CHAPTER XIX
AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE
The Snapper was quite a small craft, and looked like an old vessel; forshe was a side-wheeler, though she had evidently been built for asea-going craft. Whether Flanger had escaped from the Bellevite afterbeing transferred to her from the Bronx, or had been regularly exchangedas a prisoner of war, Christy had no means of knowing. It made littledifference; he was in Nassau, and he was thirsting for revenge againsthim.
The young officer did not feel that the brutal wretch had any reasonablecause to complain of him, and especially no right to revenge himself foran injury received while his assailant was the aggressor. He had donehis duty to his country. He had been compelled to act promptly; and hehad not aimed his revolver particularly at the nose of his dangerousassailant. Flanger was engaged in a foolhardy enterprise; and themutilation of his nasal member had resulted very naturally from hisfolly.
His enemy was probably a good sailor, and he was a bold ruffian. Christyhad captured the steamer loaded with cotton, in which he was all readyto sail from St. Andrew's Bay; and doubtless this was his first reasonfor hating the young officer. But no soldier or sailor of characterwould ever think of such a thing as revenging himself for an injuryreceived in the strife, especially if it was fairly inflicted. Thebusiness of war is to kill, wound, and capture, as well as for each sideto injure the other in person and property to the extent of its ability.
"Want a boat, sir?" asked a negro, who saw that Christy was gazing atthe Snapper, even while he was thinking about his quarrel with CaptainFlanger.
"Where is your boat?" asked the officer.
"Right here, sir," replied the boatman, pointing to the steps at thelanding-place. "The best sailboat in the harbor, sir."
"I want to sail about this bay for a couple of hours," added Christy,as he stopped on the upper step to examine the craft.
It was built exactly like the Eleuthera, though not quite so large.
"I saw you looking at the steamer there," said the boatman, pointing tothe vessel in which Christy was interested. "Do you wish to go on boardof her, sir?"
"No; I desire only to sail about the harbor, and perhaps go outside thebar. Can you cross it in this boat?"
"Yes, sir; no trouble at all about crossing it in the Dinah. Take youover to Eleuthera, if you like."
"No; I only want to sail about the harbor, and look at the vessels inport," replied Christy.
While he was looking at the boat, he became conscious that a young man,who was standing on the capsill of the wharf, was looking at him veryearnestly. He only glanced at him, but did not recognize him. He hadtaken the first step in the descent of the stairs, when this person puthis hand upon his shoulder to attract his attention. Christy looked athim, and was sure that he had seen him before, though he failed toidentify him.
"How are you, Christy?" said the stranger. "Don't you know me?"
"Your face has a familiar look to me, but I am unable to make you out atfirst sight," replied the young officer, more puzzled as he examined thefeatures of the young man, who appeared to be about twenty years old.
"You and I both have grown a great deal in the last two years, since wefirst met on this very wharf; but I am Percy Pierson, and you and I werefellow-voyagers in the Bellevite."
"I think you have changed in that time more than I have, or I shouldhave recognized you," answered Christy very coldly, for he was not atall pleased to be identified by any person.
"You are a good deal larger than when I saw you last time, but you lookjust the same. I am glad to see you, Christy, for you and I ran a bigrig over in Mobile Bay," continued Percy, as he extended his hand to theother.
Christy realized that it would be useless as well as foolish to deny hisidentity to one who knew him so well. A moment's reflection assured himthat he must make the best of the circumstances; but he wished with allhis might that he had not come to Nassau. He was particularly glad thathe had insisted upon separating from Mr. Gilfleur, for the presentencounter would have ruined his mission. The young man's father wasColonel Richard Pierson, a neighbor of Homer Passford; and he was aConfederate commissioner for the purchase of vessels for the rebel navy,for running the blockade. Doubtless the son was his father's assistant,as he had been at the time of Christy's first visit.
Percy was not a person of very heavy brain calibre, as his companion hadlearned from an association of several weeks with him. Christy believedthat he might obtain some useful information from him; and he decided,since it was impossible to escape the interview, to make the best of it,and he accepted the offered hand. He did not consider the youngSoutherner as much of a rebel, for he had refused to shoulder a musketand fight for the cause.
"I begin to see your former looks, and particularly your expression,"said Christy. "I am very glad to see you, and I hope you have been verywell since we met last."
"Very well indeed."
"Do you live here, Percy?"
"I have lived here most of the time since we parted on board of theBellevite, and you put me on board of a schooner bound to Nassau. Thatwas a very good turn you did me, for I believed you would take me to NewYork, and pitch me into a Yankee prison. I was very grateful to you, forI know it was your influence that saved me."
This remark seemed to put a new face upon the meeting. Christy had donenothing to cause him to be set free; for the Bellevite, though she hadbeaten off several steamers that attempted to capture her, was not inthe regular service at the time, her mission in the South being simplyto bring home the daughter of her owner, who had passed the winter withher uncle at Glenfield.
"I am very glad I was able to do you a good turn," replied Christy, whoconsidered it his duty to take advantage of the circumstances. "I amjust going out to take a sail; won't you join me?"
"Thank you; I shall be very glad to do so. I suppose you are a Yankeestill, engaged in the business of subjugating the free South, as I amstill a rebel to the backbone," replied Percy, laughing very pleasantly.
"But you are not in the rebel army now, any more than you were at thattime," added Christy in equally good humor.
"I am not. You know all about my army experience. My brother, the major,sends me a letter by every chance he can get, and has offered to have myindiscretion, as he called it, in leaving the camp, passed over, if Iwill save the honor of the family by returning to the army; but myfather insists that I can render better service to the cause as hisassistant."
Christy led the way down the steps, and the two seated themselves in thebow of the boat. The skipper shoved off after he had set his sails, andthe boat stood out towards the Snapper, for he could hardly avoidpassing quite near to her.
"What are you doing in Nassau, Christy?" asked Percy.
This was a hard question, and it was utterly impossible to make atruthful reply without upsetting the plan of Mr. Gilfleur, and renderinguseless the voyage of the Chateaugay to the Bahamas.
"I am in just as bad a scrape as you were when you were caught on boardof the Bellevite," replied Christy after a moment's reflection.
"Are you a prisoner of war?"
"How could I be a prisoner in a neutral port like Nassau? No; I do notregard myself as a prisoner just now," answered Christy verygood-humoredly.
"But you have been a prisoner, and you have escaped in some vessel thatrun the blockade. I see it all; and you need not stop to explain it,"said Percy, who flattered himself on his brilliant perception.
"The less I say about it the better it will be for me," added Christy,willing to accept the situation as his companion had marked it out.
"But you must not let my father see you."
"I never met Colonel Pierson, though I saw him once, and he would notknow me if we should meet."
"Then don't let him know who you are."
"He will not know, unless you tell him."
"You may be very sure that I will not mention you to him, or to anybodyelse, for that matter," replied Percy very earnestly.
But Christy d
id not put any confidence in his assertion. Percy wasreally a deserter from the Confederate army, and he knew that he had inseveral instances acted the traitor's part. He had more respect for anout-and-out rebel than for one who shirked his duty to his country as heunderstood it.
"I have been afraid some one might identify me here," suggested Christy,determined not to over-act his part.
"I might help you out of the scrape," said Percy, who appeared to bereflecting upon something that had come to his mind. "I suppose you areaware that most of the vessels in this harbor, and those outside thebar, are directly or indirectly interested in blockade-running."
"I supposed so, but I know nothing about it."
"Some of them have brought in cotton, with which others are loading forEngland. My business as my father's clerk takes me on board of most ofthem, and I know the captains and other officers very well. This littlesteamer we have just passed was bought for a Mobile man by my father.She carried a full cargo of goods into Mobile, and came out again fullof cotton. She is called the Snapper, and she is a regular snapper ather business. She is now all loaded, and will sail on the next tide.I am well acquainted with her captain."
"What sort of a man is he?" asked Christy in an indifferent tone.
"He is a very good fellow; bold as an eagle, and brave as a lion. Hedrinks too much whiskey for his own good; but he knows all the ports onthe Gulf of Mexico, and he gets in or out in face of the blockadersevery time," answered Percy with enthusiasm.
"Did he never lose a vessel?"
"Never but one; that was the Floridian, and I reckon you know as muchabout that affair as any other person, Christy," replied Percy, laughingas though it had been a good joke on Captain Flanger.
"I know something about it."
"Your uncle, Colonel Passford, lost several vessels, and you had a handin their capture. But never mind that; you did me a good turn, and Inever go back on a friend. Now, my dear fellow, I do not think it willbe safe for you to remain here. You are looked upon as a dangerousfellow along the Gulf coast, as Colonel Passford writes to my father;and if my governor should get a hint that you were here, he would make abusiness of getting you inside a Confederate prison."
"I am under the flag of England just now, and that is supposed toprotect neutrals."
"That's all very well, my dear fellow; but my governor could manage youraffair in some way. I can make a trade with the captain of the Snapperto put you ashore at Key West."
"You are very kind, Percy."
"It will be necessary for you to buy a boat here, one with a sail, whichcan be carried on the deck of the steamer," continued Percy, evidentlymuch interested in the scheme he was maturing.
At this moment the Dinah was passing under the stern of a steamer,on which Christy read the name "Ovidio."