by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XV
BROTHER AT WAR WITH BROTHER
Captain Passford was very much annoyed at the absence of Christy atthat particular moment, for it seemed to be heavily laden with momentousevents to him and his family; though Christy could not possibly knowwhat had transpired in the library between the two brothers. He waitedvery uneasily in the hall, after his return from his search.
Homer Passford did not come out of his library, and he sat brooding overthe remarkable interview which had taken place between the brothers. Nodoubt he would have been glad to believe that he had been wrong; for hehad nothing but the kindest feelings in the world towards his brother,and had never had in all his life. He was five years older than Horatio;and, in their earlier life, he had been to some extent his guardian andprotector, and he had never lost the feeling of boyhood.
But he had proved himself to be a patriot of the severest type, andproposed to rob his brother of his steamer, his only means of conveyinghis daughter to his home, for the benefit of the fraction of the nationwhich he called his country, and more to prevent her from beingtransferred to the navy of the Union.
While the captain was waiting in the hall, the library door opened,and Homer presented himself. He invited his brother to return to theapartment, for he had something to say to him; but Horatio positivelydeclined to do so, fearful that they might come to an open rupture ifthe exciting discussion was continued.
"But you will hear me a moment or two, will you not, Horatio?" askedHomer; and his lips quivered under the influence of his active thought.
"I will as long as that," replied Horatio.
"I have been thinking of the subject of our conversation in relation tothe Bellevite; and I have something to propose to you, which I hope willsatisfy you, and at the same time will not rob our Government of whatnow belongs to it."
"I am listening," added Horatio, as Homer paused to note the effect ofhis proposal.
"You did not tell me how you got by the forts in your steamer, andperhaps you are ready to do so now."
"I am not ready now; and I am not likely to be ready at any future timeto do so, Homer. You have indicated that we are enemies, and each shouldkeep his own counsels."
"Of course you will do as you think proper. I cannot reconcile myself tothe idea of permitting a fine steamer like the Bellevite, now virtuallyin possession of the Confederacy, to sail away out of the bay. I feelthat I should be guilty of treason to my country to do so."
"And you propose to steal her from your own brother, if you can. Youhave done a large business in stealing forts, and one ought not to besurprised when you propose to steal a ship," replied Horatio mildly butsternly.
"I pass over the injustice and unkindness on your part of that remark,and I hope you will accept my offer."
"Let me hear it as soon as possible."
"In spite of your present, unfortunate position, Horatio, I believe youare still a man of truth, honor, and integrity."
"Thank you, Homer."
"I do not wish to keep Florry here when her mother desires so much tosee her, and I have hit upon a plan by which you can do this withoutmaking me a traitor to my country."
"It must have been a happy thought," added Horatio, somewhat interestedin what the other was saying.
"I think it was a happy thought, and I sincerely hope you will be ableto accept the plan. I have some little influence in this section, and Ihave no doubt I can procure a pass for your steamer to go to sea,"continued Homer, pausing to study the expression of his brother.
"Do I understand that you propose to do this, Homer?" asked CaptainPassford, not a little astonished at the apparent change his brother hadmade in his position.
"On a certain condition, which you can easily meet."
"It looks as though you were becoming more reasonable. What is thecondition on which you will do this? For I should certainly prefer tohave no shots fired at the Bellevite while Florry is on board of her."
"As I have said, your word is as good as your bond; and I am willingto accept the consequences of the step I propose to take, since theConfederacy will not suffer any loss or detriment on account of it."
"It will not!" exclaimed the captain, beginning to see that he could notaccept the conditions.
"It will not. I could not injure or cheat my country, even to serve myonly brother, greatly as I desire to do all I can for him."
"But what is the condition, Homer?" asked Captain Passford, who had bythis time lost all hope of the plan.
"You shall take Florry to some point,--Bermuda, for instance,--fromwhich she can obtain passage to New York. Before you go, you shallgive me your simple word that you will return to Mobile Bay with theBellevite, and surrender her to the Confederate authorities. I amentirely willing to accept your promise to do this, without any bondor other writing."
"Is that all?" asked Horatio, hardly able to contain himself.
"That is all; what more do you desire?"
"Nothing; that is enough. I have already tendered my steamer to theGovernment of the United States; do you think me capable of surrenderingmy vessel to rebels and traitors, under any possible circumstances?I would blow her up with all on board of her, before I would do sucha thing. You insult me by proposing such treachery to me. Not anotherword about it, if you please!"
Homer returned to his library, and closed the door after him; for thelast remark of the owner of the Bellevite had excited him, and he couldnot trust himself to remain any longer in the presence of his Unionbrother.
"I am all ready, papa," said Florry, who had opened the door oncebefore, and found that her father was engaged.
"I cannot find Christy, but I hope he is not far off," added CaptainPassford, as he went into the room, and, to the astonishment of hisdaughter, bolted the door after him.
"I did not know the young man he went out to see, but I noticed that helooked something like Major Pierson," said Florry.
"Then it was the major's brother, and he came from Nassau with us onboard of the steamer. I hope neither of them will get into any trouble,for all this country is in a very excited condition," said the captain,as he carefully opened the window at the side of the apartment.
This was quite as singular a movement as bolting the door; and the fairgirl, who had heard some of the energetic conversation in the hall,began to think that something strange was about to transpire in themansion. Her father spent some time in looking out the window; for itwas now quite dark, and he could not make out objects outdoors veryreadily.
The window opened upon a lawn covered with orange, magnolia, and otherornamental trees. The house was low on the ground, and it was not morethan three feet from the window-sill to the lawn. Without explaining anything, Captain Passford took his daughter's trunk, carried it to thewindow, and then dropped it upon the lawn beneath.
"Now, Florry, I want you to get out at this window; and you can easilystep down upon the trunk," continued the owner of the Bellevite.
"Get out of the window, papa?" demanded the maiden, with a look ofintense astonishment at her father.
"Do just as I tell you, my child, and don't ask any questions now; forall will be explained to your satisfaction," replied he, as he assistedher to a chair, by which she mounted to the window-stool.
She dropped lightly down upon the trunk, which had been placed in aconvenient position for her, and then to the ground. Her father followedher; though he stopped long enough to close the window after him, andleave every thing as it had been before.
"I think I can understand something about it, papa," said Florry, as thecaptain joined her. "But am I to leave this house, where I have been forsix months, without saying good-by to uncle or aunt?"
"Not a word to any one, my child. I am sorry it must be so; but this isa time of war, and I have no time to stand on ceremonies," replied herfather, as he picked up the trunk, and tossed it on his shoulder asthough he had done that kind of work before.
He walked off with a firm step, in spite of his burden
, taking thenearest way to the wharf where he had left the Bellevite. The distancewas considerable, and the millionnaire was obliged to stop and rest twoor three times; and, though Florry insisted upon helping him, he wouldnot allow her to do so. It was nearly ten o'clock at night when thewanderers reached their destination, and were hailed by the vigilantwatch on the deck.
"Florence!" called the owner of the steamer when he was challenged, andgave the word that had been agreed upon.
"Pass, Florence," replied the sentinel.
All the officers were still upon board, and Florry received a veryrespectful greeting from all of them. Her trunk was carried to herstateroom; and she soon followed it, for the excitement of the afternoonand evening was rather too much for her.
"Is Percy still on board, Breaker?" asked the owner.
"He is not: he lounged about the deck till nearly night, and then hesaid he would go up and see his mother, to which I had not the leastobjection," replied the commander.
"I have no objection to his going where he pleases now, but the worst ofit is that Christy appears to have gone with him. They must have beengone three hours, and I begin to be worried about my son. But no matterfor that now: we are ready to sail, and it is necessary to get out intothe bay, at least without any loss of time, Breaker. The tide is rightnow."
Captain Breaker had not expected to leave so soon, and thought itprobable that the vessel would remain where she was for several days ora week. But he had caused the fires to be banked, so as to be ready forany emergency, though he did not anticipate any; for he reasoned thatthe powerful influence of the owner's brother would be enough to protectthe steamer from interference.
The commander called all hands, and the owner requested that the workbe done with as little noise as possible. In less than an hour theBellevite was floating in the deep waters of the bay. But the owner wasfar from easy; though, in spite of all his brother had said, he feltthat the steamer was safe for the present: he was not a little alarmedat the continued absence of Christy.
Captain Passford had formed a very decided opinion in regard to MajorPierson, and he did not believe that Percy had seen the end of histroubles in the matter of joining the army. It was not over a threehours' run in a reasonably fast steamer from the forts to the city, andat least ten hours had elapsed since the Bellevite came up. Possibly themajor might wonder whether or not the coming of Captain Passford woulddisturb the residence of Miss Florence at the mansion of her uncle. Itwas not improbable that he had, or might, come up to look out for hisinterests.
If he came across his brother Percy after he left the steamer, he waslikely to make a soldier of him; and it was unfortunate that Christy hadbeen his companion when last seen.