by Oliver Optic
CHAPTER XXIX
ON BOARD OF THE BELLEVITE
The crisis was at hand; for the Dauphine was darting in between theLeopard and the Bellevite, between father and son. On the port rail ofthe former, as if ready to leap upon the deck of the tug, were at leasttwenty men; and, for the first time, the plan of the enemy becameapparent to Christy Passford.
He hastened to the hurricane deck of the Leopard, where he could seemore clearly; and it was evident to him that the question before themwould be settled within a very few minutes. If he and his companionsfell into the hands of the enemy, nothing less than a severe fight withthe Dauphine, perhaps aided by the Belle, on the part of the Bellevitecould undo the mischief.
Christy was disposed to leave nothing to be undone. Rushing into thepilot-house, he seized the wheel, and threw it over, determined toredeem the fate of the tug while he could. Captain Pecklar had crowdedon all the steam he could, and doubtless the boat was doing her verybest. She flew round like a top, careening till her rail was underwater.
"Hard up, Percy!" cried he, while the tug was still whirling. "Those menwill drop on board of us if we don't get out of the Dauphine's way."
"The Bellevite is almost into her," added the volunteer pilot.
Paul Vapoor evidently understood the situation, and must have beenpreparing for it for some time, though the shoal-water had prevented thesteamer from taking advantage of his effort. She had suddenly begun todart ahead as though she had been an object shot from one of her biggestguns; and she seemed almost to leap out of the water in her struggle tocome between the Leopard and the Dauphine.
The Bellevite was certainly making two miles to her rival's one in therace, and it looked as though she would strike her sharp bow into thebroadside of the enemy. She seemed to rely on a vigorous blow with herstem rather than on her guns; for as yet she had not fired a shot,though she was fully prepared to do so.
The Leopard came about in double-quick time; and as soon as her keel wasat right angles with that of the Dauphine, Christy righted the helm, andlet her go in the direction of the disabled Belle. She rolled, pitched,and plunged in the sea, which had been increasing very sensibly within ashort time; but she went ahead at her best speed, and that was allChristy wanted of her.
The Bellevite was still rushing down upon the Dauphine as though sheintended to annihilate her when the crash came, as come it must withina minute or two. Christy's heart was in his throat, for he felt thathis own safety depended upon the events of the next two minutes.A tremendous collision was impending, and thus far the Dauphine had donenothing to avoid it. Doubtless her commander had gauged the speed of theBellevite by what she had been doing in the shoal water, and had notbelieved she could overhaul him before he had thrown a force on board ofthe Leopard.
"Now, keep her as she is, Percy, and we shall soon know what is going tohappen," said Christy, when the tug had come about so that he could notreadily see the movements of the other steamers.
"We are running right into the Belle," suggested Percy.
"This thing will be settled before we can come within hail of her, and Idon't think she wants any thing more of us at present," replied Christy,as he left the pilot-house, and hastened aft, where he could get abetter view of the situation.
"There is a row on board of the Dauphine," said Captain Pecklar, whohad come to the stern for the same purpose as Christy. "Those men areleaping down from the rail."
"What has happened on board of her?" asked Christy.
"Nothing; but the Bellevite is coming into her full tilt, and they knowthat the shock will knock all those men overboard; and I think theydon't want to have to stop to pick them up," answered the captain.
At this moment several sharp orders were given on board of the Dauphine,and her head began to swing around to the northward.
"That's what's the matter!" exclaimed the captain. "They think theywon't wait for the rap the Bellevite is ready to give them."
The helm of the enemy's steamer had been put hard-a-port; and as shepromptly came about, the sharp bow of the Bellevite shot past herquarter, and she barely escaped the blow. It look as though those onboard of either vessel could have leaped to the deck of the other.
"What is the reason she don't fire upon the Bellevite?" asked Christy,when he felt that the crisis was past.
"I don't believe she has any guns on board yet, though I don't know,"replied the captain.
"What is she going to do now, I wonder."
"I think she will come about and try to board the Bellevite now. Itseems to me that if she had any guns on board, she would have openedfire before this time."
"We must look out, or the Bellevite will run into us," added Christy, ashe went forward to the pilot-house.
"That steamer has come about," said Percy, as he joined him.
"If she had not come about, the Bellevite would have cut through herstarboard quarter," replied Christy. "But we are all right now, and Ithink the excitement is about over."
By this time the Bellevite was abreast of the Leopard, and not half acable's length from her; but there was no demonstration at all of anysort on board of her. Her high bulwarks concealed the whole ship'scompany; and no one could be seen but the lookouts forward, and a coupleof officers in the rigging of the mainmast.
"Now we will get a little nearer to her," said Christy, as he threw thewheel over. "She is coming about."
The Bellevite was blowing off steam, and she had reduced her speed assoon as she went clear of the Dauphine. In a minute more, when she hadcome a little nearer to the Leopard, she stopped her screw.
"Tug, ahoy!" shouted some one, in whose voice Christy recognized that ofCaptain Breaker.
"On board the Bellevite!" responded Christy.
"Come alongside!" added the commander of the steamer.
"That's just what I was going to do," added Christy to his companion.
"I suppose we are all right now, are we not, Christy?" asked Percy.
"I don't know what will come up next. The Dauphine is still afloat, andin good condition; and I don't believe she is going to let the Belleviteoff without doing something."
Captain Pecklar was letting off steam also; for he realized that thebattle, so far as the Leopard was concerned, was finished. Christysteered the tug alongside of the steamer; and when he rang the bellfinally to stop her, after a rope had been heaved on board of her, heleft the engine, with the steam still escaping from the boiler, and thefurnace-door wide open, and went to the pilot-house.
"Hurry up!" shouted Captain Breaker, appearing on the rail of theBellevite, at the gangway.
Captain Pecklar looked astern of the tug, and saw that the Dauphine wasrapidly approaching. She had come about, and her captain did not appearto be satisfied with saving his own vessel from the collision, andintended to make another movement. But he had gone some distance beforehe came about, though he was now rather too near for the comfort of theBellevite after she had stopped her screw.
"What shall we do with this tug?" asked Christy, who had some doubtswhether or not he ought to leave the Leopard in condition for furtheruse by the enemy.
"We have no time to bother with her, and she don't amount to any thing.Come on board as quick as you can," replied Captain Breaker.
"Go on board, Captain Pecklar," said Christy, pointing to the gangway."Come, Percy, your troubles are over for the present."
The captain went up the ladder, followed by Percy, and Christy wentthe last; for he felt that he must see his friends through before heabandoned the Leopard himself. The moment the owner's son showed himselfon the rail, a burst of cheers came from the ship's company, to which hereplied by taking off his cap and bowing.
"I am glad to see you again, Christy," said his father, as he descendedto the deck and found himself in the arms of Captain Passford. "I wasafraid I should have to leave you here, though I did not intend to dothat as long as a plank of the Bellevite remained under me."
Christy found his father a great deal more demonst
rative than he hadever known him to be before, and he fully realized that he had had avery narrow, and even a wonderful escape since he had been taken by theenemy.
Captain Breaker did not wait for father and son to finish theiraffectionate greetings; but as soon as Christy put his foot on the railhe directed the line to the tug to be cast off, and the order was givento start the screw. The Bellevite went ahead again, and the commandergave out the course for her.
Before Captain Passford was ready to think of any thing except thejoyful meeting with his son, Captain Pecklar suddenly dropped to thedeck as though a bullet from the enemy had finished his career in thevery moment of victory. Christy broke from his father, and hastened tohis assistance. He had fainted again from exhaustion after the effortsof the day. Dr. Linscott was at his side almost as soon as Christy, andthe sufferer was borne to the cabin, where he was placed in one of thevacant state-rooms.
"Who is that man, Christy?" asked Captain Passford, as soon as theinvalid had been cared for.
"That is Captain Pecklar; and he is a Union man, though he has beenin charge of that tug in the service of the forts. But he is inconsumption, and he does not believe he can live much longer. He says hewould rather die at home than live down here," replied Christy.
"He looks like a sick man," added the owner.
"He is, and he has worked altogether beyond his strength. But I believeI should not have been here, father, at this moment, if he had notworked with me, and acted with the utmost courage and devotion."
"Then he shall want for nothing while he is on board of the Bellevite."
"But I am sure that the doctor can improve his condition; at least,I hope he can."
"He can if any one can. But how happens Percy to be with you in thetug?" asked Captain Passford, as he looked about him for the young man,who was standing near the mainmast, watching the approaching smoke-stackof the Dauphine.
"Percy has not been as reliable as Captain Pecklar; but he has donewell, and has rendered good service. He has steered the tug for sometime," replied Christy, calling to him the subject of the last remarks.
"I am glad to see you again, Mr. Percy," said the owner, giving him hishand. "I am under obligations to you for all you have done to assist myson on board of that tug."
"I was at work too for myself," said Percy, taking the offered hand,"I don't belong on this side of the question, and all I want is to getback to Nassau. I have nothing to expect from my brother, Major Pierson,and my mother cannot protect me."
"In consideration of the service you have rendered to my son, I shall beglad to do all I can to assist you in getting there."
"Thank you, sir."
"But where is Florry, father?" asked Christy, looking about the deck.
"I could not allow her to be on deck when a shot was liable to come onboard. She is in the cabin, and she will be as glad to see you as I havebeen," replied Captain Passford.
Christy hastened to the cabin.