CHAPTER XXVI
THE POST OF DUTY AND OF DANGER
The long-boat, with the increased experience of its crew, was doing verywell, and it would soon be within hailing-distance of the Bellevite. ButMajor Pierson could hardly help discovering that the Leopard was underway, though he seemed to give his whole attention to the boat and thesteamer ahead of him.
Christy went aft to ascertain the situation of the steamer from thenorth-west, and with the glass he satisfied himself that she was notexactly a river steamer, such as he had seen on the Alabama; or, if shewas, she had been altered to fit her for duty on the bay.
He could see that she had brass guns on her forward deck, and aconsiderable force of soldiers or sailors. But she was a nondescriptcraft, and he was unable to make her out accurately, though by this timeshe was not more than half a mile distant. No immediate danger was to beapprehended from her, unless she opened fire with the field-pieces onher deck. As the Leopard was in the service of the forts, she was notlikely to do this till she knew more of the present situation on boardof her.
Christy had made up a new course for the tug when he saw the changein the working of the long-boat, and the approaching steamer had aninfluence in his calculations. He had directed the new pilot to head herdirectly for the Bellevite, only taking care to give the long-boat asufficiently wide berth to prevent the soldiers from boarding her, andwith steam it would be an easy thing to keep out of its way.
Christy went below to the engine-room to ascertain the condition ofCaptain Pecklar. He found him eating his breakfast, which he took from abasket he had evidently brought with him from the shore the day before.He seemed to have an appetite; and, from the food he consumed, theacting captain did not believe he could be in a desperate situation.
"How do you get on, Captain Pecklar?" asked Christy, as he glanced atthe engine, and judged that it was moving more rapidly than at any timebefore.
"I am a good deal better, Christy: in fact, the thought of getting outof this country is almost enough to cure me; for I have come to theconclusion that I had rather die at home than live here," replied thecaptain, as he put an enormous piece of beef into his mouth, which hiscompanion thought would be almost enough for his breakfast.
"I am glad you are better. How does the engine work?" asked Christy.
"I have been stirring it up, and I just filled up the furnaces. I thinkshe is doing her best, though that is not saying a great deal. But,Christy, have you tried to get a look over beyond the Bellevite?"
"No, I haven't seen any thing in that direction," replied Christy,a little startled by the question.
"I believe there is another steamer over there; and, if there is, itmust be the Dauphine."
"What of her?" asked Christy anxiously.
"She is a steam-yacht of four hundred tons, and the fastest steamer inthese waters. They have been fitting her up for the war, though I don'tknow whether she is to be a man-of-war or a blockade-runner."
"What makes you think it is she?"
"Because she has been over to the town you may have seen in thatdirection. She is behind the Bellevite, so that you can hardly see her."
"I am inclined to think the Bellevite can take care of herself," repliedChristy.
"Why, the Bellevite cannot do any thing but run away; and Major Piersonsays she will never do that till you have been taken on board of her.I heard him and Lieutenant Dallberg talk it all over near the door ofmy room."
"Perhaps the Bellevite can do something more than run away," addedChristy with a smile.
"What do you mean, my friend?" asked the captain, suspending theoperation of his jaws, he was so interested in the answer to hisquestion. "The major said distinctly that she was a gentleman'spleasure-yacht, and that she was not armed."
"The major has a right to his opinion, and I shall not argue the pointagainst him. My father came into the bay on a peaceful errand, and hehad no intention to be aggressive."
"All right, Christy; I can see through plain glass even when thereisn't a hole in it," said Captain Pecklar, laughing; for he seemed tobe entirely satisfied with the situation, in spite of the fact that twohostile steamers appeared to menace the Bellevite, which he hoped wouldbear him to his home.
"Now, what do you know of the steamer astern of us?" asked Christy.
"That must be the Belle. She is no match for an armed steamer, but shemay do a great deal of mischief. She used to run down the bay in thesummer."
"I will go up to the pilot-house, and see if I can make out theDauphine. If she is a sea-going yacht, she is the one we have to fear,"said Christy, as he left the engine-room.
"See here, Christy; there is another steamer over beyond the Bellevite,and she is pretty near her, too," said Percy, as he entered thepilot-house.
The acting captain brought his glass to bear over the Bellevite, and hewas satisfied that the approaching vessel was the yacht described byCaptain Pecklar. But he had hardly got his eye on the Dauphine, beforehe saw that the Bellevite had started her screw. It looked as though shedeemed it advisable to change her position in view of the approach ofthe steamers on each side of her.
"Where is she going, Christy?" asked Percy.
"I am sure I cannot tell you. You can see all that I can see," repliedChristy, who was very anxious about the situation.
"We are not a great way from the long-boat," suggested Percy, who wasmore afraid of that than he was of all the steamers in sight. "What am Ito steer for now? Shall I make her follow the Bellevite?"
"Head her off to the north-east," replied Christy, opening the binnacle.
But he might as well have opened the book of the black art to Percy,for he could not steer by compass. Christy got the Leopard on hernew course, by which she would come somewhere near intercepting theBellevite; and then he found an object on the shore, many miles distant,for the guidance of the pilot.
But the long-boat was now almost within hailing-distance of the Leopard.Major Pierson was certainly aware that the tug was under way, and hemade the most energetic demonstrations for her to stop her screw.Suddenly the Bellevite changed her course again, and run directlytowards the tug.
This movement was apparently noticed by the major; for his men doubledtheir efforts at the oars, pulling for the Leopard. The boat was thenout of the trough of the sea, and its progress was much better. Then theBellevite changed her course again; and it was impossible to determinewhat she intended to do, though possibly she was following a crookedchannel.
"Leopard, ahoy!" shouted Major Pierson; and he was near enough now to bedistinctly heard.
"In the boat!" returned Christy, though he knew the parley could amountto nothing.
"Stop her!" yelled the major.
"Not yet!" replied the acting captain.
"Stop, or I will fire into you!"
"I'm not going to stand here and be shot down!" exclaimed Percy. "Mybrother don't know that I am at the wheel, and I shall be the first oneto get hit."
Christy could not blame Percy for not wishing to be shot by the partyunder his brother's command; and he had no more relish for being shothimself, quite in sight of his father's steamer. But to abandon the helmwas to abandon the control of the tug, and the major could recoverpossession of her and of his prisoner within a few minutes.
"Go below, Percy, and put yourself in the fire-room, for you will besafe there," said Christy.
At that moment the crack of a musket was heard, and a bullet crashedthrough the pine boards of the pilot-house. It was the first evidenceof actual war which Christy had seen, and it impressed him strongly.
"It isn't safe for me to show myself," said Percy, as his companion tookthe wheel from him.
"You must be your own judge of that," replied Christy, as he droppeddown on the floor, with the compass in his hand.
"What are you going to do down there?" asked Percy.
"I have no wish to be shot any more than you have. I am going to keepout of sight, and steer the steamer by compass," replied Christy.
"I will steer her if I can keep out of sight," added Percy.
"You can't steer by compass; but you can do something if you arewilling," suggested the pilot.
"I am willing to do all I can; but I don't want my brother to shoot me,as much for his sake as my own. What shall I do?" asked Percy.
"Crawl out of the pilot-house on the port-side, where they can't see youfrom the boat, and then keep watch of all the other steamers. Report tome just where they all are, and what they are doing."
"All right; I will do that," replied Percy, as he obeyed the order.
The boat continued to fire at the pilot-house of the Leopard, and thougha shot came uncomfortably near Christy, he stuck to his post; for toleave it was to give up the battle.
"The Bellevite is headed directly towards us," called Percy, outside ofthe pilot-house. "The other steamers are just as they were."
"All right; keep your eye on them all the time."
"The Bellevite is headed directly towards us," said Captain Pecklar,coming to the top of the ladder on the port-side.
"So Percy has just reported to me."
"But you will get killed if you stay here," said the captain, withgenuine solicitude in his looks and manner.
"But I must stay here, all the same," replied Christy, who felt tooproud to desert the post of duty because it happened to be the post ofdanger at the same time.
"But let me take your place, Christy," continued Captain Pecklar,finishing the ascent of the ladder.
"No, no, captain! Don't expose yourself," protested Christy. "It is assafe for me as it will be for you."
"But I have got about to the end of my chapter of life; and there is notmore than a year, if there is as much as that, left for me. You are ayoung fellow, and the pride of your father, I have no doubt; at anyrate, you ought to be. Give me that place, and you will be safer in theengine-room."
Captain Pecklar insisted for some time, but Christy obstinately refusedto leave his post.
"Men pulling in the boat with all their might!" shouted Percy.
"I think I can bring their labors in that way to an end," added thecaptain. "But do you understand what the Bellevite is doing, Christy?"
"She is coming this way; that is all I know."
"She is coming this way because the major has been fool enough to fireon the Leopard. The shooting assures your father that this tug is anenemy."
The captain went below again, leaving Christy to consider his lastremark. But he had not been gone five minutes before the report of acannon shook the hull of the Leopard, and the pilot saw that it was onthe forecastle of the tug.