by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXVIII
THE AMERICAN FLAG AT THE FORE
Christy rushed out of the engine-room followed by Captain Pecklar, toascertain what damage had been done to the tug by the shot. A cloud ofsmoke rising from the Belle, astern of the Leopard, informed them thatthe shot had come from her. It had struck the house on deck, carryingaway the corner of the captain's state-room; but, beyond this, no damageappeared to be done.
But the tug had broached to, and it was evident that Percy had abandonedthe wheel when the shot struck the vessel; and Christy hastened to thepilot-house to restore the vessel to her course. But he was closelyfollowed by the acting engineer. They found the volunteer pilot lying onthe deck, where he had been before when the vessel was fired upon.
"Is that the way you steer the boat, Percy?" said Christy reproachfully,as he went into the pilot-house, and righted the helm.
"Didn't you hear that cannon-shot that struck her just now?" demandedPercy, partly raising himself from his recumbent posture.
"Of course I heard it: I am not deaf; and, if I had been, I could havefelt it. I don't believe we shall want you on board of the Bellevite, ifthat is the way you do your duty."
"I don't want to be shot by my own people," pleaded Percy. "Has the shotruined the vessel?"
"Don't you see that she is going along the same as ever? No harm hasbeen done to her so far as any further use to us is concerned," repliedChristy. "But, Captain Pecklar, as things are now, we are running rightinto the fire."
Christy was more troubled than he had been at any time before; and herealized that it was necessary to make some change in the course of theLeopard, though she had the enemy on each side of her.
"It don't look as well as it might," added the captain gloomily.
"The Dauphine is getting altogether too near us, and we are making thedistance between us less every minute," added Christy.
"There comes another shot from the Belle. She means business, and MajorPierson is certainly directing things on board of her. We can't standthat any longer. But she wasted her powder that time, and we must dobetter than that. What do you intend to do, Christy?"
"I mean to come about, and take a course between the Belle and theDauphine: that is the most hopeful thing I can think of," repliedChristy, after another careful survey of the positions of the enemy.
"I think you are right."
"We will come about, then;" and Christy threw over the wheel.
"That will bring our gun where we can use it; and we shall have a betterchance at the Belle than she has at us, for she is larger, and has acrowd of men on her main deck," added Captain Pecklar, as he went to theladder.
"If you are not afraid of those shots, I am not," said Percy, cominginto the pilot-house again; and he was evidently ashamed of himself whenhe saw a fellow younger than himself taking no notice of them.
"I don't pretend to like them, or that I am not afraid of them; but Ishall do my duty in spite of them," replied Christy. "I should beashamed to meet my father, if I ever see him again, if I gave up thefight, and allowed myself to be kept as a prisoner."
"I want to get away from here as much as you do; and I will take thewheel again, if you will let me," continued Percy.
"I don't ask you to expose yourself; but, if you take the helm, you muststick to it till you are relieved. We have no time to fool with you."
"I will stick to it, Christy."
"Very well, then you shall take it; but if you desert your post again,I will shoot you the first time I set eyes on you."
"That is rough."
"If you think it is, don't take the helm."
"I will take it, for I had rather be shot by those in the other steamersthan by you."
"I am going below to help Captain Pecklar; but the moment the tug goeswrong, I shall send a ball from my revolver up into the pilot-house."
"I understand you, and it looks as though we were getting into a hotplace. I will do my duty as well as I know how. Now tell me how I am tosteer."
"Run for that point you see far off to the northward."
Christy went to the main deck forward, where he found Captain Pecklargetting the field-piece ready for use. The Belle was now quite near onthe one hand, while the Dauphine was hardly farther off on the otherhand. The Bellevite was coming down from the north-east, with the leadstill going in her chains. The immediate danger was to come from theBelle.
"That won't do!" exclaimed Captain Pecklar, when they had the gun inposition for use.
"What won't do?" asked Christy.
"Didn't you notice that? They are firing rifle-balls from the Belle. Oneof them just struck the bulkhead."
"I don't see that we can help ourselves, whether it will do or not."
"The chances are in our favor, however, for the men cannot handle theirrifles to the best advantage while the Belle heaves in the sea," addedthe captain. "Don't stand up where they can see you, Christy, but getdown on the deck with that lock-string in your hand. When I give you theword, pull it as quick as you can," said the captain, as he sighted thegun, and changed its position several times.
He was a sailor, and the artillery officers at the forts had trained themen employed on the tugs in handling the pieces put on board of them, tobe used in bringing vessels to. Better than any soldier, he could makethe proper allowance for the motion of the steamer in the sea, which wasbecoming heavier.
"Fire!" shouted he, with more voice than he was supposed to have in thefeeble condition of his lungs.
The gunner had loaded the piece himself, and it made a tremendousreport when Christy pulled the lock-string. The Leopard shook under theconcussion of the discharge, and she was completely enveloped in smoke;so that they could not see whether the Belle had been hit or not. But inthe distance they could hear hoarse shouts in the direction of theBelle, and they concluded that something had happened in that quarter.
Christy had brought down the glass with him; and he directed it towardsthe steamer aimed at as soon as the smoke began to blow out of the way,though it was some time before he could get a clear view of her.
"By the great Constitution!" exclaimed Captain Pecklar, before Christycould cover the Belle with his glass. "I have hit her!"
"Where?" asked the other, elated at the intelligence.
"Right on the bow! There is a hole big enough to roll a wheelbarrowthrough," replied the captain, greatly excited. "She has stopped herwheels."
"That's a nice hole!" added Christy, as he got the glass to bear on it,and his hopes began to rise again. "It is just about big enough for asmall wheelbarrow. But they have gone to work on it, and are puttingmattresses over it."
"That craft is finished for to-day, and we needn't worry any more abouther," said the captain. "She will not get that hole stopped up for anhour or longer, and I hope this affair will be over before this can bedone. Shall we give them another shot? What do you think, Christy? Sheholds still now, and I believe I can hit her every time."
"Decidedly not: she is disabled for the present, and that is all I carefor. We are not in war trim," replied Christy, as he turned hisattention in the direction of the other vessels.
"As I told you, the Dauphine is fast; and she will be down upon us inless than five minutes more," said Captain Pecklar.
"I wonder that she don't fire upon us," added Christy.
"I doubt if she has any guns on board, though she may have a field-pieceor two."
"The Bellevite is waking up, I think," said Christy.
"She is getting into deeper water."
"But the Dauphine is coming right between the Leopard and theBellevite," continued Christy, as he brought the glass to bear upon her,though she was near enough to be distinctly seen with the naked eye."Whether she had any guns or not, she has plenty of men on board; and itis easy enough to see what she intends to do."
"What do you think she intends to do?" asked the captain.
"Of course she came out here after the Bellevite, as the Belle did also;but her people have se
en what the Leopard has been about for the lasthour, and they intend to dispose of us before they hunt for the biggergame."
"She may capture the Bellevite after she has finished her business withus," said the captain, looking very anxious.
"She may, but I don't believe she will. You have proved that you areall right, Captain Pecklar, and I don't mind telling you now that theBellevite is heavily armed. Captain Breaker was a lieutenant in thenavy, and he knows how to handle a ship," replied Christy.
"Then, if we escape the Dauphine, we shall be all right."
"The Dauphine will come down, and throw a few men on board of us;boarding us, in fact, as we have no force with which to help ourselves,"added Christy, as he took a small American flag from his pocket.
It had been made by his mother on the late cruise of the steamer, and itwas a sort of talisman with him, which he had often displayed in foreignlands. He found a pole on the deck, to which he attached the emblem ofhis whole country, and displayed it at the bow of the tug. He hoped thathis father or the captain might see it, and recognize it as the one hehad so often seen on board and ashore.
"That's a handsome flag, Christy; and it does me good to see it again,"said Captain Pecklar, as he took off his hat, and bowed reverently toit.
"Percy, hard-a-starboard the helm!" shouted Christy to the helmsman."Head her for the Belle."
"All right."
"I think we can increase the distance a little between us and theDauphine," added Christy.
"That's a good move; for we have been putting ourselves nearer to herwhen there was no need of it, as there has not been since the Belle wasdisabled."
He had hardly spoken the words before a tremendous cheer came from theBellevite, and her fore-rigging appeared to be filled with men. Thecheer was repeated till it had been given at least "three times three."
"What does that mean, Christy?" asked Captain Pecklar.
"It means that my father or some one on board has recognized my flag.I should have set it before if we had been near enough for them to makeit out. But they have seen it, and I feel sure that all the steamers inthe bay could not capture us now. Look at the Bellevite!"
She seemed suddenly to have taken the bit in her teeth, and she wasrushing forward at a speed which she had not before exhibited. PaulVapoor was evidently wide awake.
A little later her port-holes flew open.