at the door of the engine-room.
"Oh, I think we shall be all right now!" replied Captain Breaker verycheerfully. "I have found where the shoal is now, and I know where tofind deeper water.--Keep her going astern, Mr. Vapoor."
"A boat from the fort, sir," reported a messenger, who had been sent aftby the second officer on the forecastle.
"That looks like an inquiry into our business here," added the owner.
"Now we are all right," said the commander, who was watching theposition of the vessel very carefully. "I must go to the wheel, and lookout for the course myself."
Again the Bellevite went ahead; and she soon reached a point half waybetween the two forts, and her speed was reduced to not more than threeknots. But the tug was approaching, and the worst part of the channelwas still to be attempted. The two men in the chains reported the depthas rapidly as they could heave the lead, and it was soon evident thatthe steamer could not pass the extensive bar to the westward of theship-channel.
"Steamer ahoy!" shouted the captain of the tug, as he stopped his screwwithin hailing-distance of the Bellevite.
"Reply to that hail, Mr. Percy," said the commander to the younggentleman in uniform. "You must do all the talking."
"I shall be very happy to do it, and I think I can do it to yoursatisfaction," replied Percy confidently.
"Jump up on the rail nearest to the tug, where you can see and hear."
"I am not much of a sailor, Captain Breaker, and I don't pretend to beone," added Percy. "What shall I say to the captain of that boat?"
"On board of the tug!" shouted the agent of his father, after thecommander had instructed him in regard to his speech.
"What steamer is that?" demanded the master of the tug.
Captain Breaker instructed him in what manner to make his reply, thoughhe did not tell him what to say. The young man was to explain thecharacter of the vessel as he understood it; and neither the commandernor the owner was disposed to indulge in any unnecessary strategeticalfalsehood, though they felt that they could do so in the service of theUnion.
"The Bellevite from Nassau," replied Percy.
"Is she a Federal vessel?" inquired the captain of the tug with thegreatest simplicity.
"A Federal vessel!" exclaimed Percy, evidently expressing by his mannersome of the indignation he felt. "Do you mean to insult me, sir?"
"No, I do not mean to insult you; but it becomes necessary for me toascertain something more in regard to the steamer," returned the other."Where are you from?"
"I told you the vessel was from Nassau."
"But she don't hail from Nassau. Where did she come from before that?"
"From Bermuda," answered Percy, as instructed.
"But she don't belong to Bermuda."
The volunteer agent of the Confederate cause was not able to answer anyquestions in this direction, and the commander did not tell him whatmore to say.
"Can you tell me who is in command of Fort Gaines at the present time?"demanded Percy, branching out on his own account.
"I can; but I want you to tell me something more about the steamer,before I answer any questions. Is the steamer armed?"
"She is armed; and she could blow your
tug into ten thousand piecesin four minutes if she should open upon you," added Percy; and thelisteners were of the opinion that he was beginning to use strongspeech.
"That may be; but with a fort on each side of you, I don't think youwill get into the bay in broad daylight," said the captain of the tug."The commander of Fort Gaines is in that boat, and I suppose he iscoming off to examine the steamer. As you are not disposed to answer myquestions, you can wait for him; but if you try to get into the bay, youwill find that a shot from both forts can reach you."
"I am an agent of the Confederate government, and my father has beensent to Nassau to obtain vessels for our navy," continued Percy, as hesaw that the boat from the fort was still some distance from the vessel.
"Why didn't you say so before?" demanded the captain of the tug ratherimpatiently. "Of course you have some papers from the agent at Nassau,to show what the vessel is."
"Not a single paper; he had no time to give me any."
"Who is the agent?"
The question was evidently put as a test; for if the young agent, asthe captain could see that he was, gave a known name, it would be someevidence that he told the truth.
"Colonel Richard Pierson; and he is my father."
"Your father!" exclaimed the other, evidently impressed with the fact,and his tone was more respectful.
"You can come on board and see her for yourself," suggested Percy,prompted by the commander; for there was nothing on board to betray hertrue character, the guns having been concealed.
"I will not do that, as the commander of the fort will soon be here, andhe may make the examination for himself. But perhaps you will be willingto give me your name?" added the captain.
"My name is Percy Pierson; and, as I told you, I am the son of ColonelRichard Pierson."
"Then you are the brother of Major Pierson, who is in command of FortGaines. I think it must be all right."
"Of course it is all right. Do you think I would bring a vessel intothis bay if she were not all right?" inquired Percy with becomingindignation.
"I suppose you have heard there is going to be a war, and it isnecessary to find out what vessels go into the bay," said the captain ofthe tug, when he had brought his craft quite near the steamer. "That isa very fine vessel."
"It is the fastest and strongest steamer that floats, and she will givea good account of herself when the trouble begins in earnest."
"Here comes the boat from the fort, and I see that Major Pierson is inthe stern sheets. I have no doubt he will find you all right," said thecaptain.
The boat came alongside of the Bellevite, and the major went on board.